'Great cry little wool', a proverb that depicts the picture of ICMAP's Job Fair-2014, which has received overwhelming response from job seekers but disconcerted employers. This annual event, being organised by ICMAP for many years, remains unable to cater the demands of the employers.
ICMAP's job fair, supposed to be organised after grooming students as per market requirements, is being arranged with no plan, making this important event not more than a 'calendar event'. This is no doubt that this initiative is a sincere effort from ICMAP to bring multinational and local companies together under one roof to facilitate its students for getting decent jobs but it can be more result-oriented, if job seekers are groomed as per market requirements.
Talking to Business Recorder, representatives of several companies complained that although ICMAP's students were theoretically strong, they were completely unaware to implement what they studied on workstations. Asim Mehmood, Manager Finance and Accounts at Zephyr Pharmatec (Pvt) Ltd, said he received over 100 résumés but majority of them was unaware how to operate even 'Excel software', which was a basic and compulsory software for accountancy.
He said "although we are offering number of jobs, Zephyr's prime purpose to participate in this daylong job fair is to get number of students engaged as interns." "I am quite disappointed in this job fair as majority of students is unaware how to operate even 'Excel software', basic and compulsory software for accountancy," he added.
Similar views were also expressed by other employers, saying that experienced candidates were good but companies were more interested to engage inexperienced students as interns through such job fairs and that purpose was not served in the event. When contacted, ICMAP officials said that institute had international recognition and its curriculum was as per international standards.
They said students at ICMAP after completion of six semesters were offered computer-based professional competence course, consisting on four modules. They admitted that students, who started getting job offers after third semesters, were not studied any computer-based professional competence course before six semesters hence complains from companies were reasonable. Moreover, they said institute in order to avoid said problems being faced by the employers during talent hunting initiated short courses of Excel and other accountancy software to enhance the skills and level of the students.