Guide For Seeking Employment In Malaysia

MALAYSIA A guide to resources for those seeking employment in Malaysia This guide is in 3 sections 1. The job market – overview 2. How to apply for jobs • application & recruitment method • interviews • aptitude tests • assessment centres • other factors • 3. Where to look for vacancies • newspapers • websites • recruitment agencies • magazines • resources at the CCD

Malaysia Careers Resources for those seeking employment in Malaysia The following resources are intended to help you find and prepare for work when you leave the UK. They do not represent a complete list and should be used as a starting point for your job search activities. Further information on job searching in Malaysia, as well as general information on living and working abroad, can be found in the ‘Working & Studying Overseas’ section of the CCD Resource Area. A good overview on the economic activities and situation in Malaysia can be obtained from the Malaysian Industrial Development Authority (MIDA) at www.mida.gov.my. The site also provides some information which should be useful for expatriates wanting to work in Malaysia.

1. The Job Market Electronics, Telecommunications & Broadcasting The electronics and semiconductor industry in Malaysia is very competitive. Bayan Lepas, in Penang is no doubt the hub of electronics and semiconductor industry, with many businesses expanding up to the adjacent areas around the northern peninsular like in Kulim, Kedah. In addition, some of the industry can also be found in the states of Melaka Negeri Sembilan and Johor (Senai and Pasir Gudang). Some of the well known companies in the industry include: • • • • • • •

Intel Infineon Flextronic Panasonic Dell Samsung Western Digital

In recent years, the telecommunication business has been expanding rapidly in the country, with companies providing broad and diverse services to customers, including expanding network coverage that by now, virtually covers the whole nation. In addition, the strong emphasize on information and communication technology has also promoted the usage of broadband internet. Companies below are the big players in this business: • •

Maxis Digi

• • • •

Celcom Telekom TM Net Jaring

Broadcasting has also been expanding rapidly, with the introduction of 2 new free channels since the past 5 years. Examples of the companies involved in the broadcast media business: • • • •

Sistem Televisyen Malaysia Bhd (TV3, 8TV, Channel 9) NTV7 Astro –www.astro.com.my digital satellite , television, radio and interactive services Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM)

Service industries including, logistics & transport, leisure & hospitality . - The services sector continues to generate growth in terms of output and foreign exchange earnings. Much of this comes from ICT and the tourism related industries, which have been allocated a Special Tourism Fund with budgets approved for the development of hotels, resorts, theme parks, transport and storage facilities. Major companies within this sector: • • • • •

DHL Express (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd Federal Express (FedEX) Dairy Farm Giant Retail Sdn Bhd Nestle(Malaysia) Berhad – www.nestle.com.my Resorts World Bhd – www.genting.com.my

Banking & Financial Markets - Career prospects in this sector are looking good for graduates. The Malaysian economy has flourished in the last four years, growing by 4.1% in the second quarter of 2005. With most local banks now offering a wide range of products and services, there are exciting and varied careers for graduates who are flexible. Graduates also need to have flair and initiative, as well as a competitive spirit, if they want to get ahead in this volatile sector. Major companies within the sector: • • • • • • • •

Maybank – www.maybank2u.com.my Citibank – www.citibank.com.my HSBC – www.hsbc.com.my Ambank Group - www.ambg.com.my Bank Negara Malaysia – www.bnm.gov.my OCBC Bank – www.com.my Public Bank – www.publicbank.com.my RHB Bank Berhad - www.rhb.com.my

Manufacturing – this sector now accounts for 30.4% of Malaysia’s GDP and is highly competitive. Many industries are expanding their operations

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and creating new openings in the process. It offers opportunities for graduates across a range of occupational sectors, both for local and foreign graduates. Most of the manufacturing industrial areas are located at central peninsular, mainly in the state of Selangor. Already present in the country are international corporations such as: • • • • • • • •

Nestle Procter & Gamble Unilever Kimberly Clark British American Tobacco ICI Unichema Akzo Nobel

