Assistant Director for the Malaysian Ministry of Education

Name: Jarrod Sio Jyh Lih (he/him)

PhD: Educational Management, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, 2020

What was your main area of research?

I studied the effects of instructional leadership, teacher self-efficacy and professional learning communities on literacy and numeracy in Sarawak primary schools.

What is your current job?

I am the Assistant Director for the Ministry of Education in Malaysia.

I oversee the implementation of federal policies regarding the English language.

What is your favorite thing about your job?

I am deeply involved in historic and life-changing education policies and work with external agencies like the American and Japanese embassies as well as a myriad of EdTech startups and NGOs like Teach for Malaysia.

What is the most important skill you developed or experience you had during your PhD that now helps you in your current position?

Fearlessness of learning on the job.

I'd been put in charge of sixth form colleges (I'd never attended one) and private and international schools (never attended these too) as well as a slew of portfolios like asset management, information and communication technology (ICT), and others that run the gamut of preschool to pre-university education.

How did you build the skills necessary for your current role?

The PhD has taught me to look for solutions independently. If I don't understand anything, I'll either ask a counterpart, or more frequently, refer to the relevant primary sources for the answers.

How did you find this position? What were the career steps you took to get to where you are now?

I applied for it.

Primary school teacher ➡️ PhD candidate (part-time) ➡️ PhD graduate ➡️ Assistant Director ➡️ 2nd masters (Cambridge) ➡️ Assistant Director

If someone is interested in a similar role, what would you recommend they start doing now to prepare?

I would recommend looking out for relevant ads and getting up to date on public policy, general knowledge and proposing how they can help the institution.

Why did you decide to not pursue a career in academia?

Like almost all PhD holders, I considered academia, but I do not like the 'publish or perish' culture endemic in universities, nor do I like the self-serving aspect of the promotional track (associate professorship, full professorship) that is so common in higher education institutions (HEIs).

That aside, I like being the executor of policies and bearing witness to their direct effects - something which academicians can only experience at a distance.

What advice do you have for someone getting their PhD and looking to pursue a career outside of academia?

Always lead with how you can assist the particular organisation that you are applying to, taking care to highlight the various skills that you have picked up while completing your doctorate degree.

Are there any components of your identity you would like to share, including how they have impacted your journey?

I am an optimist, and this outlook has seen me through several rough patches during my doctoral candidature and has served me well in my roles in government.