SINGAPORE: Yet another Singaporean shared on social media that she still hasn’t received any offers despite months of job hunting.
“I started my job search in May, but June and July were very quiet—no calls or responses at all. It was depressing, but I continued to improve my resume and applied to 3-5 job openings per day (Mon- Fri),” she wrote on r/askSingapore, a Reddit forum on Monday (Sept 9)
“Finally, I began receiving calls for interviews in August, and I got excited, thinking that things were picking up. I’ve attended 7 interviews so far, but I still haven’t received any offers,” she added.
She admitted in her post that she now feels utterly exhausted from preparing for and attending interviews and tests, only to face one of the following situations: not hearing back from companies, discovering that the role isn’t what she’s looking for or spotting red flags.
For example, one job she was excited about required working 2 to 3 weekends a month for roadshows—a detail that was conveniently left out of the job description.
Her other interview experiences haven’t been much better either. In one case, a hiring manager showed up late and wrapped up the interview in a mere 15 minutes, leaving her feeling undervalued and rushed. In another instance, the interviewer blatantly disrespected her.
Furthermore, she also tried WSG career coaching to improve her chances of finding a job. Unfortunately, she found their services to be unhelpful. The coach she contacted offered generic advice, like ‘recommending group workshops on resume writing and interview tips.’
She was also asked to complete a profile assessment so ‘their internal database could match recruiters and job seekers.’
“I followed her instructions, but nothing has happened yet,” she wrote.
Feeling discouraged, she asked others in the community, “Job seekers out there, how is your job search coming along? How are y’all coping? For those who have successfully found full-time positions, do you have any advice?”
“Just continue to rapidly apply for jobs, and slowly, you will get noticed.”
In the Reddit discussion thread, many users chimed in with their own job-hunting struggles and tips. One user, who shared that he sent out tons of applications for over a year, advised her never to give up despite feeling hopeless.
He said, “In the last few months, I sent out at least 10 to 20 applications a day. Finally landed an offer this month. Don’t give up!” Another user, who finally landed a job after six months of relentless searching, shared his winning strategy.
He wrote, “My strategy was to go with the numbers game. I probably applied to about 300+ job ads. I only applied to jobs on LinkedIn, MyCareersFuture, and Jobstreet.
I also engaged with recruiters, mainly from Adecco – they seem to position their candidates better and curate their job offerings more seriously.”
Meanwhile, others reminded her that job rejections don’t always reflect her or her abilities. They pointed out that hiring decisions can be influenced by many factors beyond her control.
For instance, some companies might have internal candidates already lined up for the position, making it harder for external applicants to get noticed. There might also be instances where nepotism plays a role, and connections could overshadow qualifications.
Another point they made was how competitive the job market is right now. With so many people applying for the same roles, employers have a vast pool of candidates to choose from.
One user said, “Currently, we are in an Employer’s market… Just continue rapidly applying for jobs, and slowly, you will get noticed.”
Another also added, “Unfortunately, job searching has always been a numbers game, even more so when this is an employer’s market. You have to keep grinding and hustling, and a job search is a full-time job.”
Read also: Singaporean employees reveal how many CVs and applications they sent before landing a job
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