SINGAPORE: A young diploma holder has confessed on social media that he feels lost and unsure of his next steps after struggling to secure full-time employment.
Writing on the r/singaporejobs forum, the local shared that he graduated last June but took a “gap year” to cope with grief and personal challenges that left him emotionally exhausted. The break, he said, was necessary for healing. Now that he feels more stable, a new worry has taken over. He has no clear idea what comes next.
“I don’t know what I can do with my design comms diploma besides scoring internships,” he wrote. “I have 2 internship experiences so far (design & marketing, 3-6 months), worked event/side jobs, and have a business certificate.”
“At this point, any decent-paying full-time job will do. But even then, isn’t it less likely for employers to hire a fresh graduate from this field of study? So I genuinely don’t know where to go from here.”
He has also applied for a degree in the same field but is questioning whether continuing down the same path is the right move.
“I am considering a switch in fields,” he said. “The degree [in my field just] doesn’t seem that beneficial compared to just having experiences.”
Seeking advice, he asked other users, “Where do I even look? I don’t know what to do with my life. How do I get started? How do I also expand my portfolio/resume in general? That I am stereotypically Gen Z with tattoos, so a number of jobs are already out of the picture for me. I simply need guidance or suggestions.”
“Passion can only take one so far.”
In the comments, one user encouraged him to reflect more deeply on his past experiences, saying that with all the internships and certifications he has accumulated, it might be time to identify which ones genuinely sparked his interest.
“Of all the internships and certs, I think you should figure out which one interests you,” they wrote. “There’s no harm in switching careers. Plus, it’s normal to feel lost in what you want to do. Getting out of design comms is also one of the better choices out there. This is from someone who also has a design comms degree.”
Another told him that his experiences/internships “were not that bad” and encouraged him to just keep applying. “Just scroll job portals and see if anything catches your eye.”
A third added, “It’s really tough to survive as a creative in Singapore, but the reality is that a uni degree cert is now the minimum to even get a comfortable job in SG. Plus, Singapore’s design scene is simply unbearable for the amount of OT and pay, zero work-life balance… passion can only take one so far.”
“If you are looking to pursue a degree, I’d recommend a combination of communications and business; it will be useful for the future, and it is also semi-related to what you’ve studied previously.”
In other news, a man has turned to Reddit for advice after his girlfriend suggested that they pool all their income into a single joint account.
On Monday (Feb 23), he shared that the topic came up while they were discussing how to manage future household expenses. “She [my girlfriend] says she wants to have a joint account where we deposit all our money into that one account and use it for home loan repayments or other expenses like going out for meals.”
Read more: SG couple clashes after girlfriend suggests merging all income into one account
