An internship is a 3-6 month stint at a company that one has applied for. Most college or university students in Malaysia would go through an internship period at some point and one of the biggest questions posed by a student to their potential employer is: “Will I get paid during this internship?”
We all know how internships don’t pay much and sometimes, not at all. It’s after all a learning experience where money is not the ultimate end goal (though of course, it would be nice to earn a little pocket money). We spoke to several young Malaysians across different internship fields to learn how much they earned during their internship.
1. Bowen, 21
Internship Field: Law
Amount Earned: RM500
Bowen is an aspiring lawyer who interned at two different firms during her internship period. Both small firms, she managed to learn a lot. I guess it’s true when they say interning for a smaller firm is definitely more worth your while. Through both of her internships, she was paid RM500 a month.
“It wasn’t my expected pay but the experience made up for it all,” Bowen said. Her role in the firm was basically to be the runner and also to help out with actual cases. She didn’t mind it at all because she got a good glimpse of the industry which made her even more intrigued to pursue it as a full-time career.
2. Sheng Wei, 21
Internship Field: Medicine
Amount Earned: RM0
As an aspiring doctor, Sheng Wei got the chance to intern at a private hospital where his mother works as a neurosurgeon. Medical students do not get paid during their internship until they finish their degree in medicine and move on to their housemanship.
Sheng Wei’s role as an intern was to shadow a few doctors from different departments to observe and learn whatever he could. “The first doctor I shadowed was an orthopedic surgeon. I got to observe a knee surgery and how the surgeon and anesthetics team had to work together to make sure that the patient was in a stable condition,” Sheng Wei said. He learned that each specialist has their own way of carrying out examinations and taking care of patients.
3. Wei Jean, 21
Internship Field: Business Finance
Amount Earned: RM600
Wei Jean interned under a finance company and was paid RM600 a month. To her, it wasn’t about the money but more of the experience, which was exactly what she got. She mentioned that her mentor was the financial controller of the company and taught her a lot, even what it means to accept constructive criticism.
“It was unpleasant at first, being sounded for making the wrong move but I eventually realised that it was all to help me improve and grow,” Wei Jean said. Eventually, she gained more than she could imagine through her internship and realised how much she actually loved working in the finance field.
4. Dini, 21
Internship Field: Hospitality
Amount Earned: RM250-500
Dini majored in hospitality and interned at two different hotels (one during her diploma and the other, during her degree). During her internship at the first hotel, she was paid RM500 and was put in charge of F&B, front office and housekeeping. For her second internship, she was paid RM250 to handle F&B only.
“I didn’t mind how much the remuneration was because I was determined to hustle and learn,” Dini told us. She acquired a ton of experience to pursue her career in the future and insists that an internship is more about learning than it is for the pay.
5. Matthew, 24
Internship Field: Culinary Arts
Amount Earned: RM0
As an aspiring chef, Matthew pursued a French diploma in culinary arts. His internship was at a hotel as a bartender, server, breakfast display chef, butcher and line cook. There was no payment for his internship. Although he was granted a stay during his internship at a 3-bedroom apartment, he politely declined as there were 6-9 others living in the same space as well.
Speaking of the internship experience itself, Matthew said: “To me, there were no challenges in working at a hotel. Everything was repetitive and it eventually became a ritual to me.” However, he did learn that interns working in the hotel line are not treated fairly, though he did not specify the details. As such, he advices aspiring chefs to intern at a restaurant instead as he believes that the working conditions would be better.
6. Wui Yang, 26
Internship Field: Engineering
Amount Earned: RM0
At the age of 18, fresh out of high school, Wui Yang interned for an engineering consultant firm for a short period of time despite not having a goal or clue about his future career choice. He was offered a small sum for his short stay at the firm but refused to accept it because he didn’t think he did enough work to warrant him a salary.
“My advice to all the young interns would be to read up about the industry before you jump into it. Find out what the company can offer you in terms of experience and mentorship. Go in with an end goal in mind and don’t worry too much about the peanut salary that you’re going to receive. After all, you’re interning to learn, right?” Wui Yang said.
How much did you earn during your internship? Let us know in the Facebook comment section!
