SINGAPORE: A jobseeker was left shocked after what he thought was an interview for an admin position allegedly turned into a recruitment pitch for an insurance role and ended with the interviewer scolding him for not being “driven” enough.

Sharing his experience on the r/singaporejobs subreddit, the man said he had originally applied for an “admin and operations” executive position through JobStreet.

According to him, nothing about the listing initially raised red flags. “The executive role on JobStreet and the company and hiring managers seemed pretty legit as it was a local mortgage company.”

However, things apparently took a strange turn the moment he arrived for the interview in Newton.

The man claimed that within minutes of sitting down, the interviewer began trying to convince him to join his team as a “wealth manager” instead.

“The interviewer tried to recruit me to join his team as a wealth manager, citing unlimited income potential and freedom,” he said.

“I kept on rejecting him and asked him if the role I applied for was even real, and he told me that it was actually already filled, and he continued to get me to join his team.”

“After he realised that I was not keen, he became aggressive and even started lecturing me, saying the younger generations have no drive, entrepreneurship spirit, etc.”

Feeling irritated and misled, the man said he decided to leave shortly afterwards, adding that the entire encounter left him with a “sour taste” in his mouth.

“Insurance agents are really the scums of the earth,” he added.

“Honestly, it’s nothing new”

In the discussion thread, quite a few Reddit users said they weren’t really surprised by what happened and shared similar experiences of their own.

One commenter claimed they were once told they would be “banned from ever getting a job in the future” after rejecting a similar insurance-related pitch, though they later found it ironic when the same company contacted them again months later.

Another user said they had come across the same pattern more than 10 years ago when they applied for an “admin assistant” role. According to them, it only became clear during the interview that the job wasn’t really admin work at all, but mainly cold-calling for insurance sales.

“Honestly, it’s nothing new,” they continued. “So be on the lookout for those creatively typed job ads.”

A third claimed, “Most of the insurance organisations are at Newton. Next time, when you know the interview location is at Newton, try to avoid it at all costs. Went there a few times after I graduated, a total waste of time.”

A fourth simply remarked, “The fact that they have to resort to this method just goes to show that the job is not as lucrative as it seems.”

In other news, a woman shared online that she feels stuck because her parents refuse to sell the HDB flat she has been paying for over the past 13 years.

Writing on Reddit’s r/asksg, she explained that after she graduated, her parents could not afford the housing loan anymore, so she stepped in and took over the payments. She is listed as one of the owners of the flat together with them.

Read more: Daughter who paid for parents’ HDB flat for 13 years says they refuse to sell the place, blocking her from getting her own home

This article (‘Younger generations have no drive’: Interviewer lashes out after jobseeker rejects insurance role) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

SINGAPORE: A fresh university graduate in Singapore has found themselves caught between practicality and ambition after receiving a job offer paying S$3,000 a month —a salary they admitted feels difficult to accept, yet equally difficult to walk away from.

Compared with recent graduate salary figures, which place median starting pay anywhere from S$3,840 for ‘Arts, Design and Media’ graduates to around S$5,500 for those in ‘Information and Digital Technologies,’ the offer struck them as rather low.

Even so, the graduate admitted they are still seriously thinking about taking it.

“As a uni grad, should I take a job for S$3k?” they asked netizens.

The graduate explained that they completed only one internship during university and, after graduating, managed to land just a three-month temporary role. With limited experience and an increasingly competitive job market, they said they are worried about how long they might remain unemployed if they reject the offer now.

“I feel really pressured,” they said. “With the job market being what it is, I’m not sure how long it’ll take for me to find another job if I refuse this offer.”

At the same time, they admitted they could not ignore the doubts lingering at the back of their mind.

According to the graduate, the role comes with what they described as “a really lowball salary with minimal benefits.” The job allegedly offers no work-from-home arrangement, involves a demanding workload, and comes with average annual leave benefits.

“To be frank, it’s an assistant role, and it does give me a foot in the door to the industry I’m interested in, but I’m not sure if it’s worth it or if it’s better to wait for a better opportunity.”

