SINGAPORE: A man who recently quit his IT job is now driving for Grab and Gojek up to 14 hours a day to make ends meet.
Posting on r/askSingapore, a Reddit forum, he explained that he left his job a few weeks ago because the stress had become unmanageable.
“Now I’m jobless with loans to pay, and a car I can’t sell—the outstanding loan is way more than it’s worth,” he lamented.
Despite having six years of experience in IT, including skills in Python and software development, as well as networking on LinkedIn, attending career fairs, and working with a career coach, the man said he still hasn’t had any success landing a new job.
“I only have an ITE cert. I’ve reached out to everyone I know, but so far, no luck. I’ve sent out over 80 applications—nothing back so far,” he wrote.
“I’m still talking to my career coach, but he kept saying to wait it out and that my resume looks good,” he added. As a backup plan, he’s also looking to break into DevOps or software engineering.
He is even willing to take on internships to gain relevant experience. Still, he feels his lack of a diploma and formal background in these areas have become barriers.
“Even for intern roles where I’d work for next to nothing, no response either,” he said.
In addition to his financial and career struggles, he mentioned that the physical and emotional strain of working long hours as a private hire car driver had taken a significant toll on him.
Seeking advice, he turned to the Reddit community, saying, “It’s wearing me down. If anyone has advice or ideas or has been in a similar situation, I’d really appreciate it.”
“I think the biggest obstacle for you is your education level”
In the discussion thread, Singaporean Redditors shared that the job market in the IT industry has become increasingly competitive, with many pointing out that employers often prioritize candidates with formal degrees or certifications.
One Redditor said, “The market is saturated with degree holders and retrenched degree holders. Even if you have a diploma, it will still be tough.”
Another explained, “It’s rough in tech right now; I’m not in it but in AI, and there is no shortage of candidates.
I think the biggest obstacle for you is your education level, especially when there are 1000s of applicants for a single role.
People with PhDs and Masters are applying for junior/entry-level roles. Even with 6 years of experience, if you don’t have at least a bachelor’s, your CV might not even see the eyes of a human being.”
Some Redditors suggested that the man improve his chances by highlighting specific achievements in his resume.
One user advised, “Include achievements on your resume. At workplace A, implemented a solution to solve XX problem. At workplace B, set up YY to accommodate merger/acquisition.”
Despite the prevailing negativity about Singapore’s job market on social media, recent data points to a strong recovery.
The Ministry of Manpower reported a notable increase of 24,100 jobs in the third quarter of 2024, bringing the unemployment rate down to a historic low of 1.8%.
This robust hiring trend is expected to continue in the fourth quarter, especially in the services industry, fuelled by the festive season and positive growth projections for 2025.
Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)