JOB ORIENTATION OF UNDERGRADUATE

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JOB ORIENTATION OF UNDERGRADUATE STATISTICS STUDENTS OF FMIPA UNIVERSITAS NEGERI MAKASSAR*) Muhammad Arif Tiro**) (Graduated from Iowa State University, USA) ABSTRACT This study aimed to assess the job orientation and perspectives of statistics students of FMIPA UNM. This study is important because FMIPA UNM has opened undergraduate statistics program and receive the first batch of 2013 with this study, is expected to produce insight and orientation of students’ thinking to prepare for their future. Thus, students have to prepare for the learning process to gain knowledge, skills, and expertise to support these perspectives. This study was conducted by surveying the opinions and ideals of 40 students after completing education at statistics study at FMIPA UNM. The results showed that the 40 students who participated, most of them aspire to become civil servants (PNS) non-faculty (58%), and further studies to become lecturers (50%). Partly of them also choose to become professional statisticians (25%) as well as being a business and economy entrepreneurs (23%). Furthermore, the choice of such work based on the meaning of the work as the duties, responsibilities, and worship in the life (30%), work as a means to achieve happiness and the happiness of parents (25%), work as a struggle to achieve the goal of life (18%) , work as a means to earn income to make ends meet (18%), and work as identity and pride (13%). The conclusion of this research report will be used as inputs for improving: (1) curriculum, and (2) the design of learning at Statistics Studies Program of FMIPA UNM. Keywords: job orientation, meaning of the work , undergraduate

BACKGROUND Currently, statistical science has become inseparable with the research. The academics, scientists, and even agencies/companies require the services of statistics. This is an opportunity for statisticians. Statistics are widely used in various fields and not many people know about statistics. Therefore, a high demand on capable human resources of designing and managing research data into information that can be used in decision-making is highly perceived. The need for statistical power can be achieved if there is an agency that is able to create a reliable force in the field of statistics.

*) Presented on International Conference of the Recent Researches and Issues on Mathematics, Science, Technology, Education and their Applications (ICMSTEA 2014), administered by the State University of Makassar, Indonesia. **) Statistics professor at Faculty of Science and Mathematics, the State University of Makassar, Indonesia.

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Opportunities for educational institutions and graduate statistics to fill the needs of competent human resources in the field of research and data management. The prospect of a statistician work continues to grow, as increasing numbers of jobs requiring qualifications as a statistician, among others, the ability to analyze data and interpret the results of the analysis. Currently, experts in the field of statistics are sought after by major corporations, and of course offers great income. In addition to working in a large company, is currently also developing entrepreneurship in the field of statistics, which is referred to as "statpreneur". Statpreneur is a statistical agency that provides services, such as designing surveys, marketing research, data analysis, data processing, etc. (Arsyil, 2014). Responding to this situation that FMIPA UNM has opened new courses in 2013, a program of statistical study. The question that often arises is what it will be about jobs after graduating from the undergraduate statistics courses. Moreover, the courses are still rarely heard by people or are still scarce, including the program of statistical study. The questions that often arises are: 1. What skills possessed by graduates of statistics courses? 2. Are employment opportunities available to graduates of statistics courses? 3. Can alumni of statistics courses create new jobs? and so on. PROBLEM FORMULATION Currently FMIPA UNM has received students of statistics program, but students are still not fully understand the orientation and direction of intended employment. Similarly, faculty are still searching for direction and shape of curriculum development and instructional design can support the achievement of the knowledge, skills, and expertise appropriate to the student employment. EMPLOYMENT OF STATISTICIANS According to Tiro (2008), there are four types of labor statistics, namely (1) mathematical statistician, (2) applied statistician, (3) statistical administrator, and (4) statistical assistant. From the view of the use of statistics, can also distinguish between general users and specialized users in the statistics. Growth and development of the statistical results in the division of labor, and the function of general users, including coordinating the work of the specific users. Labor statistics from various types of work in many fields such as government, factories, banks, insurance *) Presented on International Conference of the Recent Researches and Issues on Mathematics, Science, Technology, Education and their Applications (ICMSTEA 2014), administered by the State University of Makassar, Indonesia. **) Statistics professor at Faculty of Science and Mathematics, the State University of Makassar, Indonesia.

