NUS Computer Science grad yet to land job despite sending hundreds of applications

SINGAPORE: A National University of Singapore (NUS) graduate has lamented over how tough the job market is at the moment, saying that while they’ve sent out more than one hundred applications, they have yet to receive an offer.

The Computer Science student wrote that they’ve applied for software engineering (SWE) and data science (DS) roles and have had some interviews, but to no avail. They’re now considering handing in applications for jobs with smaller salaries, such as those in testing, game development, and embedded systems.

By all accounts, the student comes with good academic credentials. NUS is one of the best universities in Singapore, ranking eighth in the most recent UK-based Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings, released earlier this month.

Even more importantly, NUS’ CS and Engineering courses have consistently placed well in Times Higher Education (THE) World University rankings. In 2023, it was ranked seventh in the world.

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The student asked for advice from Prof Ben Leong via the NUS Whispers Facebook page, where people can post anonymously, noting that these jobs have less competition but poor prospects.

They added that they would therefore want to stay in the role for only a short time so as not to affect their career in the long term.

“What do you think of those fields? What about non-tech fields like finance and healthcare? Is there any other other advice for me?” the student asked.

Prof Ben encouraged them to take a lower-paying job for now, saying that it’s better than not having a job at all. Ultimately, however, what the student can achieve depends more on them than the job they take, though luck also plays a part, he added.

Others were also sympathetic and encouraging, telling the NUS grad to be patient in their job search and to not give up easily. A commenter who graduated from the same course 30 years ago said he actually started out in tech support. “Your career is going to span at least 40 years,” he said.

Another told him that people hired for roles in SWE and DS usually have at least a year of experience, which meant that as a fresh graduate, the post author would be low on the priority list. He added that they could also go for internships for now.

One commenter urged them to have a positive mindset, take whatever job is available now, and learn as much as they can, while others encouraged the NUS grad to review their résumé and to tweak it as needed. /TISG

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