Examples of major companies within the heavy industry sector: • • • •

Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional (Proton) – www.proton.com Perodua – www.perodua.com.my Modenas – www.modenas.com.my Naza Automotive Manufacturing Sdn Bhd – www.naza.com.my

Oil, Gas and Petrochemicals The oil and gas industry presents itself as a strong asset to the economy of Malaysia, with exploration and production activities now moving towards the deepwater. The upstream activities are currently centred at the offshore of Miri (Sarawak), Labuan and Kota Kinabalu (Sabah) in East Malaysia, and offshore Terengganu in the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The downstream activities such as refining, marketing and distribution are located at Kerteh (Terengganu), Tangga Batu (Melaka) and Port Dickson (Negeri Sembilan). Several major oil and gas giants which operate in Malaysia are: • • • • • • •

Petronas Shell ExxonMobil ConocoPhillips Murphy Oil Nippon Oil Amerada Hess

The petrochemical industry enjoys similar prosperity to the oil and gas industry. Currently, Gebeng (Kuantan) is the main petrochemical hub of the nation, followed by Pasir Gudang and Tanjung Pelepas (Johor). Bintulu (Sarawak) boasts the biggest LNG and urea processing plant in Asia Pacific and is a major exporter of natural gas to Japan, Korea and other countries. Some of the petrochemical companies which are active in Malaysia include:

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• • • • • • • •

CCM Chemicals BASF Dow Chemicals BP Amoco Titan MTBE Sdn Bhd Tioxide Sdn Bhd Eastman Sdn Bhd

Agriculture and agro-based industries – The Government plans to turn the country into a competitive global producer of high quality agricultural products. A policy to increase food production and reduce imports of food has been introduced.

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2. How to apply for jobs Application and Recruitment Method: Listed here are the application methods normally associated with Malaysian companies. 1. standard application form (online or printed) 2. online application form and CV database (run by websites like Jobstreet - http://my.jobstreet.com) 3. CV and covering letter (electronic submission or by post) The standard CV and covering letter is common among most small and medium enterprises or companies (SMEs). Nowadays however, most companies, regardless of their size, favour electronic application methods. I.e., some companies state that priority will be given to applications via Jobstreet (http://my.jobstreet.com). Most multi national companies have their own application forms which are commonly in electronic form. Candidates are required to log online to their website in the usual way and proceed with self-registration before starting their application. However, some multi-national companies have been known to advertise some specific graduate entry level positions in other forms of media, including career websites such as Jobstreet and JobsDB, while some other specific graduate vacancies are advertised in newspapers such as The Star. I.e., one multi national company in Malaysia was found to advertise graduate positions recruitment for information technology vacancies specifically in newspaper, and also on Jobstreet and JobsDB. The company also at the same, also have a year long open graduate recruitment application on their website which has been the established and standard way of recruiting fresh graduates or people with less than 3 years of work experience. Notes on CV writing: 1. Malaysian companies are quite flexible about the style or format of CV that the applicant adopts, (be it the 1 page resume following the US norm, or the 2 page CV following the UK norm). However, a CV and an accompanying covering letter is a must in most cases. 2. Commonly, some companies would require applicants to submit a passport size photograph together with their CV. Make sure to read the advertisement properly to see if photograph is required. 3. It is very important to include your high school results in the CV This includes SPM, SPM(V), STPM, A-levels, Matriculation etc.

