‘They’re drawing S$5K+’: Man considers career change after friends call his S$4.5k job a ‘scam’

SINGAPORE: A 30-year-old man is now seriously thinking about switching careers after friends told him his S$4,500-a-month job was basically a “scam,” saying it pays too little for someone his age.

In a post on the r/singaporejobs subreddit, he expressed that the comment hit him hard and made him question his entire career path.

“My schoolmates from the local uni are drawing S$5,000 and above at this age,” he said. “I also try to find ways to earn some pocket money during my free time but have not been successful. I just feel like my job isn’t paying me well enough.”

To give more context, the man said his current role only comes with yearly pay increments of about one per cent. Bonuses are limited to around half a month’s salary, and there is no 13th-month pay. 

More importantly, he shared that there is little to no clear career progression and that he does not see himself moving up in any meaningful way.

That said, he admitted the job itself is very comfortable. 

According to him, the work environment is “stress-free, he works from home, and he can work from anywhere.” On most days, he finishes his tasks in four to five hours and still has plenty of time left. His benefits are also generous, with almost free GP visits and private healthcare coverage up to a very high yearly limit.

Seeking advice, the man asked, “Will you look for a better opportunity if you were me? Am I being lowballed? How can I be more productive during my free time? I am likely not able to find another job in this field as I’m not being upskilled here. Hence, a mid-career change is a more likely option.”

“You don’t know how lucky you are.”

In the comments, several Redditors urged him not to be swayed by his friends’ opinions, saying that his current role offered a level of comfort and flexibility that many people could only dream of.

One Redditor said, “You don’t know how lucky you are. You have so much freedom, no stress. You can use your free time to upskill or do side gigs that you enjoy, and you will probably earn more than your friends who are highly stressed and doing things they don’t enjoy.”

Another commented, “If you are willing to take the stress, go ahead and change! Otherwise, most of us want your job… they can probably find another replacement very quickly.”

A third added, “A low-stress WFH job at 4.5k isn’t a scam, it’s actually decent based on current market conditions. Jobs paying S$5-6k now usually come with higher stress, longer hours, or tougher competition.”

Others also suggested that boredom might be part of the issue and encouraged him to do more with his free time. One person wrote, “If you only spend 4-5 hrs at your job daily, spend the remaining time upskilling. Go do Udemy or other courses. Do it properly. Can learn one.”

Another expressed, “Wow… This isn’t lowball at all! Working from anywhere means you can basically go on holiday every single day (just bring your laptop along). 4-5 hours to complete deliverables; that means every day just work half day and slack half day. You are probably bored because this job is too free and too easy? Find some other challenge that interests you, maybe?”

In other news, one Singaporean woman said she “got the biggest shock of her life” after her date unexpectedly sent her a bill and asked her to transfer money for their dinner.

Sharing her story on the r/sgdatingscene Reddit forum on Friday (Dec 19), the woman said she met the man through a matchmaking event and thought things started off on a reasonable note.

Read more: ‘Biggest shock of my life’: Woman says date unexpectedly asked her to pay for dinner