After spending 5 years in the professional workforce, I finally concluded that fresh graduates who complained that there’s not enough jobs for them in Malaysia must be either: (1) really lazy, or (2) complete morons.
A quick search using popular online job search website Monster.com.my revealed that there’s as many as 79 listings for jobs requiring less than 1 year working experience.
Monster.com is a global online career and recruitment search engine graduates can use to find suitable jobs not just in Malaysia, but throughout 50 countries where it has a presence in. Worldwide, over 7 million job searches are performed on Monster’s search engine everyday.
With more than 80 million resumes on file, it is also the largest global resume database in the world. And that number is rapidly increasing everyday with aggressive recruitment campaigns like these.
According to Monster.com, there’s as many as 39 jobs in Sales, 39 jobs in Engineering and 35 jobs in Accounting in Malaysia.
A lot of these jobs are at prestigious high-paying jobs in reputable companies. Some are even multinationals such as IBM, Tyco and BMW.
More jobs are available for you if you are willing to relocate out of Malaysia, to work in countries such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai, Thailand or India.
Surely out of all these, there’s must be at least one position that fits?
It seems to me like the reason there’s so many fresh grads in Malaysia still not able to secure a job is because many of them think way too highly of themselves.
I’ve seen it before. A bunch of rich kids fresh out of Uni walking into the interview room demanding for the kind of salary that even a manager with 10 years experience are ashamed of asking.
One look at their resume, I struggle to find a reason why I should be employing them.
A lot of fresh grads complained that no one wanted to employ them because they don’t have any experience under their belt.
I’m not saying that finding a job as a fresh grad is easy. I’ve been there before. Yellow Pages in hand, cold-calling all 50 engineering companies in my area pleading them to take a final-year engineering undergrad as their intern.
Finally one company accepted, and I went to to intern 6 months for an engineering testing lab free of charge just to gather enough work experience for me to apply for a better-paying job.
After my internship, I worked my backside off for another company for 2 years. Time and time again, I prove to them that I’m a valuable asset to the company that they cannot live without.
I made no demands and my starting salary was meagre.
But eventually they’re happy to double my salary in 2 years because I made myself so integral to their company that if I were to leave them, the company would suffer a loss far greater than what they are paying me.
Look at mah OLD SK00L PC!
Now that I am in a position where I interview and employ people to work for me, all I can say is that some fresh grads should really keep their egos in check before they walk into the interview room. Until they can fend for themselves on the proving grounds, they have no right to ask for ridiculous benefits.
You’re not a student anymore. You are a professional. No longer are employers interested in how many A’s you could score in your exams.
Above all else, the number one criteria I’m looking for is how hard you’re willing to fight to help us reach our common goals.
It’s not that there are not enough jobs out there for fresh grads.
The jobs are there. Monster has such a huge database of them.
Question is, do you have the right attitude for the job?
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Beauty queen natalynn has been around the pageant circuit, and in this blog entry she reveals all about the dirty secrets behind the workings of Miss Malaysia Universe.
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Good one Kenny =)
PAWN WTFBBQ
lol, nice one
Agree but….in SG its different case..Employers are choosy..I kind of lost hope in getting just a general clerk job. I just need 900 take home pay per mth!!! argggg
adverts suck
Hey dude, good one. I sent out more than 200 letters in 1990 only one replied. For readers who are still in school, work on your creativity. A’s don’t count and book smart does not get you a job. You’ll need people skills too.
wah ur awake at 5 am?
totally agree with u.really,if they’re not choosy,tonne of jobs waiting for them.slow start bah,relax lah.build experience first,then can demand.haiya,malaysian students.still think their freaking A’s all that matter.lol, 😛
9th
Strongly agree, great post!!!
top 10. 😀
i totally agree that a fresh grad shouldn’t ask much. all it takes is the right attitude. 🙂
it is true. most of the fresh graduates are ignorant to the surroundings.
awesome last pic !!!aahahhaahah
Dude,i well like you to become my boss!
they dun act hav biological science-related jobs
HAHAHA Kenny, I don’t think any company would be insane enough to hire a fresh grad for the jobs you listed. HEAD of Sales?? IT EXECUTIVE?! I don’t think so! Maybe your post would have more credibility (not pure ad) if your figures actually took into account jobs that graduates could be gainfully employed for.
Why not work for Osama who promises72 virgins?
i AGREE!!!! those choosy grad can tell you that they leave the last intern because is “preassured” and family asked to stay home and that is ok.
*sigh* what a generation
yeah, damn those people who have told me software engineering is a job with no future, which is contrary to what i see on daily newspapers. there is jobs, just have to take it and tough it out before they pay u high!
for reason i dun want to reveal, i did not start looking for a proper job until i was 28.
so there i was, 28 years old, no work experience, no academic qualification – i got a job.
i went for the interview, put up a positive attitude and repeatedly tell them i will work hard. i think it was the attitude i showed during the interview that got me the job.
so ur absolutely right. it is in the attitude cos frankly, i woouldn’t hire me three years ago otherwise.
I remember when first started working in a mobile/VCD (yes back then VCD) shop as a sales assistant.
I worked there for only 1 year for experience and was paid pretty well. Within that year I was promoted to assistant supervisor.
