Chap One to offer Personal Branding elective course to help boost Nilai U students’ soft skills.
“Image is very important. It is how you brand yourself,” says Wendy Lee, Brand Image consultant with Chap One Sdn Bhd (Chap One). “What matters is how you stand out from the crowd.” She was speaking at the Memorandum of Understanding signing event at Nilai University (Nilai U). Under the terms of the MoU, Nilai U will see Chap One offering this Personal Branding course three times a year as an elective University Course with three credits.
Prior to signing the MoU, Wendy conducted a brief workshop for the assembled students, staff and lecturers. Few areas highlighted during this workshop included the right way to shake hands, how best to choose the right attire for work, and even, the length of facial hair! Wendy’s exuberance and enthusiasm was contagious and she soon had the crowd eating of her hand, with many responding to her positive demeanour by signing up for the course.
(L-R) Prof. Dr. Lee Boon Thong (Nilai U Deputy Vice-Chancellor) Prof. Datuk Dr. Megat Burhainuddin B. Megat Abdul Rahman (Nilai U Vice-Chancellor), Alan Hoo (Chap One Executive Director) and Wendy Lee (Chap One Brand Image Consultant) at the MoU signing between Nilai U and Chap One Sdn Bhd.
Also present to sign the MoU was Datuk Megat Burhanuddin (Nilai U Vice-Chancellor) and Alan Hoo (Executive Director of Chap One), while witnesses to the agreement were Prof Dr Lee Boon Thong (Nilai U Deputy Vice-Chancellor) and Wendy. Megat, in his speech, pointed to various examples such as the late Steve Jobs and Facebook-founder, Mark Zuckerberg, who though seemingly casual dressers were very adept at using clothing to reinforce their own brands. He also emphasised the importance of making a good first impression as, like it or not, many human resource executives will do so the minute a graduate sits down in an interview chair.
Nilai U administrators have sought to emphasise the importance of ‘soft skills’ when students eventually enter the employment market. They have sought to mould well-rounded students by offering them opportunities to learn and grow as individuals. This Personal Grooming module is very much part of that plan to afford students a new skill set which will benefit them greatly when entering the work place.
Wendy Lee (in yellow jacket) shared tips with students on how best to dress for the working world.
Apart from this module from Chap One, students will also have choices which include courses by Dale Carnegie and Outward Bound, meaning students who successfully complete these courses will receive certification from these internationally-recognised organisations. As Dr Megat pointed out in his speech, “It is one thing for a student to claim they have great soft skills but quite another to back up that claim with a certificate from an internationally-recognised organisation. Given the enthusiastic applause that greeted Wendy’s workshop, there is likely to be plenty of takers for this programme.
Nilai U was established in 1997 and all of its programmes are validated by the Ministry of Education and accredited by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency. Its philosophy of ‘Enrichment for Life’ encapsulates learning new skills which would greatly enhance a student’s varsity experience. For more information, please go to www.nilai.edu.my or search for ‘Nilai U’ on Facebook. To speak to a counsellor, kindly call 06-8502304 / 07-2262336 / 03-79603089.
