‘I applied to over 300 jobs': What people wish they knew before they got laid off

Straits Times

11 hours ago

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Global unrest, economic uncertainty and tech-driven upheaval have meant layoffs, retrenchments and involuntary unemployment becoming a reality for many.
SINGAPORE – What would you do if you were laid off unexpectedly?
For Mr Uzen Tan, 30, the answer was becoming a Grab driver with a placard tied to the back of his seat rest. It reads 'I got retrenched!', so that every ride can be a 'networking opportunity'.
'I've probably sent out over 300 applications and have not found a suitable role yet,' says the former tech worker. He was laid off from his previous role as a marketing specialist at Google in April.
More than 20 passengers have since scanned the QR code on his placard to access his resume. Some even offered personal advice. And he has been documenting his journey on TikTok.
Mr Tan became a private-hire driver to pay the bills and help his wife, a human resources manager, take care of their 18-month-old daughter.
'I lie to myself that I am doing okay,' he says, adding that the uncertainty of what comes next and having to put up a cheerful front mean daily stress and frequent eczema flare-ups.
Singapore has one of the world's lowest unemployment rates, which stood at 2 per cent in 2024. But global unrest, economic uncertainty and tech-driven upheaval have meant layoffs, retrenchments and involuntary unemployment are becoming a reality for many.
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The long-term unemployment rate – defined as someone who has been unemployed for 25 weeks or more – has risen to 0.9 per cent in March from 0.8 per cent in March 2024, according to data from the Ministry of Manpower.
The unemployment rate is highest among those aged under 30. According to the 2024 graduate employment survey, conducted six months after the completion of final examinations, 12.9 per cent of graduates of autonomous universities say they are unemployed.
Meanwhile, 25.2 per cent of graduates of private education institutions reported being unemployed. A growing proportion of university graduates are also now engaged in freelance or part-time work, compared with previous years.
Economic anxiety has also set in for many who are currently working. According to a 2025 annual survey by the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), 34 per cent of 2,000 respondents expressed concern about losing their jobs in the next three months.
A 2023 Institute of Policy Studies survey found that 35 per cent of over 1,000 Singapore workers polled were concerned that the jobs they currently have may not exist in the future.
Those who have been laid off and experienced extended periods of unemployment say that repeated silence or rejections from hirers can spiral into months of isolation and financial anxiety, and erode one's confidence.
What do you do if you find yourself made redundant or if your job hunt lasts for longer than anticipated? Eleven Singaporeans who have experienced these circumstances, as well as experts, share five hacks to weather this difficult period.
1. Understand the AI-driven bottleneck
Mr Kyson Xu, 35, is no stranger to redundancy, having been laid off thrice since he started working in 2015.
The most recent furlough hit the hardest. In November 2024, he was let go from his senior marketing manager position when the software development firm he was working for went through restructuring.
Mr Kyson Xu kept track of the more than 300 jobs that he applied to before securing his current gig.
PHOTO: KYSON XU
Over four months of job hunting, he sent out 329 job applications, sat through 16 interviews and was handed three final-round rejections before he finally landed a role as a marketing director in the technology sector.
'Every role I applied to had over 100 applicants,' he says. 'It felt like I was trying to grasp sand while it was slipping through my fingers.'
Data indicates that Mr Xu may not be an outlier. A 2024 LinkedIn survey of more than 20,000 users and 8,000 HR professionals in 17 major markets – including Singapore, the United States and Australia – found that half of all jobseekers and over 60 per cent of hirers feel the application process has become more difficult.
Nearly 40 per cent of jobseekers are applying to more jobs than ever but hearing back less. Most HR professionals say the problem is that fewer than half of job applications received even meet the criteria listed.
According to vacancy portal Jobstreet, there was a 9 per cent increase in applications per job on the platform in April and May 2025, compared with the same period last year, while the actual number of jobs available decreased by 13 per cent.
'This suggests that competition in the job market has intensified, with fewer roles available and more jobseekers applying for the same roles,' says Ms Samantha Tan, an HR Business Partner at Seek, Jobstreet's parent company.
The ubiquitous use of artificial intelligence (AI), both among jobseekers and firms who are hiring, is partly to blame. It is easy to send in 10 ChatGPT-crafted cover letters online, but just as easy for companies facing a deluge of these to filter out most applicants.
'The modern job search is defined by scale, speed and automation,' notes Ms Kirsty Poltock, country manager of recruitment firm Robert Walters Singapore.
'Unlike previous decades – where job applications were more deliberate and tailored – today's jobseekers submit applications at high volume, often aided by AI.'
To cut through the noise, staying up to date on industry trends in what employers – and their automated systems – are looking for is key, says Dr Paul Lim, a senior lecturer at SMU's business school.
