Malaysian psychology graduates struggle with low pay and limited job options, highlighting challenges in the mental health sector.
FOR many students in Malaysia, choosing a career path can be a daunting experience, especially in fields where opportunities and compensation do not align with expectations.
A Malaysian woman recently shared her concerns about finding a job with her psychology degree, highlighting the harsh reality of low salaries and a heavy workload.
“A psychology degree in Malaysia is the most useless degree.
“The salaries offered at almost all therapy centres are just miserable—barely worth it compared to the workload.
“I feel like crying when I’m trying to look for a job,” she lamented in a Threads post.
In the comments, the woman also recalled how her past experiences in the mental health field had left her exhausted and underpaid.
Netizens echoed her sentiments but noted that working in the field of psychology does not necessarily mean working in a therapist’s office, as the knowledge can be applied across multiple industries.
One commenter compared how psychology graduates fare in the United Kingdom and Malaysia, pointing out that Malaysian companies often hire these graduates as ‘interventionists’ or ‘special needs teachers’ with little training and low pay, whereas the UK’s National Health Service provides opportunities for graduates to train in related fields.
“Yes, I agree too. Psychology courses in Malaysia are kind of in between. Employers want to hire people who are registered under the Malaysian Counselling Council. Meanwhile, only counselling courses offer this licence,” a user explained.
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