Q: Please introduce yourself and describe briefly what your company does.
A: OK, I’m Eveline Wong. I’m the HR Manager here. I’ve been with the company for the past 14 years. I started off at an assistant level and I grew together with the company. We are actually known as Central Coldstorage Kuching Sdn Bhd, but our brand name is actually CCK Freshmart. We’re actually doing retailing, trading, warehousing and poultry processing. And we … sell fresh chicken products and frozen chicken as well as other frozen food products that we import from overseas like lamb, beef, fish, even mixed veggie, hot dogs, sausages, fishballs.
Q: What do you look for in an ideal employee?
A: To us, an ideal employee should be someone who is positive about themselves, someone who is actually motivated. Fast learner, of course, but we do give some training for our staff if they are fresh graduates. I also strive to get people with a sense of getting results, someone who has the drive to meet targets, because in every department that we have, for example, even the production, the chicken slaughtering factory, we also have targets.
Q: As for job seekers, what’s a good tip for them looking to work in your company?
A: First and foremost, first impressions are very important. How you dress and how you carry yourself actually gives a very good impression to me personally. If you come in with slippers and T-shirt, I can see that you are not really serious about your job. I don’t really need you to dress in a coat or necktie, but at least be smart. Then when I look at you, I will think OK, this guy did really put in an effort to make himself presentable, so it will actually make me more interested to get to know him further.
Q: What is it like to work in Sarawak?
A: At this point of time, Sarawak is developing. People think that we just … want to be here because of family and because we are Sarawakian. Actually, the drive that we have is actually to improve what Sarawak has and to develop it further. So at CCK we have actually been expanding for the past 10 years from only five outlets in Kuching to now over 25 outlets in Kuching.
Q: What questions should job seekers ask themselves when they’re thinking about their career path?
A: They should think about what really interests them, what really drives them. There are some people who only want to do office work, sit down and do mundane work. There are people who are actually driven by results. So they should know what they want. When they know what they want then it’s easier for them to decide what kind of job they’re looking for. If you have the interest in what you’re doing, you can excel in anything.
Q: Aside from studying in universities or colleges, how else can students with no work experience prepare themselves for the workforce?
A: Positive attitude, knowing that you can do it. You must not keep thinking that there are other people who are better than you, but you have to have the drive to keep trying, and to know that you are one of a kind. Also a person who wants to excel or get a good job, they need to prepare themselves to grow … and of course, education is a stepping stone.
Again, as I said, if you apply for one job you have to know what are you applying for and what the company is doing. You don’t go into the company knowing nothing about the company. So that is very important.
Q: How can students with no work experience make themselves appealing then to potential employers?
A: Their resume has to have all the important details. You do not have to let me know that you have straight A’s, no. But at least let me know, OK, you have actually achieved your highest qualification.
A resume is actually a portfolio of yourself. Before we get to know you better, you have to sell yourself to us first. And, of course, the picture that you post … I notice there are a lot of resumes where people will post a very funny-looking picture. It makes me think that they are not serious about the job itself.