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However, it is normally not necessary to give details, just the aggregates or number of certain grades obtained will do. e.g.: - SPM aggregate : 6 units - 7A1’s and 3A2’s *notes: a. SPM and SPM(V) are GCE ‘O’ Level equivalent b. STPM is GCE ‘A’ Level equivalent 4. In some circumstances, companies may request that candidates send photocopies of their university transcripts or other academic information. 5. Speculative applications are common in Malaysia. 6. English is to be used in CV writing, some exceptions may exist for public service posts. Interviews: Interviews are done via 1. phone 2. face to face Where a face to face interview is required, it will take place in Malaysia. However, some multi-national companies may conduct the interview in the UK, provided that there is a regional office here. Technical interviews may be held for some technical posts These are in addition to the main interview. Interviews are mostly conducted in English. On certain occasions, especially for public service jobs, interviews will be conducted in Bahasa Malaysia (Malay). Some companies may prefer to use a mixture of both languages. Walk-in * interviews are also quite common in Malaysia, particularly in big cities such as Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru and Penang. Walk-in interviews are usually advertised in national newspapers like the Star. *similar to drop-in sessions in the UK, i.e. not prearranged. Aptitude tests: Some of the companies may adopt numerical and verbal reasoning tests during the recruitment process. This may take place during the assessment centre days or on a separate occasion.

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Assessment Centres: Assessment centres are common in Malaysia, especially among big companies. The assessment normally lasts only for one day. The elements assessed at the assessment centre are often similar to those held by companies here in the UK. Other factors: Networking is an important factor in securing a job, as are excellent communications skills and a good command of English. A qualification from overseas may also give a candidate the edge, especially when applying to major/big companies and SMEs. However, most multi national companies value competitiveness as one of the most important factors, rather than the origin of the academic qualification itself. Hence, graduates with overseas qualifications are often assessed on an equal basis with their counterparts who graduated from the local universities.

Further Resources to help you with your applications The following publications can be found on reference in the CCD Resource Area Graduan This as an excellent section on ‘career matters’ which includes: self awareness; career planning; writing CVs and covering letters; applying online and interviews TARGET ASIA – Banking and Financial Services has a section on ‘getting a job’ Reference Books at the CCD – There’s a range of reference books on applying for jobs, writing CVs and going for interview and attending assessment centres. These are not specifically for those wanting to work in Malaysia, but you might find them helpful anyway In-house Leaflets – ‘Writing a CV’, ‘At your interview’ Completing application forms’ and ‘Writing skills for applications and CVs’. These too, are not specifically for applying for jobs in Malaysian, but you still might find them useful

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3. Where to look for vacancies Newspapers: 1. The Star – www.thestar.com.my Job advertisements are published daily. However, The Star releases a dedicated section to job vacancies on a weekly basis and is published on Saturday. The name of the section is ‘Star Recruitment’ (in English). 2. New Straits Times – www.nst.com.my. Job advertisements are published daily. However, NST releases a dedicated section to job vacancies on a weekly basis and is published on Saturday (in English). 3. Berita Harian – www.bharian.com.my National newspaper in Bahasa Malaysia, the Malay language. Berita Harian is a good source for job advertisements in the public services). 4. Utusan Malaysia – www.utusan.com.my Natianal newspaper in Malay Language. Utusan Malaysia also is one of the best sources for public services related vacancies. NB. The above are the four main newspapers in Malaysia. Other newspapers were found not to advertise job vacancies as often as those national newspapers quoted.

Websites: 1. Jobstreet – http://my.jobstreet.com comment: Jobstreet advertises an extensive, broad range of career vacancies (graduate level and experienced level) and has been the choice or sometimes, the only application method (online) for some companies in Malaysia. The website is very up to date. Users can select to register for the auto email notification for jobs matching their searching criteria. Normally email updates are sent weekly. In addition, the email notification also covers upcoming events which are useful such as career road shows, exhibitions etc. 2. JobsDB - www.jobsdb.com comment: JobsDB is another well-known website for both graduate vacancies as well as experienced vacancies. New job vacancies are updated

