‘I’m losing hope as a Singaporean’: Local says he’s been jobless for almost a year

SINGAPORE: A local who’s been jobless for almost a year has admitted on social media that he’s “losing hope as a Singaporean.”

Posting on the r/SingaporeCitizens subreddit on Wednesday (Nov 26), the man, who has several years of experience under his belt, said he attended countless interviews across different companies and industries, only to walk away feeling more defeated each time. 

He shared that some recruiters simply “ghosted” him with no explanation at all, while others turned him down for reasons he felt were petty or downright absurd.

According to him, one employer pulled back an offer because he couldn’t state the “company’s quarterly gross” to someone he wasn’t even going to report to. Not long after that, he found himself in another interview where the hiring manager asked who his “industry idol” was, a question he felt had nothing to do with his capabilities or the actual role.

A recruiter also made a fuss about the gap between his internship year and his first full-time role, turning it into a major issue while brushing aside all the experience he gained afterwards.

He added that the situation became even more demoralising when he tried to lower his expectations. When he started applying for short-term admin roles just to get some income flowing, he was told he was “overqualified.” 

He eventually turned to government agencies for help, hoping there would be at least some form of support. To his disappointment, he learned he wasn’t eligible for assistance because he wasn’t formally retrenched and his contract had simply ended.

Frustrated by everything he went through, he wrote at the end of his post: “Screw Singapore.”

“Work on your mindset.”

In the comments, one Singaporean Redditor said they completely understood the man’s frustrations.

“I am with you,” they wrote. “For many who have a job and are wondering how effective those measures are to help the unemployed, they suck. It applies to those who were earning very little prior to getting unemployed, and they have a weird criteria, where you have to be employed within the last 6 months or so. If you have been out of job for more than 6 months, you won’t qualify for assistance.”

Another user commented, “Haiz just drive PHV for now bro. Gov only reserve such jobs for us.”

Others, however, felt the man was pointing fingers in the wrong direction. One user told him, “Why blame Singapore when almost everywhere is having an employment crisis, no one owes you a living. Maybe your defeatist mindset is too glaring for HR to ignore.”

They added, “I am not a recruiter, but I have hired people for my team, and sometimes I ask pointless questions like, ‘Why is there a gap in your resume?’ because I want to see your reaction to them, like, are you overtly defensive over a simple question? My advice to you is to work on your mindset and not be so ‘woe is me.’” 

In other news, a Singaporean woman revealed on social media that her 30-year-old ex has been relentlessly messaging her, despite having tied the knot earlier this year.

Posting anonymously on the r/SingaporeRaw forum on Tuesday (Nov 25), the woman wrote that ever since they broke up, she has been “periodically” receiving calls and messages from the man she dated for seven years.

Read more: Singapore woman says her married ex won’t stop texting her, asks locals, ‘Should I tell his wife?’