In 1 year, I saw the attitude of new freshies come and go. A lot of them couldn’t handle the work. Some even complained about how sore their legs are from standing, or how they are not paid enough, or so&so company’s employees are only working so&so much hours.
Some stayed for only a month, some even only a week, heck, I even had a girl who disappeared after 1 day.
Originally I thought that it’s the general attitude of Bruneian’s youngsters these days but Kenny’s post brought me to realise it’s an epedemic now.
Maybe we should flip them over our laps and give them a good smacking with a cane on their smart ‘I-deserve-better-cuz-I-think-I’m-worth-it’ ass.
wth, why are you awake so early on sunday
What the hell. Advertisement? Are you kidding me?
nice one kenny! Fresh grads nwadays jz too “proud” of their A’s and doesnt show much of good attitude..
I still rmbr i gone to singapore to look fr a job with my SPM qualification in hand, goin tru tens of companies fr interview(and i keep on saying i will learn) and thank god finally landed me a job, afcos i leave later bcos of studies.
But this proof attitude and hard work does pay,
So fresh grads, stop being ignorant!
when will they actually learn?
Arggg…another job search engine in Malaysia. If you don’t advertise it, I really don’t know it is exist. Haha.
that is so true and they have to let down their ego and realize , in reality everyone has to work their way from the bottom to the top. I’m doing hotel management degree and I understand that I have to work as a housekeeper, waiter or even wash the loo in order to work my way up to the top in the hotel. Good attitude and humility is one of the key
another ad…
What the heck are you doing at 5 in the morning?
hey, “according to Monster.com, there’s as many as 39 jobs in Sales, 39 jobs in Engineering and 35 jobs in Accounting in Malaysia.” is not enough to cater all the graduates we have today, plus the jobs mentioned above are just merely for the 3 areas, what about other fields?? ESPCIALLY IN SCIENCE, what is there to offer that are job-related?? I will said there are quite plenty of related jobs for certain(few) field but not all. Unless, you are willing to give up what one studied before, there are not many related jobs in MALAYISA
yes, agree with you. Many big companies like IBM, HSBC are more than willing to hire fresh graduates, I have worked with many fresh graduates which I sometimes wonder how did they get hired with their poor command of english?(haha, sorry but english is very important in work, not BM).
probably those picky ones do not have the pressure to find a job (like somebody will support their expenses blah blah blah), and many interviewers do not like over-confident attitude, and what they really look for is the willingness to learn up new things. So seriously if any fresh grads is looking for a job, don’t think you know everything.
i can’t agree more than what kenny said.Now days youth are ridiculous, want high pay and easy job but unwillingly to work hard, not willing to start from the ground just because you think you are graduate? Kiss my ass…..haha….but kenny, how much monster pay u? haha…
Some employers are CRAZY! What they want is Cheap salary pay and Tonnes of work. So, fresh graduates! Get through it any make get the experience.
Oh ya! Guys, feel free to drop by my blog and leave some feedback for me. http://ilovesite.blogspot.com/
Thank you >.
Plus, What you study doesn’t mean what you gonna work as. Study is for knowledge, not high pay! except you are study medical or Laws, other than that, fat chances! I still remember my high school teacher is graduate from politic science, i don’t remember he is sitting next to pak lah or anwar now……
You are absolutely right about the attitude problem. I had hired more than a few dozen of people under my supervise and 60% of them are fresh graduate. It is sad to say young people nowadays don’t really care about gaining experience first. They are just way too money-minded. What they always looking for is a company that offer BIG money, got free time during work, great benefits ( like staff discount and etc ), no standby,and no shift or overtime.
Usually after hearing that, I almost want to stand up and slap them in the face. LOL
well said.
Nowadays many fresh graduates want every thing (car load+ housing load + high salary + no overtime +…etc). Best job for them is to stay at home >.
Hi I totally agreed with you. There are plenty of jobs out there. Even my dad 59years old with no “O” levels also able to get a job. Youngsters who good education background should have a much better chance of getting employed. However if the low salary is an issue, just start somewhere 1st. When you have experience and network you will be able to command a better rate.
from attitude of most of the people i encounter in my uni everyday, i cant imagine who will hire them when they graduate because they cant even construct a proper sentence in english and they wont even try! and the lecturers are not helping when they themselves cant even teach in english. saddening…
I work my a** out. I ever work 65hrs per week..I got job within 6 months after i grad and Im so glad..But I love my job 🙂 and I pity those fresh grad who are money minded. Nowadays experience count, straight A/CGPA /High D student does not make u a good employee.
Yeah. Fresh grads nowadays are totally moron! They thought graduated from uni/college-uni are superb! High demand on the pay, job tasks etc etc etc.
All execs had been worked from the bottom b4 as well! What makes u all fresh grad thought u can just go to that level w/o any basic knows and personally involve on the work?!
Total morons!
Life is getting very hard! I don’t mind having a extra job! Any vacancy? Experience I don’t have but I am willing to work hard! Sexperiance I got, can consider arrr???
Have a very nice day!
Yes, you’re right!
I interviewed a person who ask me whether my company will let him to have more business trip to Japan or other place or not? But he is just fresh from Local University, He demanded on what he shall not demand… I reject him on the same moment he ask the question.
