A common misconception is that once a career is a certain way along, then you’ve missed the opportunity to make a switch. But, that doesn’t seem to deter Malaysians – a majority of who are actively seeking a career switch.
According to Monster.com’s recent #IMadeTheSwitch survey, 77% of Malaysians are currently looking for a job within their chosen field, while nearly 87% are considering an entirely new career path with higher wages and more fulfilling careers cited as factors for the big move. But what are the industries attracting Malaysians and prompting them to make a career switch?
Government & Defense
Currently there are about 1.6 million Malaysians employed in civil service and findings from the # IMadeTheSwitch survey show that even more Malaysians are looking to change careers for government jobs. Public service offers people a wide variety of careers and plenty of opportunities to move departments and quickly progress your career. On top of enviable job security, there are also excellent benefits packages, from pensions, family and healthcare benefits, and the ‘sense of fulfillment and purpose’ associated with the public sector.
Education
Jobs in the education sector are often demanding but also fulfilling. It is also a booming business, just ask the parents scrambling each year to get their kids admitted into the school of their choice. Work opportunities in the education industry vary — from teaching and training to finance and human resources. Some of the advantages of working in the education sector include exposure to multiple perspectives, stable work schedules, personal fulfillment, and interpersonal interactions with coworkers, students, and the academic community. It’s also a challenging profession as education is a constant hot-button issue, with reforms and new policies always on the horizon. If you enjoy a constantly evolving profession, the education sector offers a unique opportunity to influence progressive changes and develop new professional skills.
Oil / Gas / Petroleum
There has been a surge in hiring in the Oil & Gas sector during the past year with improved market confidence and stabilisation of oil prices, in turn, attracting more job applications.
The industry is slowly evolving and shifting from being labour intensive to becoming more data and analytics-driven, opening up new, exciting career opportunities. Recruitment is happening in new areas such as robotics, big data and artificial intelligence, as companies use technology to make working conditions more attractive, make better predictions and production much more economically viable. This creates a whole new demand for people with niche skills who have both an understanding of the oil and gas industry as well as the ability to use new digital platforms.
