Fresh hire says he already ‘hates’ his accounting firm job after just one day, laments strict dress code and rundown office

SINGAPORE: A freshly hired employee recently shared online that he already “hates” his new job at a well-established accounting firm, just one day into starting work.

In a candid post on the r/SGexams subreddit on Tuesday (Aug 26), the man admitted that his first impression of corporate life had been far from positive.

“The turn-off for me was the fact that the office looks run down. Literally the nicest part was the toilet,” he wrote, noting that the poor condition of the workplace was the first thing that struck him.

Adding to his frustration was the company’s dress code. “I’m expected to wear formal EVERYDAY. I know it’s partially my fault for not asking about the attire, but I had just assumed it would be smart casual like other big firms,” he confessed.

While he noted that the people in the office seemed “nice enough”, he also felt that friendliness alone wasn’t enough to outweigh how much he already resented the environment.

“I’m not too sure of the job scope yet, but I guess I will see how it goes after giving myself a few months to adjust. I just want to rant here because I feel really alone, tired, and overwhelmed at the office. I don’t know how to survive a corporate job,” he admitted.

At the end of his post, he lamented that the only real relief he could look forward to were public holidays and annual leave days.

Turning to the online community for support, he asked, “How do you all survive this kind of work environment, or basically any corporate job?”

“Don’t worry, you will get used to all those.”

His post quickly drew responses from other Singaporeans, many of whom said they could relate to his struggles. Several fresh graduates chimed in to share their own experiences of adjusting to the demands of office life

“I don’t know bro I still can’t get used to it after 2 more months. I feel so drained everyday that I can’t even spend time with my gaming friends. I have no WFH too,” one user said.

Another, who said she was a fresh polytechnic graduate, wrote: “Three months into my first corporate job and I’m still getting used to it. I dread it slightly less now after three months, but honestly, I just look forward to knocking off every day and, of course, Fridays.”

A third commented, “All the best. My saving grace is that my company’s dress code is so loose that people wear shorts and singlet.”

A fourth added, “Don’t worry, you will get used to all those. You have time. 40+ years to go.”

In other news, a 28-year-old local has confessed on social media that he is on the verge of giving up on his career in UI/UX design after more than a year of job hunting.

Posting on Reddit’s Singaporefi forum on Aug 13, he explained that, aside from the fact that the industry feels “completely saturated”, most companies seem to be hiring only for senior roles that demand years of experience—positions that, in his view, “no one can realistically fulfil”.

Read more: ‘I’m exhausted’: Local UI/UX designer on the brink of giving up after a year-long job hunt