Demand for Expat HR Management in Malaysia?

Send me your CV. [email protected]

HR and Banking are the key local professisonal areas and there are no shortage of local candidates. Accountancy is one of the areas where there are protectionist strategies to keep unemployment low in Malaysia. IT software engineering still is an active area and outsourcing keep the inflow going. However, ASEAN and Indian staff are preferred for their salary expectations.

The other issue is very few local companies have the required structure and paid up capital to hire foreigners and there are also quotas versus local hires. Mainly international companies will be your target. So quite a few hurdles. Hopefully Tony will be a good networking opportunity for you.

There are some UN organizations in Malaysia, but most of the jobs are for local hires only. But you could check out professional positions at P4/P5 level at www.unjobs.org

Kaiserwilhelm wrote:

Hi



What do you think?

Is there more demand for expat HR in Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore?

Is working at an NGO for a couple years a good strategy to demonstrate local integration?

Or time to retrain for Malaysia?[/b]

It sounds like IT and accounting are hitting a saturation point in Malaysia, meanwhile I'm reluctant to pivot so far that my 16 years HR experience can't be used.

Personally I would consider Singapore as well. I'd also be prepared to change direction completely in order to get established even if the salary is not all that attractive in the beginning. I don't think you need to demonstrate local integration, it serves no purpose in my opinion. Just be prepared to move away from HR if other opportunities arise.

Can I suggest you join the Facebook Group - Foreign Spouses Support Group as it will prepare you for the bureaucracy when living in Malaysia - https://www.facebook.com/FSSGMY/ It's quite a minefield.

Good morning, and thanks for taking the time.

@Tony. I've emailed you. Would be great to hear your thoughts on the matter.

@Gravitas.

"The other issue is very few local companies have the required structure and paid up capital to hire foreigners and there are also quotas versus local hires. Mainly international companies will be your target".

Thanks for the advice. I wasn't aware of a quota issue.

After a job offer at UNHCR was withdrawn after the budget cuts, I'd hoped my current employer would be a good prospect for transfer in the future. However, it looks like UEM will sell their shares and we'll become Canadian instead.

Summing up the feedback I'm getting; I should concentrate on international firms, UN, and local NGOs. However, other general feedback suggests except in very senior positions or IT consulting, westerners are not well placed.

NOTE edit to original post (a 2% university and 1% subject departments).

@ Gravitas, re: Foreign Spouses.

Great idea. I've now followed. Yes, the bureaucracy can be interesting. Especially where official procedure differs so much from practice. I like to think of this as part of the fun and challenge.

@abdulkhalil

Thanks for the advice.

"I don't think you need to demonstrate local integration, it serves no purpose in my opinion".

This is interesting. I had a conversation with a partner at Moore Stephens who also suggested that I shouldn't try to integrate too much - as our value as westerners was really in the degree to which we did not integrate and the ability to apply different thinking.

"I'd also be prepared to change direction completely in order to get established even if the salary is not all that attractive in the beginning."

That's a big question there. I'm comfortable with taking a low salary as I have supplements, but the can of worms is 'direction'. I take from this that maximum flexibility will be a virtue.