Fresh grad asks S’poreans if it was “too much” to ask for a salary of $3.2k

SINGAPORE: A fresh grad took to Reddit on Monday (Nov 25) to ask Singaporeans if it was too much to ask for a starting salary of $3,200.

In his post on r/askSingapore, he shared that over the past six weeks, he had applied for over 200 positions but only received four responses.

Despite successfully securing a few interviews, he unfortunately hadn’t managed to land a job offer. One factor he suspected could be affecting employers’ decisions was his salary expectation.

He explained, “During interviews, interviewers would ask how much my HR coordinator job pay was and is always reluctant to say it because its only 2.2k/mth but it doesn’t matter to me at that time cause it was a semester break job.”

“Now during interviews, I’m afraid that it influenced their decision because I’m asking for 3.2k.. Am I asking for too much as a fresh grad? Should I lower my expectation to 3k?”

Another concern he mentioned was that his previous HR job wasn’t directly related to his business degree in marketing or the roles he’s currently applying for.

This lack of alignment with his degree makes him unsure whether potential employers will view him as a strong candidate, particularly since many of the positions he’s targeting require specific experience.

“I’m wondering if the job market is bad now cause everyone is waiting for their 13mth bonus.. In this case should look for a contract 3month job first?” he asked.

“There are many low-hanging fruits available.”

In the comments section, many Singaporean Redditors shared that they, along with others they know, also had a hard time finding a job. This was true even for those who had relevant experience.

One Redditor said, “6 weeks is nothing man. Getting a full-time perm job takes anything between 3 to 6 months these days, maybe even longer.”

Another commented, “Got to be more resilient and expect it will take longer. 6 weeks is very short. Even more so in this job market as a fresh graduate. I graduated into a good job market and took about 2-3 months too.”

Others suggested he consider exploring part-time jobs in the meantime, as it could help him stay active, gain more experience, and potentially find new opportunities while he continues his search for a full-time role.

One Redditor wrote, “There are many low-hanging fruits available. You can check Fastjobs or even Staffie… get a part-time fnb job or some admin role, to get by. At least the money you can buy something for Christmas, or maybe payoff your bills.

“Few people will leave their jobs year-end and Jan. Even some drag until after CNY then throw letter, cos suay if no job during CNY.”

In other news, a fresh grad shared on social media how drained and exhausted she feels every day, even though she’s only been in her new job for a month.

In a post on r/askSingapore, a Reddit forum, she shared her struggles with the transition into the workforce, writing, “I feel sad and tired…[the work] isn’t something 100% related to what I’m studying or wanted to do, but thought I’ll give the job a shot as I wanted to try something new.”

However, after a month, she has been feeling increasingly tired and overwhelmed, and since her second week at work, she has found herself crying every time she goes home.

Read more: Fresh grad who just started work already feels ‘sad and tired from work everyday’

Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)