I just got my job almost two months ago but I'll share my background and advice.

Field of study: Mathematics (University outside of Brunei)
Approximate time of Job Search: About 6 months
Current Job: Researcher for a small company (chill manager and multiple interesting projects)
Advice for resume/CV: A neat and organized resume (experience/project/education in reverse chronological order) will boost your chances of getting an interview. If you like, do add an executive summary about yourself cause honestly, that helped me remember what I wrote about myself and I just add extra words in my interview on the fly cause interviewers usually place the resume in front of them. For resume templates, I suggest the WSO investment banking resume cause the formatting and advice they gave helped me get interviews.
Advice when applying for jobs: Use JobCentre and Brunei Work to help find a suitable job.
P.S. Don't apply to jobs if you're not planning to attend the interview. I have heard many people bailing out on interviews for small companies. Don't neglect the experience you may attain from any small company because the experience matters after one or more years of working rather than finding a job with good pay. Notable companies or government jobs here would prioritize someone who has at least 3 years of working experience.
Advice when attending an interview: Don't let your anxiety get the best of you and try your best to stay calm cause it is an anxious feeling if it's your very first. Your introduction is key and will increase your odds of getting hired cause they do want to know if you'll fit perfectly in the company. Be ready to talk about whatever is in your resume cause most interviewers will ask about anything that's in your resume

I wish the best for you and everyone who's reading this thread and always keep a lookout for other opportunities if your first job isn't suitable for you cause I have experience with 500+ applications and 95% of them ghost me.

GUYS. PLS. im working in a big company as HR. Pls pls summarize and keep ur resume short and precise.

We honestly domt have time to read all. Hehe. its a secret

I graduated 10 years ago from a reputable university in Singapore in 2014. My major is in marketing and minor in accounting. When I was across the pond, I already felt the job market was gloomy and hard to get a job. I was so naive to think degree holder could breeze past easily and get a cushy job. I felt I was on top of the world!

Then I came back to Brunei. Reality slapped me hard in the face. I messed up my first interview, I wasn’t prepared and stutter through the entire interview. I was given a second chance and eventually felt the job was a good fit for me. After that, I always prepared myself for interviews and DO NOT TAKE interviews lightly. Secured a job eventually in a car company in marketing, hated it and job was too routine and monotonous. Boss didn’t believe in the benefits of marketing and never agreed to spend money on marketing.

I failed my probation and became a car salesman. Also struggled to sell an American car with bad rep. Sold one car in 2 months. That was considered good for a newbie where some of the veterans could not sell for 6 months. I felt I couldn’t survive long term and carried on searching for job while working.

Finally landed a job as a procurement executive in a oil & gas company that pays well. Willing to commute 200km a day for it. Stuck on to that company ever since and moved internally to logistics.

In short what I learned:

1. EXPERIENCE MATTERS more than paper qualifications. More valuable in real world especially when you are faced with real life problems. You can better tackle head on compared to a new graduate.

2. Professional certifications like ACCA is more valuable than a university degree.

3. Never give up and work your way through with experience even though you get low pay. Those years of experience under you belt will help

4. Don’t be arrogant and be humble.

5. Be prepared to travel abroad to look for opportunities if you have had tough luck in Brunei

A secret for job seekers, write a cover letter which says why you are a good fit for the job, as a recruiter I hate having to go through 4 pages trying to figure out why the person applied for the role.

As a previous commentator said, two pages is enough, plus cover letter.

Well, here's a funny story (of my life and a veey unexpected one). I studied Psychology outside of brunei and currently working as a designer. Menganggur about 6 months. I am not proficient in using photoshop and what not but I do know how to use canva. I used to tell my boyfriend that I will never learn photoshop bcs its too complicated. Canva is easier but here I am now. Ironic?

So, had to learn photoshop from the start and I kinda know how to use it now (inda pulang expert yet 😏) All in all, I enjoyed my current job. Apa nya orang, gain experience for now. Rezeki inda ke mana.

If you cant get your job then time to step out of comfort zone

Does anyone mind to look at my resume? I have been trying to “lawa” kan actively but still can’t land an interview for 9 months now 😭

I would advice to take up internships opportunities and also build up your network (attend forums, networking events, volunteers, etc.) I graduated this year and landed a stable job (semi-government) recently (I am probably the youngest among my colleagues), prior to that I was an apprentice in a startup. So I only have been unemployed for 3 months but during those time, I applied to various positions; 16 positions to exact with 4 interviews and 3 rejections.

I change my CV often, and asked for feedback from my mentors (professionals in the industry) which gives an insight on what I should add on and not to add on. So do find a mentor that you can easily look up to, some of them are willing to help, some don’t. I suggest using Linkedin (despite many would roast me on this, but you will be surprised if a recruiter/manager sees your potential!)

I also like to emphasize on reading the job scope they’re offering, sometimes we have to evaluate our skills if it fits the role, don’t “antam-antam” saja apply because I believe HR won’t layan / as your CV states otherwise. I had my fair share applying a position during my final year that is not relevant to my degree and it was a struggle for me to catch up, but it was a good experience + another skillset I can show to recruiters.

For interviews, I would say be confident and always fact-check. I asked for an advice from a HR Director before my job search, and she advise me to be confident, fact-check, and basically be a “yapper” so they can evaluate your personality more. I know this could be nerve-wrecking to some. I was a shy kid, but I try to get out of my comfort zone and try public speaking / network which allows me to be confident in interviews & find comfort in talking to the higher ups. I think it’s the mindset that drives us to be more nervous, we are afraid we would say the wrong things or the HR is giving you the scary look. I used to interview our student committees during my university years, and I would shortlist the ones who talks a lot and explain about the experiences on their CV, all because I can see their personality fits the rest of the team (despite some are more experienced/smarter).

I would also advise to find other hobbies/skills that peak your interests, that can be your side income as a freelance. During my uni years, I have always been a freelancer so despite not having a stable job during my unemployment months, I still had income. I recommend taking part-time jobs if you’re still a student so once you graduate, you’ll not have one option when applying for jobs, but rather a variety of it since you have other skills in hospitality, designing, photography, etc.

Also, having a strong mindset is important! I try my best not to complain and compare ourselves to others (source of unhappiness) – basically have a “main character” mindset. If you get rejected, it is not based off your character but rather, the company are not be able to offer what you want. Rejection is redirection!

When I finish my diploma, I wanted to jump into the work field because I didn’t want to continue my studies due to the difficulty of getting jobs + financial struggle. I even applied jobs that pays $400 as an admin and shop assistant with over 10 applications (I was rejected to all). As soon as I feel rejected, that’s when I try my hardest to polish my career identity and continue my degree. Alhamdulilah, it landed me a good job with $2.6k at 24.

I know our friends might have landed a job earlier than us and whatnot, but your time will come. Don’t give up, and find ways to gain more skills for you to stand out than the rest of candidates. Insya’Allah, and all the best!