“I would take it if I were you”

In response to the fresh graduate’s dilemma, a 41-year-old Singaporean said, “If desperate, just take liao. Uncle here with 12+ years of experience. I spent the last 1+ year upskilling myself with globally recognised certifications (10), and till now, almost 2 years, still unemployed.”

“To be honest, if you ask me now to take a big pay cut to do entry-level roles like an administrative executive that pays S$3.5–4k, I would take it. Pride cannot put food on the table. No job and no income are more stressful; at least if you can get something, it is better than nothing.”

Another user who has held one internship, one part-time work, and two full-time jobs in their lifetime wrote, “If it’s a step into your industry, you should take it.”

A third individual also encouraged the graduate to accept the offer, warning that competition in the job market could soon become even tougher.

“I would take it if I were you. The 2026 grads are graduating this month and are going to join the job market to compete with you; it will really be game over then. We have to accept that the days of S$5k fresh grad salaries are over in this economy.”

Despite the majority of responses leaning towards accepting the offer, a few commenters went against the grain and urged caution instead.

Some warned that taking a lower starting salary could have long-term consequences. One wrote: “Don’t take the offer. If you want to move on to another company after this job, they’re going to look at your last drawn salary and lowball you.”

Another commented: “If you feel the S$3k is too low, go find an internship to build up your portfolio first. After you have sufficient experience, you can fight for higher pay.”

In other news, a Singaporean tech worker has started dreading work after being “accidentally” shoved into a managerial role he never wanted.

Posting on the r/singaporejobs forum on Monday (May 11), the employee said he never had dreams of climbing the corporate ladder or becoming some big-shot boss.

Read more: ‘I just wanted to do my job and go home’: Tech worker struggles after being ‘accidentally’ promoted to manager

This article (‘If desperate, just take liao’ — Singaporeans weigh in after fresh grad receives S$3K job offer) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

SINGAPORE: A Singaporean jobseeker has shared online that he feels rather “hopeless” after being unable to secure a job despite lowering his salary expectations to around S$3,000 to S$3,500.

Posting on the forum “singaporejobs” on Monday (May 4), the 26-year-old described the job market in the city-state as “brutal.”

“I’ve been unemployed for eight months and counting, and each day feels more hopeless than the last,” he said. “Seeing friends my age progressing in their careers also makes me feel very left behind.”

For context, he shared that after graduating from Kaplan, he initially took up a retail job out of necessity as he needed an income. However, the long 56-hour work week soon took a toll on him both physically and mentally, eventually leading him to resign.

Things eventually took a turn for the better when he secured a tech role at a Fortune 500 company, which felt more aligned with the career direction he had been aiming for.

For the first time in a long while, he felt he could finally breathe and begin rebuilding his confidence.

Unfortunately, that stability was short-lived.

According to him, shortly after receiving an email congratulating him for “passing probation,” he was abruptly informed that he had been laid off.

In total, he remained in the role for just five months.

Since then, he said each passing month without employment has gradually eroded his confidence and sense of optimism.

“It lowkey feels hopeless for me to even land something and stay there for long enough my resume doesn’t come across as ‘job hopper,’” he said. “I’m at the point where I have to take a part-time job to tide me over so I don’t dip into my very small investments.”

At present, the only thing offering him some relief is the fact that he still lives with his parents and has no major financial commitments. 

“It’s a godsend,” he wrote candidly, before adding, “but some days I just want to scream into the void.”

“Don’t lose hope, don’t compare with others.”

His post resonated with many online, particularly other young Singaporeans who said they are facing similar struggles in today’s highly competitive job market.

The most upvoted comment read, “It’s really bad. Can’t even get a job in public healthcare office roles.”

Another commented, “I just got retrenched at the end of last year too. Until now, nothing yet. The market is brutal. Stay strong, bro.”

A third shared, “You are still not the worst around. My girlfriend got retrenched at the end of Dec 2024 and is still unemployed now… [She had] a handful (I think 4-6) interviews for last year. For this year, she only has had 2 interviews.”

