‘I dread the next working day’: Singapore worker says he wants to quit job he spent 2 years trying to land
Stressed Asian man
SINGAPORE: A Singaporean man who spent nearly two years trying to get hired is now considering quitting the very job he fought so hard to secure.
In a post on the r/singaporejobs forum, the man explained that his current role, which he landed after submitting more than 1,000 job applications, has turned out to be a rather poor match for the way his brain works.
His job requires him to work closely with colleagues across several countries, leaving him with a packed schedule of meetings, which he finds particularly difficult to keep up with.
He also struggles to get his thoughts across, partly because he often has trouble following what is being discussed in the first place.
“I also find myself just staring into a daze at my monitor, having to re-read the same lines over and over, which eats into my actual productivity.”
“Some will say just spend the extra time going through Teams messages and emails after working hours, but I am reluctant to because it feels like I'm still working. Maybe I am just weak.”
The man also admitted that even though he is still on probation, he is starting to “dread” the next working day. “I feel a brief sense of relief when I log off, but the anxiety starts building back up the second the clock hits 9 PM.”
“My performance has completely tanked. I’m spiralling into confusion, unable to concentrate, and making a lot of mistakes.”
“I finally took it upon myself to see a GP last week and got a referral for a specialist. I strongly suspect I might have some form of ADHD, which could explain the focus issues.”
Torn between quitting and staying, he sought advice from the online community: “I want to quit, but the career gap terrifies me. Advice? My savings can tank a bit of unemployment, but I’m terrified of not being able to land another job if this gap gets any bigger.”
‘Love yourself first’
In the discussion thread, several users advised the worker to stick with his job, at least for the time being.
One said, “I suggest you just focus on the job. If you leave now, your gap is longer. Now is the employer market. Use AI to help summarise your meeting notes since you cannot focus, emails, write down points for discussion, prepare ahead for meetings what you want to say and ask and achieve.”
Another user recommended, “See a specialist first. Listen to what they have to say and prescribe the medicines for your case. I think you might need some medicine to help you in your daily life. You can't be resigning because of how your brain works.”
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Others, however, encouraged him to put his own needs first.
One wrote, “Love yourself first. Prioritise your health and well-being. 2-3 years career gap is not that long in the grand scheme of a 30- to 40-year career runway.”
Another shared: “I have numerous gaps in my CV, but I always manage to secure a new role in <6 months, sometimes even faster. It helps me be in a very ‘common’ and low-entry-barrier career. I think if you’re able to justify your career gaps, you will do fine. I see plenty of people with short stints nowadays.”/TISG