Settle down in KL

Hi everyone,

I am 26 years old french guy. I plan to settle down in KL with my girlfriend (Malaysian) in January 2021.

I have a master's degree in business and 2 years of working experience in real estate market.

I would like to know the possibilities that Malaysia has to offer to me in this area of expertise or simply in any areas?

Even it seems less possible to continue doing my current job as an apartment technical manager ( supervise the construction site, carry out apartment visits and inventories), it would be interesting to know if there's still any chances for me to continue my career over there?

If not, I don't yet have any other significant working experiences in marketing, finance or human resource . Only internships. Will it be a great barrier in finding a job?

Is it possible to do some small jobs (in food service industry for exemple)  while I am looking for a more stable job (in accordance to my degree and skills)? Is there any possibilities for foreigners to do unqualified jobs for a short period ?

What are your general impressions and opinions on my possibilities of settling down in Malaysia, for a long-term?

I don't think you stand a great chance to work in the real estate field and also with Developer's who build new apartment complexes they have very competent locals who do the job, so not sure what a foreigner could offer them that they already have and probably at a much lower cost to them. Some of these Developers such as Eng Lian have past projects overseas such as in the USA including shopping malls, and some redeveloped the Battersea Power station in London. So personally I think it's unlikely that you'd easily find a job in Malaysia in that field. Same goes for being a real estate agent. As you mentioned, having experience in finance, marketing etc might help you with the bigger foreign firms, but I think it's not going to be easy so soon. I would be looking for jobs in Malaysia from your own country.

Thanks for your answer.
I will look for a job from my country.
But I don't know if a big company will hire somebody with no experiences, despite the fact that I have a master's degree...

linkedin.com/company/guestready/

FYI you can check this one, it's a property management startup company which operated also in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Maybe you can learn first about the company if it's suitable for you.

Thank you for your answer.
Do you know if there is more possibilities to get any kind of jobs if we are married to a Malaysian citizen ? (And if I have a spouse visa)

I don't think you will have much chance getting a job whether your married or not.
As far as I'm aware only the big finance / IT companies bring in their foreign employees.

Even if you were lucky enough to find a job, the salary would be the same as a local which would be much less than what you currently earn.
I've been married to a Malaysian for about 8yrs and work offshore on a ship, it would be nice not to have to work away but I know for sure I could not get a decent paid job in Malaysia.

The only other suggestion I have is if you can work for a company in your own country where everything is done online. Then it would be possible to stay in Malaysia.

I agree with Mac. Apart from the situation generally getting worse over the last few years for expats working or seeking jobs in Malaysia, the pandemic makes it really difficult. You might find it easier to try to find a job in Malaysia when you are still in France. Times are really changing a lot in Asia. Perhaps both of you could consider searching for jobs in other Asian countries too. But I would still keep searching in Malaysia. Perhaps once you have your spouse visa something will turn up, you never know.

Don't think  too much. Since you have decided to take a plunge, go ahead. There is always some way out. If you are well versed with French or German language, you can work as a trainer in one of these language institutes or even work as guide.

Affiliate Marketing is something, a lot of people are switching too. But don't expect instant earning. You can build it up and it will start giving you income consistently over a period of time. You don't have to be a techie for it. You may buy one of these online training course. If you need any guide on it, I would be more than happy to help u.

When you are in love, nothing is impossible. Go ahead.

A few things come to mind.

Generally speaking, forget trying to get a job here in any field. BUT....there is always a but.....in my experience and this is the overall best thing to say, if you have a "cable" that being a local friend already working in your field, you do have a chance of that person being able to bring you in to his company. Its happened before and its happened even when it should not have, like when there were locals better suited to the job. I remember a local friend who worked for Continental and she fell for some French guy she met online and got him a job there and he moved from France. They fought, they bickered, they broke up but he did get and kept the job. Before I came to Malaysia, at least one year before, I went up and down social sites looking for Malaysians to get to know, to create a network of help and "cables." It worked. I was never looking for a job but other things to advance my career and they were extremely helpful. One even became my fiance so you never know. But without cables or help to get you started and pull you along, your chances of simply walking in and getting a job are really ZERO, especially in your field. You can apply for jobs from abroad, sure try, but its the cables who can actually get you the job.

