SINGAPORE: A Singaporean man recently opened up on social media about his bittersweet feelings after graduating at the age of 31.
He posted on Reddit’s Ask Singapore forum on Monday (Nov 25), sharing that while he’s proud of his achievement, he’s also feeling pretty down because many of his friends have already hit big milestones in their careers.
“Sometimes I feel really depress knowing other people are doing so well and earning the big bucks,” he said.
The man also mentioned that he’s now trying to enter the workforce but is weighed down by a lack of confidence in his qualifications.
“For context, I do not have exceptional grades; I literally have 0 relevant/related working experience in the field and have no personal projects to showcase,” he wrote.
“The only thing I have right now are IT certifications that I’ve earned during my time in Uni, and 2.5 years of prior working experience in the same industry but at a completely unrelated field where hard skills are untransferrable.”
He then asked others in the Reddit community whether it would make sense for him, as a fresh graduate, to accept a three-month internship with a big company to gain actual technical experience, and then transition into a full-time job afterwards, or if he should focus on applying for a full-time job instead.
“Should I be interning at 31?” he wrote.
“3 months passes by very fast, the exposure with a big company will also be beneficial for you.”
In the discussion thread, many Singaporean Redditors reminded him that everyone’s journey is different and that age should not be a barrier to gaining experience or pursuing new opportunities.
They also encouraged him to take the three-month internship, explaining that it could be a valuable step for his career in the long run.
One Redditor shared, “I interned at 37 because of a mid career switch. No reason why you should not. Sometimes people take a longer route to get to where they need to be but that does not mean things cannot accelerate once you get there. All the best.”
Another commented, “3 months passes by very fast, the exposure with a big company will also be beneficial for you. It’ll give you more confidence in your abilities and some idea of how things work in a big company in such a domain. Go for the internship.”
Others, however, cautioned him against accepting the internship. One Redditor said, “No, find a full-time job. If the company can’t afford to hire you on contract or put you on probation, there’s probably a hiring freeze. After the 3mnths there’s no guarantee of conversion even to contract.
“Find something else in the industry at least on a contractual basis and not get taken advantage of.”
Are internships helpful for someone in their 30s?
According to Indeed, internships are super valuable for your career, even though they’re usually short-term. And they’re not just for students—people in their 30s or 40s can benefit from them too.
Internships provide hands-on experience, enhance your resume, and help you stand out to employers when seeking a full-time position. They also allow you to develop transferable skills like communication, teamwork, and problem-solving, which are beneficial in nearly any profession.
Internships are a great way to explore a new field or even begin a career path you hadn’t considered before. They offer the opportunity to delve deeper into an industry or area of interest and assess whether it aligns with your goals.
Additionally, internships allow you to network with professionals already working in your field, which could open doors to future job opportunities. In some cases, an internship may even lead to a full-time offer if the company feels you’re a good fit.
Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)