SINGAPORE: A tech worker in the public sector took to Reddit to share his frustration after a university peer dismissed his civil service job as something only “unambitious” fresh grads would take.
In a post on Reddit’s r/SingaporeRaw forum, the 20-something shared that during a recent meetup, his former classmate told him he was “selling himself short” by joining what he described as a “retirement home” agency.
“While I do get his point, I was shocked and taken aback by his newfound ego,” the worker wrote. “As such, I didn’t talk to him much after that meetup.”
He added that this wasn’t the first time he had heard such views. In his Gen Z circle, many seem to view civil service roles as a “dumping ground” for fresh grads who failed to land positions in reputable or glamorous multinational corporations.
“It’s not just him, though; many of my peers who have graduated and are jobless in a bad economy straight up said that they refuse to apply for government roles, “ he said.
“Reasons cited include bureaucracy, poor pay progression (if non-scholar), and the fact that such roles are not marketable to private sector companies. I can understand the first two, but the last one—is the reputation of the public sector really that bad?”
The worker said that he tries to take pride in what he does, but hearing people around him talk like that has made him “feel worse” about his career choices.
“I am considering job hopping soon, mainly because of my contract period terms, but I won’t lie that such sentiments are giving me concerns,” he said. “Do I have a biased social circle, or are my career prospects actually cooked? Does Singapore have a low opinion of public/civil servants?”
“All jobs should be held with regard and not looked down upon.”
The post drew a flood of responses from Reddit users, many of whom defended public sector work and criticised the arrogance of those who look down on it.
“Find a way to better curate your circle of friends,” one user said. “I have many friends working in public service as teachers and social workers, and honestly, while I can’t say they live a very comfortable life with high pay and an expensive home or car, they have so much passion in what they do. And that is something I haven’t found and am definitely envious of!”
Another commented, “All jobs should be held with regard and not looked down upon. You’ve got bad friends who like to look down on people, it seems.
“It’s not easy to get into the gov sector, by the way. So I’m not sure why anyone would think lowly of it, where the pay is pretty decent; it depends on your speciality. Sometimes the pay is higher than in private.”
A third user who’s a millennial added, “Everyone around me thinks that being a public servant is respectable and noble because you are working for the citizens. So at least your job is meaningful. Add in the stability and benefits. It’s a good position to be in.”
In other news, a 32-year-old woman shared on Reddit that she is thinking of quitting her job just six months after joining because the work arrangement turned out to be very different from what was promised during the interview.
In her post, she explained that when she was applying for the role, she was told it would be a hybrid position. According to the hiring manager, she would only need to be in the office three days a week, while the other two days’ work could be done from home. That flexibility was a major reason why she took the job.
Featured image by freepik (for illustration purposes only)
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