Latest news with #SGJobs
Independent Singapore
08-07-2025
- Business
- Independent Singapore
Job-seeking S'porean who worked 7 years in cybersecurity is now struggling to even get an interview
SINGAPORE: A local Reddit user shared the troubles they are facing as a job seeker. Although they have seven years of experience in cybersecurity, they are now struggling to even land a job interview. They're about to lose their job in a few weeks and are feeling immense pressure. In a Jul 7 (Monday) post on r/askSingapore, u/Resident-State-1934 wrote that they majored in cybersecurity both at their undergraduate and master's levels. They also have a few industry certifications. In addition, they have good reviews and feedback from their former employers, having worked at three companies in the past seven years. However, although they've been 'applying like crazy' for an entire year now, they're getting hardly any interviews ' In fact, most rejections are literally AI,' they wrote, adding that they 'tried everything,' including two different resumes from Fiverr, one based on a recruiter's advice and the other from a more senior worker in the cybersecurity industry. In the past year, they've only had three interviews, of which only one was promising, but they did not land the job. The other two did not even fit his qualifications, and he wondered why they were interviewed for the position at all. 'Other than this, I've literally got no prospects, and I'll be out of a job in 6 weeks. Yes, I'll keep trying, but it's really frustrating,' they added. A number of commenters on the post have encouraged u/Resident-State-1934 to further polish their resume in addition to the tweaks they've already done. 'NUS/NTU kids are already graduating with OSCP/ OSCE3 and a few SANS certs; gotta remember you're up against them who are probably willing to take a lower pay. 'I really recommend zhnging up your resume with a few certs while still applying, it's not an industry where you can be stagnant,' one wrote. 'I would suggest you pause the cold applications for a week. Instead, identify 10 to 20 companies hiring in your space, then reach out directly to their TAs, team leads, or hiring managers on LinkedIn. You'd be surprised how much more effective this is than spraying resumes into the void. 'The market is brutal right now. Even very strong candidates are stuck. AI filters, keyword bias, and soft discrimination are real, but don't let that devalue you, you just gotta beat the system a little smarter. 'I've been on the hiring side before in the internet/tech industry, so if you're open to it, I'd be happy to help review your resume and give honest feedback,' another advised. 'How? I've only had two years of experience and a Sec+, and I had 17 interviews in a span of three months. Make your resume more human, and don't 'optimise' till it's too sterile (eg, full of technical jargon). Cyber roles are filling the market now, and with your expertise, you should be getting calls pretty quickly. Also, you can consider taking your CISSP, or other equivalents to boost your resume hit rates,' one commented. Another reminded the post author that they're still better off than others. 'Many here are unemployed for six to 12 months or longer, and you are only going to be out of a job in six weeks, which is better than a lot of us here. I'm personally at the one-year mark of being unemployed, 12 YoE in total, and interviews normally go to 2nd-4th rounds on average. Don't beat yourself up, the current market, especially in tech/IT, is brutal, and so many experienced candidates like you and me vying for 1 role.' /TISG Read also: Johor to expand internet, boost 5G, cybersecurity, and digital literacy under RM300M funding
Independent Singapore
04-07-2025
- Business
- Independent Singapore
‘I've been quiet fired from my job, what should I do?': Singaporean worker asks after being put on no-pay leave
SINGAPORE: We've all heard of quiet quitting — disengaging from hustle culture for a more balanced life — but what can we do in cases of quiet firing? That's the situation for a local Reddit user, who sought advice from others, being somewhat at a loss about how to move forward. In a post on Thursday (July 3), u/ Educational_Dress692 wrote that they genuinely enjoy working at the ad agency where they're employed, but the company hasn't been doing well, and people have been let go. The post author hasn't been officially let go, but they've 'essentially been quiet-fired.' 'I have been asked to take on multiple roles from other coworkers who have been let go, and now I've been asked to go on an indefinite no-pay leave. 'I haven't officially resigned, but it feels like they're trying to avoid paying severance or making things official while pushing me out the door,' they wrote. See also Six Singapore fintechs are among the KPMG's Fintech100 They wondered if they should push back and ask for formal retrenchment with severance, accept the no-pay leave while job-hunting on the side, or resign on their own terms and start fresh. The post author is also considering negotiating with the company to do remote freelance work during this downtime. Commenters on the post encouraged u/Educational_Dress692 to keep looking for a new job and even do freelance or gig work if there isn't a clause in their current contract preventing them from doing so. 'If you aren't retrenched, then I am guessing the company still wants to retain you but needs to get past cash flow issues. Look for a job in the meantime,' a Reddit user advised. However, a commenter working in the same industry had this advice to give: 'Hi. Ad person here, so I can give a perspective on industry norms here in SG (esp for the MNC [multinational corporation] networks like WPP). 'Severance is not required by law. See also Is Singlish declining? Singaporeans express concerns 'And severance is typically offered only if you're officially retrenched, have served at least three years with them, AND if the agency has liquidity. 