KUALA LUMPUR: A woman recently took to social media, stating that her offered salary of RM1,600 as a graphic designer in Kuala Lumpur was insufficient to survive in the city.
The woman, who called herself "Cikgu Hanis" on TikTok, posted a video on the social media platform, revealing that fresh graduates like her with a degree or diploma were offered a monthly salary that was less than RM2,000.
She also revealed that it was no wonder that most young people would rather work in the retail industry and enjoy a higher salary. In the video, she said that graduates with SPM earned more in retail compared to university graduates.
"Can you survive on an RM1,600 salary living in the city?" she was seen lamenting in the 57-second video.
She went on to say that she was offered RM3,000 for a basic retail job, even though she had no experience.
"Imagine that. A fresh graduate without any experience in graphic design was offered RM1,600 as a basic salary compared to the salary offered to the same person without experience in the retail industry," she said.
She said she found it rather sad that having a degree alone was not enough to survive in the big city.
After deducting rent and her monthly expenses (transportation, bills, and food), she said there was nothing left over.
Netizens who commented on her post felt that she should take this time to grow her experience and expand her portfolio.
One user, @GuaMadul, wrote: "You must set your sights far. I was a graphic designer working with a marketing team. My basic salary then was RM1,200. Keep building your portfolio and upgrading your knowledge."
Another netizen, @Amirah Izzati Safuan, said everyone went through the same experience as a fresh graduate, including herself. "My basic salary was RM1,400. I had a degree, and I was raising my child alone. If you think you could earn more by returning to the countryside, please go ahead," she wrote.
Even user @Lamika Aki agreed. "My advice is to take the graphic design job. Start slow and grow your experience. I was in your shoes before, and looking back, those experiences helped me to be where I am now," he wrote.
Others commented that the woman should upskill herself if she wanted to land better-paying jobs.
"You need a great portfolio. While I was still studying engineering at the university, I did freelance video editing and graphic design. And I put that on my resume.
"During an interview, I was offered RM2,800 as my basic salary," wrote @Syas, who added that she last earned between RM5,000 and RM6,000 per month as a graphic designer.
"Understand what you studied and apply that to your future work. A great resume plus a portfolio equals a higher salary. Good luck, sis."
What do you think? Is RM1,600 enough to survive in KL? How much is considered "enough"?