r/JobsMY

Title: 27M civil engineer in Penang, almost 5 months unemployed with zero interviews. Please critique my resume and recommend vacancies or recruiters

Hi all, looking for honest advice and a resume critique.

What I've already done: I've applied through JobStreet, Indeed, LinkedIn and MyFutureJobs, and so far I've had no interviews.

Background:

• 27M, based in Penang, graduated 2 years ago
• Looking for roles in site/onsite, consultancy, BIM (still learning), and facility engineering in Penang

What happened:
My second job was as a site engineer. The company started delaying EPF and SOCSO contributions (around 7 months without them), then paid only half salary for 4 months. I resigned without another job lined up, which in hindsight was a mistake. I should have stayed until I had an offer.

After 3 months of unemployment I took a consultancy job in Selangor. It had the same EPF/SOCSO issues, plus high rent and living costs far from home, a poor job scope and a bad working culture. I resigned again without a backup and moved back to Penang.

I've now been unemployed for 5 months with no interviews, which is starting to worry me.

My questions:

1. How do recruiters view two short stints that ended in resignations? How should I explain it in my resume and in interviews?
2. How do I explain the gap without sounding like I'm blaming my old employers?
3. Is my resume the problem? Please be blunt.
4. Do you know of any open vacancies in Penang for juniors in site, consultancy, BIM or facility roles? I'd also appreciate recommendations for recruiters or agencies worth contacting. Referrals or leads are very welcome, and I'm happy to share my resume by DM.
5. Besides the job portals, what else has worked for you (direct emails to firms, LinkedIn outreach, career fairs)?

Thanks in advance. Any advice is appreciated.

https://preview.redd.it/s8yqxru2t3uh1.jpg?width=1079&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=453592dd659d8c1026b4cf32ad789c3bbfd5d4bb

https://preview.redd.it/98vbi0ebt3uh1.jpg?width=1053&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=01a812a0b5f95b3812b8d0805c49a9438218627f

I was a creative (senior graphic designer) in advertising, and I wanted to pivot because I didn’t want to be a designer my whole life as it didn’t fulfill me.

Not knowing which career path to pursue, and believing that I should explore more in my twenties (because I know it won’t be easy to pivot once I reach manager level in corporate with bigger commitments, lifestyle inflation and all), I then followed my heart and chose to do what brought me joy + would 200% benefit me. I became a Pilates instructor, which helped me gain confidence and improve my communication skills immensely.

While doing that, I’d been researching a lot and trying to figure out what I should do full-time. I took up the courage to go into real estate sales to challenge myself and break out of comfort zone. Results were good, remuneration was rewarding, but I noticed the cowboy culture didn’t align with my own values. I started becoming someone I didn’t like. Had to unlearn a lot because people there are blunt (to the point I think are disrespectful), sneaky, sarcastic, and some have questionable morals.

I quit Pilates because of market pay cut and saturation (was self-employed doing design too), wanted to do real estate full-time, but things didn’t turn out the way I expected.

What I liked & didn’t like…** **

Creative/graphic designer:
- love doing creative things, art directing and marketing
- didn’t feel fulfilled, felt like I was a puppet/robot not using the other side of my brain
- didn’t like the politics, constant rejection with no direction until the very last minute before pitches, system felt inefficient
- kept wanting to go into the business side of things
- money was decent

Pilates:
- started it with the intention of it being a side gig
- love helping my students, feedback was generally positive
- love that the subject is objective to a certain extent, unlike how design is always subjective (logo bigger, color lighter, move this, change that)
- love being confident and having autonomy
- limited career growth and reward. I can do it anytime when I retire
- felt a lil stuck, because I’m not a physio expert at the end of the day, so I was thinking of upskilling and getting a gym cert

Real estate:
- enjoyed finding leads, I’m good at it (partly because I have looks privilege, which may not last me long-term)
- not great at networking with peers (collabs are essential in this line), gotta put on a mask if I pursue this
- don’t see myself building a team and dealing with developers in the long run
- LOVE the reward

Been jobless for 3 months. Prefer stability now, instead of grinding alone. I tried applying for partnerships, marketing and BD roles in corporate, but I know my resume wasn’t it, and tbh I’m clueless which exact path I should take. It seems people value T-shaped expertise nowadays, and being a jack of all trades won’t take you anywhere.

