how to job hunt in Singapore in THIS economy | interview tips, resume writing, job tracker (2024)

[@jerrainelin408]

Thank you for making these content. I love how reflective and wise you are!

[@lydiagan]

Really appreciate this comment Jerraine :") glad someone thinks positively of my inner ramblings

[@YZL1000]

Thanks for the video, I'm not a fresh grad, have been working full-time for 4 years since graduation and recently just left my first FT job to look for another FT job. I have not been applying for any job or go for any interviews in the past 4 years and things have changed so much since. There wasn't chatgpt 4 years ago, a lot of things have changed. Writing up resumes are a whole different game now to even get your resume through the HR's screening application. Your video is really useful and I would say even relevant for people like me. Love the tips you've given and your voice is really calming!! Hahaha.

[@lydiagan]

Job hunting seems to be daunting for everyone (or most people) no matter the age 🥲 Congrats on sticking it out for 4 years and now trying to look for better opportunities for yourself! I don't even know how that feels like, but I'm really glad some of what I said applied to your journey too. Thanks for being here and wish you all the best for what's to come for you :)

[@steventay5834]

@@YZL1000 Either you are a brave man or your family is rich

[@tylyiling]

aw lydia this came at a really good time...thank you for always making such lovely videos, they're such a comfort to watch:'-) sending love!! i hope you're doing well!!

[@lydiagan]

YILINGGG!! it is always a joy to see u around here!!! love the art you have been creating too 🥺 yes I am doing well and sending good vibes over the internet back to you

[@tylyiling]

@@lydiagan ❤️❤️❤️

[@shaifulbahri7949]

not sure how i got here, but i'm here for it! also you have a nice calming voice :-)

[@lydiagan]

hahah thanks man!

[@gozoxx]

Love these raw footages of nature as you talk about these topics haha it’s like listening to a podcast while walking through nature 🍃

[@lydiagan]

you noticed! walked around purposely to get b-roll shots just cause the Singapore "sakuras" are in bloom around now

[@tairaribeiro]

Hey Lydia, I am a recent Masters Grad looking for roles in Singapore! It has been such a hard process so far which has been made it very discouraging but I really appreciate all the information in your video! thanks!

[@lydiagan]

@@tairaribeiro hey Taira! Thank you for the lovely comment. It’s a really tough situation rn from everything I’ve been hearing and especially with specialised skills with your masters it must be difficult…I hope that a good fit comes up for you soon & all the very best!!

[@sixes3100]

Contact recruitment agencies as well. As many companies are hiring thru these agencies as well.

[@chandirap]

I also agree with this. For us linkedin would not work 99%. I would say do not put all the eggs in the same basket, linkedin. Try other sites also. For me it is always recruitment agencies, but I don’t know if it is the solution for fresh grads also. My situation is different, we have decades of experience in the industry.

[@lydiagan]

appreciate this tip! I definitely don't have that wealth of experience or knowledge, LinkedIn has worked well for me in the past few years but it does make alot of sense to diversify with different options. My first "internship" / job I ever took after JC was through a recruitment agency and they were lightning fast in scoring me an entry level position. So I can see how they could be useful especially if you are in a rut as well.

[@mx-data-engineering-23]

Hey Lydia, I'm watching your channel for the first time and I have to say some of the points you mentioned are still relevant for an experienced hire (3 years here). Having a tracker for the jobs applied is a great idea, but doesn't LinkedIn have this feature already? Would be great to assess the interview process for each company applied as well, whether one is a suitable fit for the organization goals and culture, hiring cycles etc. All the best Max

[@lydiagan]

Hi Max- thanks for taking the time to leave a comment! You're right, LinkedIn does have this system but the upside of customising any field you want in a personal spreadsheet is just super useful. Great point on taking notes about each stage in the interview process too, it's so easy to forget all the details once you're off the call

[@joytotheworldddd]

Speaking about working in HR. why won’t you thought or imagine yourself working in this sector since it is made up majority of communication and knowing that you are in the communication major. Would love to hear your thoughts as me bring someone from the HR industry :)

[@lydiagan]

Candidly speaking I'm just not interested in the business of managing talent/staff or any part of the employment process 😅 Not a particularly chatty person in real life either and I feel like HR people are generally more outgoing? HAHAH. I know HR itself has a lot of different areas to specialise in but I think I find more joy in doing comms for consumer based businesses. How are you finding your work in HR so far?