Still, amid the frustration and gloomy outlook, some commenters tried to encourage the man not to give up.

One older Singaporean offered a more hopeful perspective, writing, “I’ve been jobless for 19 months, and I am 50+ years old. You will most probably get a job before me. Chin up my friend, you’re only 26 and have a whole career ahead of you.”

Another commenter reminded him not to measure his progress against others. “Don’t lose hope, don’t compare with others. You are still young, and situations can change. Don’t stop upskilling. Are you an extrovert or introvert? Learn to network with people to create new opportunities.”

In other news, a Singaporean Threads user who tried to call out two national servicemen on the MRT has instead found himself at the centre of online criticism, after his post struck a nerve with many who felt the men were unfairly singled out.

In a post published on Tuesday (March 28), the user, who goes by the handle “chefphotodan,” shared a photo taken inside a crowded train carriage.

Read more: Man criticised online after calling out NSFs for using phones on MRT: ‘Cut our boys some slack, please’

This article (‘SG current job market feels brutal’: Singaporean applicant with S$3.5k salary expectations says he’s losing hope after 8 months of job hunting) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

SINGAPORE: A 27-year-old Singaporean says he’s now willing to accept a salary between S$2,500 and S$3,000 just to “get something on his resume.” It’s not exactly the dream, but at this point, he just wants to start somewhere.

In a social media post, he shared that he graduated in 2023 and, somehow, is still without a full-time job today, unlike many of his peers who have already moved on and settled into their careers. Watching that happen from the sidelines has not been easy.

“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?”

He was quick to stress that he hasn’t been “picky.” In fact, he said he has been applying to “everything and anything related” to his field of study, casting his net as wide as possible. Unfortunately, nothing has stuck.

“I either get a call and then get ghosted, or I don’t hear back from the company at all,” he said. “I get one to four interviews every month, and it’s getting frustrating.”

Still, despite everything, he said he’s thankful to have some income coming in from helping with the family business and running a small home-based bakery on the side.

Expert says Gen Z applicants need better resumes

The state of the job market for Gen Z has been talked about loads online. Endless articles have been churned out, and there’s a steady stream of job seekers on local forums laying it all bare, admitting just how much the whole ordeal has messed with their mental health. 

At the same time, there’s been plenty of chatter about how younger people are quietly abandoning the traditional career path their parents swore by and drifting towards the gig economy instead.

Still, while some have more or less thrown their hands up and resigned themselves to never finding stable work, others are still stubbornly pushing on, CV in hand, hoping for the best.

Which then leaves the slightly exhausting question: how do you actually stand out in all this chaos?

Jeannie Kim, a former vice president of content at Policygenius, digital executive, and journalist, shared in a CNBC article that she’s reviewed over 1,000 resumes. Drawing from that experience, she offered a few practical bits of advice for job seekers trying to make theirs stand out:

Be specific

Instead of just listing tasks or responsibilities from internships, Kim says job seekers should go a step further and include actual results from their work, ideally with numbers.

She encourages them to talk about the “impact” they’ve had in the organisations they’ve worked in.

Tailor your resume

Kim advises job seekers to stop sending the same CV to every job and instead tailor it for each role. 

This means tweaking your resume so your skills and experience match what the job is actually looking for.

Be concise

Kim also says it’s important not to go overboard. Jobseekers, she explains, should focus on including only relevant information tied to the role and highlighting “their biggest achievement.”

Read also: ‘She wants me to pay for the whole house and lifestyle’: Man questions girlfriend’s intentions

This article (‘It’s getting frustrating’: Jobseeker says he’ll take S$2.5-S$3k pay just to ‘get something on his resume’) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

SINGAPORE: A 30-year-old woman who has been unemployed for six months said she has realised just how frustrating and draining joblessness can be.

In a post on a local forum, she wrote that while she still has enough savings to get by for now, the experience has been far more difficult than she expected. 

