Latest news with #freshgrads
Independent Singapore
21-07-2025
- Business
- Independent Singapore
‘It's a systemic problem': WP NCMPs invite Singapore's fresh grads to share their job search experiences
SINGAPORE: If you're a fresh graduate struggling to land a job, the Workers' Party's (WP) newly minted Non-Constituency Members of Parliament (NCMP), Eileen Chong and Andre Low, want to hear from you. In video messages released over the weekend, Mr Low reassured the youth who find themselves in this boat that 'It's a systemic problem, and not yours to find alone.' Ms Chong, meanwhile, said, 'We hope to help you amplify your voices.' @thehammertok CALLING ALL FRESH GRADS 🎓🗣️📣 ARE YOU 🫵 facing challenges 😩 in securing a job? 🧑💻 let us know your thoughts about this issue! 🤔🩵 #wpsg #singapore #youth #unemployment #jobmarket @Andre Low ♬ original sound – The Workers' Party 🔨 – The Workers' Party 🔨 Mr Low noted the four gaps that make the job search hard for new graduates—skills, experience, opportunities, and expectations—and added that the latest generation to enter the workforce faces 'enormous' challenges, including economic volatility, and the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and technology. For her part, Ms Chong, who is the president of the WP's Youth Wing, asked fresh grads who have been able to find employment about the nature of their jobs: whether they're actually underemployed and if they've been able to secure full-time permanent roles or temporary contractual ones. 'Whether you're a recent graduate, a current student, or a parent of someone navigating today's job market, we want to hear from you,' said Mr Low. He and Ms Chong are inviting people to share their job search experiences, creative solutions, and the challenges they still face. Those who are interested in doing so may send either of the two NCMPs a direct message on Instagram via @ or @eileenchongps. They may also email Mr Low at [email protected] or Ms Chong at [email protected]. In another video, the two noted that while it has been reported that graduate employment is up by 4% year on year, this may not be the experience of some young Singaporeans. @thehammertok hear from our youths about what they have to say about the job market 🥲 i think we are cooked – struggling admin trying to find a job too #wpsg #singapore #youth #unemployment #jobmarket ♬ original sound – The Workers' Party 🔨 – The Workers' Party 🔨 The clip featured a young woman who said that her friends who have just graduated 'have not been able to find a job for months.' A young man, meanwhile, talked about people he knows who want a certain job but end up taking another, just to make a living. Last month, the WP MP Louis Chua (Sengkang GRC) highlighted the growing trend of companies hiring interns instead of fresh graduates, saying he had been hearing from residents who have recently graduated about how difficult it is to secure a job at the moment. The young residents who spoke to him said that some of their peers have been looking for jobs for several months or even more than a year and have been unsuccessful in securing an offer for a full-time job. /TISG Read also: WP MP Louis Chua highlights increasing trend of companies hiring interns instead of fresh graduates See also Tech salaries climb slowly after turbulent 2024
Independent Singapore
25-05-2025
- Business
- Independent Singapore
‘I just want to work' — 27 y/o Singaporean who graduated two years ago says he's still jobless
SINGAPORE: Most fresh grads in Singapore manage to land a job within a few months of finishing school. But for one 27-year-old, the job search has stretched on far longer than he ever expected. In a recent Reddit post that struck a chord with many, the man shared that he graduated in April 2023, but until now, he has yet to secure full-time employment. 'I don't think I'm picky because I applied for everything and anything related to what I studied in,' he wrote. 'I either get a call and then get ghosted, or I don't hear back from the company at all. I get one to four interviews every month, and it's getting frustrating.' Because of the long stretch without a job, he's even lowered his expectations when it comes to salary. 'I don't even care if the pay is only $2,500 to $3,000 because I just want to work and get something on my resume.' While he's grateful to have a family business as a safety net and runs a small home-based bakery on the side, neither opportunity matches what he originally envisioned for his career path. What adds to the challenge is seeing his friends land jobs and kickstart their careers. Even though many of them complain about how stressful and exhausting work can be, he can't help but feel a pang of jealousy. 'I get jealous seeing my friends,' he admitted. 'Is anyone else going through the same thing? Fellow Singaporeans, do you think the job market is pretty bad?' 'There's something seriously wrong with your interview performance.' In the Reddit discussion thread, a Singaporean who used to work in recruitment weighed in, saying, 'It's been stagnant in SG for a while and a downward spiral globally since mid last year with lots of uncertainties. Certain industries and roles are thriving, like hospitality and C suite. The rest? Only when companies see a need for replacements. Otherwise, the leavers' work scope will be delegated to existing staff.' To offer some comfort, others in the thread shared their own struggles with long stretches of unemployment. One wrote, 'Graduated December 2023 with a degree in supply chain management, and kind of in the same boat as you. At first, I was making it to the final rounds of interviews with MNCs, but as time went on, I started getting fewer callbacks, or callbacks, then they would ghost.' Another said, 'Yes, the job market is bad. I have experienced a slightly shorter job hunt than yours. (Wasn't expecting anyone to beat my record.) In fact, I have joined a social group full of job hunters who are currently suffering. If you live in Punggol, you are welcome to join as well.' A third added, 'It's really bad. I have almost a decade's worth of experience with big MNCs and have both a Master's and a pretty coveted professional qualification, yet I am getting ghosted. Heck, even the lower-paying ones, too, where I know I'm overqualified.' However, not everyone agreed. Some suggested that since he's getting interviews every month, maybe the issue lies in his interview skills rather than the job market itself. One individual explained, 'If you're getting so many interviews (48 at a rate of two interviews per month for two years), are not picky with the role, but still getting no offers, there's something seriously wrong with your interview performance. Do some mock interviews (heck, I'll do a quick call with you if you're fine with a stranger) and figure out what's wrong and how to fix it.' Six in ten Singaporeans say finding a job has gotten tougher Unfortunately, the experiences shared by the man and others in the comments are not unique. According to new data from LinkedIn released in January, six in ten workers in Singapore report that it has become more difficult to secure a job over the past year. This percentage is higher than the global average, where five in ten workers express the same sentiment. Moreover, as reported by The Straits Times , most professionals in Singapore spend about one to two hours a week searching for jobs. Over half apply to up to five roles each week, while Millennials and Generation Z tend to be even more active, with some submitting as many as eight applications weekly. Still, all that effort does not always pay off. Nearly half (47%) of Singapore respondents say they are applying to more jobs but receiving fewer callbacks. Meanwhile, 48% say they have been ghosted by recruiters, which only adds to the frustration, as they are left wondering why they did not make the cut. Read related: 'Even scoring interviews feels like striking a pot of gold,' 24 yo fresh grad exhausted after 90 days of job hunting Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)
