Jobless man says he’s getting only S$1.5K job offers in Singapore, so he tries out gambling as a side hustle; “ends up in S$20K+ debts”

SINGAPORE: A 26-year-old finance professional who’s been out of work since March this year took to social media to vent about how challenging it has become to find a decent-paying job.

“I was in the banking and finance industry for the past six years till my department got restructured earlier this year in March,” he wrote on r/askSingapore, a Reddit forum.

“I have since been attending numerous interviews but to no avail. Most job offers I received are super low paying S$1,500+.”

He also suspects that one reason he’s not receiving better offers is due to his educational background. He wrote, “I opened my job search to multiple industries. The reason for not being able to get higher roles in the industry is that I do not have a degree, only a diploma.”

On top of being unemployed, he opened up about the significant financial stress he’s been under. After losing his job, some friends suggested he try gambling as a way to make some extra income on the side, thinking it might help him get back on his feet.

Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned. Instead of easing his financial burden, gambling ended up pulling him further down the rabbit hole, resulting in over S$20,000 in debt.

He added, “I tried contacting e2i multiple times, but no response at all. I contacted MSF but received no response either. Are there any solutions someone like myself could take up? Would appreciate any kind advice.”

“If you’re a Singaporean, you are worth at least 2k.”

In the comments section, numerous Singaporean Redditors weighed in, expressing that someone with a diploma should be earning more than S$1,500 a month, especially at 26.

They pointed out that unless he is not a Singaporean, that salary seems rather low for someone with a polytechnic degree.

One Redditor said, “1.5k??? I’m paying at least 2.2k for a packer. If you’re a Singaporean, you are worth at least 2k just because you contribute one headcount for local.”

Another added, “Fresh Diploma holders are standardized 2.5k monthly. You are getting offered 1.5k with experience, just bad companies fishing for desperate people. They send out offers to many people, hoping one will take the bait.”

Meanwhile, others chimed in with some practical advice, suggesting that he consider upgrading his skills or even pursuing a degree to help him secure better job offers.

One Redditor commented, “Upgrade yourself, take a degree or certification. Got study loan ah don’t kpkb say cannot afford, you can afford to lose 20k to gambling already.”

Some also mentioned that if going back to school wasn’t an immediate option, he could consider taking on different roles in industries like food and beverage.

One Redditor suggested, “Go for part-time if you can’t find a job for now. Unemployment is one thing, but having a 20k+ debt is really putting on a very heavy burden.”

Another echoed this sentiment and said, “Consider taking a part-time gig? You need to start fixing your expenses and work towards clearing your debt. Service, F&B, sales, you have to feed yourself and don’t let the debt snowball.”

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