“Hi, I want to work?” – 19yo M’sian Without Job Experience Asks for RM5K Salary as Video Editor

If it’s up to us, we want to make as much as we can. But how do you draw the line between realistic expectation and a mere “dream”?

Just recently, in his Xiao Hong Shu (RED) post @lommmm, a Malaysian employer who was looking for a video editor received a text from a 19-year-old applicant who reached out via WhatsApp. Given the applicant’s young age, it was no surprise that he lacked experience not just in video editing but generally, he has yet to be exposed to the working society.

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Still, these are far from being red flags but what the applicant asked for may not align with what Leo had in mind.

“Don’t worry about lacking in experience. Do you have any related experince in video editing or video shooting?”

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The applicant asked if his TikTok videos could be considered as his portfolio, but when Leo asked for the samples, the applicant said he didn’t have it and continued asking about the monthly salary.

“Based on our salary range according to applicants’ experiences, we pay between RM2,000 and RM5,000.”

The applicant immediately asked for the highest pay – RM5,000 and double-checked with Leo if he was going to work for only 5 days a week.

Leo’s response was simple. He replied with only a question mark, and the conversation ended there.

“Did he really start with a hi?”

Social media users weighed in and said that the applicant showed a lot of red flags at the beginning of the text itself, and others also said that he was asking too much.

“Guys, be nice. He’s only 5 years old.”

“He started with a simple ‘hi’. For that, you could’ve passed him on.”

“He started with a mere ‘hi,’ said he was looking for a job, and ended the sentence with a ‘?’.”

“This is common for some of the Gen Zs. 10 to 20 years down the road, it’ll be worse. My advice? Get used to it.”

“As a designer, I don’t even make RM5,000. I noticed some Gen Zs are asking for too much nowadays when they have zero experience, and when they’re not even willing to learn more. I don’t understand why they expect to get more without effort.”

To all the employers out there, we’re sure you’ve encountered unrealistic expectations during job interviews. What do you think of this case?

Also read: M’sian Tells Boss That She’s Taking Leave To Go To Temple & Pray For A BF, Boss Says Go Ahead