Is it just me or foreigners have no opportunites whatsoever here ?

Perseverance is the best word!

If you want to find a job, you need to sell yourself and what you can specifically bring to the company you are applying to. If it's no different from what a local can bring, 99.9% of employers will make the smart choice and go for the local. Why would they pay the RM3,000+ required for an employment pass, and pay you the RM5,000 minimum  salary if you have no experience ? They surely can get a Malaysian who will work for half this pay or less and don't need to bother with immigration.

yeah
the same here... i try alot to find a job here, but no luck!
i believe the reason is work permit and working visa! and malayi language...
mostly companies look for chines or malayi as first language.

I agree , I've looked for a house three months now and most people bail out on me the moment they get to know I'm black , considering Im looking for a house for 4000 rm , they don't think I can afford it ... Sad (

I am even willing to learn the language but the problem is that they dont give us a chance to prove ourselves, i cant force them to hire me but i can always try and prove them wrong. I am just frustrated i didn't know being a foreigner here would be so difficult.

expatypus you mentioned a 5000 minimum, Is this a mandatory minimum set by the government and is it 5000 per week or month ?

As the old saying goes,'it's not always greener on the other side'.

Yes, the government set RM5,000 per months as the minimum salary for work permit applicants.

Thanks , per month was what I was thinking but wanted to be sure. 1250 per week is easier to get than 5000..lol  Im worth 400 any day ..lol

Never give up... Nothing comes easy. What job are u up to?

not giving up just a phase , it ll pass . I am applying for all category jobs Finance, Management, Human Resource, Administration, Marketing, Sales. etc

Where u from and what is your major? Im into hotel

well you need a good qualification, good references from past employer/lecturer and knows how to sell yourself

even if you aren't experience, they can still hire you and put you in probation for say... 3 months. past probation with flying colours and you're hired

so you should review your resume and work hard to sell yourself

Dear Reemz,

It is simple as I always say NEVER come to Malaysia looking for work unless you have enough cash for at least 2 years and don’t mind relaxing for most of that! Basically;

- per your profile you are 25. 'Legal' (well as in policy) minimum age is 27 except for certain IT jobs. Some companies by pass this but this costs a lot of money and rarely done now

- 5,000 RM per month min. Well ok some employers seem to get "around" this but again it's rarer these days and anyway why bother? <5,000RM pm jobs are for locals (some interns are on less but special programs) and see next p0int

- what can you off that a Malaysian can't? There is currently a lot of Malaysians returning from UK/USA/Australia with good quality degrees/masters and work experience in top companies who cannot get work and will work for 2,000 RM a month. No work permit issues, language or cultural barriers. Finance is a local job (mostly Chinese), HR is local again (mostly Malay) etc except for consultancy jobs with multinationals (for which you would be head hunted)

- Work permits (employment passes) take time, energy, experience and cash to process. There are usually limits placed on how many expats a company can hire. Also you can only employ a foreigner who has skills and abilities that are in short supply in Malaysia. Same principle as used in most modern countries actually.

- Pakistanis are not that popular in Malaysia (eg there was/(is?) a ban on Pakistanis marrying Malaysians)

So basically you need a lot luck to find a job where you have something so special they are willing to spend money on you. At 25 with not much experience that is unlikely!

Just treat your time here as extended travel. I have sadly seen this so many times including Europeans. Of course a few do get jobs - but I have yet to meet anyone who just turned up lacking either good local contacts via ex colleagues or specialised experience (e.g. geology)and actually got a job here.

Just being honest!

Diana barry wrote:

I agree , I've looked for a house three months now and most people bail out on me the moment they get to know I'm black , considering Im looking for a house for 4000 rm , they don't think I can afford it ... Sad (

Hi Malaysia is a country where PC doesn't exist - the "N" word is used a lot, some one once texted me "I am in the bar next to the n...." for which I did tell them off but to my surprise they didn't seem to get it! "But he is a N...." was the response. Very 1960s

Even today I hear "don't stay there its full of black prostitutes dealing drugs" which is prob what they think - not that you don't have 4,000 RM a month!

Of course "all gay men are child molesters" was the latest contribution from a Malaysian so Malaysia is 50 years behind the times. Of course homosexual acts are illegal in Malaysia

And don't forget "all white men cheat on their wives" and "Crime has gone up in Malaysia due to Indonesian immigrants" etc

So don't be surprised! Just keep trying somehow Malaysia will be pulled kicking and screaming into the 21st century

hey kktho i am a major in Economics and Finance its a Bi Major and my cgpa is above 3 so i think i have a good qualification and as far as selling is concerned  Mr Achcrimson i am doing my best and if they are not interested in exploring other than locals i cant do much about it , All i can do is try my best

Dear Nemodot

Thanks for the reality check , as far as coming to Malaysia for work wasnt my aim , its just my family is here so i had to be here, apart from that i am still 24 and no work experience in this country is not my fault, i do have work experience in my own country but unfrotunately that doesnt count much here. I did get in touch with some consultancy firms and they are willing to hire me for probabtion but that is not final yet since they also have concerns as they need locals too so that is also uncertain for now. Apart from all this i still beleive in my talent and i am postive that somewhow i will get something if i keep on searching with determination and the rest is luck .