'This game to get noticed is a new one,' he says, noting that some applicants have taken to copying and pasting the job description into their resumes in the hope that a less-sophisticated automated process will rate their application more positively.
He does not recommend doing so, as they are unlikely to make the shortlist on a more sophisticated system.
Also, some organisations now use technology to interview candidates before progressing to an interview with a human hiring manager, says Dr Lim. American start-ups like HireVue and Spark Hire have emerged to provide this service. So, one might have to get used to being interviewed by an automated system, as well as having to quickly type out one's responses on a timer.
2. Breaking through the noise means more than just applying
The first mistake made by many is approaching job hunting as a numbers game.
Mr James Ching, 47, who experienced a seven-month period of joblessness after he was retrenched in 2020, says keeping score of the pile of jobs one has applied to is a common pitfall among white-collar workers.
'For laid-off PMETs, your network is your greatest resource, and your next boss is already in your network somewhere,' says the career coach of those who fall under the category of professionals, managers, executives and technicians.
Ideally, one should prioritise quality over quantity in networking and applications, and take a multi-channel approach, says Ms Poltock.
Beyond tailoring your application to each role and company, one can also network actively via LinkedIn or through referrals, as well as engage with recruiters who can offer more personalised guidance.
'AI can enhance the job search, but it should be used thoughtfully,' she says. She points to a 2025 survey by Robert Walters Singapore that found that while 59 per cent of candidates surveyed here use AI tools to aid their job applications, over half of employers say they can detect when an application has been AI-generated. This was the finding of a survey of 308 employers and professionals in Singapore.
As to the right balance between quality and quantity, experts say this varies from sector to sector, as well as where one is on the career ladder.
Mr Kyson Xu says his retrenchment experience taught him to not be distracted by the noise of comparing oneself with others and platitudes from LinkedIn gurus.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF KYSON XU
For Mr Xu, his retrenchment experience taught him to approach the job search as more of a marathon than a race. This meant tuning out the noise of LinkedIn gurus or networking events without a clear purpose, or trying to stuff as many buzzwords into one's resume. He credits this more intentional strategy with landing him his current IT marketing role.
In contrast, Mr Adrian Kee, who was unemployed for six months in 2024, used ChatGPT to tailor his resume and cover letters to every job opening he encountered.
'I think everyone uses AI now,' says the 42-year-old. 'Once I get past the first level of ATS (Applicant Tracking System), then it becomes human-to-human talk.'
For the former medtech and start-up worker, not using AI tools felt like squandering a useful, free and available resource. He was hired by a medical equipment firm after applying to over 300 jobs this way.
At the very least, former jobseekers and experts say one should not neglect his or her profile on professional platforms such as LinkedIn. Up-to-date information is key as such networks have increasingly become the avenue for recruiters trying to cold-call or screen suitable candidates.
3. Set timelines – and know when to reassess
One of the most stressful parts of job hunting is watching your savings ebb away with no clear end in sight. Looking back, jobseekers say preparing for the long haul is one piece of advice they could give to their past – and still employed – selves.
Jobstreet by Seek's Ms Tan says entry-level positions typically take a few weeks to a couple of months to fill. Mid-level roles can take from one to three months, while the search for senior-level positions may range from several months to a year.
The state of the economy, the role's complexity and the nature of the industry also influence these timelines. For instance, 2024's slew of tech layoffs meant that the field was awash with newly unemployed workers competing for a shrinking number of roles.
As such, one should consider all the above factors when budgeting and setting expectations.
Mr Alvin Fu, chief distribution officer of insurance and finance firm AIA, says a newly unemployed person should assume the jobseeking process may take three to six months or more, which means tightening one's budget early and delaying large or non-essential financial commitments.
At the three-month mark, a reassessment might be necessary and one can consider taking on short-term gigs to make up for budget shortfalls.
SMU's Dr Lim notes that many jobseekers often compare new vacancies with their most recently held role in terms of last-drawn salary and title. However, trying to survive may require turning one's focus towards what is enough, rather than what is ideal.
Mr Adrian Kee (pictured with his son) says that an extended period of unemployment takes a silent toll on one's mental health, particularly because of pressures around being a primary breadwinner.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF ADRIAN KEE
Mr Kee is no stranger to this feeling. After being laid off from a multinational corporation in 2023, followed by four months of unsuccessful searching, he took a 50 per cent pay cut to work in a start-up.
'At that time, it was a period of tech layoffs from Google and Meta, the market was really bad and the number of jobseekers outweighed the number of jobs available. I had a difficult time looking for my next job,' he says.
When the start-up failed to take off, the sole breadwinner of his family was unemployed for a further six months before he found his current gig. Looking back, he reflects: 'It made me feel like trash, not because I was choosy, but because life put me in such a position that I have to beg for a job.'
