Job interviews can already be stressful enough, but one Malaysian jobseeker was left baffled after allegedly being offered less than half of his current salary because of his age.
The 25 year old claimed that he currently earns RM6,000 a month and was hoping for RM7,000 at his next job.
However, during an interview, he said the company offered him a starting salary of just RM2,500.
‘You are too young for the requested salary’
Sharing his experience on Threads, the man said he had indicated RM7,000 as his expected salary.
According to him, the HR representative allegedly told him during the interview:
“You are too young for the requested salary. We can only offer RM2,500 as a starting salary.”
The response did not sit well with him.
“If you cannot afford to pay, then there is no need to call me for an interview,” he wrote.
In the comments, he later clarified that his expected salary had already been stated in the application form before he was called for the interview.
He also claimed that the position he applied for was a Senior Executive role.
Currently earning RM6K in engineering sector
When one user questioned how he was already earning RM6,000 at the age of 25, the jobseeker explained that he works in the engineering sector.
He added that there are also young workers in other industries who earn even more.
As for why he was looking for another job despite already earning RM6,000, he said he had been with his current company for several years and wanted to progress further in his career.
“After a few years in the company, I want to upgrade. And it is normal for young people,” he wrote.
He also stressed that while gaining experience is important, salary still matters.
“I work for money, of course,” he replied to a comment suggesting that experience could be more valuable than salary.
Some questioned why the company called him for an interview
Several commenters agreed that the RM2,500 offer appeared unusually low, especially considering that the applicant claimed the role was for a Senior Executive.
One commenter questioned why the company proceeded with the interview if his expected salary was already known.
The jobseeker agreed, saying the company had seen his expected salary in the application form but still asked him to attend the interview.
Another person shared a similar experience of taking leave to attend an interview, only to receive a salary offer far below what they had requested.
Others joked that if salary were determined mainly by age, employees would only receive higher pay when they were much older.
Others say HR can still offer according to its budget
However, not everyone completely sided with the jobseeker.
One commenter pointed out that companies are allowed to make offers according to their own budget, especially if an applicant’s current salary was not disclosed beforehand.
The commenter added that whether RM2,500 was reasonable would also depend on the actual position being offered.
Still, the same person acknowledged that RM2,500 would appear low if the role was genuinely a higher level position.
For the jobseeker, the issue appeared to be less about receiving a rejection and more about being asked to attend an interview despite the large gap between his stated salary expectation and what the company was prepared to offer.
And judging from the comments, he is far from the only Malaysian who has walked into an interview expecting a salary discussion, only to walk out wondering why the interview happened in the first place.
