Honestly I am an spm holder, but been working as programmer few years ago, I have been changing a few company in last 6 years, now I am 28. My current salary is RM3k, it seems like I unable to get better job than my existing one thus I am asking for suggestion.

I have been learning programming since I am a kid like standard 2, so I do have a very solid programming basic and knowledge. But I do NOT have good academic result cause I was quit halfway studying at college(personal reason). My main problem is that I unable to join any good company due to their requirements(degree/master in ...), cant even getting a chance for interview, I know if I able to get a degree I can get a better job, but currently I have to keep on working for my life, and most company I joined keep on telling me that I do not have qualification thus they unable to increase my salary even my performance surplus their expectation, thats why I keep looking for better oppotunity and chance. A fresh master holder joined my company has the starting salary of RM2.5k, I took 4 years to get that, I feel so down.

I hope I can have a stable income of at least 4k-5k by the age of 35. I would like to listen to any suggestion how can I improve my career. Any advice are welcome.

For starters, it is true that you will only earn a certain amount of money if you are only a SPM holder (sorry to be harsh on you). World is cruel now. They wouldn't increase your status if you don't meet their requirement; no matter how good you are or how vast experience you have in your pocket. That's reality. So, what I could suggest is to take part time course. OR Get a Diploma at least. A few certificates do make alot of difference. From there, you will have better opportunity of climbing up the corporate ladder. Not as high as you expected, but at a better position than what you are having now.

And NO, it is not too late to study again. It will never be too late to gain knowledge

This post has been edited by goliath: Jul 21 2006, 06:11 PM

take any external certification like java certification or MCAD/SD

honestly, for a SPM holder to get 3k per month is consider good,
many cases shows that even degree holder only manage half of your salary,
anyway that not the point, i suggest u go for part-time degree courses or go for professional certificate such as CCNA/MSCE/Linux

part time course took me too long its like 4 years plus.

what is the value of MCAD in malaysia ? I cant see any job state this.

my dad got SPM only earn 5k a month ,but that was a long time ago la, he studied again and now got more

Not having a degree/masters is just an excuse (and not a reason) an employer use not to raise your salary. If you have the skills all you need is paper. Most other people have the paper but not the skills. Paper looks better on resume and doesn't always mean that someone can do the job well.

Anyway, the solution is that you need a paper. SPM isn't going to convince future employers you can do the job even when you can. And even if you do, you will find yourself stuck in the same situation after a few years again.

Get a paper. Any paper. If you can't do well in academics, choose a really easy college (those that have not much students) and do it part time. You just need a paper to go to the next level.

I feel that you may consider joining OUM. It is catered for working professionals. Since what is holding you back is only a degree, just bantai OUM also can ler. With your work experience, the degree should be just a breeze.

I suggest you do 2 things.

1. get a paper, as in diploma/degree or a professional cert. Nothing is easy, i am sure you will be greatly rewarded once you pull through all the hardship and obtain your paper.

2. train your negotiation skill.

I am not sure if you get me, what I am trying to say is, you must know how to protect your own interest. If you think that you are really contributing talk to your boss nicely, ask him do he think he can get another person with 3k who is capable of doing your job? The negotiation need not turn nasty if you know your stake and handle confrontation positively. It helps if you already located another job offer and is willing to leave the company if the negotiation fail.

you will be squeeze dry in every employment if you do not know how to negotiate. Tell me why should I increase your pay if you are still going to work for me if I pay you less, and deliver as good result?

If you boss say he rather and train a new person than give you increment, it probably means you are not really that important in the first place.. (sorry to sound harsh)

i aso think OUM will be good

Salary 3k?

Save half of them each month. 3 years later you have 54k++(FD).

Use 54k to rent a land at RM100-150 per acre. Sign 5 years contract.
(straight go to conclusion if you not interested to raise goat)
***

Start up cost:
1 year rental for 2 acres land@100pa monthly = 2,400(2 acres land can support up to 100+ goats)
Goat barn = 7,000
Fences = 3,000
2 male and 10 female goat = 5800 + 17500 = 23300

TOTAL starting cost ===== 35700

***

Running cost:
Hire some1 to jaga your farm, monthly salary = 600
Goat feed = 45*12 = 540(supplyment only, the rest ask your worker go harvest grass or any wild vegetables)

TOTAL : 1140 monthly(your remaining saving can let you run your farm for 16 months)

***

Expected income

goat mama will have baby goat after 3-4 months therefore you will have 10 kids(baby goat)
sell all your kids = 10 * 500 = 5000
reserve half of them for growing = 5*500 = 2500
(some goat mama might hv twins!)

