Getting A Job in Malaysia Common Issue

Rizzablen wrote:

Easy to get employed in Malaysia with fair skin and being presentable looking!
I have been living in Malaysia for quite sometime now and I have never experienced having issue getting a job.  I get hired easily but as I can see lately, being online 20 hrs a day 7 days a week Marketing, some people are having much complications getting a job.  Does it have something to do with skin color? Really?  Or the interviewer could see through you?  How do you think the interviewers rate the applicants?

I don't really agree with that (except being presentable that is obvious). Except the 6 million (it depends on who you ask) legal/illegal low paid workers who are all Asian employment practises are based on employing experts over 27 although in IT it is 22. Most of these are not "white" actually! But usually as pay so low but that is economics.

Complications are simply due to expecting to get a job as  a foreigner easily. THIS IS MALAYSIA FOR MALAYSIANS. Same in UK, USA, Australia etc. A foreigner has to bring something special - skills in short supply. That is fair!

A few employers manage to get away without following that (Financial "boiler houses" selling rubbish "advice" to expats for example - as they reckon you need a Brit to sell to a Brit). Also some companies somehow (!) get around the rules. Like a foreigner in real estate I only ever met Malaysians....... but often in Marketing sales that is possible if you make money fast. In the end employers will pay the "extra" if worth it (!)

Also in Asia you get jobs by connections and networking. Applying online is a waste of time and demoralising. Often you get a 1,000 apps per job. The internet has made employment harder not easier! And so many send off a 100 online apps and whine that it is hard. Doh!

Color issue in Malaysia!
Funny you say that you don't agree, based on my experience and what I've witnessed here even locals with dark skin have to compete or work thrice as hard than those with fairer skin locals.  I have experienced having an Indian local Lady colleague on training for managerial position competing with me. I wasn't even trying so hard, was just being my normal self getting things done, doing a job well done which I could do with my eyes closed while she was struggling so hard and truly looking so desperate to surpass what I have achieved with that company which i did in a short period of time.  Aside from having fair skin, I performed and gave result, that local lady could feel the heat and she knew she had to give her best-est to win, and take note "I wasn't even competing at all!".  She knew I was a foreigner, Filipino but why was she threatened?  Color has a lot to do with it, here in Malaysia skin color plays a big role to your success!  You like it or not!  Admit it or not!  Who cares but that's the fact!
"Believe it or not my colleague also came down to the point where she wanted to resign!" You see!  Even locals with dark skin were not so confident about themselves in their own country!

On line application, I normally get respond in a snap, perhaps I have a way of creating a great impression on line or in person.  I carry this fancy accent of mine, my pale skin along with my full self-confidence, I'm in.