‘Still no job since graduation’: 22-year-old S’porean diploma holder questions if full-time uni is the better path

SINGAPORE: Yet another young Singaporean has taken to social media to share her struggles with finding stable employment in today’s challenging job market.

In a Reddit post shared on Monday (April 28), the 22-year-old explained that ever since she graduated with a diploma in May 2024, she’s been sending out applications and tailoring her résumé for each position. However, she has yet to secure a full-time job. She also mentioned that she’s tried applying to different industries to boost her chances, but nothing has worked out so far.

Moreover, she shared that her original plan was to land a full-time job before enrolling in a part-time degree programme, as she wanted to cover her tuition fees on her own. But, with the ongoing struggles in her job hunt, she’s beginning to wonder if going back to school full-time might actually be a more realistic and practical choice for now.

Seeking advice, she wrote: “Is there any advice for me, or is anyone else going through the same thing? Should I continue looking for a full-time job, or is it best to start a full-time degree now?”

“If you have money, go get a degree.”

In the discussion thread, many Singaporean Redditors shared their own personal experiences and advice, hoping to offer some comfort and guidance to the struggling individual.

One said, “Job market is bad, might as well get your degree while waiting it out. I graduated from uni in May 2023 and haven’t gotten a job yet either.”

Another commented, “With the current job market, I would suggest you proceed to do an FT uni if your family is willing to support the fees. You can always earn the money back once you graduate or do an internship and repay your family.”

A third suggested, “Try F&B first, [either] full-time or part-time, to pay the bills while looking for something more suitable.

“A friend who was retrenched at 32 is also looking for a job now after his company shut down due to being bought out by a foreign company. It’s been almost a year for him. He’s doing odd jobs now, like waitering at weddings, and gets paid about $10.50 an hour if I’m not mistaken. He also does freelance work. The market is horrible now. Don’t give up.”

A fourth added, “If you have money, go get a degree, preferably from one of the six publicly funded universities in Singapore. With a good basic degree, you will find that your career ceiling will be much higher than having a diploma.”

In other news, a woman has triggered a discussion on the r/askSingapore forum after claiming that her company terminated her while she was on sabbatical leave.

In her post, she explained that she received the email about her termination the day after she informed the newly hired supervisor that she was five months pregnant.

She also mentioned that the sabbatical leave was not her idea, but rather the company’s.

Read more:  ‘Is this even legal?’: Woman on sabbatical terminated by company after learning she was pregnant

Featured image by freepik (for illustration purposes only)