Anonymous career talk from Malaysian job seekers — salary, interviews, company culture, WFH and more.
I'm based in KL. My company is in KL. But I wanted to move to Penang. Here's what I did. Step 1: Established a track record of remote delivery. Spent 3 months being visibly productive on WFH days — sending recaps after…
After getting burned twice by companies with beautiful employer branding and awful actual cultures, I developed a checklist. Ask in the interview: - "What does a typical Friday evening look like for the team?" (Are peop…
Based on what I'm seeing in my network and sector news. Industries enforcing strict RTO (5 days or close): - Malaysian banks (RHB, CIMB, Maybank all pushing toward full office for most roles) - Government and GLCs (almo…
Not talking about Bali or Chiang Mai — talking about Malaysians who work remotely and have moved within Malaysia to a city that suits their lifestyle better. From conversations I've had: Penang: Most popular. Lower cos…
Getting an offer where I can structure the package and trying to decide what to optimise for. Option A: Higher base, performance bonus up to 3 months (target 1.5 months), no fixed allowances. Option B: Lower base, guara…
First interview went great. They called back for a second. And somehow I was more nervous for the second one than the first. HerE's what I think happens: after a good first interview, you start wanting the job more. The…
Sounds like a small thing. It's not. I've worked at companies where the C-suite had a separate dining area, separate parking, and separate lifts. I've worked at one where the CEO genuinely lined up for nasi lemak with e…
Decided to write this because most AirAsia reviews online are either glowing PR or totally bitter. The reality is somewhere in between. The good: Energy is infectious, especially if you're in commercial or product. Peop…
Context: joined at a lower rate than I should have because I didn't negotiate well. Six months in, had built a track record and wanted to correct it. What I said (rough script): "I wanted to request some time to discuss…
After going through 20+ interviews this year, these are the questions that keep coming up. With notes on what interviewers are actually assessing. "Tell me about a time you disagreed with your manager." They want to kno…
I know this is controversial. Here's my case. Pay transparency reduces negotiation disadvantage for people who are less confident negotiators — which research consistently shows disproportionately affects women and cert…
I've conducted over 60 video interviews in the past year. Here are the mistakes that keep candidates out of consideration, sometimes unfairly but consistently. Background and environment: A messy background or bad light…
Quit my RM4,500/month studio job. HerE's the actual numbers. Month 1: RM1,200 (2 small logo projects from old contacts) Month 2: RM2,800 (referral from month 1 client) Month 3: RM800 (dry month — panic) Month 4: RM3,500…
Performance review week used to knock out my productivity for the entire 5 days before. Here's what I've figured out. Why the anxiety happens: Uncertainty about outcome + high stakes + limited control. The brain treats…
Most Malaysian employees with companies that pay HRD Corp levy are entitled to funded training. Most people never use it. Here's the practical guide. How it works: Your company pays a monthly HRD Corp levy (0.5—1% of pa…
Most large Malaysian companies and MNCs now use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). Your resume is being read by software before a human sees it. What ATS systems screen for: - Keywords from the job description — they lit…
Worked with 4 recruitment agencies this year during my job search. Honest assessment. When agencies are genuinely useful: - They have exclusive mandates for roles not posted publicly - They know the hiring manager's per…
I'm the person who checks on colleagues. Who notices when someone's quiet. Who remembers birthdays and asks about family members who were sick. I do this because I genuinely care. But I've started noticing the weight of…
Used all three seriously over the past 2 years. Here's where each works. Coursera: - Best for: structured certificate programmes that have employer recognition (Google Career Certificates, IBM, Meta professional certs)…
Two hours each way. Four hours per day. Twenty hours per week. That's half a full-time job worth of my life, spent in traffic or on public transport that's often overcrowded and delayed. The job itself is good. Good man…