SINGAPORE: Imagine showing up to a new job, ready to take on the role you interviewed for, only to realise by Day Two that you have somehow signed up for something completely different. That is exactly what happened to one Singaporean employee, who says he is already “losing it” just 48 hours into the job.
In a post on r/askSingapore on Tuesday (Feb 10), he explained, “I accepted the offer based on a specific job description, but now that I’m here, they’ve completely switched my role to something I never wanted to do and something I’ve always avoided.”
To make matters worse, the responsibilities he was originally told he would handle are currently being managed by another colleague. “I’m basically doing a totally different role than what was advertised and interviewed for,” he said. “It feels super misleading.”
The employee went on to share that he is now seriously considering making a swift exit. “I have a 2-week notice period for probation. Since CNY is coming up, I was thinking about taking the holiday week (19-20 too) and then using MC to fill up the rest of the week so I don’t have to go back. I’m getting a massive headache just thinking about this.”
Unsure about the consequences, he turned to other locals for advice. “Is it okay to just leave? Is it considered rude, or will I get blacklisted for this? I feel like they lied to me about the role, so I don’t really want to stay at all.”
“I feel like it’s better to leave early.”
In the comments, many readers urged the employee to leave the company immediately.
One shared a cautionary tale from personal experience, writing, “Yes. Cut losses while it’s still early. I’ve learnt it the hard way—I fell for the bait and switch because of a 20% higher salary, but now I’m stuck in a miserable role and can’t get out without going jobless or starting over from a fresh grad salary despite having 6 years of experience. I will happily take a 50-60% pay cut, but no employers will take me.”
Another commenter agreed, saying, “Yes, it’s okay to leave quickly if you feel like the job scope doesn’t suit you. Personally, I feel like it’s better to leave early than to stay on and drag because they spend time training you.”
A third remarked, “Of course! The probation is also for you to see if you are a fit, not just for the company to evaluate you.”
A fourth assured him, “Don’t be guilty. In my company before, I’ve had colleagues who left after 4 days, a week, 2 weeks, and a month.”
Some, however, suggested handling the situation formally by submitting a resignation and serving a notice period. One wrote, “Just tender with the resignation letter, indicate your last day, and leave. At least your notice period isn’t long, and the chances of you landing another job are higher.”
In other news, a computer science graduate has turned to Reddit to crowdsource insights on how other job seekers are coping in today’s job market.
In a post shared on Tuesday (Feb 3), the graduate opened up about his own struggles, saying he has been searching for work for the past eight months. During two of those months, he said he did not receive a single response from employers, describing the experience as “pure radio silence.”
