Shifting gear: Norhani is happy to serve the nation in her uniform while working with the Customs Department, a departure from her Media Studies training.
PETALING JAYA: Some would call it a ‘graduate mismatch’ but for others, it’s an opportunity to pursue a career in another field – and even excel at it.
Nine years ago, Norhani Hashim, 35, who studied mass communication, decided to take a leap of faith and serve the nation in a different capacity.
The Master’s degree holder in Warfare and Media Studies is currently an assessment officer with the Customs Department in the Import and Free Zone at Kuala Lumpur International Airport Cargo.
Norhani, who previously served as media officer to a Melaka chief minister, was excited to put on her uniform for the first time as she deemed it a symbol of pride.
“One of the challenges that I faced throughout my journey was to embody the character I had to have, every time I wore the uniform – I had to be a woman with a masculine character,” she said.
Norhani is very dedicated to her job and has received the exemplary officer and outstanding service awards in her decade-long career.
“For me, it’s not the course that you study but how you implement knowledge in your life. All knowledge is useful,” she said.
As a marketing graduate, Jonnath Tan, 30, had challenges in his first year as an academic assistant at a fitness centre.
It was a difficult job for him because his knowledge of the fitness industry was below par, but that did not deter him from making the switch in 2020.
“My passion is to impact people’s lives positively, and doing it through fitness is by far the most rewarding for me.
“I chose to deal with (the challenges) through gradual learning. When you handle academic materials all year round, you tend to learn more than a thing or two.
“I’ve set aside a couple of years to invest in my education in this field, so being able to learn on the job is pretty great and I’m happy with the work culture as well,” he said.
Though he spent about four years studying marketing, Tan said he felt like he did not belong in the industry.
“Marketing was also not very rewarding to me because I did not feel like I had impacted anyone positively, hence I did not belong,” said Tan, who is also currently a personal trainer.
He said the long hours and constant waiting game in marketing did not help either, and he chose to resign after two years on the job.
“Some may ask why I chose to move towards a ‘less lucrative’ career, but I knew that it would bring much more purpose that aligned with my values as a human.
“Thankfully (after several years), I’ve managed to find my footing within the industry through the guidance of my mentors and peers, and acquiring the skills needed to be a certified personal trainer,” he added.
Mohd Zamri Ghani, 46, spent 10 years of his life as an accountant before he felt that it was a mundane and unfulfilling job.
“I got sick of seeing the numbers and staying in the office. I wanted to pursue a career that allowed me to explore and not be confined by four walls,” he added.
Mohd Zamri decided to try a career as a broadcast journalist instead – not an easy feat for him as he had to learn from scratch when he was in his mid-30s.
But he persevered and said he is now “living his best life”.
He added that one of his most memorable experiences was when he was trapped in Hulu Terengganu after covering the floods in that area.
“I had to sleep at a victim’s house for one night. We only had biscuits to eat,” he said.