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almost everyday. Users can register for the auto email notification and can often receive daily updates of job advertisements. The email notification also covers upcoming career fairs, and especially career talks which may be free or with chargeable fees. JobsDB advertises the most numbers of technical related vacancies, commonly for electrical engineering, information technology and mechanical engineering. 3. Graduan - www.graduan.com.my comment: Graduan advertises mainly fresh graduate entry level positions in almost all fields. Some major multi-national companies have been known to advertise their entry level vacancies here. Accessing details of the vacancies advertised require users to register with them. 4. The Star Jobs online (part of The Star newspaper and The Star Online) - www.star-jobs.com comment: Star Jobs is established by one of the leading newspaper in Malaysia – The Star. Vacancies advertised here are from recruitment agencies (rather than the companies) only. The vacancies covers a broad range of fields, but confined specifically to the following states: a. Johor b. Kedah c. Kuala Lumpur d. Melaka e. Negeri Sembilan f. Pahang g. Penang h. Selangor 5. JobLinkAsia - www.joblinkasia.com comment: It is worthwhile to mention that JobLinkAsia normally advertises more experienced work related vacancies. Although the website is up to date, it rarely advertises graduate entry-level vacancies. In addition, they don’t reveal the companies’ name. 6. Select Appointments - www.selectappointments.com.my comment: Select Appointments also covers experienced work vacancies. Their main emphasis is on vacancies for the following employment sectors: a. Oil & gas / energy

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b. c. d. e. f. g.

Engineering & Manufacturing Information technology Telecommunications Banking, finance & insurance FMCG & retail Pharmaceutical & healthcare

7. doctorjob - www.doctorjob.com.my comment: Doctorjob provides extensive career advice. Their Malaysian job vacancy database covers both graduate entry level and experienced work vacancies and was found to be directly linked to the vacancies posted up on JobsDB (www.jobsdb.com). Nevertheless, they have been known to concentrate on advertising career opportunities and vacancies for banking & finance targeted at final-year and graduating students. This website not only covers graduate level jobs it also advertises internships by well-known corporations in the following sectors: a. Banking b. Insurance c. Accounting Such information is also supplemented in the magazine ‘TARGET Asia – Banking & Financial Services 2005’. doctorjob also provides good information on other career fields via their magazine publication called ‘Courses NOW!’. Details of the magazines can be found in the magazine section of this document. 8. UK Alumni Network - www.ukan.org.my

For positions with the public services: 1. Suruhanjaya Perkhidmatan Awam – www.spa.gov.my 2. Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam – www.jpa.gov.my NB. Vacancies advertised on these two websites may sometimes not be up to date. Hence positions for public services are normally best searched for in newspapers. Recruitment Agencies: List of active recruitment agencies in Malaysia. * Sdn Bhd = Private Limited 1.

Kelly Services Sdn Bhd (including Kelly IT Resources and BTI Consultants) Caters for job vacancies throughout the whole nation as well as

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in other countries. For list of branches and offices throughout nation, visit website at www.kellyservices.com.my. 2.

Adecco Personnel Sdn Bhd Caters for job vacancies throughout the whole nation as well as in other countries. For list of branches throughout the nation, visit website at http://www.adecco-asia.com/malaysia/index.asp

3.

Tele-Temps Asia Pacific Sdn Bhd Caters for job vacancies throughout the nation as well as in countries of the South East Asia. Visit website at www.teletemps.com Address: 1441 14th Floor Komplek Selangor Jalan Sultan 50000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Tel: +603-2072 5588 / 2072 1426 Fax: +603-2072 8985

4.

Chrisjac Sdn Bhd Caters for job vacancies mainly in Peninsular Malaysia. visit website at www.chrisjac.com.my Address: 525, Level 5, Block A, Damansara Intan e-Business Park No.1, Jalan SS 20/27 47400 Petaling Jaya Selangor, Malaysia Tel: +603 - 7725 8832, 7725 8830, 7118 2255 Fax: +603 - 7725 8831

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Virtue Associates Sdn Bhd Caters for job vacancies mainly in northern Peninsular Malaysia (i.e. Penang, Kedah, Perak, Perlis). visit website at http://www.virtueassociates.com Address: 52, 1st Floor

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Persiaran Mahsuri 1/2 Sunway Tunas 11950 Georgetown Penang, Malaysia Tel: +604-2296986 Fax: +604-2276986

6.