I think they (Fresh grad) should gains experience 1st, and not choose the best job 1st. 90% of current working group do not feel satisfy with their job, but to survive, we need money, we need to work~
Stupid Kenny Sia, do you think that all unemployed out there are really choosy? What about the fact that those dumbfck employers are picky? And not everybody has the same qualification like you, so don’t try to show off that you are sooooo educated, puh–leease? There are NOT even a SINGLE opportunity for some positions over the past 2 years. LOL are you trying to promote Monster.com? U sucks! That site can’t offer a bloody a job better than Jobstreet.com Lah sohai! Who are you to tell youth that they have attitude problems? As if you are so “HOly” and so right?
Golem,
Ooo…you used the same ‘commenting-at-Kennysia.com language’ as you did for your interview?
No wonder….
eh, A’s do matter what. thats what gets them to call u for an interview in the first place.
excellent! well said kenny.
=)
well, that’s curtin perth
haha
sure there are jobs, but maybe not for all fields. You’re generalizing there Kenny, someone up there got it right bout Malaysia not really catering for science jobs, and yet they’re promoting science as if it’s the next big thing.
a well written post.
by the way. I know that picture is taken in Curtin Uni, Perth. I’m a first yr engineering student there. =D My last paper is tmr. Wish me luck guys!
I agree that a lot of graduates are fussy and picky. I got an offer before graduation last summer and got other offers after. Sure, people say I graduated from UK, I am in a highly specialised field, I will get a job anywhere, I have parents to support me anyways blah blah blah.
truth is, I have to do the donkeywork for the experience. Sure, I can get 15 times more pay in the private sector of my profession, but I believe that the work experience I get now will put me in a better position to negotiate in the future. We don’t always work in the field we major in. The degree is only a piece of paper to something else. What we ‘trained’ in, is not the one and only thing we can do!
Agree with you!
Kenny, you are so right!
I am just a sophomore in a public uni, but i know the first job i could get is just a foundation…no benefits…YET!
I know i have to bust my ass for at least a year or two to prove myself worthy…
But the problem is, most students don’t know that…most don’t even speak english (as that would only ‘bring white imperialism back’!)
The point is, not all of us are like that.
Just wanted to point that out. There are some who are willing to work hard to achieve something.
Thats true. In my case, a lot of them replied saying they need more experience rather than fresh graduate 🙁
So have to keep trying. Salary is not an important issue now as long as get employed
yes i agree with you, those who have high aims and qualifications usually doesnt feel that they need to start from the root =\
Haha, 3 sacrificial virgins.
79 listing, 8000+ unemployed. And you can conclude that people are choosy? Please do no sensationalize news or issues to get readers to your blog. You are better than xiaxue
Exactly Kenny.
I agree with you totally. They need to start from all the way down.
Out of hundreds of emails sent out, only a handful returned call….
it is very true… to question the fresh grads, whether they are willing to take up the job with a different perspective…and willing to persevere throughout the first job….
=)
hi Kenny, I do read your blog on a regular basis. This one just hits me well! I am a blessed homemaker now but I did work for many years before. I have heard enough of our Singapore graduates not getting jobs and all that. When I had my ears on their nonsense, I just have to feel that I really share the same thoughts as u. Time has changed and infact I just have to feel these people are simply too ignorant. They may have the IQ but very low EQ. Thank u for pouring this out for me! And, just a small publicity…. do visit my blog! http://girlslike2shop.blogspot (for all shopping needs, perhaps for your lady frens) and my personal blog at http://my-pepper-salt.blogspot.com (I know the blog may not be as interesting but it will be nice to know u the malaysian’s blogger star can put a note or something. I will be really touch! Wow! God, need your help….. AMEN!
i am doing 2 jobs to earn enough money just to pay for double increased petrol, a car loan, a house loan and haven’t had enough to go even for a trip outside country. 🙁 things are getting expensive…. *dead*
i need a rich husband! application open.
its kinda strange nobody mentions the whore beauty queen natalynn.
golem is a pain in the arse.come on, everyone wants the best out of what they can get. if you’re an employer, wouldn’t you opt for a more skilled employee compared to somebody who has to be trained in the first place, if you were to pay the same amount of salary? it’s their right to be picky. and that is why you gotta show them what you’ve got. if you’ve got nth, find something. kick some asses to get hold of some experience. if you really are something, you could just tell them straight to the face that, dammit you’re picky and you’ve just lost a fortune for not hiring me.
it’s not a sheltered world out there where ppl spoon feed you and you just have to open your mouth and get fed. come on, change that mentality. the country is not gonna develop with ppl like this.
haha, I was about to write something intellectual and relevant until the pictures you posted distracted me!
I want a piece of that naan bread/pizza bread?! Being in Australia, I miss the awesome food i had in Malaysia when I was traveling…. I think the work force is much kinder in Australia though 😛
“You are a professional. No longer are employers interested in how many A’s you could score in your exams.”