[@chandirap]

Have a small question. If someone graduates as a poly student is he/she have the same opportunity of getting a job in Finance field? Asking for my niece who is going to apply for poly next intake.

[@lydiagan]

hey man! I think it depends on which area of finance they are looking at. It's a huge industry on its own and there's different "tiers" and types of work: consumer banking, venture capital, investment banking, private equity, fX, trading, front office, back office etc. and each will have their own sort of established paths to get there. From my own experience doing PE (for a limited amount of time) I did work with a few poly graduates so it's not impossible, however- with a pinch of salt- uni graduates are likely going to be processed with more ease because of the perceived rigour. He/she should definitely talk to some older people in the field to get a better sensing and exposure to the fin industry and which route would best suit them

[@chandirap]

@@lydiagan appreciate your valuable input. Thanks. All the best for your work! Really like your content! 👌

[@conscious__livingg]

Do u have tips on oral communications in general, like ensuring that the whole thing flows and doesn't break here and there?

[@lydiagan]

I would say make sure you (1) breathe while you talk and (2) moderate your speed. I had this problem where I’d be so anxious I speak faster and actually forget to breathe which made me also trip up over my own words and feel physically uncomfortable. U wanna take a few moments to think about what/how you’d like to answer and present it at a good pace. I also believe slower speakers are more respected and it gives off a dependable air hahaha. Whatever you do don’t try to memorise your answers like a script because it will be super unnatural and make you even MORE prone to breaking off if you mis-said something. Just have a few points ready to go, your brain should kick in automatically with enough casual practice at home!

[@conscious__livingg]

@@lydiagan Thank you!

[@steventay5834]

How is the job market now for U graduates ?

[@lydiagan]

It's quite difficult. Maybe no one will ever say that it was an "easy" year to get employed, but I hear from friends who are looking and in Reddit threads even globally that it's extremely tough to get hired for young people right now. Field/industry dependent too

[@steventay5834]

@@lydiagan Agreed. That is what I heard from my daughter and nieces and nephews

[@ltk7309]

@@lydiagan Of course it's tough for you and others with a similar mindset, considering you're expecting a starting salary of $4k without any relevant experiences. Lower your expectations. The average salary for fresh graduates is $2500 across many industries, this is the reality of today's job market.

[@lydiagan]

@@ltk7309 I don’t think $2500 before CPF is a fair salary to uni grads in this day and age especially considering inflation and how expensive things increasingly cost. Of course it’s different from student to student, some can command a higher starting pay and others can’t, you have to be realistic. My stated amount was something I felt commensurate to my value-add and to companies who can easily offer it. And I did get happily employed :) My advice to fresh grads if ur reading this: be realistic, but don’t settle, learn fast and learn well, never forget what you’re worth and what you’re working towards.

[@AngelineNgkittykat]

Your vlog style reminds me of Tapioca Press :)

[@lydiagan]

@@AngelineNgkittykat she’s been popping up on my feed recently!! I’ll take this as a compliment 🥹

[@kosmasu]

first 😎

[@kosmasu]

Im a compsci graduate, working on my first full time job. I got my job from a refferal from my professor, super grateful for him. With the competition on the job market especially on the IT sector, there is no way for fresh-grad getting a mediocre/okay job the normal way if you are not at the top 1%. What i mean the normal way is through job portal like linkedin and stuff like that. My advise is to find a job with lower competition for example, a work on office job instead of remote/hybrid. This eliminates your competition by alot, only people around the office where the job is located would apply here. If you are still on the early stage here is my tips: - do internship on college break - If not possible, do a project for fun, even simple project if well documented could help - go freelance, I use upwork. This should give you an idea of how shit the job market currently is, and should helps you learn on how to find and talk to client. Also good for your portofolio thats my take, good luck guys

[@lydiagan]

Thanks alot for your thoughts! I know it's pretty bad right now but I didn't realise it was this bad for tech roles. You make some really good points: unfortunately you can't be too choosy with requirements if it's even difficult to get any job at all. Definitely second doing internships where it's relevant and contributes well, and taking up your own projects. Your prof is so nice to give you a referral and I'm sure it means you made a great impression on him too, happy that happened for you!

[@kosmasu]

Thanks! Love the video, love the vibe as well. So comfy