Petronas may be a great starting ground for graduates, but it's not the only one offering a bright future, so don't feel depressed. Unless you're exceptional in your studies, extra-curricular activities and interpersonal skills (you'll need all three, no excuses) OR if you have a strong enough 'network', you will not get noticed. Since you have no idea why your paper wasn't picked, let me enlightened you a little. Ask yourself these questions:

Did you constantly achieve exceptional academic results from a respectable university?

Were you actively involved in any extra-curricular activities where you held a position of responsibility?

Do you have the ability to quickly and critically analyse issues and express your thoughts clearly with confidence?

Is your 'cable' big enough?

If you are not able to answer at least three out of the questions above, then you've found your problem. Reflect, move on and improve yourself for the better.

If you want to stereotype, I can do the same and say those who did not do well in their studies have zero intelligence.

Have you ever thought why reputable companies have their potential candidates go through screening and several rounds of interviews? They screen graduate resumes to filter out those who can't perform well on paper and those who do not meet performance expectations during the interview will be axed. Hence, they're left with a handful of high potential graduates who excelled academically and have the skills and potential needed to succeed in the professional front - an all-rounder. Unless of course, you got in through strong connections, but that's a story for another day.

I understand that the recruitment process may be subjective. It may not yield the best, but it does help in getting recruits from the top quartile of the overall potential spectrum.

If you were not recruited, you just don't have the necessary traits required to perform well in this environment. Your talents may be better suited elsewhere, so identify and utilise them. Time to quit being bitter and look for ways to improve yourself instead of blaming the process itself.

This post has been edited by Dealucis: Sep 25 2013, 11:22 AM