SINGAPORE: A National University of Singapore (NUS) student, who is set to graduate in May 2026, recently opened up online about feeling “depressed” after struggling to secure a job. He said his savings are running dangerously low, and with no family support to rely on, he is increasingly anxious about his future.
In a post on the r/askSingapore subreddit on Thursday (Nov 6), the student shared that, unlike some of his peers who can count on their parents for financial help during their job search, he has no such safety net.
“I was born into a poor family who is still in hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt to this day, and they were abusive…which caused a lot of mental health issues,” he wrote. “My family would do things like open the door when I showered to look at me and hit me, which caused me to be hospitalised.”
Unable to continue living under such conditions, the student eventually decided to leave his family home. “Luckily, I managed to secure a spot in a hostel for four years due to very kind people I met who understood my life situation during my time in university. I am no longer in contact with my family and do not receive any financial support.”
Despite facing these hardships, he said he refused to let his upbringing dictate his future. Throughout university, he pushed himself to excel academically while taking on seven internships, often balancing multiple responsibilities at once.
One of these internships was at a reputable company that, according to him, paid more than what his entire family used to earn in a month.
However, his efforts did not lead to the outcome he had hoped for. “I did not receive a return offer at my summer company,” he wrote. “I tried job hunting, but it was to no avail, as the job market is crap now. And I am not picky about jobs, and my salary expectations are very realistic (around S$4,000).”
He added, “I am worried and depressed because I need a job urgently, as I need to pay rent when I graduate, and my savings are quickly drying up. Yes, the government has come up with schemes like GRIT, but the pay is so low (S$1,800), which is barely enough to cover rent and living expenses.”
Turning to the online community for help, he asked, “What to do if I cannot find a job in this economy as a poor fresh grad? I would like to seek some advice regarding this.”
“Just keep applying, it’s a numbers game.”
In the discussion thread, many Singaporean Redditors reminded the student that he still has ample time before graduation.
One wrote, “To be honest, there’s no rush in searching for a full-time job. With the current economy, the average fresh grad takes 4-6 months minimum to find a full-time job that matches the salary range desired and decent working conditions.”
Another shared their personal experience to encourage him, writing, “Isn’t there still six months till graduation? I think you’ll be fine! I didn’t have a job lined up around six months before graduation like you, but managed to secure one a few months before graduating, and my resume is probably worse than yours.”
Some commenters also offered practical advice to help him accelerate his job search.
One said, “Is there anyone you can reach out to from your past internships and ask for a full-time or even part-time role? Also, NUS has a lot of research assistant positions for grads; try applying to those as well. Just keep applying; it’s a numbers game.”
Another advised, “Make sure you practice job interviewing and be prepared for all the basic questions asked and have a presentable resume as well. If you need help with resume making, feel free to PM me. I can send you a template of how it should be.”
In other news, a woman in her late 20s took to social media to confess that she’s beginning to feel “unsure” about her relationship after her boyfriend started asking her to cover his monthly debt repayments of S$1,500, along with providing him money for his daily expenses.
Posting her story on the r/singaporejobs subreddit on Friday (Oct 31), the woman explained that she earns around S$4,600 a month and used to spend about S$1,800 on her own needs, setting aside the rest as savings.
