SINGAPORE: An unemployed front-end engineer from Singapore is now feeling “helpless, demoralized and depressed” after sending out over 600 job applications in one year.
“Since last October, I have been sending out applications—mostly for software engineer roles—attending interviews, but I got rejected and the cycle continue,” he shared on r/askSingapore, a Reddit forum.
“Every day is just waking up, turning on the laptop, and applying for jobs, rinse and repeat, and just like that, one year has passed.”
He mainly focused on applying for software engineer positions, but given the current state of the IT industry, he also ventured into roles in project management, business analysis, and tech sales. Unfortunately, he hasn’t had any success, as many of these roles demand experience he doesn’t possess.
“During this 1 year of unemployment, I occupied myself and enrolled to a specialist diploma course to stay relevant. I still have some savings to tide me through but at the same time worry at the gap that potential employers might ask,” he added.
Feeling like he was running out of options, he reached out to the community for advice. He wrote, “Anyone else currently in the same situation or experienced one before? What are you doing/did you do to keep yourself sane? Need some advice.
“I have been telling myself to stay positive, not to give up and eventually all these will end but at this rate, not really sure how long i can hold on. Will I be unemployed forever..”
“You are still young, bad things doesn’t last forever”
In the discussion thread, many Singaporean Redditors chimed in to offer words of encouragement.
One Redditor said, “My 50+ hubby also lost his job coming to 1 year. Doing exactly the same thing as you everyday but he urge you to go do some exercises to clear your mind. You are still young, bad things doesn’t last forever. Retrenchement is quite common if you work in the private sector.”
Another cheered the engineer up, writing, “Good luck fellow Singaporean, dun give up.”
Others reassured him that he wouldn’t be unemployed forever and suggested he consider taking a part-time job to stay busy.
One Redditor commented, “Pick up a side job or part time while continue to look for something you want to develop in? I have heard of people with PhD doing admin work while just waiting for a better job prospect. Got to feed your mouth regardless of the market situation.”
Meanwhile, a few others recommended looking for opportunities outside Singapore.
One Redditor wrote, “You can try applying for overseas roles as well. I got more responses compared to local roles. You definitely get a role it’s just when u get a role. You can try going for upcoming tech events like Stack conference, Splash forum, beacon 2024 just to meet other tech folks in the industry.”
Another explained, “Singapore’s market is really small, so have to really try everything in my opinion. For instance, Japan is looking for talents especially in the IT field with at least a few years of experience.
“Whether or not it’s good for career progression or if it’s a good place to work in is a different matter. But it’s better than being jobless I guess, so maybe you can give it a try and apply? The worst they can say is no.”
Read also: What to do if your “previous employer refused to be your job referee?” — SG jobseeker asks
Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)