'Odd Jobs' and the Malaysians who left the 9-5 grind to pursue alternative careers

A growing number of Malaysians are leaving the regular 9-5 grind in pursuit of their passions and career fulfilment. (Photo: Nadia Rose, Loh Yiren)

By JAYAGANDI MALAR

DEPENDING on who one asks, Malaysians are not getting paid enough for existing work, not being hired due to ageism, are uninspired, or just plain picky about jobs.

But regardless of the actual situation, a growing number of Malaysians are leaving the regular 9-5 grind in pursuit of their passions and career fulfilment.

Indeed, many of these individuals appear to be redefining success on their own terms, especially as there are a handful who have chosen to pursue rather unconventional professions.

Finding fulfilment

Take the case of Siti Aisyah Jabaruddin, for one.

Going from full-time forestry officer to content creator and vegan entrepreneur has been hardly a walk in the park. However, to Aisyah, her new career is better aligned with her values.

She says that despite her previous role, she felt that she still could not fully address her passion for environmental and animal rights. That was until the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing lockdowns presented an opportunity for a career pivot.

At first, Aisyah says, all she did was share easy-to-make vegan recipes on her social media channels. But that soon turned into the launch of Mushroom Lah, a vegan rendang business, which she runs with her partner and husband, Akmal Hakim Ali.

“Vegan rendang is a recipe I’d been making for myself during Eid. Akmal tried it and thought it would be helpful for other vegans during Eid as well,” she says.

Of course, reaching out to non-vegan customers has been a challenge, Aisyah admits, and she and Akmal are constantly working on the business’ brand strategy. But their ride has been rewarding.

Like Aisyah, Nadia Rose, too says that her current profession as a women’s photographer and content creator has been fulfilling and taught her about self-belief. She, however, did not envision the transition from a fashion and media industry professional to working for a talent agency and becoming a photographer who captures empowering images of women.

“I never thought I’d be a photographer … (but) I gradually transitioned into this role over the course of my career,” says Nadia, adding that she first helped with organising women-only retreats, and that opened the door for her to see the potential in becoming a specialised photographer.

Nadia’s photography encapsulates the feminine essence; it represents strength, vulnerability, beauty, empowerment, and sensuality. And she says that her career journey thus far, combined with personal inner work, has taught her to recognise her own talents.

“For a long time, I thought I could never excel in a single career path. But I realise that my diverse skill sets have made me exceptionally good at what I do now,” says Nadia.

Back to nature

It is true that people who have switched career tracts halfway through their lives often say that they never initially considered their current professions. Yet, former national polo team captain Shaik Reismann says he was always sure he wanted to pursue one of his interests.

“Next to horses, bushcraft is my other passion. So being out in nature and experiencing the beauty of our Malaysian jungle is something that I’ve always wanted to do,” Shaik says.

This is why when he stopped playing polo professionally, he started to focus on bushcraft and imparting his knowledge to eager learners.

Shaik, admits, nevertheless, that he was initially concerned if people would actually be interested. Still, he was confident that those who did sign up for bushcraft classes would love it.

What made it easier for Shaik, though, was that he owns an orchard in Hulu Langat, Selangor, which he now uses to run his business; teaching modern junglecraft and primitive skills, such as parang skills, shelter building and fire-starting.

Incidentally, it was also knife skills, or more accurately knife-sharpening, that saw Loh Yiren, switch from an already unconventional career as armourer to knife and tool sharpener.

“I was working as an armourer at a defence company. But since firearms servicing isn’t big in Malaysia, I spent many hours just idling. Time was being wasted, and I wanted to maximise my time doing the things I wanted,” explains Loh.

“I started learning to sharpen knives when I was working in a knife and outdoor shop in Subang Jaya. The knives that I started out working on were usually high-end collector’s knives, and so, from an early stage, I desired to chase the highest sharpness possible, while protecting the aesthetic of the knife.”

Today, Loh is a busy, full-time mobile knife and tool sharpening specialist. He also runs sharpening classes, collaborates with other companies, and is often a reference to other sharpeners on handling complex knife designs.

Of course, there are parts of the business he dislikes, such as the paperwork, supplies and stock clearance, and abused or improperly sharpened tools. But he is always motivated.

“I’m often told that this is a dying trade, and people appreciate me picking up the mantle and keeping the trade alive. That really keeps me going,” he says.

Big life changes

To be clear, the support of friends, family and clients, as well as interest in a particular field, is often cited as a key reason for people changing careers and staying the course. Some, however, admit that it was life-changing situations that made them reconsider their lives.

April Kuan confesses it was a nervous breakdown that caused her to go from a busy life in music, publishing and marketing to wellness.

The yoga teacher and sound healer says she was already doing yoga for exercise when she went through a tough spell mentally. But that episode made her decide to delve deeper into the discipline by completing a 200-hour teacher training and sound healing courses in India.

“That one month in India healed me so much that I wanted others to reap the benefits.

“The universe has a way of manipulating outcomes for your growth, and that’s what happened when I was forced to go full-time,” says Kuan, who teaches mostly hatha and vinyasa styles for private and corporate clients.

Best of all, Kuan, who is a former Capital FM deejay, says teaching has also helped her overcome her public speaking anxieties.

She admits, however, that it has not been always easy making ends meet, as though yoga courses can be expensive, teachers don’t earn all that much. This is why Kuan supplements her income by doing voice-overs for commercials and corporate videos.

“It’s hard to earn a decent living. Finding a balance of output with income stability is tough. Most teachers have a day job or a side hustle,” she says.

“I’ve contemplated going back to a 9-5 job, but I don’t see myself being stuck in front of a computer again.”

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