SINGAPORE: A man aspiring to enter the IT industry recently revealed on social media that, despite investing S$1000 in upskilling courses, boot camps, and certifications, he has yet to secure a job.
“About a year ago, I left a basic tech support role to pursue my passion in IT,” he wrote on r/askSingapore on Tuesday (April 9). “Since then, I’ve spent approximately a thousand dollars on various upskilling programs covering coding, full-stack development, infrastructure, networking, and cloud computing. I’m proficient in PowerShell and Bash scripting.”
In addition, he obtained some certifications, including reputable ones from CompTIA and AWS, created his own website showcasing his portfolio and apps, which he included in his resume and LinkedIn profile, and made numerous revisions to his resume over the year.
However, his efforts were in vain, as none of his applications produced positive results.
“I’ve sent out at least a hundred applications but received little to no responses… My luck finding a job hasn’t improved. I’m not asking for a high salary, with expectations of less than $4k. I honestly don’t know what to do,” he lamented.
“While my knowledge in the IT field has undoubtedly grown, my responses to job opportunities have been lower than ever despite the announcement of an increasing demand for IT workers.”
“Without a degree, your resume goes into the trash”
In the online discussion, Singaporean Redditors speculated that the man’s job applications may have been overlooked because he didn’t have a degree.
They argued that while his certifications and expertise are undoubtedly impressive, the lack of a degree could pose a substantial hurdle in getting his resume past the initial screening stage.
According to their perspective, many employers strongly emphasise formal education, viewing a degree as a prerequisite for advancing through the hiring process.
One individual said, “HR has a few layers of filter and I believe having a degree is one of the very first filter when shortlisting potential candidates for a role.”
Another pointed out, “You are competing with people who were retrenched from amazon, meta, google, shopee, lazada, twitter, etc. New graduates with connections to these organisations. You dont have a degree. How to standout?”
Aside from having no degree, they emphasized that his decision to leave his previous job was a misstep.
They suggested that rather than resigning, he could have remained in his position to cultivate relationships, network, and actively pursue opportunities within departments like networking, operations, or IT teams.
According to them, this approach would have allowed him to build valuable connections and increase his chances of transitioning smoothly into the IT industry.
One individual added, “You should aim to go one of those SI companies and work your way up right now. Stop getting certifications without experience in the tech.”
On the other hand, some individuals proposed alternative paths for him. They recommended exploring freelance work and seeking clients internationally to gain experience and build a portfolio.
Additionally, others mentioned the option of applying for positions within the government.
One person commented, “Have you looked into government programs like TFIP or CCP as well as the major MNC’s traineeship programmes?
I was lucky to got a tech job without prior experience through CCP, but it was during COVID where the tech was actively hiring.
Contrary to other comments, I didnt have a degree, so i would say it is not impossible to get a job without a degree, but some luck would be required.”
Read also: Job interviewer “told me my 3-yr degree is not worth it since I didn’t study in Singapore”