Thanks for your advice though and being honest helps everytime

Cheers

Hehehe nemodot , the last sentence is just too funny! Now that I'm black and my hubby white i can imagine the combination people must think we are Hahahaha but i just told my hubby to look for the apartment , they will listen to him hehehe

Thanks for the heads up , Nemodot.  I am also looking for work as we are relocating to KL in July.  I have been trying to get info on the subject of sales rep.  I wanted to know what I would have to do if I was sales rep for US company that does catalog sales with parts dealers .They do not have an office in Malaysia. I would be paid in the US and not transferring funds to Malaysia . we would use my wife's pay  there. not sure what or how that plays out with work permits and taxes and other legalities . if any one can give me any info on this I would appreciate it.

Send me your resume 1st. This sat gathering for some food and drinks. Anyone intrested?

well Nemodot do have some points there. don't know if it's the media or the education system to be blamed. once you have one perspective, there's no point looking at things from a different view

as for Reemz case of being a Pakistani... someone told me last time that they prefer Indians than Pakistanis just because 'Indians are more PC literate'. it was flabbergasting i know. dont flame, it didnt come from me

Reemz,
You dont need to emotionally involved with joblessness. Job is just one aspect of life.

To start with, I would like to see  what do you expect from your life?

Do you want to be a writer or media reporter? Then, you need to build your profile accordingly. Like Loans, jobs are given to people who have already done and proved it. Maybe you can just send ur resume and I can check what can be done?

@ashcrimson: it's not funny. We've to work very hard to achieve success.Discrimination against indians is rampant in organizations and even in societies. They are loathed as job-eaters or for some other reasons like 'they are not hip!'

@Diana -sad. Let me know if you find any trouble in finding the flat.

Priyam

For starters i didn't have much experience in practical life so yes i would like to experience that phase of life for sure , apart from that i have a keen interest in arts , i sketch sometimes and as far as writing is concerned i am not a writing person nor a reporter person, i do like to read alot and enjoy different stuff that make me happy.

If you send me you id i would gladly send you my resume

Thanks

Hi Guys,
I am Expat in Malaysia since 2008 and worked in couple of countries as Expat. I am proud to come from Beautiful country Pakistan.. I agree sometime Nationality counts a lot but on other hand we should know the average salary in Malaysia which is 1800-2400MYR for fresh grad.. and Minimum requirement or basic salary should be 5,000 for the foreigner who wish to work in Malaysia..
I agree with Reemz I know where she come from and the institute she Masters from ... Reemz keep hanging on .. you will get Inshallah one right job for you ..

Anyone who wish to work in Malaysia get ready to pay 26% tax of you basic for first 6 months .. which cost me booommmmmmmmmmm

i think u r right

mlf780 wrote:

Thanks for the heads up , Nemodot.  I am also looking for work as we are relocating to KL in July.  I have been trying to get info on the subject of sales rep.  I wanted to know what I would have to do if I was sales rep for US company that does catalog sales with parts dealers .They do not have an office in Malaysia. I would be paid in the US and not transferring funds to Malaysia . we would use my wife's pay  there. not sure what or how that plays out with work permits and taxes and other legalities . if any one can give me any info on this I would appreciate it.

Hi actually that is tax evasion and you face serious penalties like large fines and jail time. DO NOT DO THIS

You have to declare the tax in Malaysia earnt while here.You can then deduct the tax paid from US taxes payable. Whether this is employment income or a trading income is complicated so you need specialised assistance on that. The money is earnt in Malaysia whether remitted or not (common to most tax systems).

Malaysian jails are not much fun! So I repeat don't do tax evasion! And having that stamped on your passport will stop you traveling etc


You can get a social visit visa if your wife has a work permit. You can work on this - just take the contract offer to immigration and they will stamp your visa allowed to work (lots of people and employers don't know this however)

Good luck!

kind2030 wrote:

i think u r right

But you do get it back once resident. I just put my tax claim in!

I am claiming it as well..

i think majority of foreigners dont find jobs here because they cant speak malay and the company should give the proirity for malay people.

Hi Reemz,

I am also in the same shoes as yours. For the past 3 months I ve been applying for every job that suits my management background and the results are disappointing me. I am an MBA graduate with only an year of experience in Investment Banking. Now I am trying for an opening in Penang in any stream (Finance, HR, Marketing, Consulting). I believe in my skills and and given a chance I ll be able to prove myself.

Denying a job only because of the reason that I m a foreigner is not fair. I am keeping my hopes alive..

