A Malaysian recruiter explains why a fresh graduate was rejected for a RM6,000 role, and urges candidates to ditch the clichés and focus on storytelling.
Work Interviews can be a breakthrough or breakthrough moment for candidates, especially fresh graduates who are hoping to secure a competitive salary despite limited work experience.
In the threads, a Malaysian recruiter claimed to have rejected a fresh graduate who was interviewing for a RM6,000 position due to the candidate’s “extremely poor” performance during the behavioral interview.
The recruiter advised candidates to improve their “storytelling” skills, especially in job interviews.
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“If you’re asked questions about real-life scenarios involving conflict management, challenges, feedback or collaboration, please don’t answer with ‘I’m proactive, a self-starter, adaptable.’ That script is old,” the post said.
He further emphasized that companies want to hear a candidate’s ability to reflect on their decisions, analyze them, and articulate the impact of those decisions.
The recruiter said, “Share your real experiences. The more you share, the more interested we will be in you.”
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The post has since sparked a wider discussion about the expectations placed on new graduates, highlighting the balance between limited experience and the ability to demonstrate critical thinking.
While many netizens agreed with the recruiter’s approach, some pointed out that candidates who excel at interviews are often those with prior work experience. In response, the recruiter reiterated his stance, claiming that some of the fresh graduates he had spoken to had performed well despite limited experience.
“That said, even without experience, we still look for street-smart thinkers. Read more and get more exposure. Sometimes, we really want to see how you think and process information,” said one user.
Another commentator said, “People who are good at storytelling are usually experienced employees, because they have been through different real-life work situations. This is where the mismatch of expectations comes in. New graduates are just starting out and naturally don’t have much experience yet.”