This is so true. When push comes to shove all employers are looking for experience. No one gives a rats ass how well you did in school or uni after your first job. So basically, that degree you worked your ass off for (and paid your ass off for I might add) is nothing but really stiff toilet paper.
pwnt xD
Hey Kenny,
This one is one great post, really make us fresh graduates think hard when we apply for jobs. I recently got a job, within a month after graduation. It was tough no doubt but it was a great experience, especially all those interviews.
Anyway, I learnt from some employers that the fresh grads nowadays don’t have even a basic command of english, so it’s tough for the employers to hire those fresh grads as well. And now most interviews have “practical assignments” to display your skills to your potential employers. That’s why there’s a misconception that, if you score straight A’s in Malaysia, people will be impress but actually that’s not the case. Because all we did in school was all theoretical. If we don’t have the skill to even speak proper english or the people skill, it’s pretty tough to impress employers.
Anyway, not sure what i’m crapping about but yeah, that’s my two cents. 😛
agreed
people are so demanding nowadays, not knowing that if they actually deserve that sorta pay
ahtiven – don’t know about ‘whore’ but she most definitely can’t write! That was painful to dig through.
One shall not be too picky when one is just a fresh graduate.
nice try
i so agree with you.. even though i have yet to graduate.. hahaha.. thanks for that site.. i might be needing it in a year.. just one question out of curiousity, what engineering field you studied? i’m from Electrical & Electronic Engineering.. now doing my intern..
oh pls lar.. natalyn fong arh?? she got one of the worst attitude of a “model”. she’s too short to be in a catwalk but her attitude stinks whenever she goes for a casting call for tvc talent. so poser.
dont be fooled by the main pic in her blog. i dont think it’s her. even if it is, she usually looks like she dunked her face in a bag of tepung gandum anyways.her makeup on the face is 3-4 tones whiter than the rest of her skintone.
whatever she cld say abt beauty contests we all kinda know ald since day one. most ppl just turn blind eye what. and btw, miss msia world’s cash prize is rm 50k. double that of msia universe. universe is not the highest paying one lar.
i wished you wrote it earlier.. sigh..
Oh Kenny you are so kacak and kaya too. I hope you would like to read this blog http://www.angelinewee.blogspot.com in case you know her.
every other post is an advert. we’re not counting spam posts of course. for example- oh look at the funny sign…it looks like a dick. harhar.
Rm1500k how to survive in KL?
yaya.. a few friends keep on complaining they couldn’t find job =.=
A lot of young malaysians here are too lazy to get a job. They want high salary, sit in air cond room, etc etc. I’ve known ppl who jump from one job to another, complaining of the low salary, no increments, etc. I think you should prove yourself first before thinking you deserve to be paid more.
a good post.
but i think the last picture and the sentence below it wins it all.
well said. but how can 1 live with income so low with so much inflation in prices.
no starbucks. live like a student. take the lrt. i only spend rm500 on monthly expenses. why cant you?
Re. Petrol: dont ever fill your tank, only take what you need, quarter tank, for eg. If everyone does it, the demand would slow down!! Think about it. Sure it would mean more trips to the station but maybe we’re just gonna have to adjust our way of living and stop opting for so much convenience.
i disagree. the times are a-changing. inflation has increased nth-fold with no increase to fresh graduate salary structure. i had a colleague who told me he used to get RM2k for his first job, and that was 15 years ago! fast forward to 2008, and the avg freshie pay is at RM2-2.5k!
sometime not becoz lazy and moron…all and all due to the passion has gone nowhere since after the xxth time of interview…i think should be 10 months ago, i had gone through all sort of interviews…some of them are mnc or listed one..i thought i can get good pay if i work for them with my qualification…so, after awhile, i stopped from hunting…disappointment maybe..
well, maybe that time i got luck, i got a call from an employer, not mnc, just a foreign-based company..1st time entered to malaysia’s market and eagerly expand their market …but the pay i got was more than the previous companies offer…btw, my pay even more than almost all of my friends who are same batch with me.
am aint show off or watever, just want to tell that…not lazy lar…disappointment with the pay they give..but then i quited this job since last month..lol…surprise leh~ go back to school looo~ 🙂
Really good to have someone like you to give these advices. As a part of Online Recruitment Website Business, our responsibilities are to help jobseekers to get a job anytime they want. So, let’s reduce Malaysia Unemployment rate.
JobsBroadway.com @ Malaysia Fatest Growing Jobsite
*Fastest
Advert? Post up something else man. Take some sexy pictures of HOT Japan Super GT Queen chicks like in my blog.
I totally digg you. I started from a really crappy job but I am interviewing people now.
very good and constructive post…
Straight A’s do matter, its what that caught an employer’s eye on your resume to give you an opportunity for an interview. Kids now may be picky, but I was too, I turned down a few job offers when I was a fresh grad. Some employers are just taking advantage of freshies and they overworked and underpaid you. I am glad I did a careful selection of my first job as specialized experience can only be gain when you are in a particular field, which opens door to better opportunities. I would say, plan wisely in your career development. Getting the right job with the experience that pave your future is important.
kenny, i really disagree with you. i think you are generalising. of course there are always options! gee, if one goes to the extreme. taking the streets to sell goreng pisang is also a vacancy isn’t it?
but what’s wrong with demanding something fair and comfy? what’s wrong with trying to bargain some kind of remuneration and recognition for the years of educational hardwork?
if it should be completely overlooked, why should people bother studying hard and parents spend truckloads of money on their children’s education??
