Jobless Singaporean man asks, “How do you deal with depression and anxiety during long-term unemployment?”

SINGAPORE: In a heartfelt online confession, a Singaporean man shared that he’s plunged into the depths of anxiety and depression after months of being unable to find employment in the tech industry.

Posting on r/askSingapore, a popular Reddit forum, the man shared that he spends much of his day practising coding problems on Leetcode, a platform tech companies use to assess candidates’ problem-solving skills during technical interviews.

However, despite his commitment and hard work, the man faced repeated employment rejections over the months. This string of failures made him question the value of his intensive Leetcode practice.

He eventually asked himself, “What’s the point of solving Leetcode problems over and over again?”

He also voiced his frustration with the practice itself, stating, “Leetcode was a bogus practice started by FAANG because they have too many candidates for every job they posted. But I don’t get it.

Why do many local companies in Singapore also follow this and overlook candidates’ actual project experience?”

Seeking solace and practical advice, the man reached out to the Reddit community for help. He wrote, “How do you deal with depression and anxiety during long-term unemployment? Please share your experience and methods to deal with this.

I can’t afford to hire a psychologist or counsellor for the full course since their rate per session is too high.”

“Focus on building a routine around your job search & hobbies.”

The man’s confession has sparked a wave of empathy and support from the online community, with many responding with encouraging words and practical suggestions.

One Redditor said, “Focus on building a routine around your job search & hobbies. Spend the morning going to the gym or library. Spend a few hours searching & applying for jobs. Spend the afternoon on a side project or hobbies.

Network, try to meet someone from LinkedIn once a week. School alumni, ex-colleagues, other job seekers. Find industry events to go to, eg Cloud Expo Asia is next month.”

Another commented, “You’ll want a part-time or temp/gig job for now. Keeps some income coming and gives you something to do so your mental energy is not all spent on ruminating needlessly and worrying about finances without the stressors of full time.”

A third Redditor shared, “The only way is to keep looking for a job and never give up. I was jobless for eight months and also in tech. What I did was stick to a routine.

Apply for jobs in the first half of the day. In the second half of the day, listen to lectures, brush up on system design principles, and brush up on design patterns.”

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