SINGAPORE: An international student in Singapore has taken to Reddit to share her struggles in securing a full-time job, despite months of effort and over 130 job applications.
With her student visa expiring at the end of 2025, she is now appealing to the online community for advice, job leads, or simply words of encouragement.
The 23-year-old student, who is currently pursuing a Master’s in Economics at the Singapore Management University (SMU), said she has maintained a perfect GPA of 4.0 throughout her studies.
Coming from a modest background in India, she shared that she earned a full scholarship for her undergraduate degree based on academic merit before continuing her studies in Singapore.
“I never thought I’d be posting something like this, but after months of trying, I’m feeling completely lost,” she wrote in her Reddit post on r/SGExams on 17 June.
“I just hope sharing my story might reach someone who understands or can offer advice.”
Prior to coming to Singapore, she worked in sales for a major corporation in India, held a role in financial analysis, participated in econometrics research projects, and completed a training programme with Protege Ventures.
Since arriving in Singapore, she has applied to over 130 companies for full-time positions, crafting tailored applications, personalised cover letters, and undergoing extensive interview preparations.
One of her recent efforts included applying for a customer support position at Bloomberg, for which she went through three rounds of interviews after weeks of preparation.
Despite her efforts—including mock interviews and thorough research into the company—she was ultimately rejected without feedback.
“What’s been hardest is the silence, the uncertainty, the feeling of doing everything ‘right’ and still not breaking through, especially with the constant barrier of visa sponsorship,” she said.
She shared that she possesses technical skills in Python, Excel, R, Stata, Tableau, and financial analysis, and is fluent in English, Hindi, and conversational French.
She added that she is open to roles in data analysis, sales, finance, customer support, or any client-facing positions that would give her the chance to stay and build a future in Singapore.
Despite the challenges, she expressed her deep affection for Singapore.
“I absolutely love Singapore, its culture, and everything this country represents. I fully understand that as a foreigner, I’m not entitled to any opportunity here, and Singapore does not owe me anything.
I’m simply sharing my personal experience and struggles in hopes of learning, improving, and maybe connecting with others going through the same.”
It’s Hard Even for Locals
Her post has since gained traction, with many netizens commenting on the harsh realities of the current job market in Singapore.
Several pointed out that even locals are struggling to secure employment, making it even more challenging for foreigners requiring work passes.
“Job market is already pretty crap for locals, it will be harder for foreigners, that’s the reality,” one user remarked.
“You worked hard but tons of people worked hard too. Unfortunately, the competition now is extremely tough,” another added.
Others shared their own experiences, explaining that many companies are either on hiring freezes or actively laying off staff.
“Most companies I have contacts in, including my current company, are either on a hiring freeze or outright laying off people.
My only advice to you is to network like crazy on LinkedIn. Send out invites to anyone and everyone in your field,” one user advised.
Work Experience Matters More Than Degrees
Some users suggested that the original poster (OP) should have gained more work experience before pursuing a Master’s degree.
Several argued that in the Singapore job market, especially for foreigners, practical experience tends to matter more than academic qualifications unless the field specifically requires it.
“Masters is useless unless your profession requires it. Work experience matters way more for a foreign labourer,” one commenter wrote.
Another added, “The harsh truth is a Master’s is not well regarded in Singapore, and you are overqualified for most jobs, especially in a field that doesn’t require it.”
Others pointed out the double disadvantage of being both inexperienced and requiring a work pass.
“Not gonna sugar-coat it, but you’re already disadvantaged because you have no experience and you require a visa/work pass.
Most expats that come here have experience, already command a high pay, and even then they might not get the work pass because of the quota,” one user commented.
Encouragement and Practical Tips
While many acknowledged the challenging situation, several netizens encouraged the OP not to give up.
Sharing their own experiences, they spoke of applying to hundreds of jobs before finally receiving offers.
“Just keep trying, keep building that resume, keep networking,” one user wrote.
Others offered practical suggestions, including methods that had worked for them.
“Look for work-study positions on campus, send messages and introduce yourself to recruiters on LinkedIn, and attend job fairs that might be happening in the future,” one person recommended.
Singapore’s Employment Growth in Early 2025
Despite Redditors’ claims that the job market in Singapore is currently poor even for locals, preliminary data released by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in April 2025 presents a more nuanced picture.
According to the report, Singapore’s labour market continued to grow in the first quarter of 2025, albeit at a noticeably slower pace.
Total employment increased by just 2,300 in the first quarter of the year, a significant drop compared to the seasonal rise of 7,700 in the previous quarter and lower than the 3,200 recorded during the same period last year.
While resident employment continued to grow in sectors such as Health & Social Services and Financial Services, contractions were seen in several key outward-oriented industries, including Professional Services, Manufacturing, and Information & Communications.
Notably, the increase in non-resident employment was driven entirely by a rise in Work Permit Holders in lower-skilled roles, primarily in Administrative & Support Services as well as Community, Social & Personal Services.
MOM did not provide a detailed breakdown of the employment growth between residents and non-residents.
Meanwhile, unemployment rates edged upwards. The resident unemployment rate rose slightly from 2.8 per cent in December 2024 to 2.9 per cent by March 2025.
The citizen unemployment rate remained at 3.1 per cent in March, higher than the 2.9 per cent recorded in December.
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