I think most of these YOUTH problem is the result of bad parenting. So many parents spoil their children, raising them like they prince & princese.
Young people need to learn that the world will never evolve around them, may be their parents did, but not the world.
Peggy, you sound like a spoil kid. Nobody can demand “comfy”!! You have to earn it. An education is only there to help to get a job, give you a good start, nothing more. The real world demands a lot more than a piece of paper.
Experience means a lot more. It’s a hard tough world out there.
what peggy said may be true..BUT..there is always a BUT. kids nowadays ARE choosy as kenny said. yes there are vacancy selling pisang goreng..heck i even know people who paid for their kids to become Dr or engineers but ended up driving taxis in melb.
when we get a job be thankful for it and work your ass off to prove yourworth, when internal auditing comes in or performance review, show to the boss that what you done for the past year. Then only ask for slight payrise or bonus. my boss always ask, How do you justify the increase in pay?? one thing i learn, record everything down in a diary. mark significant times when you have contributed to the company. all hard works are viewed upon, trust me..hard work does pay off. bosses are always on the lookout for hardworking and skillful people. if it saves time and give them profit, you are surely hired. Just don’t be picky…heck, selling pisang goreng also a job what..who know who you might be selling it to? maybe some frozen pisang goreng prepacked meal?? that is not yet done..it’s innovation.
when you are young, you have the time but no money..there are people out there who have the money but need more time. hope fully you will meet them and sort out a deal. 🙂 educational is still a piece of paper. that gives you entry to your job but with the wrong attitude, it doesn’t keep you there. don’t be a smart arse and ask for more. be contented and work from there. prove your worthwhile then bargain. you have no cards in your hands, then you have no say..work up to get the royal flush then you get to determine the betting amount of the table.
ALL THE BEST to you all..
Straight A’s?
Only shows you do assignments well..and study well for your exams..
Working wise?
Doesn’t reflect.
A great adv from Kenny, talks about personal feelings instead of plain promoting.
I must say that I really do agree with this. It just makes sense that you should humble yourself a little when you are fresh to the whole society. All you have is a cert, no experience at all. Who are you to demand that much? There are easily other people who can do the same things as you too.
I like the last picture you used to depict ‘Question is, do you have the right attitude for the job?’
🙂
hello Kenny Sia..
i will like to work with you as ur thrusty side kick..
my requirements are not that high.. i want to share with every chick that you got your hands on..
I think it depends on the area where you live and trying to work. For instance, when I tried to look for a job back in hometown(Sabah) it took me almost a year to find one. Most would comment to me that I have no experience, my qualifications were too high or they need a man to do the job(its an engineering job). So, at that time, i did odd jobs like teaching or just work for free. I tried almost every ads (Jobstreet, JobsDB bla bla bla) and it’s all focused in KL. Even your Monster ad shows most the office to be in KL.
Reaching to KL, it took me less than a week to get one regardless the pay or type of work. You shouldn’t generalize that ALL unemployed grads are picky. It depends on the area you’re living and how much one can afford to travel to the city(and around the city + rent) to get a job.
Agree. Jobs are everywhere. Want or don’t want to do only.
I’m the 100th respondents. Yeah.
Ok, nice one kenny,i’m pretty much agree on that. Rich kids, don hideunder your parent pit arm.it’s disgusting and useless. I grad last year and i accepted a job that totally out of my major but i prove the company i worthy for them,an asset not a liability. but i’m eager to improve myself so i continue my master by research so that i will learn more by myself and be totslly independent. well, saying so there is in fact some nice lads that really suffer from job seeking cos of many reasons.no comment on their reasons. bu advise there is like kenny sia doing before he secure a job from him. upgrade yourself more, learn more stuff, be independent where count on your self cos that will be the key for you to upgrade and secure your own future.
he he… your cool~~~
Yeah its a shame that employers dont understand that the cost of living is blowing out of proportion and yet the fresh grad wages remains the same. Imagine wages=$2000 – rent$400 – Food& Grocery $800- FUEL$350 – Car repayment$800= (-$350). Who the f is gonna work with that kind of money? They rather stay at home and save on accommodation, food, petrol.
And everything outside gives 101 reasons why they need to increase their price but not the wages to their employee. I rather drive a cab in Sydney.
kenny, the pic of u interviewing the guy…is it u? I mean is it u as the interviewer AND the interviewee? coz the interviewee’s clothes and back look so uncannily like u…lol. if it is, great photoshop, nearly din realise it 🙂
my friend working in monster company at cyberjaya….free lunch provided …very relax and nice colleagues there…
You think all ppl also like u meh come from rich family. Not all ppl can afford to do free jobs just to gain experience. U say ppl lazy, others also say u fat and lazy. In the end, everyone is lazy.
I’m too lazy to think of anything clever to respond to this post, I’m going back to bed, it’s cold.(2PM) And besides I live in Australia, the lucky country. No worries.
