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.