SINGAPORE: After months of getting nowhere with his job search, one local graduate says he’s ready to give up on Singapore’s employment market and start looking abroad instead.
In a post on the r/singaporejobs forum titled, “The sun has set for fresh graduates,” the graduate said he now “plans to jump ship and find work overseas instead of drowning along with the state.”
He explained that he studied actuarial science, a degree that was once considered an “iron rice bowl” because of its strong career prospects.
However, he claimed that only about half of his graduating cohort had managed to secure jobs, and fewer than half of those were working in roles related to their field of study.
“The school’s career office even reached out to our CCA to ask why so few were getting jobs in the first place and all the recruiters/managers I’ve spoken to have also said headcount has been frozen/offshored.”
“I don’t think things are going to get any better from here on or that the current economic situation has to do with something short-term like Trump or COVID.”
The graduate said he completed six-month internships every year throughout university without taking a leave of absence and maintained his honours throughout his studies. He also reached out to numerous managers, professors and recruiters in hopes of landing a relevant role.
Despite those efforts, he said the only job offer he received was unrelated to his degree and offered “barely median pay.”
“I do not expect things to be better for others. To be honest, I believe this whole situation is like smoking in the UK, where the legal age is increased by 1 every year. If you haven’t found a decent job now it might be a better idea to drop out and do blue/black collar work.”
“The economy is cyclical”
Many Reddit users agreed in the comments that Singapore’s job market has become significantly more competitive.
One commenter recalled graduating seven or eight years ago, when they could attend interviews with minimal preparation and still secure a job. They said that would be nearly impossible today, with fresh graduates boasting strong academic records and multiple internships, retrenched mid-career professionals bringing years of experience, and highly qualified foreign talent all competing for the same positions.
With such an impressive pool of applicants, they said, standing out has become increasingly difficult.
Another user encouraged the graduate not to spend too much time online, saying the “endless doom bias” would only make the situation feel worse.
They added, “The economy is cyclical. The difference is that we’ve been in a bull market for so long that this is the first real employment downturn a lot of Gen Zs have ever experienced.”
A third supported the graduate’s plan to seek opportunities overseas, writing, “Yes, leave the country and not get tied here, my biggest life mistake was not leaving when I had the opportunity. This isn’t a ‘get out if you’re not happy’ comment but a logical one about opportunities for a better life.”
A few disagreed
Despite the gloomy outlook, several commenters argued that the job market is not as dire as it appears.
One recruiter said they were surprised by the graduate’s experience, writing, “Quite shocked to see such posting though, I, as a recruiter, am struggling to get candidates to interview, in fact, we open roles for fresh grads without experiences.”
Another pointed out, “Actuarial science is such a niche field. There are barely any actuarial openings in SG… not an iron rice bowl as well.”
In other news, a Singaporean shared on social media that her employer allegedly refused to provide or let her sign a contract before she started working.
In a Reddit post, she said she had already begun working regular shifts at a fast-food restaurant when management told her that her offer letter would only be given out a few days later.
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