His advice to others in his shoes: plan ahead for any big-ticket items to protect your mental health.
While unemployed, he sought to shield his son, now eight, from the stress of dwindling finances.
Even though the family cut back on eating out and other expenses, they invested in annual memberships for an indoor playground and the Singapore Zoo. Without holidays abroad, these places became their go-to weekly outing spots so that they could keep costs low without sacrificing family time.
4. Don't take on the silence-rejection marathon alone
Among current and former jobseekers who spoke to ST, nearly all agreed that one of the silent killers of today's increasingly impersonal hiring landscape is how rejection comes not in the form of a letter – but total silence.
Not only do companies often not respond, but the new phenomenon of
'ghost jobs' also means that not every vacancy is meant to be filled.
When Mr Ching was unemployed in 2020, he sought out his fellow laid-off PMETs and met them for coffee to exchange tips and go on walks together. 'This was my support group, which was needed as it was difficult for my non-laid-off friends to relate,' he says.
Find support and treat job hunting like a 'day job' – with a corresponding fixed time to shut down one's computer and rest.
For other jobseekers, protecting one's mental health meant turning to friends, occupying time with new courses and hobbies or – in the case of Grab driver Mr Tan – embracing content creation as a creative outlet for job-seeking anxieties.
Mr Uzen Tan has taken an unusual approach to networking while working as a Grab driver after being laid off.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF UZEN TAN
The sudden void in one's well-oiled routine that often accompanies unemployment can grind down one's self-esteem. This is compounded by how one's peers remain employed and are living it up, while one is expected to cut back on social activities and outings.
To Dr Lim, the most immediate challenge is avoiding the trap of 'learned helplessness', when it feels like there is no more hope after facing rejection repeatedly.
It is a disempowering time, but one can take back control by accepting the factors beyond one's control, while exercising agency over the things that are, such as going for upskilling courses. 'You can control how many job applications you can send out daily. You can control whom you would like to meet in your network to seek job opportunities,' he adds.
5. Don't let fear cloud your judgment
For those with fewer financial burdens, they could embrace the sudden freedom of unemployment as a time for reinvention.
Ms Lim Lishan (second from right) says that extended unemployment gave her the chance to pursue low-cost solo travel, and rediscover her life passions, such as scuba diving.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF LIM LISHAN
Ms Lim Lishan, 32, has spent much of the past year unemployed, save for brief stints of temporary or part-time work. She had trouble adjusting to a new course of antidepressants that made her feel 'sluggish and lethargic'.
During this time, the bachelorette embraced a low-cost lifestyle. She travelled solo through Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and China, among other places, rediscovering her passion for rock climbing and scuba diving along the way.
This experience made her realise she is after a flexible freelance work arrangement, leading her to turn down job offers to start her own yoga and wellness business.
Such gig economy work might become a feature of the Singapore labour force, especially for younger job entrants who cannot land the jobs they want after graduation or choose to opt out of the rat race.
Mr Kishore Kumar, 26, turned to part-time retail work at the start of 2025 after he voluntarily left his administrative job at a local university. 'I was not feeling good about myself or the work I was doing,' he says. 'Burnout was intense.'
It took him over 150 applications before he landed his initial university job. On his second go at job searching, he looked at vacancies with a more discerning eye while working part-time. Some 50 applications later, he landed his current job as a copywriter at ride-hailing firm Gojek in May.
His takeaway? It is important not to act from a place of scarcity and take on jobs you know deep down are not right for you – because you might end up right back where you started. 'Make sure the jobs you're getting offers for are ones you actually want to do and can see yourself doing for the long term, and not something you're jumping into out of desperation,' he says.
Dr Lim agrees with this, adding that seeing downtime as a threat to one's self-worth or identity can be debilitating. 'If one sees this as an opportunity to reset, recharge or even reinvent oneself, this mindset change can chart a whole new path towards new-found success.'
One example is Mr Melvyn Loey, 43, who resigned from his position as director of a local law firm in July 2024 to care for his ageing parents.
Although he planned to return to full-time work later that year, the offer from another firm fell through.
'My mental health took a huge beating as self-doubt set in,' he says. What compounded the stress of extended unemployment was being responsible for supporting both his own and his parents' households.
Upon reassessing his priorities, he decided to consciously extend his career break, in the hope that more vacancies would open up.
The savings he had built up helped him act from a position of abundance rather than scarcity. 'I was actually prepared to go for two years,' he says.
He starts as legal counsel of another firm in July. His advice: Always build up a rainy day fund and aim to reframe unexpected negatives as new opportunities.
'At the end of the day, I decided to focus on spending more time with my ageing parents and loved ones, who were the main reason I decided to take a career hiatus in the first place,' he says.
'Also, being able to cook helps,' he quips.