Local talent embark on fast-track to become certified Cisco engineers
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – August 12, 2008 – Cisco has selected four top Malaysian graduates to go for a one-year training programme in North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park, United States. The four are part of the global Cisco Associate Sales Engineer (ASE) programme that takes in talented engineering graduates from universities around the world and places them in a rigorous year-long orientation course. This is the first time Malaysia is participating in the programme.
The ASE programme helps develop a systems engineer’s sales, business, product and technical skills and equips them with the necessary skills set and relevant business acumen to address the changing needs of Cisco customers.
Tan and Mukhriz (front), Lim and Leong (back)
“Talent development has been one of the areas that Cisco has been most involved in and the ASE programme builds on our initiatives in this area which also include the Cisco Networking Academy programme. This is how Cisco is helping Malaysia build a highly-skilled base of knowledge workers that will help Malaysia compete in the increasingly competitive global market,” said Kumaran Singaram, managing director, Cisco Malaysia.
The four ASEs selected are Mukhriz bin Zakaria, a data communications and networking science graduate from MARA University of Technology Malaysia (UiTM); Lim Wei Chiang, a computer science graduate from University Malaya (UM); Leong Wai Seng, an electronic engineering degree holder; and Tan Wee Chun, an information technology graduate both from Multimedia University Cyberjaya (MMU).
The four were selected from a pool of Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) candidates nominated by Cisco’s Networking Academy instructors from six institutions i.e. MMU, UM, Technology University of Malaysia (UTM), UiTM, Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN) and Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL). The candidates were evaluated based on their academic qualifications, communication skills, professional attitude, business acumen and diversity via a series of verbal exams, quizzes, certification scores and role plays. 16 candidates were then shortlisted to attend the Assessment Center held on 18 March 2008. After a stringent evaluation process, the four ASEs were identified.
“I did not know what to expect when I was appointed by the lecturer for the programme. However, I was thrilled with the opportunity to join a leading global company like Cisco. The interview process surprisingly focused less on technical aspects and emphasised more on our interpersonal skills, positive attributes and personality,” said Mukhriz.
The ASEs will undergo a rigorous training curriculum, which consists of about 80 per cent technology and 20 per cent soft skills training, including networking foundations and hands-on advanced technologies lab sessions. Towards the second half of the programme, the ASEs will be assigned to sales managers and be involved in actual customer engagements. At the end of the training, the ASEs will become fully-qualified Cisco systems engineers.
“I have always wanted to work with a great company like Cisco. This opportunity is indeed a career fast-track, as Cisco hires engineers with about five years of working experience. I expect to learn and acquire the necessary skill sets, so that I am ready to contribute to the business as soon as we are back here,” said Tan, who is also a high-achiever in academics, having consistently scored straight As in his public examinations history.
Additional quotes from ASEs
“This ASE programme is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and being the pioneer batch from Malaysia to participate in this programme, we will be benchmarked against participants from around the world. My goal is to learn as much as possible about Cisco’s technology and grasp the ability to work in a different cultural environment in order to maximise my contribution to the company when I come back.”
-- Lim Wei Chiang, University Malaya.
“I appreciate Cisco for seeking people beyond just technical skills. I believe I will be able to contribute my creativity and ability to think forward upon completion of the training.”
-- Leong Wai Seng, Multimedia University Cyberjaya.
