My previous job was with a research organization doing bioinformatics. US based though, with a salary of more than USD100k per year.

With a good (I mean seriously good) PhD, I know people getting RM12k-25k per month in Malaysia doing research in bioinformatics and life sciences. Basic biotech degrees from a local university will get you RM2k per month.

Job Title : Analyst
Job Desciption : System Management, Project Management
Company : MNC
Industry : IT
Tenure : permanent
Education : Masters
Employment Level : Senior techie
Years with company: ~1
Experience before joining : 10
Certifications: none
Salary : RM13k onwards (with OT consulting ~RM22k) + basic allowances (Streamyx)

Upside: good work/life balance, excellent benefits
Downsides: I'm getting bored

This post has been edited by tishaban: Feb 5 2007, 12:45 AM

Serious question, how much should a project manager with 16 years of experience be making? RM20k? RM35k? RM50k?

If you check the jobstreet salary survey, RM16k base salary for ~15-20 years experience is already on the high side.

Wow that means I'm just at the bare minimum over my short career so far...

What happens to your 15% minimum when your business didn't grow or didn't make a profit last year? If you're the boss would you take a pay cut to reward employees that are demanding for their 15%?

What happens if at the end of the year, you demand the 15% raise and don't get it. Do you quit and go elsewhere? Is there room for loyalty, personal growth, work-life balance?

I have more questions but it'll have to come later, I have a 15% raise to negotiate with my boss.

I heard from a friend that Pantai Medical Center is offering ~RM8k for a GP with ~5-7 years of experience.

I'm sure you can make a lot more if you're a specialist however.

I don't know about salaries since I'm not in that line, but I would suggest spending more time working in New York. Some people may not consider internships as actual work so you have only about one year of working experience which isn't a whole lot. Work experience in one of the fashion cities of the world is far more relevant and useful. Why are you in such a hurry to come back to Malaysia?

H1Bs are difficult to get depending on the timing. Make sure your company starts the filing early ie. way before your practical training expires to avoid the quota. I assume you just graduated at the end of last spring?

In terms of your job, one way I would suggest is if you're flying to Malaysia for a vacation etc. try and schedule an interview(s) during that period. This will at least give you a feel for what the companies in Malaysia are looking for etc. I don't see the money being an issue though but do ask for more especially since you're coming back with experience.

Good luck.

Don't be a poser, but don't undersell yourself. I don't like the typical Malaysian management attitude of paying peanuts and expecting something more than a monkey. I was in NYC myself and got a decent salary when I came back to Malaysia.

Hey a long islander, I was at Brooklyn Polytech for a short while.

I don't 100% agree with you however about the money part. Even if you were a 4.0 from NYU or Columbia, the majority of Malaysian MNCs have local standards that they adhere to that probably won't net the lady significantly more than RM3k. Malaysian salary standards sucks big time. Accenture was offering at one point only ~RM3k as starting salaries for one of those Ivy League grads I knew who already had ~2 years work experience and could pull around $60k in the US. Freescale/Motorola was worse! Needless to say, he stayed on in the US.

Sorry bro, I was referring to the lady's original post which stated that she was in the fashion industry and was looking for a similar position in Malaysia. I didn't catch the financial district reference.

brtnart1, I met a lot of investment bankers in my previous life, but a large majority are males at least the ones I'm familiar with on Wall St. What's your experience?

This has been discussed to death in the MBA thread. In short though, good schools will require a minimum age/experience level before you can join the MBA program.

You're supposed to learn about practical business in an MBA program, learning from each other. The professor/lecturer acts as a facilitator, to facilitate the discussion. If you join in without any experience, the discussion is based only on theory. I wouldn't suggest getting an MBA unless you have some experience already, and I wouldn't hire anyone with an MBA without experience.

stevenlee, I'm just stating my opinion based on my experience. Maybe my standards are different from yours, but I hire a fresh grad for his or her technical skills, whether it's IT, accounting or architecture. Business theory is to me not enough if you don't have a strong enough non-business background already. So after this person has proven himself in a technical environment, that there is sufficient progression for example, then the MBA comes next.

Again this is what I practice, the guys I see aren't too bright to begin with stevenlee, you certainly sound like a more motivated individual so good for you.