On 24 April 2025, a total of 128 students from various faculties participated in an engaging Industrial Talk titled “Turning Knowledge into Action: Navigating Your Career and Building Social Capital for Entrepreneurial Success.” The event was organised by Mdm. Kerk Peck Hoon and her dedicated team with the objective of providing students with practical insights on how to transform academic and professional knowledge into real-world success.
The speaker was Mr. Phang Jai Juet, PBM, founding partner of Messrs. Phang & Partners. A proud MMU alumnus, Mr. Phang also serves as the Executive Director of Business Network International (BNI) for the Melaka and Negeri Sembilan region. The speaker delivered an insightful and inspiring session, drawing upon his personal journey and the challenges he faced in establishing his business as a lawyer and an entrepreneur. He emphasised that while academic knowledge is important, it is the practical skills and resilience to navigate real-world challenges that truly set individuals apart. He underscored the significance of cultivating leadership, noting that strong and visionary leadership is instrumental in propelling a company to greater heights.
Encouraging students to reflect on their life goals, he urged them to pursue their aspirations with dedication, perseverance, and a clear sense of purpose. In discussing entrepreneurship, he highlighted the critical role of referral marketing as a key driver of business success. He shared five essential principles of effective referral marketing: “giving first,” delivering an “effective 30-second pitch,” the importance of “follow-up,” becoming “a specialist,” and engaging in “collaborative platforms”.
The session concluded with a lively and thought-provoking Q&A, reflecting the students’ enthusiasm for continuous learning and professional growth. The valuable insights gained from this talk will undoubtedly serve as a guiding compass for students as they prepare to transition into the workforce and pursue their entrepreneurial ambitions.
