Should I stay or should I go? (If you read that like The Clash, touche 😏)
Hi everyone. I'm a 24-year-old fresh graduate and I'm currently in a dilemma.
I've been working at my current company for about two months. The salary is around RM4k before tax, and recently another company approached me with a similar offer. I'm trying to decide whether it's worth making the jump this early in my career.
Current Company (Japanese Company)
- Located in Nilai
- Rent + utilities: ~RM400/month
- Commute: 15 minutes
- Work culture: Fairly structured, but not overly strict. I'd rate it around 7/10.
- Overtime: None
- Potential opportunity to undergo 2 years of training in Japan, which would mean earning a Japanese salary during that period.
My role is as a DX Engineer, where I mainly develop AI agents for internal use. I've also had some exposure to RFID systems and AMRs, but most of my work revolves around AI-related technologies.
One concern I have is that I'm essentially pioneering this function in the company. There isn't much guidance or mentorship, so most of what I do involves researching and figuring things out on my own.
New Opportunity (Taiwan-Partnered Company)
- Located in Melaka
- Rent + utilities: RM0 (I'd be living with my family)
- Commute: 30–40 minutes
- Work culture: Not sure yet. It's still a relatively small company but has partnered with a major Taiwanese technology company.
- Likely requires frequent travel within Malaysia and occasional overseas travel.
- Initial training would be around 3 months in Taiwan.
This role interests me because it focuses on smart factories, factory automation, AMRs/AGVs, and semiconductor-related technologies. It feels more aligned with the kind of industrial automation work I eventually want to pursue.
A bit about me
I graduated from a Japanese university and have JLPT N2 proficiency, so working with Japanese companies isn't an issue for me.
My dilemma
Both companies offer roughly the same salary, so the decision isn't really about money.
On one hand, my current company offers the possibility of long-term training in Japan.
On the other hand, the new company seems like it would expose me to factory automation, semiconductors, and field engineering areas that I'm genuinely interested in and that seem to have strong long-term growth potential.
If you were in my position, which opportunity would you choose, and why?
If there's any additional information that would help, feel free to ask and I'll provide it.