SINGAPORE: A 26-year-old jobseeker recently shared on Reddit that her age, past job titles, and salary expectations are putting off potential employers.
In a post on the r/askSingapore forum, she explained that she has spent the past six years building her career in marketing, gaining experience through both in-house roles and freelance projects. Her resume includes titles like “Senior Marketing Executive/Assistant Marketing Manager in MNCs or Marketing Manager positions in SMEs,” where she was involved in everything from strategy to execution.
During her university years, she also ran her own freelance digital marketing business, working with over 20 clients. Altogether, she’s built up a solid portfolio featuring “more than 80 campaigns and projects.”
Despite her solid track record, she said many hiring managers seem unsure about how to assess her profile. The combination of her age and senior-sounding job titles has raised eyebrows in interviews.
For instance, she received pieces of feedback like, “You’re so young and already a manager?”, “Why are you applying for a Senior Executive role when you’ve already held Manager positions?”, and “Not sure if you’re ready to lead, you’ll be managing people older than you.”
She continued, “And worst of all, when it came to salary negotiations, one hiring manager literally laughed in my face and said: ‘You’re asking for so much. People your age usually only earn S$3.5k–4k.’ My current salary: S$5.2k before CPF.”
According to her, the manager titles weren’t just for show. At her past SME jobs, she had to wear multiple hats and even led small teams of three to four people. She believes the titles were fair based on the scope of work and responsibility she carried.
Still, she’s realistic about the fact that joining a larger organisation might mean starting at a more junior level, such as Assistant Manager or Senior Executive. “I fully expect that my ‘rank’ would drop,” she said. “And honestly, that’s not a big problem for me. The title doesn’t matter as much, I’m more focused on the scope and opportunities.”
Looking for advice, she asked other locals, “Should I downgrade my job titles on my resume? I know that adjusting my titles might affect future salary negotiations. I’ve worked LIKE A DOG the past six years and I really don’t want to undersell myself la… even if I’m okay with a lateral move or slight pay cut given the current market.”
“Would love to hear your thoughts, especially if you’ve faced age-related bias, or had to make similar decisions when it comes to resume strategy.”
“No, don’t downgrade your titles. You earned them.”
In the comments, many Singaporean Redditors discouraged the jobseeker from changing her previous titles just to appease recruiters and potential employers.
One said, “You can show humility during the interview, but never undersell yourself for the things you have accomplished. Dare to command the premium because you should be confident in what you have done and achieved in your previous role, regardless of whether it is an MNC, SME, or a start-up.”
Another commented, “My honest take? No, don’t downgrade your titles. You earned them. In SMEs, wearing multiple hats and leading small teams is normal, and that experience counts. Downgrading your title might help in the very short term with gatekeeping hiring managers, but long term, it risks underselling yourself.”
“Also… that hiring manager who laughed at your salary ask? That was just unprofessional and probably projecting or even salty. In a decent MNC or high-growth startup, S$5.2k isn’t even that crazy.”
A third echoed this sentiment, stating, “Ignore the hiring manager who said you’re asking for so much. Outdated mindset and stuck in the past. In MNCs, S$3.5-4k is fresh grad pay right now.”
Is it okay to tone down your resume to get a job?
Some job seekers wonder if they should tone down their resumes or tweak their job titles to avoid looking “overqualified” for certain roles. But according to career experts, that’s not a smart move.
Former Disney executive Carrie Stone says misrepresenting your credentials can seriously backfire. She told Monster, a global employment website, “We do not recommend that job seekers hide relevant information. If job seekers misrepresent credentials, they are seen as dishonest, and employers will question their integrity.”
William Finlay, a sociology professor at the University of Georgia, agrees. He explains that fudging your past roles or experience is often a “deal breaker because it calls the candidate’s honesty into question.”
So what should you do instead?
Instead of toning down your resume, experts say it’s better to tailor it to the role you’re going for.
According to certified professional resume writer Tracy Parish, your resume should be “custom-designed” for each job you apply to. This means listing down all the skills that actually matter for the position and showcasing the qualities/traits the company is likely looking for.
Also, if there are parts of your experience that don’t apply to the role, you don’t have to include every single detail. It’s okay to leave out unrelated positions or accomplishments if they don’t add to your case.
And don’t forget the cover letter. Stone says this is where you can address any potential concerns upfront (like your level of experience or age) and reframe them as assets.
Featured image by freepik (for illustration purposes only)