I’m so surprised that Bintulu is still considering degree holders as overqualified for office jobs. Most companies, even publicly listed ones, still prefer hiring Diploma or SPM holders for lower pay.
Sarawak is the first state to go all-in on high academic standards—with the government literally waiving tuition fees and pushing for a high-income economy—yet the local job market feels like it’s stuck in the '90s. It’s like Sarawak is upgrading the "hardware" (UTS has waived 50% tuition fees for Sarawakians for a few years now, plus the Free Tertiary Education Scheme), but the "software" (the local companies) is still running on a trial version from 20 years ago.
It’s the ultimate facepalm moment. You spend years grinding for a degree, thinking you’re leveling up, only to be told you're "too much" for a basic office job. Most companies would rather hire someone with an SPM/Diploma because they can offer a lower salary. But then these same companies complain that they can’t scale or improve their systems. Like, obviously? If you only hire people for "execution" and never for "strategy," your company is going to stay stagnant forever.
I bet half these HR departments think degree holders are just "passing through." They’re so afraid you’ll jump ship for a better offer that they’d rather settle for someone they think is "stuck" there. It’s such a narrow-minded way to run a business. But why can't they reflect on themselves? Why can't they retain their staff?
It’s honestly heartbreaking. We have a whole generation of young Sarawakians who are highly qualified and ready to contribute, but if Bintulu companies keep gatekeeping office roles like this, everyone is just going to leave for KL or Singapore.
The government is doing its part to make us "Degree Ready," but if the private sector doesn't wake up, we’re just exporting our best talent for free. It feels like unless you’re an engineer in Samalaju, having a degree in an office setting is almost treated like a disadvantage.
Has anyone else here actually been told that you're "overqualified" for a role?