25 y/o fresh grad finds his S$5.2k-paying job ‘incredibly mundane,’ asks if he should stay or seek something more stimulating

SINGAPORE: Finding his work “incredibly mundane,” a 25-year-old local earning S$5,200 a month took to social media on Monday (Sep 22) to ask if he should stay in his current role or seek something more stimulating.

In an anonymous post on the r/singaporefi subreddit, the local said that the job doesn’t exactly push him to grow or challenge himself.

“My main tasks so far have been doing some ETLs, editing dashboards and some simple automation. There aren’t many significant projects happening, and to be honest, I sometimes feel like I learnt more and did more interesting work during my university internship,” he explained.

“I know people say that companies pay you to work, not to learn, but it feels a bit disappointing when the work is so repetitive and mundane, just problem-solving.”

While he acknowledged that he is fortunate to have landed a relatively well-paying job — which he has been told is a “golden handcuff” — with good benefits as a fresh graduate, he still feels that something is missing.

“I’m hoping to find a role with more interesting projects and a better learning curve, while still enjoying the benefits of public service,” he said. “I’m honestly okay with this for now, especially with all the news about restructuring and layoffs in the private sector. The stability is a big plus for me. It would also help with my investment journey since it’d get the compound interests rolling with the relatively high annual salary,”

“But my question is: Should I stay in my current role for a full year to get myself ‘emplaced’ (i.e., confirmed after the probation period) before starting to apply for other roles within the civil service? Or is it better to start applying now, even though I’ve only been here for 5 months and have to restart the contract cycle?” he asked the online community.

“Take initiative at work: lead a new project or create an innovative automation.”

In the comments, several Reddit users advised the fresh grad to remain in his job for at least a year, cautioning that leaving too soon might make some recruiters or potential employers see him as a “red flag”.

One user said, “5 months is way too short, before you know it, your work might avalanche. I mean it’s good to keep on your toes and no harm applying for some feeler, but I think 1 year might be a better point to judge, as it would take some time before you can be given more substantial tasks.”

Another shared, “Serial job hopper here, if i could turn back time I’d tell myself to at least stay 2 years, be patient and see how to learn and do more or learn skills on the side related to my work. All the best!”

A third added, “If possible, get at least two years experience before you seek out interviews. One year works too, but since you are rather new to the industry, it might lead to question of competence with only a year experience overall.”

Some also offered ideas on how he could make his work more engaging. One user suggested, “Speak to your boss and see if you are able to take on additional projects or shadow a team/project that you want to be part of eventually.”

Another commented, “If you’re feeling unfulfilled, gain perspective and gratitude by volunteering. Alternatively, take initiative at work: lead a new project or create an innovative automation. Be resourceful and add value.”

In other news, a woman took to social media to express her disbelief after her boyfriend asked her to pay for his mum’s birthday dinner.

Sharing the story on the r/askSingapore subreddit, she explained that although she and her boyfriend have been together for two years and are already discussing marriage, she has only met his Singaporean Chinese parents once and is far from being close to them.

Read more: Woman shocked after BF asked her to pay for his mum’s birthday dinner