The website company has been recruiting for a new full-time programmer for the last couple of months and it's been interesting to see the mindsets of the fresh graduates nowadays.
There were some articles in the newspaper recently about why there are so many unemployed graduates in Malaysia. The initial responses spoke about their bad attitude and arrogance coming out of their studies, and about the unrealistic salary expectations they had. But after that, there were many responses defending fresh graduates and the cost of living as well.
I'd like to give my two cents on this.
In general, I really don't like the quality of the fresh graduates nowadays. The way they carry themselves is appalling. Once in awhile, you get a real gem, but these are rather rare exceptions to the rule.
Sometimes when I see good grades from a local university or college, I wonder about the standing of the institution but I usually give the benefit of the doubt and call the interview. But more often than not, the grades are so poor even from local institutions. Many candidates can't speak English properly and don't even dress up appropriately for the interview.
And the salaries they're asking for...they must have heard the highest range either from a job agency or a classmate who happened to hit it lucky, and then they start quoting it as the general trend. Fresh grads with no experience and mediocre grades are asking for RM2.8k and insisting that it is the norm? Maybe if you're the cream of the crop but most likely not for the average joe.
I concede that the cost of living is higher nowadays but businesses also need to survive in order to continue paying their employees and as a business owner, I have no problems paying even above market rates if needed, but only after a person has demonstrated the value that they bring which is better than those out there. I would not pay good value to take a punt on a punk with no experience and a swagger that says he is entitled to everything the world has to offer.
Good value cannot be demonstrated until an employee has worked for six months to a year, and has really taken the initiative to create and add value at work. Demonstrate good worth and then negotiate better terms. In the worst case scenario, if the company refuses to acknowledge your value, then walk away with good experience tucked under your belt, and confidence (not swagger) in what you know you can achieve and deliver.
It's better than sitting there demanding a high salary without knowing what you can offer a company, and without properly knowing what the market is currently paying, just relying on hearsay from a friend.
On a side note, banks are really spoiling the market. I've never liked banks in the first place in terms of what they do to get people in debt and to spend more money they do not have. Sometimes, the medium who provides the temptation has to take a little bit of responsibility as well when people fall for that temptation, although I admit it's more the individual's fault in weightage.
But now banks are offering completely fresh graduates a minimum of RM2.5k and poaching from SMEs all around them to gather talent by paying higher than market rates. They haven't really given the market time to catch up and the SMEs are really finding it tough to secure and hold on to good people. It is not a positive trend for the development and growth of small businesses in our country and economy.
As a result, small start ups are often left with the leftovers. The tens of thousands of unemployed graduates who go for interview after interview, or who have given up and stay home depressed waiting for a relative or friend to hook them up. There is something seriously wrong with this picture.
Better to go in to a good learning environment, get paid less than market rate to learn everything there is to learn for a year, building up experience, capability, specific technical skills and confidence, than going for interview after interview demanding a salary you heard you should get.
There's no free lunch.
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