I work for a MNC and I interview interns. Guess what? Even interns show attitude! Why bother looking for programming jobs when you’re not interested in programming in the first place? Some are assigned by their university to work with us but they said they’re not interested (e.g. too far, allowance too low, my friends are not there etc.)! -_-” They have been choosy even BEFORE they graduate! And, guess what? Their lecturer supports them in being choosy! Ended up we have to shortlist a candidate, and then WAIT for that fella to DECIDE if he/she even wants to join us -_-”
check out “quarter-life crisis” on wikipedia. that’s exactly what this is all about
Strongly agree with you.
I think our fresh grad Malaysian watch too much of Apprentice that think they are Entreprenuer enough to negotiate with their future bosses…..Come on 80% of people thinks they are like Bills Gate can make money by doing their own business or play too much CashFlow game invented by Robert Kyo….Let face the reality…every money earned need to pay in effort.
I have to agree that fresh grads ARE fussy most of the time. I got a job even b4 i graduated. Although it was a brain-dead job, but I used it as a stepping stone. Now, 1 1/2 years later, I’m getting paid abt 90% more than wht i got when i first started.
if ur degree is mismatch wit d job market demand how?
d government n IPTA/S created this mismatch..
no education review
if u hv biotechnology degree, would u work in kfc as the supervisor or manager?
cannot blame d fresh grads all d time
There are 79 job listings for fresh graduates but the are “8400 choosy youths”. So what happens to the other 8321 choosy youths?
In Malaysia, it’s not unusual to obtain high-ranking positions through connections: it’s who you know.
And undoubtedly, a lot of Malaysian employers do prefer overseas graduates.
Having said that, I do believe that there are heaps of fussy grads with over-inflated egos.
But surely not every one of those 8400 jobless grads are fussy egomaniacs.
Totally agree with what you said! Although I’m still an undergraduate, finding an intern is quite hard for me. Up until now, I still can’t get an interns for my third year. 🙁
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Yup…totally agree with Kenny. I’ve been with the same company for 8 years and have gone through merger and spin off, and i’ve seen ppl come and go. Employers will always value those who are hardworking, having the right attitude, humble and creative. Trust me…I’ve been there.
p/s: I’ve been relocated to Spore as an expat(2 years ago) and my co. even sponsored my MBA.
i’m compelled to write a comment on this. very eloquently said!
_|_ you kenny.
Two rules of thumb when applying for a skilled job.
1. Always be humble, never negotiate job benefits before you are even being offered one. Negotiations are done only when you are being offered a position.
2. The ability to sell yourself in the interview. Present to the recruitment officers, what you have that the other applicants don’t.
What Kenny have said and suggested in this entry does not help much in the context of applying for a job. He may have offered himself to work as an intern without pay just to gain enough experience to hit the real workforce when he eventually graduated.
But did he really needs to? Does every undergraduate students currently doing their university needs to choose that option? It is downright lowering your pride to gain some thing money can’t buy, which is the case for Kenny.
More importantly, being able to sell yourself in a job application is far more important than anything else. That is just the first step however.
The next step is to be able to sell yourself again during the interview. Every job interviews I have attended ask the same boring questions. Instead of giving the same boring answers, I tend the sell my answers to what the managers/interviewers are looking for. It is alright to think for a moment after you have been asked the questions before answering, it is what comes out after that which matters.
Managers/interviewers are more keen to hear how you have applied your skills and experience to solve a situation. An easy example is to get a past experience on your previous job and elaborate, but remember to relate them to your current position.
As far as my experience go, all my previous jobs including my current one are never ever inter-related. They are all in different fields of their own, they all require different standards of skills. But what is important in the managers/interviewer’s eyes are how you solve a problem. How you came out with a solution when you came across a problem. What have you learned out of it, and what makes you think you have made the right decision. Finally, what was the effect of your problem solving skills.
I work for a big international telecommunication company, which have centres all across Australia, Singapore, Manila and India. In this multi-cutural company, we have people with all levels of qualification, but that does not prove the levels of position in the company they are holding.
A masters degree holder can work on the same level as a high school leaver employee. Have the same income, have the same level of contribution and benefits, and the same rights in the company.
Being able to out performed when you are eventually employed is another thing altogether. Selling yourself is the key to successful employment.
what 5am?kenny are you masturbating?
There’s a lot of truth in what you wrote man. I really feel what you’re saying, it annoys me to see my peers behaving like this.
LOL! 3 sacrificial virgins! I know kenny wan that
kenny! kenny?!
bennysia is u ar?
hear hear, kenny.
although jobs here in the UK are dropping with volume and lethality like ripe durians during a nighttime earthquake…..not a problem about attitude here unfortunately.
i agree with this,i thought i found it easy to get a job right out of university,you can be picky,but to a point.however just the other day i actually got disgusted at some friends who never had any working experience whatsoever,have not even graduated and yet were arguing over which post to WRITE IN to mind you because ‘we’ apparently were ‘too qualified’ for the post,and preferably ‘we’ would like to be the boss at once because of our ‘degree’.ugh.vomit.
Hi Kenny,
WHat kind of company you doing now? Share abit can ah?
kenny bodoh,
dia ada degree dia cakap ah…
I totally agree with Ed! 🙂
Old people set young’s thinking
*Mum always mumbling other ppl’s son doing well and get high pay.
*Relatives showing off their daugthers and sons in front of you.