Second, Covid has changed a lot of things and my strong advice is to research and explore post-Covid careers. Google all that and see that people are changing their lives to suit what has happened. To me, you have many interesting things about you that you can translate to new and even unrelated opportunities as it relates to the new environment.

1. You can sell Covid goods
2. You can become a consultant to help companies Covid-proof their buildings and workspaces
3. Here, President Trump started this, take a look for ideas
https://findsomethingnew.org/

Here is a Covid idea that never gets talked about and its a mistake--becoming a registered nurse. Do you know why? Because a nurse, get this, its wonderful, can work in any country on the planet and the skill is constantly in demand. Malaysia is one country that imports nurses all the time, every day of the year because there isnt enough, especially now with Covid. You can take that certificate and work ANYWHERE you like because medicine is one language, one skill, universally understood. A nurse in Canada is the same as a nurse in Indonesia. You might ask, well isnt IT the same? In theory, yes, but not in practice because its so competitive. Nursing is not and thats because its so commonly overlooked.

I created a career that I WANTED but I knew in advance might starve me to death. Some, including me, might say it was a giant life mistake and there is truth in that statement. Looking back, if I could start all over, I would focus on money, sorry to say, and to me thats Radiology, giving people x-rays and MRIs and later in the career, being able to interpret the results. This career pays as much as a Surgeon --- without the cutting. Radiology is a long path, becoming a Nurse is not. Overall, anything in the medical careers pays well, is steady work and in demand in all countries, as well as being clean, respectable work nobody hates you for.

I have been on expat forums since 2003. There was never a time that there wasnt a constant parade of expats coming through the forums begging for jobs like your requests. IT, business, management, teaching, blah blah blah!! But never did i see medical people looking for jobs. Only one time there was an Indian claiming to be a Doctor in India and wondering about jobs here. But even he didnt stay in the forum constantly looking for chances. Medical people dont have to look for jobs because the jobs are always looking for them.

You might say, but i dont really want to be a nurse! My point, and Im taking too long to say it today, is that we all have to consider Covid because it is changing the world. Think all new so that you can survive and thrive. The world isnt the same as a year ago, long term or permanent changes are coming.  Change with the flow.

A small but important example of a Covid career is the marketing of electronic thermometers. Six months ago nobody cared, now the marketers are millionaires. Im especially envious of the designer and builder of the unattended thermometer on a stand where the user stands in front of the machine and it takes the temperature and displays the result. It was quickly invented and brought to market. Amazing.

Covid is creating new industries and jobs and the way to think about it is not IT, but IT in a Covid environment; not Real Estate but Real Estate in a Covid world and now new ideas come. This isnt a trend that ends in 3 months, its very long term because people have decided they dont want to die from viruses. Life is changing to suit that goal and that requires a paradigm shift.

We should probably start a thread for this.

Hi Clement,

My husband and I went through similar at the beginning. To keep it short for others, it may not be easy for you to get a job here while on a tourist visa as companies need to get an employment pass for you. However, if you do get married and are on a spouse visa, then you can start your own company or be hired without an additional visa (you just need permission from Immigration and it's not too difficult to get). If you're hired while in Malaysia, expect to get a local salary unless you're really awesome and they think you're worth more than that. This may be quite discouraging once you factor in the currency conversion....
My husband (then-bf) worked for a company here for around 2 years before quitting to start his own thing. We eventually got married and got the spouse visa after some hurdles, but now are very happy to be in Malaysia :) If we were elsewhere, I don't think he would ever have started his own software company (cost of living would have been too high, and maybe salaries too comfortable to leave!), and we are both grateful for the opportunity that opened up while living here.

Feel free to PM me for more info!