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companies, financial institutions, public services, social agencies, educational and research institutions, trade organizations, and corporate advertising. In government, statisticians working as labor in the fields of social welfare, health, transportation, agriculture, taxation, banking and insurance, and educational agencies. RESULTS Forty students participated in this opinion survey, and obtained the following results. 1. Planned students job after graduating with a degree in statistics (given the symbol Y) are grouped into four options, namely business and economic enterpreneur (Y1), further studies to become a professor of statistics (Y2), civil servants

non-faculty (Y3), and professional

statisticians (Y4). Grouping results can be seen in Table 1. Table 1 Grouping 40 student employment options Employment options

Frequency

Percentile

Y1

9

23

Y2

20

50

Y3

23

58

Y4

10

25

Table 1 shows that most students choose civil servants non-faculty, then further studies to become a lecturer of statistics, and the later two are professional statisticians and business and the economy entrepreneurs. It should be explained that the number of frequencies in Table 1 is more than 40, because there are students who choose more than one job. 2. The meaning of the selected job (with the symbol X), grouped into five, namely the work as a means to achieve happiness and happy parents (X1), work as a struggle to achieve the goal of life (X2), work as identity and pride (X3), work as a means to earn income to make ends meet (X4), work as duty, responsibility, and worship in the life (X5). Grouping the results according


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to the meaning of work for 40 students are shown in Table 2. As in the choice of work, there are also students who gave more than one meaning of the work. Table 2 Grouping the meaning of the work by 40 students Meaning of the work

Frequency

Percentile

X1

10

25

X2

7

18

X3

5

13

X4

7

18

X5

12

30

From Table 2, it appears that most students who give meaning to: (1) work as the duties, responsibilities and worship in life, then (2) work as a means to achieve happiness and happy parents, and the latest three meaning almost the same, namely (3) work as a means to earn income that can meet the needs of life, (4) work as a struggle to achieve the purpose of life, and (5) work as identity and pride. 3. Data of linkages two variables X and Y are given in Table 3, and the trend is given in Figure 1. Should be mentioned again that the total number in Table 3 is not the same as 40, because there are students aspire to more than one choice of employment, thus also what gives meaning of work more than one. Table 3 Cross tabulation between the type of work and the meaning of work by 40 students

Y3 Y2 Y4 Y1 Total

X5 9 6 3 2 20

X1 5 5 2 3 15

X4 6 4 2 1 13

X2 2 4 1 2 9

X3 1 2 2 1 6

Total 23 21 10 9 63


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Figure 1 The line plot of the relationship between choice of jobs according to the job meaning of 40 students From Figure 1, it appears that: a. Students who choose the work of civil servants non-faculty (Y3), the most widely interpret the work as the duties, responsibilities, and worship in the life (X5), and at least the meaning of work as identity and pride (X3). b. Students who choose to work further studies to become a professor of statistics (Y2), the most widely interpret the work as the duties, responsibilities, and worship in the life (X5), and at least the meaning of work as identity and pride (X3), the tendency is almost the same with students who chose work civil servants non-faculty. c. Students who choose the professional statistician jobs (Y4) and business and economy entrepreneurs (Y1) is spread almost evenly over the meanings of work into five groups, (1) job as the duties, responsibilities, and worship in the life (X5), (2) work as means to achieve happiness and happy parents (X1), (3) employment as means to earn income to make ends meet (X4), (4) work as struggle to achieve the goal of life (X2), and (5) work as identity and pride (X3).


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CONCLUSION Students of the first batch of the Statistics Studies Program of FMIPA UNM aspire to: (1) working as business and economics entrepreneurs, (2) further studies to become professor of statistics, (3) become civil servants non-faculty, and (4) work as professional statisticians. Furthermore, students give meaning to work as: (1) means to achieve happiness and happy parents, (2) the struggle to achieve the goal of life, (3) identity and pride, (4) a tool to earn money that can meet the needs of life, and (5) the duties, responsibilities, and worship in life. RECOMMENDATIONS The recommendation is based on the analysis of data from this study are: 1. Development Studies Program curriculum of statistics FMIPA UNM accommodate the knowledge, skills, and expertise necessary for working world, especially the students choice. 2. Socialization the presence of statistics studies program FMIPA UNM to widee communities, including secondary school students who will enter the world of higher education, needs to be done continuously. 3. Dissemination of potential jobs for statisticians alumni of Statistics Studies Program FMIPA UNM to the public and school students as prospective university students. ACKNOWLEDGMENT The auhtor appreciate and deeply many thanks for the kindness of the Dean FMIPA and the Rector of UNM for their funding to this researsch. REFERENCES Arsyil. 2014. Apa Lapangan Kerja Prospek Lulusan Statistika? http://arsyil.blogspot.com/2010/10/apa-lapangan-kerja-prospek-lulusan.html. Diunduh 20 Februari 2014. Tiro, M. A. 2008. Dasar-dasar Statistika. Edisi ketiga. Andira Publisher: Makassar Tiro, M. A., Annas, S. & Irwan, 2014. Orientasi Lapangan Kerja Alumni Program Studi Statistika FMIPA UNM. Makassar: Lembaga Penelitian Universitas Negeri Mkakassar.