She said, “Technically, I have a sufficient buffer to tide me through for now. But I’m realising that the psychological erosion of unemployment—the growing sense of worthlessness—is something no amount of savings can prepare you for. I know by right we should not let our job or anything define us, but it is hard.”

She added that this is not her “first time between jobs,” but it is the first time she has struggled to recover emotionally and mentally. In previous transitions, she said she was able to secure roles quickly and even received better offers. 

“In the past, I was able to get back quickly…but this time feels different and dead silent. I thought I was the only one, but I see people around me—both junior and senior—all feeling the same pinch. It feels like the ground is shifting beneath us.”

The woman also shared that she feels caught in what she called a “Goldilocks loop” in the job market. 

She said she is often seen as “overqualified” for junior or mid-level roles, with employers possibly assuming she would be too costly to hire or not “flexible” enough compared to fresh graduates. 

At the same time, she feels underqualified for senior positions that “demand hyper-specialised experience.”

She added that even public service roles, which were once viewed as a stable option, have become much more competitive and difficult to enter. 

“This used to be the seemingly ‘safe’ path, but it has become incredibly demanding and difficult to enter. It’s no longer the ‘dinosaur era’ where a degree and a good attitude were enough,” she said. “I’ve even tried those government support things like career fairs, coaching, and training, and they’ve been proven useless.”

Out of desperation, she even considered entering the gig economy as a way to “stay active,” but eventually decided against it after running the numbers and realising the returns would not really make sense.

“I’ve looked into PHV or food delivery…but the math simply doesn’t work. Between high rental costs and petrol, you’re essentially working for the leasing company. With AI on the horizon, the future feels even more precarious.”

“I’m reaching out because I just want to hear from others who are in (or have been in) this same boat. How are you coping, and is there something I can do to solve this? I hope I’m not the only one feeling this way.”

Her background

Providing some context about her background, she added that she’s been in the workforce for almost a decade.

She explained that she grew up in a low-income household and did not have many advantages early in life.

“I didn’t have things handed to me,” she said. “This taught me to be financially savvy out of necessity. Halfway through my career, I completed a part-time degree while working full-time just to support myself and my parents.”

“Because of that background, I’ve saved and invested religiously. Even when my income grew over the years, I still kept my lifestyle humble—spending like an intern to build a safety net.”

“You’re not alone.”

The post struck a chord with many Singaporeans, prompting them to open up about their own struggles with unemployment and burnout.

One individual shared, “Same… my applications are now nothing but silence. I used to get callbacks from HR at least. It’s super quiet now as time has passed by. As much as I want to worry less, I really want to work. My skills gap would be widened even further at this rate.”

Another commented, “Same boat, older than you. Unemployed for much longer. Not worried about money yet, but yes, the situation is messing with my head a bit.”

A third added, “You’re not alone. Landed a job working for my dad after being unemployed for 8 months. Without him, I would probably be begging on the streets.”

Others said her description of being stuck in a “Goldilocks loop” felt painfully accurate. 

According to them, many mid-career workers now find themselves trapped in an awkward middle ground, seen as too experienced, too expensive, or too difficult to mould for junior roles, while still not meeting the expectations for senior-level positions.

One user wrote, “I get how you are feeling. I have been actively looking for more than a year, and the number of interviews I got I can count on one hand. A few years ago, even during Covid, I was still able to get interviews fairly easily.”

“Now, like you said, I also feel like I am too highly paid for junior roles and do not have enough experience for senior roles. I don’t know how people on my LinkedIn feed can so easily change roles in this market. Really tip my hat to them.”

In other news, concerns over “quiet firing,” or silent termination, are gaining traction among workers here, after one employee highlighted how ongoing restructuring in her company appears to be pushing staff to leave without formal layoffs.

In a post on the r/askSingapore subreddit, she shared that her organisation has been undergoing restructuring since the end of 2024.

Read more: Employee asks, ‘Is quiet firing/silent termination becoming common in Singapore?’

This article (‘The psychological erosion is real’: Singaporean unemployed for 6 months opens up about joblessness) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.