SINGAPORE: As concerns grow over the state of the job market for fresh graduates, a comment by an employee from a global tech firm has drawn attention online after he claimed that companies are increasingly reluctant to hire Singaporean graduates.
The remarks were made in response to a Reddit post where a user asked how bad the job market currently is for fresh graduates. In the discussion, the employee said his role gives him insight into hiring trends across the Asia-Pacific region.
“Working in a global tech firm here. My position allows me to see fresh grad hiring patterns across Asia Pacific,” he wrote on the r/singaporejobs subreddit on Friday (Dec 26).
According to him, the “fresh graduate hiring” remains robust in many parts of the region, but Singapore appears to be an outlier.
He added that he had spoken to other leaders within the company to understand the reason behind this shift, and said their response was blunt.
“I had a word with other leaders about this. Their answer was Singaporean fresh grad hires weren’t worth it.”
The employee went on to outline the reasons given, citing concerns about expectations and retention.
“They’re demanding when it comes to pay, fussy about benefits and office/remote work arrangements. We hire them. Train them. Put them in front of crucial clients. Then they jump jobs within the next two years. It’s come to a point where we’re done with this hustle culture.”
In contrast, he said employers now see greater value in more experienced workers.
“The irony is that highly experienced middle-aged workers are a better bang for buck. They’re far more thankful for the job and loyal too.”
“A lot of entry-level roles are going to KL, Vietnam, and even Bali.”
The comment quickly gained traction, prompting several Singaporean Redditors to weigh in with their own observations and experiences.
One user, who identified themselves as a hiring manager, echoed the sentiment, saying, “There are still some good fresh grads but as a hiring manager… many of them are very fussy compared to what they bring to the table, which is literally 0 experience.”
Another pointed to regional cost differences, writing, “This, a lot of entry-level roles are going to KL, Vietnam, and even Bali. Singaporeans are just becoming too expensive.”
A third remarked, “Who knew the culture of job hopping every 2 years would come to bite us in the end?”
Others offered more nuanced perspectives. One former tech fresh graduate shared that while the criticism had some truth to it, the situation was not black and white.
“Agreed. I was one of those tech fresh graduates, and the quality of the graduates is really hit or miss,” the user wrote. “Some are really good and motivated to learn, but many I see are simply coasting or learning and contributing nothing while collecting a fat paycheck.”
“But for me, I left simply because of the excessive red tape, learning stagnation, and the grinding culture. I’m still thankful that the company adopted me when no other companies wanted me, and the experience I gained definitely helped shape my tech career path.”
In other news, a Singaporean woman shared on social media that some men get visibly “offended” when she fails to react with enough “interest or admiration” after they brag about their wealth.
In a post on Reddit’s r/sgdatingscene forum on Thursday (Dec 25), the woman wrote that many of the men she meets seem eager to impress her by listing off their spending habits and financial status.
According to her, these conversations often revolve around “what branded things they buy, how much they earn, what car they drive, what credit card they use, or what expensive restaurants they go to.”
