Timely for a economical debate here at desmond-t.com.

As I am stepping towards my final semester this December, I already have a clear plan in my mind.

Objective - To secure a job as fast as possible upon graduation. Oh, to be precise, upon the day I finish my last paper, the next day I’ll be off to work (hopefully, fingers crossed).

Many would suggest that I should take a break and go for a holiday instead because after this, I would have to work for a freaking 30 years! Yes, yes so much that I wanted to travel as well, but the predicament is when my bank account is not issuing any travelling visa to me, so I can’t afford to travel!

Last resort, or it is better to say the only choice I have is to find a job… real fast!

However, things are not looking good for my plan. As a Penangite, of course I would opt to work in my hometown. But, today I wanted to check out some MNCs in Penang and their job prospect in the news, this disturbing news came uninvited.

Check out this article from The Star today. 

Holy cow! Seems like afterall, I don’t have to plan any further. With around 30 000 fresh engineering graduates like from in Malaysia stepping into the industry at the same time, how can I possibly get a job? Forget about choosing a good employer especially when these giant MNCs annoucing frozen employment and cut-cost thingy. I begin to ponder will I be another jobless guy with an empty bank account.

Disappointed. Bad enough. Worse still, when I checked my mailbox, another disturbing mail popped out. I consulted my brothers who have been working in the engineering field for quite sometime and check if someone kind enough would consider hiring me as a fresh entry engineer comes this May, 2009.

All I got from my elder brother was some bad bad breaking news. I am not so sure about the following rumors below but I guess it is pretty much the same as the one highlighted in The Star Online today.

• Flextronics 4 days week for Month Nov and Dec.

• AMD Penang announced this morning VSS lay off 500 employees.
  
• Spansion force to take leave (5 days in this quarter)
  
• Jabil planned shut down from Dec 24 to Jan 4, will be 6 days leave.
  
• Agilent planned shut down from Dec 24 to Jan 4, will be 6 days leave. Jan09 might have another shutdown. No increment 2008 review.
  
• Avago no plan shutdown as no more in house production, hiring freeze.
  
• ASE shut down every fortnightly on Monday starting from Nov 3.
  
• Fairchild planned ‘Mass Vacation’ for 9 days leave in FY08

• INTEL – No increment 2008 review, VSS for those under perform and massive cut cost/travel 2009, no shutdown plan yet

• Motorola, Penang- Still hiring+profit, “surprisingly”, Singapore cellphone plant cut 800 job and now waiting for sale.

• Siltera, Kulim – Propose close down this Malaysian 1^st Fab company, loss RM4billion in 2008

Again, I stress that these news are merely rumors (consoling myself that there’s still glimmer of hope for me) and no one really knows the current situation of these MNCs.

I’m lost now. Although it is still early to predict the future, I think the future is not so promosing. I better start to be thrifty or else I’ll be starving in no time.