ADVISORY SPOTLIGHT: 10 Qs with Human Skills Superhero … Ivan Hasjim
Maxme: Welcome Ivan, and thanks for stepping into the Maxme Spotlight!
You’re an invaluable member of the Maxme Advisory - a true human skills superhero - but you’re also an Admissions and Analytics Officer at The University of Melbourne. In 1 sentence, what does role this entail?
Ivan Hasjum: My role entails leveraging data analytics to enable the Faculty of Engineering and IT’s management team to make informed decisions about student acquisition, candidate selection and recruitment.
M: In 3 dot points, what do you love about this work?
IH: The awesome people I work with everyday!Work-life integration in this unprecedented period of timeThe opportunities given by my managers to pursue interesting projects and make a positive contribution to the team.
M: Tell us a little about your personal education pathway/s - what led you to where you are now? How closely do your formal qualifications match your current career?
IH: I grew up in a small city in Indonesia called Bogor where I completed my primary education before moving to Singapore for my secondary school studies. I completed a Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Melbourne in 2019.
Upon graduation, I was offered a full-time role with the Faculty of Engineering and IT, where I had been working casually as an undergrad. While my Bachelor of Commerce has a very limited overlap with my current work, a couple of key subjects studied along the way have definitely helped a lot!
M: Maximising human potential through the power of human skills is the reason Maxme exists. What inspires / excites you most about this mission you’re helping to bring to life?
IH: I am inspired by Renata’s mission to contribute to Generation Z’s development, and as a part of this demographic, I have seen and experienced the gap in human potential first hand. I’m very excited to see Maxme bridge the work readiness skills gap, and am especially keen to introduce Maxme to the international students community.
M: Self Awareness sets the critical foundation for all Maxme learning experiences. With that said … what’s your strongest trait / personal super power?
IH: I think I will have to go with my communication super power! I have been putting more time and effort into honing this key skill by applying it in real life experiences. I aspire to be able to listen better, to articulate my ideas confidently and truly master the art of communicating.
M: Reflecting on Australia’s current education frameworks, curriculums and workforce pathways, what do you believe needs to be changed, fixed or solved?
IH: Through my personal experience, I was not aware of the importance of human skills as a student. Some of the things that I had prioritised during my university studies were academic achievements, leadership development and part-time employment. I thought if I had ticked all these boxes, I would have a comfortable job hunting process after graduating.
Unfortunately this was not the case. If the current education curriculum had placed more weight on developing human skills, I believe this would have assisted me in amplifying my strengths, and understanding how to improve my ‘marketability’ within the labour market.
M: We know you’re a human skills superhero … but if you had to pick just one to truly master, which would it be and why?
IH: Hmm tough question! If I have to pick just one, I would probably choose to master my communications and interpersonal skills because I believe that life is about relationships with those around me. I enjoy learning about people’s experiences, and appreciate their diverse perspectives - these are crucial drivers for my personal growth as a person.
M: If you could share one piece of career advice with Upper Secondary &/or Uni students, what would it be?
IH: Looking back at my own journey, I would highly encourage students to be proactive and be more involved in activities external to the education curriculum. Take the initiative to do coffee catch ups (these worked really well for me and taught me valuable life lessons!), and embrace any opportunities that come along the way. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes, any experience is a good experience when you’re at the start of your journey!
M: You’ve been granted approval to add a recent tertiary graduate to your team, but have 100 applicants, all with outstanding academic results. How do you find your perfect candidate - what are you looking for?
IH: Taking academic results as a constant, candidates with excellent interpersonal skills will stand out most among the crowd. I would love to pick a candidate with a strong willingness to learn, and good ability to interact and communicate well with others - this will provide a solid foundation for a graduate team member.
M: In the words of John Dewey, “education is not preparation for life, education is life itself.”
What’s next on your #learning agenda?
IH: I am continuously looking to expand my circle of competence, through meeting people and learning from their unique experiences, or reading books/articles and taking short courses to discover new areas of interests!