SINGAPORE: A job seeker who sent out 50+ applications recently took to social media to share that the job market in Singapore is “really bad right now.”
“With all the recent news like google / lazada laying off people, stickies owing employees salary etc, seems like it’s really bad,” he wrote on r/askSingapore on Monday (Jan 22). He also revealed that he has only received two calls after searching for a job for one month. “Its so different from last 2 years where I easily get calls/interviews. Will the job market situation turn better?” he asked.
“You need connections”
One Redditor shared that in the field of “tech, it is very bad. Have friends without jobs for 6months+. They were juniors but laidoff after about 0.5-1.5 years in their first job. Now struggling to find”
Another user who worked in the tech industry also confirmed this and said that he got retrenched back in August, and until now he’s still searching for a job.
“Been searching for 5 months. Sent about 100+ applications, after few rejections and radio silence, I gotten fed up of it and decided to join SPF instead. Tech industry is not looking bright and i dont think it will get better anytime soon.”
One user also stated people needed to have connections in order to have higher chances of getting hired, writing, “I’ve gotten job interviews with people who know me. At the same time I found out that certain jobs posted were already offered to people prior to posting thanks to connections, so many times these companies already have someone they are hiring in mind, but posted the job to “Act” like they have done the due diligence to open the job out to the market.”
Another user also said that one month wasn’t so long and that he should “keep applying, go exercise, and eat healthy to stave off negative emotions.”
Tips for jobseekers
While job hunting can be a gruelling battle and can make you think that you have no hope of ever getting hired, you should never give in to your negative thoughts. In these times, it’s very important to:
Motivate yourself. Motivation is very hard to come by, especially if you keep getting rejected or, worse, not being contacted by the companies.
So, you need to find it yourself. Find motivation from the book you loved as a kid, that inspiring movie you watched back in college, or even your role model in the industry.
The point here is to keep going. If the phrase “ask yourself why you wanted to work in the industry in the first place” seems too cliche, then be practical and ask yourself, “What do I want to buy once I get my first paycheck?”
Make a schedule. Oftentimes, when we have too much time on our hands and practically nothing to do throughout the day, we become complacent. Making a schedule can help you solve this problem.
Determine which time of the day you’re usually most productive and designate that as the window for your job search.
Make yourself busy. While your job search should always be at the forefront of your mind, it will be draining and ineffective to use every spare moment for this purpose.
Incorporate regular exercise into your schedule, volunteer once a week at charitable organizations, accept a temporary or part-time position, or sign up for an online course. You’ll find that making yourself busy can help you stay motivated.
Go for online networking. Use social media platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn to find professional groups. After that, participate in the discussions by leaving comments. You will not only be showcasing your skills but also expanding your job search.
Work on your resume and cover letters. These documents are the first things employers will look at when considering you for a job, so you want to ensure you haven’t left anything out of your resume or cover letter.
Make your resume stand out by writing an attention-grabbing opening to catch the hiring manager’s attention. Include and highlight your prior successes and strengths in your cover letter and resume.