Anonymous career talk from Malaysian job seekers — salary, interviews, company culture, WFH and more.
I work roughly 9-to-6 with occasional exceptions. No late nights as a pattern. Two promotions in 24 months. Here's what I focused on instead of hours. Solving problems my manager didn't want to deal with. Every manager…
Joined expecting startup chaos. Got something much more structured. TikTok Malaysia operates with more process than most people assume. There's a proper onboarding, an assigned mentor, and a project brief with actual mi…
The honest answer: a lot for your first job, less for your second, and barely at all after 3 years of experience. For fresh grads applying for entry-level roles, a recognisable internship company is a genuine signal to…
I spent 3 years paralysed by this question. Here's what eventually helped. The insight that unstuck me: Stop asking "what do I want to do?" and start asking "what have I naturally gravitated toward?" Evidence from your…
The mid-career plateau is real and different from being stuck as a junior. Signs you're in one: - Performance reviews consistently "meets expectations" with no path to "exceeds" - Doing the same type of work as 3 years…
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 certa…
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…
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…
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…
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 cost…
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…
The moment you give a number first, you anchor the negotiation. The moment you refuse to give one, you risk seeming difficult. Here's how to navigate. Strategy 1: Deflect with a question "I'd love to understand the full…
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…
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…
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…
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 e…
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…
I'm writing this because most burnout content describes a dramatic collapse. Mine was quieter and I almost didn't recognise it. What it felt like: Not exhaustion exactly, more like everything requiring twice the energy…
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…
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