Singaporean man shocked as friend with master’s degree only gets S$3.2k–S$3.5k job offers

SINGAPORE: It seems that holding a master’s degree no longer guarantees a well-paying job these days, as one Singaporean man recently discovered through his friend’s experience.

In a post shared on the r/singaporejobs forum on Wednesday (July 23), the man explained that his friend had just returned to Singapore after completing a postgraduate degree overseas.

Armed with strong academic credentials and high hopes, his friend had expected to secure “at least a decent entry-level role” upon coming home.

Unfortunately, things didn’t work out the way he had imagined.

Despite months of sending out applications and attending interviews, his friend is still unemployed.

Worse still, the few offers he has received only come with salaries between S$3,200 and S$3,500, which is far below what he had anticipated, given his qualifications.

To rub salt in the wound, they have also learned that several of their other friends, who hold only local degrees or diplomas, have managed to secure S$4,000-paying jobs, reportedly “thanks to their early work experience and family referrals.”

Worn down by the job market, the man said that his friend has started to question whether pursuing a Master’s degree was truly a worthwhile investment.

“It’s making my friend question whether the extra time and money spent on that postgrad was even worth it.”

He then asked other locals, “Is this common these days? Has the degree premium faded, or is it more about luck, timing, and who you know now?”

“Please put down the pride and be humble.”

Unlike the man, many were not at all surprised by his friend’s experience.

Some were quick to point out that in today’s job market, fancy certificates alone don’t guarantee anything.

One individual said, “Getting a master’s is just one entry in his CV. It’s not a golden ticket.”

Another shared, “Having a degree just shows that you can study in academic settings. Someone who has a history of proven work experiences and skills is worth more in terms of what value they can bring to the employer.”

A third simply said, “A master’s means nothing with no work experience.”

A fourth added, “Your friend is delusional. Please put down the pride and be humble and put effort into preparing for the interviews, including not overblowing the academic qualifications, especially if he has no working experience.”

In other news, a working adult in his late 20s recently opened up online about feeling insecure over having less than S$10,000 in savings.

Posting on Reddit’s “Ask Singapore” forum on Tuesday (July 22), the man shared that he often feels left behind when his friends or colleagues talk casually about their investments and how much they’ve managed to save. Compared to them, he admitted, his progress feels painfully slow.

Read more: Man in his late 20s feels insecure about having less than S$10k in savings