Congratulations, you’ve finally graduated and waved goodbye to class assignments, marathon study sessions and final year exams. Fresh out of university, one of the things you may be looking forward to is joining the working world and landing your first job as well as making your own earnings.
Just as much effort you’ve placed in studying and getting good grades, you should also do the same when it comes to finding your first job. Your first job is important as it can set the trajectory for your future career path in terms of skills acquisition and future earnings.
As a freshie, it’s natural to have some questions hovering in your mind like how many interviews should you attend before accepting a job or how much pay should you expect for your first job. In this article, we explore five things Malaysian graduates should consider before accepting their first job.
Relocating Abroad
In Malaysia, many people move abroad for work and are able to carve a successful career path outside the country. Over the years, more than 1.8 million Malaysians have travelled abroad for their jobs, as widely reported by several news outlets.
Some even achieved international recognition like animation art graduate Sherwyn Wong who made local headlines after having secured a stint with Pixar Animation Studios in the US and Adele Lim who writes television scripts and directs films in Los Angeles.
Aside from seeking higher salaries, moving abroad also allows one to explore work beyond what the traditional job market in Malaysia can offer, where occupations like doctors, lawyers, accountants and engineers are more prevalent.
As a young graduate, you are primed to work abroad as you can adapt easier to new surroundings and are not tied down by family commitments. At the same time, you get to explore new cultures and perspectives that will add value to your resume and career path.
Read Also: 4 Savings Accounts For Malaysians Working In Singapore
Public Vs Private Sector
Graduates have the option to serve the public or work in private corporations. The civil service workforce in Malaysia is one of the largest in the world, with a 4.5% ratio of civil service workers to the population. The civil service comprises of doctors, nurses, teachers, administrative officers, police and the military.
For some, getting a job in the public sector is looked upon favourably especially in the olden days as it provides job security, pension, priority treatment in public hospitals and other benefits. This means that getting a job in the public sector can be highly competitive as well. Interested applicants can check for vacant posts via the Public Services Commission of Malaysia’s website.
On the other hand, as job opportunities in the private sector grow, some workers may find value in working for private companies where they also enjoy certain employment benefits such as EPF contributions and more attractive salaries.
Expected Salary
Recently, several news stories relating to the earnings of fresh graduates have made a buzz in the country. Firstly, it has been reported that a fresh graduate with an engineering degree struggled to secure a job with a starting salary of RM3,000. In addition, former governor of the Bank Negara Malaysia, Tan Sri Muhammad Ibrahim said that fresh graduates should earn salaries closer to RM7,000 to RM8,000 when adjusted for a five percent annual inflation rate.
According to a graduate salary tracking report in 2022, more than 66% of diploma graduates received a starting salary of RM1,001 to RM2,000. In addition, more than 35% of degree graduates earned a first salary of RM2,000 to RM3,000 followed by 33% of degree graduates who received a starting salary of RM1,001 to RM2,000.
As a fresh graduate, you can find out the reasonable market salary by checking salary and job reports. For example, the Michael Page Salary Guide offers free reports on salary trends across various industries. Some job portals such as Hays offers a salary checker tool to let you see how your salary is compared to your peers.
Value-Adding Skills
We can take a long-term approach when choosing our first job as a fresh graduate. After all, this is a crucial phase as you will be building your foundation which can set your future career path.
As a fresh graduate, you will be like a sponge absorbing as much knowledge and skills you can in the workplace and you want to ensure that you’re learning things that you can apply further down in your career journey and strengthen your marketability.
You can check the tasks and responsibilities in the job ads and ask questions like what they expect of you and what are your day-to-day tasks look like during interviews.
You can also speak to career guidance officers in your university to understand more about your aspirations and what kinds of experiences can help you reach them.
Company Culture
Being in an environment that adopts values and goals that are aligned with yours can offer you a more smooth and sustainable experience. For example, if you prefer a more structured environment that allows you to focus on specific tasks, then you can choose a company that has a more vertical structure.
On the other hand, if you enjoy working on multiple tasks and have a lot of suggestions to contribute, then you may want to work for a smaller company.
You can find out about the company’s culture during the job interview or check company reviews that offer a glimpse of other people’s experiences working in the company.
Read Also: Cost Guide: How Much Do Malaysian Universities’ Tuition Fees Cost
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