'Most of the time, ailing agencies can't even afford to pay out someone's notice period in lieu of severance. 'You're better off officially tendering. Find a job while serving notice, and if you want, negotiate a mutual shortening of the notice period to save you pain and save the agency cash.' 'You need to have a direct and open conversation with your manager and HR and do what is best for you, if that means terminating your contract so you can seek other employment or modifying it then so be it, but they can't expect you to wait around on no pay till they're ready, chances are, they will never be,' another suggested. ''Forced' no pay leave is worse than being fired. If you resign, at least you are still entitled to being paid for your notice period. Just resign,' a commenter chimed in. /TISG Read also: Rage applying, moonlighting, and quiet quitting lead job market trends in 2024 amid calls for better pay
Independent Singapore
10-06-2025
- Business
- Independent Singapore
‘Job portals are dead' — Retrenched Singaporean shares his "Actually Applicable" job hunting tips for others in the same boat
SINGAPORE: A Singaporean retrenched earlier this year took to Reddit's r/askSingapore to share job-hunting tips and seek advice from others in the same boat. He kicked off the thread by outlining what hasn't been working for him: mass applying through job portals. With the overwhelming number of applicants for each listing, he found himself getting little to no response and believes this approach no longer gives job seekers a fair shot. 'I think just applying via the job portals and hoping for the best is not viable anymore. This goes the same for any roles posted on LinkedIn,' he wrote. He then suggested a more refined strategy: to start with, going directly to the company career pages. While this method may be more time-consuming, he noted that it allows candidates to bypass the noise of crowded job portals and uncover opportunities that are less visible to the general public. He also encouraged job seekers to explore beyond the usual big-name firms, suggesting that smaller or lesser-known employers may attract fewer applicants and therefore offer a better chance of gaining visibility. Another important point he raised was the need to tailor each application. He shared, 'Every resume and cover letter of mine is tailored to the role and JD specifically. Resume must be ATS-friendly without a doubt.' Finally, he shared what's been most effective so far: tapping into personal networks. In his experience, referrals from friends or former colleagues have led to more opportunities than sending out cold applications. Reaching out to hiring managers or team members on LinkedIn has also resulted in more productive and engaging responses. Hoping to get insights from others, he posed several thoughtful questions to hiring managers, recruiters, recent hires, and fellow job seekers towards the end of his post: 'To hiring managers/recruiters/HRBPs of Reddit — any advice on what a candidate could do to stand out to you or get you to vouch for them? If they reached out to you on LinkedIn, what is something they should definitely say that will get you to consider them seriously? Any other ways to game referral/ATS systems? 'To recent employees — congrats, and any tips you felt were most helpful for you to get you through the door? To other job seekers — anything you found particularly helpful? Have you considered looking at other countries instead? I'm considering going to career fairs to actually meet humans and have a chance to speak to them.' 'Just keep applying and don't wait until the market turns good…' In the comments, one Singaporean Redditor said, 'Best advice is to ensure you are still in contact with people in the industry. You will be surprised how many of them are willing to help you. It is easier to get a job via internal referral.' Another shared a practical resume tip: 'The top section of your resume should summarize your experience, skills, and strengths. This section should be able to tell recruiters who you are, including the busy or lazy recruiters who only spend about 15 seconds on each resume. Also, I only apply to roles for which I meet at least 80% of the requirements. In an employer's market now, there's no point applying if you only meet half the requirements; there will be someone else more fitting who also applied, and the company will choose that person.' A third advised job seekers to stay calm and confident during interviews, saying, 'Treat interviews like a conversation between you and your friend. Do not be too nervous or desperate during the interview; the interviewer can tell and either skip you or try to lowball you. I have interviewed candidates before, and yes, I can tell who is desperate for a job and who is chill.' See also DBS Bank's Neal Cross steps down A fourth added, 'Tip from me – in my 20 years of working, I only heard once where sentiment is that the market is good. That was slightly after COVID, and it's only for a short while. So, the job market is always bad. Just keep applying and don't wait until the market turns good.' In other news, a 25-year-old accountant is thinking about leaving her job after just one year due to ongoing issues with her supervisor. Posting on r/askSingapore, she shared that although the job itself isn't terrible and comes with generous benefits like 20 days of annual leave, the daily interactions with her only direct supervisor have taken a toll on her mental well-being. 'My only and direct supervisor has been really hard to work with,' she wrote. 'An example being how she loves to accuse that it MUST be me messing up the printer settings when I don't receive it in my mail.' Read more: 'Just seeing her gives me cold sweat' — Accountant wants to quit her job after just one year because her supervisor blames her for everything that goes wrong Featured image by freepik (for illustration purposes only)
Independent Singapore
01-06-2025
- Business
- Independent Singapore