Intelek Sdn Bhd Caters for vacancies in Peninsular Malaysia. Address: No. 3-1, Jalan Singa C, 20/C Section 20 40000 Shah Alam Selangor, Malaysia Tel: +603 - 5542 8133 Fax: +603 - 5542 8831

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PETROSphileo Sdn Bhd Address: No. 13A, Jalan SS15/4E 47500 Subang Jaya Selangor, Malaysia Tel: +603-56325384, 56319645

8.

DanRic Management Services Caters for vacancies in Peninsular Malaysia. Visit website at www.danric.com.my (link sometimes down) Address: No. 26-2, 1st Floor, Jalan USJ 9/5Q UEP 47620 Subang Jaya Selangor, Malaysia Tel: +603 - 8024 9207/8 Fax: +603 - 8024 9206

9.

Job Express Sdn Bhd

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Caters for job vacancies in Peninsular Malaysia, concentrating on south Peninsular Malaysia (i.e. Johor, Melaka) Address: Suite 23.02, Level 23 City Square office Tower Jalan Wong Ah Fook 80000 Johor Bahru Johor, Malaysia Tel : +607 221 8833 Fax: +607 222 6699

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Magazines: 1. Graduan comment: Graduan is an annual publication on careers & employment for Malaysian fresh graduates. It covers very extensive information on career opportunities with the major companies in Malaysia and it often includes multi-national companies. Students in the local universities in Malaysia, see it as a reliable source reading material and careers information, which always reflects the job sectors/industries that are currently competitive in country. Graduan can be obtained free only by final year undergraduates. A few free copies are available each year at the Centre for Career Development. 2. Careers in Asia 2006 comment: This edition of Careers in Asia by Hobsons covers good overviews of the major industry profiles in Asia. Good reviews about career prospects in South East Asia and East Asia are also available. However, the most valuable information from this magazine might be the ‘Address Listing’ section, which covers more than 150 famous graduate recruiters in Malaysia itself! Free copies of the magazine are available from the Centre for Career Development while stock lasts. A reference copy is usually available in the ‘International Students’ section of the Resource Area. 3. Courses NOW! series comment: Courses NOW! is published by doctorjob (group Gti) – the same publisher for the well known series of TARGET in the UK. The magazines include related articles on specific job types, reviews, and some company vacancy advertisements. Courses NOW! has six series including: a. Art, design & mass communication b. Business c. Engineering d. Health & sciences e. Hospitality & tourism f. Information technology Each copy of the series is priced at RM6.50 (RM = Malaysian currency). Users must be registered with doctorjob.com.my in order to make a purchase. However, no information on the frequency of publication is known at the moment. Graduate recruiters or career advisers wanting copies of their publication may write to them at

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[email protected].

4. TARGET Asia – Banking & Financial Services 2006 comment: Don’t be misled by the title ‘Asia’ in this magazine. In fact, the whole content refers to the banking and financial services in Malaysia! A highly recommended magazine for those seeking a career in banking, investment accounting, finance or even the insurance industry in Malaysia. It effectively puts together reviews from people within the industries themselves and there’s a strong emphasise on professional qualifications. Although students may find that the number of companies listed here are much less than other publications, the magazine had actually successfully compiled a list of high-profiled graduate recruiters in respect to the banking and finance sector in the country.

* No other significant publication or magazines for career information is available/identified.

Visual Media: No other visual media (DVD, VCD etc) on career information is available /identified.

Further resources available on reference in the CCD Resource Area 1. AGCAS Country Profile Malaysia comment: This profile gives an overview of the country, the job market, working customs and application procedures. It provides lots of useful contacts and resources, some of which have been covered in this directory. A paper copy can be found in the CCD Resource Area in the Working & Studying Overseas sector. It can also be found on Prospects Web at: www.prospects.ac.uk/links/Abroad 2. Directory of International Employers produced by SOAS Careers Service 2005. This is a directory of contacts and websites. Pages 88 – 98 cover Malaysia. If you would like to look at this publication, please ask at the Information Desk.

Researched by: Zairinfarid Zulhisham Faizal Edited by: Margaret Gutteridge, Careers Information Manager March 2006

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