Kenapa Saya (Orang Singapore) Peduli Sama Fresh Graduate Indonesia yang Stuck di Gaji UMR?

I need to confess something.

Saya bos di tech company Singapore. Hiring manager. And I've rejected HUNDREDS of Indonesian fresh graduates.

Not because they're not smart. Not because their skills are bad.

But because...

...they don't know how to sell themselves to global companies.

Dan itu bikin saya frustrated. Because I KNOW mereka punya potential. I've worked with talented Indonesian developers, designers, and marketers. Mereka incredible.

Tapi kenapa CV yang masuk ke inbox saya... honestly, terrible?

So I decided to do something about it. This is my story.

My Background (And Why You Should Listen)

Let me introduce myself properly. Nama saya... well, let's keep it semi-anonymous for now. You can call me Jin.

I run a tech company based in Singapore. We build SaaS products for Southeast Asian markets. Team size: around 30 people, mostly remote workers from Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, and Thailand.

Over the last 5 years, I've hired 50+ remote workers across SEA. And here's the breakdown:

• 15 Indonesians (developers, designers, content writers)
• 20 Filipinos (customer support, QA testers)
• 10 Vietnamese (developers, marketers)
• 5 Thais (designers, project managers)

But here's the kicker: I rejected 10x more Indonesians than I hired.

Not because Indonesian talent is worse. Actually, the opposite—some of my best employees are Indonesian.

The problem? Most Indonesian fresh graduates don't know how to present themselves for remote/global jobs.

Why I Started Learning Bahasa Indonesia

Two years ago, I hired my first Indonesian developer. Let's call him Adi. Fresh graduate from a Bandung university. Brilliant coder. Humble. Fast learner.

Tapi dia bilang ke saya: "Boss, sebelum join company kamu, saya apply ke 200+ jobs. Cuma dapat 5 replies. Semua offer UMR 4-5 juta."

I was shocked. This guy could easily command SGD 3,000-4,000/month (Rp 36-48 juta) in the global market. But he was settling for UMR?

That's when I realized: there's a massive information gap.

Indonesian fresh grads don't know:

• How to write a CV that passes ATS systems
• Where to find remote job postings (hint: NOT JobStreet)
• How to position themselves for global companies
• What salary ranges they should actually be asking for
• How to communicate with international hiring managers (email etiquette, interview prep, etc.)

And nobody's teaching them this. Universities? Nope. Career counselors? Barely.

So I decided to learn Bahasa Indonesia. Started taking lessons. Traveled to Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya. Talked to fresh graduates di coffee shops, coworking spaces, university events.

And I kept hearing the same pain points over and over.

Hearing all this... man, it broke my heart. Because from a hiring manager's perspective, I could see EXACTLY what they were doing wrong.

The "Aha Moment" That Changed Everything

Fast forward to 6 months ago. I received a CV from a fresh graduate in Yogyakarta. Let's call her Siti.

Her CV was... different. Clean. ATS-friendly. Keyword-optimized. Portfolio link actually worked (you'd be surprised how many don't). Cover letter was personalized, not generic template.

I hired her on the spot. Offered SGD 2,800/month (Rp 33.6 juta).

During onboarding, I asked her: "How did you learn to write a CV like this?"

She said: "I spent 2 months researching how Silicon Valley companies hire. Read 50+ blog posts. Joined international Slack communities. Learned the 'rules' that Indonesian universities never teach."

That's when it clicked.

It's not about talent. It's about INFORMATION.

Siti had the same skills as hundreds of rejected candidates. The difference? She knew how to package herself for global hiring managers.

And I thought: What if I could share these "rules" with every Indonesian fresh grad?

What I'm Building: Lepas Batas

That's why I created Lepas Batas.

This isn't a motivasi platform. It's not another "believe in yourself!" cheerleading blog.

This is a tactical playbook based on 5+ years of hiring remote workers across Southeast Asia.

Everything I share here is:

• From hiring manager perspective (I'm the one reviewing your CVs and conducting interviews)
• Actionable (step-by-step guides, templates, checklists)
• Tested (based on real hiring data, not theory)
• Free (or affordable—because I know fresh grad budgets are tight)

My goal? Help 10,000 Indonesian fresh graduates escape gaji UMR and land remote jobs that pay 2-3x more.

Ambitious? Yes. Possible? Absolutely.

Before You Go: I Want to Hear From You

Seriously. I'm not just writing this into the void.

Are you stuck di gaji UMR right now?
Have you applied to 50+ jobs tapi cuma dapat offer pas-pasan?
Do you feel like you're doing something wrong, tapi gak tahu apa?

If yes to any of these... you're in the right place.

Subscribe ke email list saya (form di bawah) and I'll send you:

1. The next blog post as soon as it's live
2. A FREE resume template that actually works for ATS systems
3. My personal checklist: "10 Red Flags HRD Lihat di CV Fresh Graduate"

See you in the next one.

— Jon
Tech Company Owner, Singapore
(Yes, saya masih belajar Bahasa Indonesia. Sorry for any mistakes! 😅)

P.S. — Kalau kamu mau shortcut, download panduan lengkap saya di link ini. It's free.

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