Singapore jobseeker plans to pause job hunt after 6 months of rejections
SINGAPORE: After nearly six months of sending out résumés and sitting through dead-end interviews, one mid-level finance manager in Singapore is planning to hit pause on his job hunt for the rest of the year. Posting on the r/askSingapore forum on Friday (May 30), the man shared that he had sent out 'lots of applications' since January but received very few interviews in return. Those that he did get, he said, 'led nowhere.' 'I thought I was gonna land a job… and for the amount of applications I sent, I don't think I got a lot of interviews even,' he wrote. Frustrated, he said, 'I'm going to stop looking for a new job if I can't find one by (the) end of June and start again next year. Who else has also given up job hunting this year?' 'Keep going and keep trying; that's the only way to get out of the tunnel…' Under his post, many users expressed that they understood where his frustration was coming from, having been in similar situations themselves. Despite that, they still encouraged him to keep applying and not give up entirely. See also How Exactly Is Entrepreneurship Changing The Workforce? To motivate him, one user shared, 'Don't give up. Last December, after four to five months of searching, I landed what I thought was my dream job. However, I didn't pass probation due to a company restructuring. After a short break, I started a three-month part-time contract in April through my network. Amazingly, just two weeks into that, I received another job offer!' Another commented, 'Got terminated in January. Landed a new job this week. Sent roughly 150 applications on MCF, five interviews, and three offers. Keep trying; don't give up. The job market isn't great, not gonna lie.' A third said, 'I got retrenched in mid-March. Started spamming job applications from the moment I got escorted out of my former office. Lost count of how many applications I submitted or how many interviews I attended, but I got my first offer (a decent one) in late April, accepted it, and started work in mid-May.' A fourth user added, 'This job market is tough; it really takes a toll on one's mental health. Keep going and keep trying; that's the only way to get out of the tunnel.' See also Filipino K-pop fans accuse Shopee of scam over girl group meeting In other news, a man turned to Reddit on Thursday (May 22) to ask Singaporeans whether financial independence and early retirement, also known as FIRE, is realistically achievable without drawing a monthly income of S$10,000. In his post on the r/singaporefi forum, the man explained that he had recently been exploring FIRE-related content and was feeling increasingly discouraged. He observed that many of the examples and advice came from the U.S., where home prices tend to be lower and average incomes are significantly higher compared to Singapore. Read more: Man asks if FIRE is possible in Singapore without earning S$10k/month Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)
Independent Singapore
28-05-2025
- Business
- Independent Singapore
‘No luck even after a SkillsFuture course' — Woman asks for help after two years of unemployment
SINGAPORE: A woman who has been unemployed for over two years took to Reddit to seek advice on restarting her career. Posting on the r/askSingapore subreddit on Tuesday (May 27), she wrote, 'I have been unemployed for more than two years. My previous jobs were mainly in administration. I have a degree in sociology. And I have not been working due to personal reasons, which I prefer not to disclose.' She also mentioned that although she has been actively trying to get back on her feet, such as sending out numerous job applications and taking up a digital marketing course through SkillsFuture in late 2023, none of them have panned out. With her confidence waning and the job market remaining uncertain, she turned to the online community for support. 'What should I do now?' she asked. 'I heard the job market is really bad.' 'Take on any job that is available and don't be choosy…' Her post quickly drew responses from fellow Reddit users, many of whom related to her struggles. Some encouraged her to stay open to any kind of work, whether full-time or part-time, as a way to get back into the workforce, regain some confidence, and start building up her resume again. One user suggested, 'Just apply for jobs! The worst they can do is ghost you or say no. Keep an Excel sheet of where you applied and what you sent for your resume/CV. During interviews, when asked about your gap, share your digital marketing course and any other self-improvement things you did. There are always jobs, just whether it fits your expectations or not.' Another commented, 'The job market is usually bad, and I don't foresee it going better. Have to just try and apply. Upskill and apply; even internships are also good.' A third added, 'Take on any job that is available and don't be choosy. Approach employment agencies. They tend to have jobs of various natures but are in industrial estates. Some pay market rates. SkillsFuture courses are meant to complement or add to your existing skill sets to make you more competitive in the industry. They are not courses that you take and can straightaway enter that industry.' In other news, a troubled worker took to social media to share how his demanding job has pushed him to the brink, causing him to develop anxiety just from the thought of going to work. 'I started to develop anxiety even to go to work. It's almost like I don't even have time to breathe once I step into the office,' he wrote in a post on r/askSingapore. The worker shared that in recent months, several of his colleagues have quit, and with no new hires brought in to replace them, the remaining team has been forced to take on the extra workload. Read more: 'I don't even have time to breathe' — Singaporean worker says his burnout has led to daily anxiety Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)
