Anonymous career talk from Malaysian job seekers — salary, interviews, company culture, WFH and more.
Got promoted to Head of Product at 31. Spent the first 4 months convinced someone was about to discover I had no idea what I was doing. What made it worse: Comparing my internal experience (doubt, uncertainty) to other…
She gave no feedback, took credit for my work in team meetings, and responded to questions with visible impatience. What I did: Documented everything. Every task I was given, every piece of work I submitted. Not out of…
The "business professional" vs "business casual" ambiguity is real. Here's a practical guide by sector. Banking, finance, legal, accounting: Business formal. Men: suit or blazer + tie. Women: suit, formal dress, or coor…
The most common salary research mistake I see: asking friends what they make and using that as a reference point. The problem: your friend joined their company 3 years ago at market rate for that time. They've gotten in…
Two years ago I would have laughed at myself. The startup had ping pong tables, free snacks, and a rooftop. The GLC has beige carpets and a strict dress code. Here's what changed my mind: at the startup, I was constantl…
After three incidents where bad internet cost me important calls, I took this seriously. Sharing what I found. ISPs for home WFH (based on KL/PJ/Selangor experience): - Unifi (TM): most widely available, generally relia…
I've had 7 managers in 8 years of working. Two were genuinely great. The rest ranged from mediocre to actively harmful. What made the two great ones stand out had nothing to do with seniority or technical skill. Both of…
People underestimate non-salary benefits when comparing offers. Here's the math. Typical allowance package at a mid-size Malaysian company: - Transport: RM300/month (some reimburse petrol, others give fixed) - Phone: RM…
Company wanted 4 days in office. I wanted 2. Here's how we landed at 3 and how I plan to get to 2. What didn't work: "I'm more productive at home." Everyone says this and it's not persuasive without data. What worked:…
Bank interviews in Malaysia are different from tech company interviews. After going through processes at 3 banks this year, here's what to prepare. Technical areas most tested: - Excel (yes, still very relevant, vlookup…
Final round, four interviewers, went well, they said "we'll be in touch by Friday." Friday came and went. Then another week. Then silence. What I did: Sent a polite follow-up on the following Monday referencing my conve…
I genuinely didn't understand what I was entitled to until I went through a job loss last year. Sharing what I learned the hard way. SOCSO (PERKESO): - Employment Injury Scheme: covers accidents at work and occupational…
Left a traditional office role for a fully remote company. Six months in, here's what I'd tell myself on day one. The productivity adjustment is real, but not the direction you expect. I became more productive, not less…
Left a job after 11 weeks. Not proud of it but it was the right call, the role was materially misrepresented in the interview process. The honest explanation I used: "The role I accepted turned out to be significantly d…
Estimates vary, but a significant proportion of roles (especially senior ones) are filled before or without ever being publicly advertised. Here's how to access them. Why it exists: - Hiring is expensive and time-consum…
I knew what burnout was. I had never heard of boreout until a therapist mentioned it and suddenly a year of my experience made sense. Burnout: Too much demand for your available capacity. Exhaustion, emotional numbness,…
Started learning Rust at 35 after 8 years of writing Python. HerE's what was different from learning your first language. What's easier at 35: - Understanding why language design decisions were made, you have context -…
After helping my team navigate HRD Corp claims, here's my honest assessment. The good: - Significant funding available, some companies have substantial unused balances - Covers a wide range of professional development,…
The e-invoicing mandate is rolling out in Malaysia and it affects freelancers differently depending on your annual revenue. Current implementation timeline: - August 2024: Mandatory for businesses with annual revenue ab…
I think something is shifting and I want to document it while it's happening. Five years ago, "I only sleep 4 hours" was a flex. Working weekends was worn as a badge. The person who stayed latest was implicitly the hard…