Most PhD, Master’s holders are turning to academia

PETALING JAYA: Postgraduate students find they can secure better jobs with higher salary in academia field, in comparison with jobs in the industry.

However, they believe that they must also possess the necessary experience and skills to secure such employment.

Senior lecturer Dr Muhammad Aliff Asyraf Kamal Nurzaman said he made a decision to change career from the tourism industry in order to secure a job with better salary and prospects.

“After seven years in Tourism Malaysia as an assistant director, I pursued my PhD in tourism management.

“I took a big step; I would say a bold move, to change my career for better career advancement.

“In September 2020, I went for the interview at UiTM for a lecturer position. I was confident to go through the interview process as my working experience with Tourism Malaysia helped me a lot during the session.

“My experience helped me too during the mock teaching session. I could elaborate and explain better on the lesson from the views of an industry player,” he said.

He said he joined UiTM in December 2020 to share his knowledge and working experience with younger generations.

“Within two years with UiTM, I completed my PhD in September 2022. As a lecturer, I would say a PhD is a ‘must’.

“In fact, we should keep enhancing our knowledge through research and collaboration with industry players that will help us, as well as our job growth,” he said.

A postgraduate in conservation biology Dr Faiznur Ahmad Bakri said it was difficult to find jobs in the industry related to her field of study that matched her salary expectation.

“Many jobs in the field of biodiversity offer low salaries and, to be honest, I’m looking for academia work. I love teaching while still working closely with nature and animals.

“I’m not looking for a very high salary but at least a salary that allows me to live comfortably,” said the 32-year-old.

She added that she recently attended an interview which offered a starting salary of RM1,800.

“To me, it is too low as it is a job in the middle of the city. With the cost of living, I don’t think it is a reasonable offer,” she said, adding that she expected a starting salary of at least RM3,000.

Lecturer Muhamad Amirul Faiz Abd Ghani said his salary expectation could only be met with jobs in the academia.

“It is quite hard if I want to be in the industry, as I would need to have more years of industry experience to get the salary I have now.

“In terms of education qualifications, some employers may find me overqualified,” he said.