*Famous blogger like you indirectly promoting materialism; go vacation, buy latest IT gadgets, buy, buy and buy….
peoples getting smarter now, employer choose employee and employee choose employer.
i totally agree with you, fresh grads nowadays think they know everything and come out smart mouthed and itching to debate. just because they happen to learn PR in school (my industry – i am a PR Manager) doesnt mean they know exactly what to do when they start work. they just dont understand that work and college is different and they are in shock when no one wants to listen to their half baked nonsensical ideas! And seriously la, no one freakin cares if you are winner of dunno what debate and founder of dunno what club. no matter how many awards you won doesnt mean you are smart enough or competent enough to make it in this industry.
3 weeks after my final paper in university, I started working in a semicon company. Basically I have no idea and could not understand why there are a lot of fresh grads unemployed. I think it depends on luck sometimes.
I remembered my first interview. The manager just checked my IQ Test result and read my resume (basically nothing much in my resume, just my results). He asked me 2 questions:
1) Do you know today’s date?
2) Do you have any questions for me?
After I started working, my friend told me that for freshy, interviewers will look at the candidates whether he/she at least looks presentable, easier to work together. Of course, the academic results cannot be bad also.
The company hired quite a lot of freshy in 1 batch, including me. I noticed that we all looks so young and our hair has colours, hahaha ~~~
After working many year, when shortlist people to come for interview, you know how we shortlist? Look at the photos. If the person looks so Lan See, definitely we wont give chance.
Why look at the photos? Because everybody also write so grand in the resume, there is not much different if just look at the resume.
My pay in my first job was not even enough to have any savings, but i got to work like a mad dog just to prove to them i can. I cant even be choosy on selecting any job at that time because it was the dot.com crisis. I am in IT line.
Well, I’ve been trying to hire a fresh Java programmer all month long… and all those who came for interview couldn’t even write bubble sort.
can’t really blame the youths with the continually increasing living expenses 🙁 but ya, i guess most are not willing to take on a less desirable job.. pride maybe ?
Yeah, what about “picky employers”?
this post is boring and not enough humour =)
Gambateh Kenny, u can write better one..
Yeah a FRESH grad shouldn’t ask that much.
But I wouldn’t consider that last job there too XD
pfft more like
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A’s don’t matter. it’s your soft skills and people’s skills that’s important.
i was wondering if you will comment on the irritating thing call direct sale-ing! Many fresh grads only want to get jobs that are ‘easy’ with lots of free time but still can get a lot of money. even if it is illegal.
Interviews is all about confidence balancing… balancing between competency and reality.
this looks like an ads
Really looks like ads more than blogging 🙂
Er….Kenny…..seems like you have a problem with numbers, 39 Engineering Jobs, 39 Sales, 35 Account…that’s a totoal of 113 jobs….
How the HELL do you fit 8000 grads into 113 jobs? Everyone only gets 1.5% of a job!!!!
i couldn’t agree more with u kenny, not only fresh grads are arrogant, the students now r also arrogant. i’ve heard friends who’re in the education field that some students think they’re better than their lecturers, they would complain here n there that their lecturers kno nothing.
and a little piece of advice to the post-graduates, even though u’re a top student in school, doesn’t mean u’ll score well in the real industry too, be humble n be open to crictics, especially the design field, the A’s u got might not be A’s to ur employers or clients, that’s a fact.
I remembered how frustrated I was when I was just a fresh graduate with a postgrad degree but with no skills and no experience to be proud of and begging for jobs during the economy slump right before 2000. Fresh graduates are luckier these days where there are so many opportunities and also more variety. What graduates may not realise is that your degree does not necessarily make a career. I have interviewed many grads and in my experience from observing my top performing staff (most of them were fresh grad hires), it all boils down to a positive attitude and a willingness to learn no matter how tough it will get. It is silly to be demanding before you can even prove your worth.
Be thankful that we are not in a third world country with no decent food to eat and no chance of a good education. We have all that in abundance so stop complaining, put on a suit of humility and go look for a job already!
Kenny, your mother born you with your brain on your asshole?? No brain punye cibai kia TOLOL!
I have to say something otherwise.
Sometimes, it is not just the mistakes of the students.
Well, when I first graduated, I sent out over 200 CV, mainly by post. (Most of the employer doesn’t provide email address at that time)
I have got quite a number of interviews, and quite a number of offers too, but… well…
Most of the employer insulted me during the interview, though they gave me the offer, I wouldn’t want to work for companies like that.
And what are the insult? Well, things go from racist remarks to much common one — sexist remark.
e.g. “Why a lady like you want to do Mechanical Engineering? And you want to work in the production floor? Why don’t you be my secretary? All our lady engineers prefer to become secretary anyway. After all, you will get pregnant so often that our production can’t afford the losses.”
“You sure you can handle heavy machines? We don’t prefer girls to work in the factories, it will create a scene.”
“You can’t be too choosy, it is good that we hire you, lady engineer is always a loss to a company. We just need female engineer to fill up the quotas.”
“I don’t believe you will cut your hair for this job.” (although I said I will, and I am already prepared to do so.)
“I’m sorry, we forgot to mention in the recruitment advert that we only want male engineers.” — shortest interview ever.
