SINGAPORE: A fresh grad took to social media to share his “baffling encounter” with a recruiter who told him his salary expectations were too high.
Posting on the r/askSingapore forum, the fresh grad recounted that he was asked about his expected salary during a conversation with the recruiter about a potential job opportunity. When he mentioned S$3K or more, the recruiter responded that it was “a bit steep” for someone who had just graduated.
“I asked what range the company is willing to give, and he said S$2.3-2.4K,” he wrote. “I told him that’s the salary a diploma grad will get, and he retorted that because I have no relevant experience, they can’t pay that much, and it’s better to work from the ground and earn some experience first.”
The fresh grad shared that the recruiter spent the entire conversation advocating that fresh grads should first take a job, even if it’s low-paying, to gain experience.
Feeling frustrated and confused, the fresh grad turned to the community for advice, asking, “Is the job market this bad that recruiters are telling fresh uni grads to accept a low 2K job? I’m just so baffled by this encounter.”
“Don’t get fooled by them. Don’t undervalue yourself”
In the comments section, many Singaporean Redditors were just as shocked as the fresh grad about the recruiter’s lowball offer. Some speculated that the recruiter might have been bluffing or trying to take advantage of the fresh grad’s lack of experience in job negotiations.
Others pointed out that S$3K is a fairly standard starting salary for fresh university graduates, especially in industries where a degree is an essential requirement.
One Redditor shared his insider perspective, saying, “Having been in and around HR for some time, I can tell you this recruiter is simply looking out for his commission or KPI and couldn’t care about you or your job /career.
It’s probably a diploma holder-level job, but either the recruiter is desperate, or the company is one of a kind; that’s why they’re trying to cheat uni grads into joining with promises of career progression. Don’t fall for it.”
Another Redditor emphasized the long-term implications of accepting a lower starting salary, writing, “This is not a matter of being picky, as you have to think years ahead.
You start that low, gaining lower than your peers, who may begin with S$3.5K (before CPF) years ahead. By reaching S$3.5k later, your peers will probably be in the S$4.5K range.”
A third Redditor shared his experience as an engineer in Singapore, stating, “Don’t get fooled by them. Don’t undervalue yourself. Three years ago, I accepted a S$3K job as a fresh grad and still felt low-balled. The truth is, you can get it for S$3.5K. I have a friend who got S$4.5K as a fresh graduate, but he had good results. So whatever.”
In other news, an HR professional shared her surprise at jobseekers’ salary expectations on social media on Wednesday (Oct 2).
In a post on the NUSWhispers Facebook page, she talked about how she recently interviewed ‘NUS grads or grads with 1–2 years of niche experience’ and was shocked when most of them asked for at least S$4,800 to S$5,500.
Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)
Follow Google News
Join us on WhatsApp
Follow us on Telegram