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Is it hard for foreigners graduating in Malaysia to get a job?

Last activity 07 May 2018 by Painite

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Painite

I have read multiple posts and found that most people are complaining on how hard it is to get a job in Malaysia. I plan on studying in a UK university branch in Malaysia taking masters Mechanical Engineering, I am a fluent speaker of Indonesian and English and can understand a bit of Mandarin (Not a fluent speaker...) In my opinion, Learning Malay for me wouldn't be too hard considering their language is similar to that of Indonesian. What is the best way of landing a job in Malaysia? And will working as an Intern increase the chance of me getting a Job there? I am of an ethic Chinese background who's Great Grandfather migrated to Indonesia from China. I study Mandarin but am not fluent so I think I cant put that on my CV if I have already Graduated.

Gravitas

It would not be a great plan to do your Masters here just in the hope of picking up a job afterwards. As you already have a degree and presumably at least 2-3 yrs work experience, applying for jobs now would determine your likelihood of finding work. With good experience in a sought-after technical area, then foreigners can find jobs. But there are definitely many sectors that only take middle management candidates from the Malaysian workforce. So it depends on sectoral experience and not on languages.

Internships are also difficult to come by and no guarantee of employment. There are some high profile mainly international companies that offer placements, so check on ranked players in your particular field of expertise.

Painite

I am interested in taking Aerospace or Automotive engineering.

Gravitas

If you are planning on changing sectors compared to your first Degree you will still need relevant experience to find work in Malaysia based on the planned Masters. Try to think like an employer. They are looking for employees who can hit the floor running, not trainees.

Painite

What do you recommend me doing then? I personally need to take Mechanical Engineering as it is the base of pretty much every branch in Engineering.. I also don't really know how to get degrees on Aerospace or Automotive in Malay. That is why I was asking about internships.. I think I need to land an internship job in order to gain experience but you said it isn't promising. I am a bit lost here as to what to do right now, I might go to other places but I am not going to the US and the UK because those two I believe has a low employment rate.

Gravitas

Golden rule in life - do what makes YOU happy. If you want job mobility, then look at being a software engineer or a teacher. Most jobs are not transferrable because local expertise is available.

Painite

I personally love Mechanical things,  automotive,  aerospace, and a bit of it.

Gravitas

To get a Masters Degree don't you first need a Bachelors Degree?

Beware of how AI and robotics is going to impact future careers. A career in AI is probably a sound choice.

Painite

I plan on taking robotics but not sire yet.  I am aware that you would need a Bachelors Degree before getting a masters,  I could take masters straight away on my uni,  taking bachelors then continuing to masters

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