Unwarranted pessimism crippling job chances: expert

Young people can be hamstrung in the job hunt by their own pessimistic attitudes, an expert has warned. An international survey by IT consultant Infosys found that Australian youth are not confident they have the tech skills needed to get jobs. Only half of the 1000 young people surveyed in Australia believed their education prepared them for employment. But that pessimism doesn’t match reality. Professor Paul Kofman, University of Melbourne dean of business and economics, said the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows youth unemployment has declined over the past 12 months. Negative attitudes don’t help job prospects, he said. “A pessimistic attitude is not good for how you present yourself when you go for job interviews, for example,” Kofman explained. “If you're already entering that job interview with a negative attitude … that won't improve your chances.” A bad attitude also inhibits motivation to be a lifelong learner. While the majority of Australians surveyed by Infosys acknowledged this, few had the motivation to keep learning – especially when it came to STEM skills. Only 19 per cent had an interest in learning coding, 18 per cent wanted to learn app building, and 16 per cent were interested in strengthening skills in science and data analytics. The federal government’s innovation agenda and rhetoric is a step in the right direction in changing this, Kofman said, though more needs to be done – including loosening regulation on small businesses and start-ups. Universities and vocational education also need to produce work-ready graduates, he said. One student said he believes the system is failing in this. “University prepares me for the general concepts, techniques and paradigms I expect to encounter in the workplace to some extent,” said Robert Holt, University of Melbourne masters of engineering (software) student. “But it doesn't cater for the more specific tools and required knowledge for any particular job. I don't feel that I'm learning to build anything from the ground up. Moreover, the requirements for workforce entry (securing any initial job) are not covered or mentioned at all – I'm no closer to qualifying for a given job listing after attending my university course.”