Could barely sleep in peace the past few months. AI wave hit me. Things are moving so fast. I don’t know if I’m sick. Lost my passion to learn and the confidence to make big decisions, I’m worried.

Tired of worrying, in fact. I know I need to execute more, but I don’t wanna make any more potentially wrong moves. The identity change is tough, although it’s mostly unspoken. Not knowing how to explain what I do to other people scares me sometimes too.

Would really appreciate any thoughts or insights.

Hi guys idk if this is the right sub for this but i need some advice

i’m a final year tech student and recently got offers for internship positions

Option 1:
MNC
Hybrid work arrangement (2 day WFH)
Office 20-30 mins drive from my house
Lower pay

Option 2:
GLC
Office in city centre, public transport accessible (I probably won’t drive)
Work arrangements tbc
Slightly higher pay

Based on the interview experience in both companies, both hiring managers were really friendly and took the time to explain about how things work in their team, both roles aligned with my goals too. So i’m kinda conflicted, should I go for the offer with the lower pay but with hybrid work arrangements or the higher paying offer but with office slightly further from home. I’ll need to make a decision very soon 🥲

TLDR: Lower paid but WFH and nearer office or higher pay but needing to commute to office daily

PS: Still applying and interviewing for other companies but once i sign the offer I likely can’t switch anymore

I'm a Malaysian student (21) and have just started the Bar training course in London to become a certified lawyer in the UK and back in Malaysia.

However, I am thinking of dropping out now.
The reason is that I am completely lost in life, depressed, and I hate law. I was forced to study law in undergrad and hated it. However, I thought I could push through one more year and just finish Bar school and be a qualified lawyer. But now that I'm here, I have been feeling so depressed, lost and lonely. I've been crying everyday, not eating and can't even get myself to do the things I like.

However, dropping out and moving back to Malaysia is also difficult.
Essentially, I already have sunk costs in school fees and such and I am already renting a flat with a friend doing the course as well. More importantly, I have no plan for when I go back. In terms of jobs, I can't apply for any technical roles that require a background in STEM or finance, and I graduated with a 2:2 (missed 2:1 by less than a mark). The only thing helping me is that I came from a top 10 UK law school and have an objectively strong CV.

I'm not feeling confident as I have repeatedly applied for jobs back in Msia with my current CV and, at the time, with a 2:1, and have not had any luck. Moreover, I'm interested in consulting, and the market for entry-level consulting back home is incredibly small. I have known certain recruiters in existing firms back home who admitted this as well. Additionally, I have not been able to rely on any connections, as many firms are trying to move away from that now to appear more "egalitarian". Lastly, I am also not interested in any admin, marketing or sales roles and also would not pursue a master's in other fields.

Overall, the decision just seems to be the lesser of two evils now.
If I continue the Bar, it gives me more of a safety net, as I can still leverage law as a niche and work at a law firm and pivot later. However, I've been so depressed that I can't even study and feel so lost and sad. Moreover, I don't have a strong support system in London that could make this difficult journey a little more bearable.
However, if I go home, it seems like there isn't a very strong likelihood of me landing a decent job.
And I can't help feeling like a failure or being mentally weak by quitting. Moreover, I am still a high achiever and honestly do have a lot to offer skill-wise, and also won't do any random job for the sake of it. Going home would be more of a break for me, to have a support system and to reset and figure out the next move.

I would appreciate any advice or insight on what you would do. Additionally, your experience or opinions on the Job Market in KL. Thank you!

(Note: a 2:1 is usually the minimum grade requirement that companies accept. Additionally, I have to decide within the next month, logistically speaking)

Whats the benefits?