Interviewing CASFUMAL’s participants from SPE-UTP-SC

Career Summit For Future Malaysian Leaders 2010 is held to provide a platform for top industry leaders, academicians, strategic thinkers and students to share their opinions and perspectives. CASFUMAL is one of the largest events organized by UTP's students, attended by more than 300 students leaders from leading universities, together with industry captains from reputable companies as speakers. This event made undergraduates from different programmes to work together efficiently, as a team in order to make this event a success. Meanwhile their mind are trained to be more innovative as to create a more strategize approach to face the critical situation.

The theme of this year's convention "Nurturing Nation's Future Leaders" reflects the effort to mould the youth to become progressive and vibrant individuals that are equipped with necessary soft skills to be future professionals and leaders of the nation.
A few SPE-UTP-SC committee members had participated in CASFUMAL 2010 as participants as well as organizing committee. A short interview session had been carried out with

Fook Ann ( President of SPE-UTP-SC), Jennifer (Secretary of SPE-UTP-SC) and Chang Yi (Head of Sponsorship Department) to acquire more understanding about CASFUMAL 2010 and their experience throughout their participation in the event.

1.   Why do you join CASFUMAL?
Fook Ann    : I thought it would be a nice experience to join an empowering event such as CASFUMAL during my student years.  I believe that during our time in university, there is a need to collect experience on leadership,bit by bit, here and there.  Joining CASFUMAL is definitely one part of those bits.

Jennifer    :   To gain more experience as CASFUMAL is one of the largest event organized by UTP-ians, and of course, to be exposed and learn from those successful people.

Chang Yi    : I joined CASFUMAL as a participant as I felt I had the opportunity to learn new pointers and gain new knowledge from the talks by distinguished speakers at CASFUMAL. It is always good to listen to the experiences related by people who have succeeded in the industry.

2.   What had you learn from CASFUMAL?
Fook Ann    : I think the most valuable lesson I carried away from CASFUMAL is learning how to fail.  I particularly enjoyed the talk by Roshan from Leaderonomics, as he told us how he encountered different failures in different junctures in his life.  His words 'CASFUMAL invited me because I failed many times in my life!' still echo vividly in my head until today.  More importantly, he tells of how important it is to respond to failure by doing two things; to get back on our feet, and to analyse why we fail.  That is definitely a life lesson I will carry along in my life.

Jennifer    : Wow ... a lot ! Well, there were many sessions of talks, given by different types of speakers from different background. Soft skills can be enhanced while my time management and situational skills are "upgraded" as well.

Chang Yi    : A very big lesson I learned from CASFUMAL (most particularly during the second talk by Mr. Roshan Thiran) was that doing is the best way of learning. The best way to be good at something is of course to have first hand experience of doing it by ourselves. By taking our own initiative to learn, although we might not be successfully initially, we can gain valuable lessons  even through failure. The best lessons are not through textbooks, lectures, but rather by our own personal and practical efforts.

3.   How does CASFUMAL benefit you?
Fook Ann    : I am sure CASFUMAL has played its part in building a positive character in me.  Of course, one does not turn into a great leader overnight by just joining CASFUMAL.  Like I said, leadership is a process which needs to be built bit by bit.  But I am positive that CASFUMAL is a positive contributor to this process.  Another benefit I gain is the insight of the industry by the industrial veterans.  After all, who to get better insight from if not from those chaps who toil day in day out in the working industry themselves!

Jennifer    : I get to stay in a nice and comfortable hotel for 2 nights (answering in humorous manner). As I mentioned, situational skill is very vital when handling a situation, during an event. As a committee member of Ceremony and Protocol Department, where the whole team of us had never been to the venue before, there was tones of works ready to be done when we reached. Through this activity, I get another new experience in organising an event, outside UTP .

Chang Yi    : CASFUMAL has benefited me in the sense that I have gained a lot of knowledge on leadership, innovation, career-building and more. I have more awareness of corporate mindsets and how certain things work in the industry. Listening to these talks have motivated me to take on more challenges in the future and not be afraid of failure. Tough challenges ought to be faced, not evaded.

4.   Tell us briefly about your experience from attending CASFUMAL.
Fook Ann    : One of my great experience in CASFUMAL is working overnight with my group mates to come up with a presentation on Innovation in Agriculture and Sports in front of Scomi staff.  What makes it difficult?  Well, firstly, the fact that I am working in a group of people I just met.  We just got down to the job of ice breaking and start working on our presentation with the short time we have.  I am amazed by the amount of creative juice flowing in our overnight discussion.  Secondly, the short time we have means we have to work under pressure, which truly reflects the true work culture in reality.  But at least the fact that our team won, makes the nap time sacrificed worthwhile!

Chang Yi    : CASFUMAL as a whole was a positive experience, as I did learn a lot from the talks given by the speakers. I was also exposed to some interaction with UTP seniors, other university students and even foreign students which have really broadened my mindset and made me discover new things. There were a lot of colourful personalities at CASFUMAL which made things all the more interesting.

CLICK HERE for CASFUMAL 2010 Official Site.