Hi Aparnavjyn

This post is a bit old but i do agree with you that we are not given the same opportunity as the locals, only if given a chance we can prove that we are equally skilled and capable of the job. I am employed now and its been 3 months, i didnt get the job that i am skilled at but still i am doing it because i was given the opportunity and i took and i am thankful that alteast i have a job, I am still searching for better opportunites in my filed of Finance and Economics or Research.

I wish you best of luck and hope you get your desired job soon, its difficult but hang in there mate, i didnt give up , still looking for opportunites, Hope is the only thing that keeps us going.

Cheers

Hi congrats on the job.

But I must say sine of youthful nonsense to say Malaysia owes you a job. You a foreigner so you need to prove you have skills in short supply in Malaysia.

If I went to Pakistan could I "demand" a job?

Dear All;

Just to share for the job seekers in Malaysia in this forum ! Not to dampen your spirit, but to share the reality of situation presently !

As per the recent data in April 2012, the unemployment among graduates according to universities. For Universiti Teknologi Mara 3,278 graduates, i.e. 16.2% , Universiti Utara Malaysia 1,532 graduates i.e. 7.6% , other Private Universities & Colleges 1,217 graduates i.e. 6.0%, and the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia 1,147 graduates i.e. 5.7% unemployed, the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia with 971 graduates, i.e. 4.8% unemployed, and the Universiti Pertanian Malaysia with 919 graduates i.e. 4.5% unemployed, and Other public universities with 840 graduates i.e. 4.2% unemployed. and the Universiti Malaya 531 graduates unemployed i.e. 2.6%, Universiti Sains Malaysia 505 at 2.5% and Universiti Malaysia Sabah 371 at 1.8% and Universiti Islam Antarabangsa 358 at 1.8% and Malaysian Foreign Graduates at 342 graduates at 1.7% and the Universiti Malaysia Sarawak with 174 at 0.9% unemployed, and the Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris at 39 at 0.2%.

Overall a shocking 7,993 graduates or at 39.5% out of total 20,217 registered graduates in April 2012 are still unemployed.

Because of that I think it is very difficult now to get good job in Malaysia unless you have good connections !

As such I am now not working in Malaysia since unable to get a good job in Malaysia. I am a 46 years old Malaysian ! Most employer even told me I am too old for the job at 46 years old !

Anyway good luck for your job search !

Yeah Reemz it's very difficult to attain a place in business market over in Malaysia, if you are a foreigner. Malaysia doesn't entertain Aliens with much benefits. I would advise you that if you are willing to stay here in Malaysia then a little patience on your part would be needed.

[Moderated]

I'll simply put like this.
Here is all about reference. I myself get into my company through reference of other company. However, no payment or bribe needed. In Malaysia, anything is about the matter of trust. 

But for your skills, it is just a matter of salary. For local, they can pay junior position for 2000rm. So, why should they pay 120% more for same qualification?

Secondly, please check if you degree is recognized internationally or just locally.

malong83 wrote:

Dear All;

Just to share for the job seekers in Malaysia in this forum ! Not to dampen your spirit, but to share the reality of situation presently !

As per the recent data in April 2012, the unemployment among graduates according to universities. For Universiti Teknologi Mara 3,278 graduates, i.e. 16.2% , Universiti Utara Malaysia 1,532 graduates i.e. 7.6% , other Private Universities & Colleges 1,217 graduates i.e. 6.0%, and the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia 1,147 graduates i.e. 5.7% unemployed, the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia with 971 graduates, i.e. 4.8% unemployed, and the Universiti Pertanian Malaysia with 919 graduates i.e. 4.5% unemployed, and Other public universities with 840 graduates i.e. 4.2% unemployed. and the Universiti Malaya 531 graduates unemployed i.e. 2.6%, Universiti Sains Malaysia 505 at 2.5% and Universiti Malaysia Sabah 371 at 1.8% and Universiti Islam Antarabangsa 358 at 1.8% and Malaysian Foreign Graduates at 342 graduates at 1.7% and the Universiti Malaysia Sarawak with 174 at 0.9% unemployed, and the Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris at 39 at 0.2%.

Overall a shocking 7,993 graduates or at 39.5% out of total 20,217 registered graduates in April 2012 are still unemployed.

Because of that I think it is very difficult now to get good job in Malaysia unless you have good connections !

As such I am now not working in Malaysia since unable to get a good job in Malaysia. I am a 46 years old Malaysian ! Most employer even told me I am too old for the job at 46 years old !

Anyway good luck for your job search !

Hi heard the same about Malaysian grad returning home from overseas - lots unemployed. I am getting grads apply who took jobs at <<1.5k per month as receptionisits etc to just have a job.

Europe has the same problem - Spain 42% of 18-29 year olds unemployed. In UK its lower BUT most take Mc jobs rather than real grad jobs.

And people tyhink teher isn't a Depression on.....