CISCO派送杰出的马来西亚毕业生到美国受训
本地人才快速迈向认证思科工程师之道
马来西亚吉隆坡 2008年8月12日讯 –大马思科（Cisco Malaysia，以下简称思科）挑选出了四位杰出的马来西亚毕业生到美国北卡罗来纳州的科研三角园区（Research Triangle Park）参与为期一年的训练， 成为全球思科 ‘实习销售工程师计划’（Associate Sales Engineer）之下的受训者。该计划特别招收来自世界各地大学工程系的杰出毕业生，以接受一年严格的训练。上述四名毕业生成为马来西亚首次参与该计划的先驱。
‘实习销售工程师计划’的宗旨在于协助培训系统工程师的销售、经商、产品及专门技能，同时灌输他们必备的技能与相关的经商头脑，以完全迎合思科客户无时应变的需求。
大马思科总裁古马南（Kumaran Singaram）对此发表说：“栽培人才是思科一直以来最积极实施的领域之一，而‘实习销售工程师计划’正以我们在该领域已付出的努力作为发射台，这其中包括‘思科网络学院’ 计划（Cisco Networking Academy ）。通过这些计划，思科为马来西亚在促成高技能的知识工人方面提供强大的支援，使马来西亚在竞争日益剧烈的全球市场有个立足之地。”
被成功选出参与‘实习销售工程师计划’的四位毕业生是：来自马拉马来西亚理工大学的数据通信与网络科学系毕业生 Mukhriz bin Zakaria、来自马来西亚大学的电脑系毕业生 Lim Wei Chiang、以及来自多媒体大学赛柏再也校区的电子工程系毕业生 Leong Wai Seng 和信息科技系毕业生 Tan Wee Chun。
上述四位毕业生是从思科认证网络工程师（Cisco Certified Network Associate）的候选人中挑选出来，而这些候选人是由思科网络学院的讲师从六所高等学府即多媒体大学（MMU）、马来西亚大学(UM)、马来西亚理工大学(UTM)、马来西亚科技大学（UiTM）、国能大学(UNITEN)及 吉隆坡大学（UniKL）中挑选提名。通过一系列的语言测验、小考、认证积分及角色游戏，所有候选人的学历资格、沟通技巧、专业态度、经商头脑及多样化一律被评估，从而选出16位供最后挑选的候选人。这16位最后候选人于2008年3月18日前往思科评定中心参与非常严峻的评估过程，而最终鉴定出四位有资格执行‘实习销售工程师计划’的毕业生。
入选的毕业生 Mukhriz 分享说：“当我被学院讲师提名参与计划时，我根本无法想象所要面对的挑战到底是什么。值得一提的是，我非常兴奋有机会加入一家如思科般举世瞩目的跨国公司。在面试过程中，我很惊奇所注重的并不是科技方面的知识，而是我们的社交技巧、正面特征及个性。”
这组实习销售工程师将接受非常严峻的培训课程，其中大约百分之80是关于科技，其余的百分之20则集中于人性技巧，例如建立网络基础以及亲身实践先进科技的实验室课程。进入下一半计划项目，实习销售工程师将安排附属于任职的销售经理，以亲身参与处理客户的事务。在计划结束之际，所有实习销售工程师将名正言顺地成为完全符合条件的思科系统工程师。
另一位入选毕业生 Tan Wee Chun 是学术界的杰出人才，见证于其在所有统考的辉煌成绩。他对参与‘实习销售工程师计划’有感而发地说：“我心目中一直想加入一家著名公司如思科。能够赋予参与这项计划正如搭上建立事业的快车，因为思科所招募的工程师都须拥有五年的工作经验。我期望自己全力以赴地学习和获取所有必备技能，以在返回马来西亚时可投身商场而作出贡献。”
其他实习销售工程师计划的引述
“能够参与‘实习销售工程师计划’是一个千载难逢的机会，而我们这几位有幸成为马来西亚首批参与该计划的先驱者，必须面对来自世界各地的参与者的才能基准。我本身决意尽心尽力地学习思科科技，同时掌握在不同文化环境之下的工作能力，以便回国之后为公司作出最大的贡献。”
- 马来西亚大学 Lim Wei Chiang
“我非常感激思科在招募人才方面跨越了仅关注工艺技术的框框。我相信在完成这项训练后，我将可以把所学到的创造力及瞻望能力贡献于社会。”
- 多媒体大学赛柏再也校区 Leong Wai Seng
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