Best and Worst Careers in Malaysia 2021

You know how when you ask people which job is in demand today, they always tell you to just ‘follow your dreams’? Well, it ain’t as easy as that my friend. It is important to know which job pays well so, you know, you can put food in your mouth and possibly wear some nice clothes.

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Whether you have just finished SPM or looking for a job, we are pretty sure you are interested to know which job is in demand today so you can pick the right one. According to the Critical Occupations List 2019/2020 (COL) revealed a few sectors most needed in our country including accountants, engineers and tertiary level educators.

We have too few……

1) Medical Specialists

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We are sure you have at least one friend who is doing medicine so there is probably an oversupply of doctors in Malaysia right? Not really. Actually, they (plus clinical psychiatrists, psychologists and pharmacists) are still in demand. One thing to take note is that there is an oversupply of general practitioners in urban and suburban areas, hence creating a need for them in rural areas. What Malaysia needs right now to achieve the status of a fully developed nation is to have more specialists.

2) IT professionals

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As the world is moving towards the digital age, more and more companies are shifting or emphasising on their online business. Those who previously only own a website, now have social media sites and are trying to actively engage online users. Because of this, the industry is in need of social media experts, software developers, information security specialists and cyber security experts. Copywriting, awareness campaigns, advertising and engagement are some of the most sought-after skills in commercial companies, whether it is in the online shopping, publishing or e-commerce industry.

3) Engineers

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Most people have misconceptions about what engineers do. Some think engineers do not make much money as compared to other professions while some think they would rather not risk the danger or get their hands dirty so some may shy away from it. But in fact, they earn the same amount as their counterparts and work in comfortable environments. It could be due to their humble personality that makes the job seem less prestigious. The next three years will see an increase in job openings for computer, mathematics and engineering-related fields.

4) Teachers

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Did you know that being a primary or secondary school teacher is so affordable that it is almost free? Yet, we still lack educators. To be honest, no amount of teachers in our country will ever be enough because the most effective method of education is through one-to-one learning, providing personal interaction with students. So if you are looking for a sure-fire way to land a job, study to be a teacher and you will not regret it.

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5) Spa Therapists

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Fancy getting a five-figure income? Then study to be a spa therapist. What’s that I hear you say?  A spa therapist can never get that much? Well, it happened for a 25-year old Indonesian who got RM 10,000 a month working here. Not many people would have guessed that the spa industry is booming in Malaysia. Why? Maybe because more and more people are getting stiff necks or they just want to de-stress from the hustle and bustle of life. Unfortunately, foreigners are taking advantage of these jobs as they do not mind long working hours and hard work. Malaysians should seize this opportunity as there are still 3,000 available spa therapy positions locally.

6) Accountants

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Despite many people studying accounting, there still isn’t enough accountants. With a population of almost 32 million people, there are only 35,000 qualified accountants. Malaysia is currently competing with countries like Singapore, Australia and Britain to secure these talents as they are the most popular destinations for students to study and work given the variety of choices they offer.

7) Architects

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Our government is building more and more new infrastructure such as high-rise buildings, luxury homes, townships and public transportation like the latest MRT. Pretty cool huh? But who plans these things? Who measures the intricate diameter of every corner? Why, architects of course. We are currently still short of 7,500 architects and this demand will start to increase by 2020.

The Pharmaceutical and Public Transport sectors also made it to the list. Okay, you are probably thinking we have already included all the possible careers so does that mean every job is in demand? Not really. Although there are still lots of jobs out there for lawyers but the profession has been removed from the list of COL so it is no longer ‘critically needed’. The same applies for commercial drivers and dentists.

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Welp, that’s it, folks. Now you know which course or job to take so you can increase your marketability or possibly even demand a higher salary.

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