Goat mama can product up to 3kg goat milk daily

each kg milk i heard is up to RM20, but you might need to do sales to promote your milk, so RM10 = 10(mama goat) x 3(milk produced in kg) x 10(RM) = RM300 DAILY

The money got from selling kids can use to buy milking equipment, or hire one more people to do manual milking lor. But this you hard to get full production.

At this time the goat farm should be able to pay for itself now. Save anything you got for expanding. A year later you can practically fire your boss.
(note: not a complete guild!)
(note: goat manure a good fertilizer too, compost it and you can sell it to farmers)
*****
CONCLUSION

My conclusion is try to set up you own business whenever possible, you depend on salary, you depend on other people faces; if you depend on yourself, you depend on your real ability.

This post has been edited by rexis: Jul 22 2006, 09:50 AM

wow; rexis..agribusiness entrepeneuer; salute ur idea.

heh, am half way saving my capital now... always thinking about agri agri agri...

This post has been edited by rexis: Jul 22 2006, 12:02 PM

Helo Sir,

You are a SPM holder earning 3k and you are not happy? It doesn't matter how hard you work but your pay will stick to that 3k level. In fact you should consider yourself lucky to be able to get to this level. IF you wanna leave your company I can guarantee you that you will not be able to get another job that pay you at this level. Reason is simple there are plenty of degree and masters holder around that are settling for 2k (I mean fresh grad pay) so what do you expect? YEs you have skills and works hard but how would the prospective employer know? Whenever HR screens through a list of applicants they will firstly throw out the people wil low qualifications, bad grades and even local grads.

My advise is get a degree study part time or online. Since you have so much working experience a degree shouldn't be a problem for you??

Wow..good idea ..memang harapan Pak Lah.

But from what I see, it is not 3 years of saving RM1.5K but rather 6 years of saving RM1.5K monthly to cover both land rent and start up business (goats and feeds).

But in all honesty, it sure is hard to save RM1.5K. Even I single and staying with family also can barely hit that target.

You mean my estimation not accurate? Yeah, the numbers are very crude and basic estimation and for a rather small scale farm, better prepare more!

Very true, it is hard to save money, especially in Klang Valley, rent house, petrol(working 3km from home), makan, already kill more then half of your salary...(thats mean in my current rate i will need to save for freaking 10 years)

But mayb this is not threadstarted wanted, going for degree is the way, get a degree part time and you have the experience and you will be selling like hot cake!

This post has been edited by rexis: Jul 22 2006, 12:12 PM

i remember my late father told me during his time passed SPM grade 2 already consider very good, can apply for teacher post, but time has changed, nowadays degree holder are everywhere

yup...i would agreed to those who ask u to go to take an part-time degree course

3 K is good at your level. Save RM1.5 K a month is pretty hard as our current life style is high. Further study will be the best choice you have. But how is what you should concern. Do you have enough money to further study? Will you be able to invest all your 3 - 5 years saving for study?

You will be back to square 1 when you obtain your degree at age 32 or 33 But you can get a higher pay probably RM 4 K to 5 K. Again you need to save money for house, car and wife. Imagine what is RM 5K in the next 4 years. So you might need to consider whether it worth to put so much effort just to obtain a higher pay. Why not put your effort and money to build your own business. The return might better than study.
Just my opinion.

Thank you very much for all the idea and suggestion, if I have to start a business, it gotta be in the same field as currently im in, which is software line. i dont think Ill playing around with some 4 legs stuff. Some more the economics isnt goot atm, world is going to start a war soon i think.

Taking 3/4 years taking a degree is too much for me atm, and yet I m not sure I able to pay that amount or not, are there any short term course that I can take ? Like MCAD(Microsoft certified application developer), need to know what is the market value for these kind of perfession cert. Its alot easier for me(i tried some sample questions).

And what is online degree ? What is the market value of the paper getting from internet ? Gimme some keywords I can get some information about this ?

Thanks alot for all the help