Post Covid-19 Pandemic: Crucially Needed Professional Characteristics

With the global rapid changes, the education world faces extremely serious challenges. One of the milestones that urged the need for fundamental changes in the education field was the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The presence of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the Vice Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN), Juan Permata, has encouraged industry players to continuously seek qualified, innovative, and creative individuals.

According to Juan, this pandemic has also created the need for human resources with certain skills and characteristics. One of the most needed skills by the market today is the skill of understanding technology. “In order to compete and survive in this post-pandemic era, businesses must acquire digital transformation. This will be the key to not being eroded by the impact of the pandemic. Therefore, the business world urgently needs workers who can highly support this transformation.”

In line with Juan’s insight, the Rector of Universitas Prasetiya Mulya, Prof. Dr. Djisman Simandjuntak highlighted the role of education to support the availability of competent individuals who are needed to build this country. “There are only a few established science-based companies in this country. Meanwhile, our lives are increasingly and tremendously dependent on technology. Therefore, we must be able to encourage Indonesian students to choose learning fields that lead to entrepreneurship. Oil and gas over-extraction, deforestation, and overfishing are happening globally. Our only choice to the brighter further of our world is none other than science-based businesses,” he said.

What Are The Most Essential Characteristics and Skills Needed?

Member of the Indonesian Parliament, Dr. Ir. Harris Turino, emphasized on the most crucial characteristic an individual exceptionally needs in today’s world would be the ability to adapt to the constant world-changing. “The Covid-19 pandemic has taught us that the ability to adapt quickly determines our chances to succeed in dealing with uncertainty.”

Another characteristic that is as important, would be resilience. Harris said that individuals who have the ability to sense, seize, and configure will have a greater chance to survive as well as to rise faster and recover stronger during and post-pandemic. “These various abilities also need to be strengthened with collaboration skills. The combination of these is absolutely necessary for dealing with time turbulences.”

Meanwhile, the Regional Managing Director of PT. Mayora Indah Tbk and Maspiyono Handoyo said that constant preparation of qualified human resources with various skills and strong characteristics is still needed even though the domestic and global economy is currently experiencing a slowdown. “The recruitment of new workers in the current market condition may be descending due to the economic slowdown in this recovery period,” Maspiyono said. “However, this period will eventually end and the economy will recover and rise again. When the time comes, companies will need to recruit new workers to support the growth of their businesses,” he added.

In this uncertain era, another important key feature that individuals need to have is entrepreneurial skills.
According to Juan Permata, entrepreneurial skills are relevant in this economic slowdown situation. This statement is especially true because any business situation has the possibility to change quickly and result in the reduction of employees. “Individuals with entrepreneurial spirit and skills have the ability to look for new opportunities to survive in the midst of economic turmoil. Another possible solution is to open new businesses that might create new jobs for many people. This will definitely help the acceleration of economic recovery.”

Kantar, a research company, found that 27% of Universitas Prasetiya Mulya alumni have become entrepreneurs. This is an astoundingly high number in comparison to the average number of national campus alumni. This is Universitas Prasetiya Mulya’s real contribution to respond the challenges that this country faces.