At the end of the day, I proved them wrong. Cause after all these interviews, I met one company that respected me as a human being, and I worked in one of the physically most demanding + nasty field.
I guess sometimes, the employers too have to upgrade their mentality.
We all have to slug it out to get jobs, especially fresh grads.
Let’s just face the music: There are simply not enough professional jobs for fresh grads. But it doesn’t mean we have to sloth just because of this fact. We still have to compete. Survival of the fittest.
It’s not easy, but it is simple.
Kenny, you are so right about many youngsters today, they expect too much while coming from so little. This is written by a secondary school kid you know.
I agree in some sense, as I have experience of employers hiring people with the right “can do” attitude rather than qualification and experience. I have an engineering based degree, but I was often “relocated” to work in sales based on my personality and ability to relate to people, even it means I got zero knowledge on the product.
So agree with you Kenny! Some young people today who are fresh to a job, know nothing about their work, work slow and don’t get their work finished Monday to Friday. And then next week they go to office and continue as if nothing happened. But weekends they go jalan jalan watch movies and shopping with gf or bf. They just do enough. They don’t pay their dues, they don’t want to take initiatives or do more to advance in their jobs but they want salary increase because they belief they work very hard!!!! Notice how their phones are the busiest in the office? Always got calls or sms from gf or bf? Aways got plans and parties to go. It;s the give attitude that is the worst when they actually know nothing or learned to do things right. And sometimes you feel like putting them to work in rice paddy field for a week to show them how hard people work for very little money. And here they want “quality of life” or “work life balance” before they even know how to spell the company chairman’s name!
just wondering. the last picture.
what was the guy carrying?
looks good.
fuck u all, everybody has their own egos. u tink just bcos u already gt a job, it wil stay lidat 4ever? wait until our next economy dwnturn,hope ur employer will dump u in junkyard. only thn u realise hw much u worth, nt more thn just a piece of scrap. work hard konon, malaysians are naturally born lazy. its their nature.
kenny, it would be nice if you can stop thinking that all fresh grads in msia are picky. please dont feed me junk like- if someone offers you a job that comes with a maximum workload and a minimum wage, you’ll do it. im not talking about internships, im talking about a fuckin full time job where you intend to work for long for. so yeah, dont generalize. moreover, you said that you graduated overseas, so i guess all the more you should know that, companies like IBM in the states or australia definitely pays more compared to msia, even though they are the same company. its all about how much you think youre worth. and fact is, as an engineer, i believe that an engineer (be it fresh grads w/ or w/o intern-experiences) is definitely worth more than a fuckin rm2000. so puhleezzz… think.
One should not be too picky when trying to secure a job. Even a low paying job for a start is better than idling at home without pay.
sudah ada kerja lu orang senang cakap la… lu cakap lu ada kerja sebab lu rajin.. betul meh? wats ur qualification again? SPM? wats ur position again? executive? senior executive? manager? bullshit! this kind of people think they hv enough of everything just bcos they hv 1 o 2 years working experiance.. and then sudah want 2 berlagak at fresh grads.. KISS MY ASS la! u r still junior and hv a lot more to learn.. sendiri belum habis belajar, sudah mahu ajar orang,fuck off la woi!
SPM? Executive? Manager? are you kiddin me man?! i have STPM and all they can offer me is washing plates at KFC!
I have reviewed many resumes and interviews i must agree with Kenny, that some really think too highly of themselves. Especially benefits and pay that even i dont have. lol
4 yrs in pro work force, i also concluded that its the many attitudes of graduates that is holding back the company from rewarding them for their loyalty and performance.
Like Kenny said. Your attitude will determine your future.
I was a pump attendant before RN2.50 bucks an hour. And it was humiliating for someone of my qualifications. But as a territory manager now, i look back and glad i took the job. And carved my way up.
arent that curtin picture?
whoa, didnt think u are my senior before.
Just so you all know, average salary for an engineer in Msia is RM1.7k for fresh grad. Working as a waiter might just get you just as much
Why? Cos engineering graduates are close to useless without experience. The pay they are giving you is merely to sit on your ass and “LEARN”.
But wait? Engineers are professionals wot, how come earn so little? Engineers starting salary is almost spare change in nature but can Exponentially grow really fast with experience.
And I have to assume that most trends with salary are somewhat like that. Really crappy at first, but if you hold your ground and attain LOADS of EXPERIENCE, it can easily double itself.
Im a second year degree student in Mechanical Engineering. Going to apply for an internship soon for a few months, I already know what I am going to say to make sure I get the job. Especially this question:
How much are you expecting?
Nothing. Im here for the experience, not for the money. The fact that Im actually given the opportunity to “learn” and gain experience from you, Im glad that I do not have to pay you instead.
uji pulai ke kebun motong getah, ngumpul lada, nanam sayur, ngiga rambai, nanam sawit. ujung minggu nyabong kitai.. enti menang ngirup langkau.. uuuuuuhaaaa! bc orenjebum ka? butuh d kenny, aku nemu nuan agi kulup.
tls ls indeed a good one !!!!
Very useful post since I’ll be graduating in a couple of years… I’m a bit worried about jobs but I know I don’t have to do something that’s related to my major and I’m totally willing to work for experience…