SINGAPORE: A lot of us walk into work pretending we’ve got everything under control. We act unbothered by impossible deadlines, toxic coworkers, and bosses who keep piling on more work. But the second we’re alone, all the stress we’ve been holding in comes pouring out.

Recently, one Singaporean woman confessed in a Reddit post that she’s been “crying every day” yet feels like she has no choice but to stay because of the dismal job market. 

The situation, she said, has been making her feel “super miserable.”

Having spent five years in the workforce, including two years at her current company, the woman said she never intended to aggressively climb the corporate ladder. In fact, she had already told her bosses that she was “happy in my current role and not looking to get promoted.” 

Despite this, she said new responsibilities continue being added to her workload, often without proper guidance or support.

“I have no proper support. Timelines are compressed, responsibilities are piling up. It’s making me super miserable, and I have to OT just to meet expectations. With the lack of support and constant scrutiny for screwing up in these new areas, I want to call it quits.”

“As much as I want to learn, it’s miserable to learn in such a manner. Is it wrong to just want the status quo for a year at least?” she wondered.

“Thank God I don’t have a looming BTO to pay for, but it doesn’t help that I don’t know when I’ll be employed next or whether I’ll have to work in the same industry again.”

The woman added that her colleagues are struggling just as much. “Everyone on the team is busy…. We are all in this together. I am seriously burnt out and lost. How do you all get through such days, and is this really the kind of economy where we can prioritise mental health?” she asked.

“The mental workload and suffering aren’t worth it.”

Her post struck a chord with many online users, who jumped in with messages of support and shared their own experiences to remind her she’s not alone in feeling this way.

One commenter wrote, “Are you me? Because I’m going through the same. Cry before work, during work, and while on my meal breaks, then back to the grind. I’m trying to find another job before leaving, but the market is cold.”

Another said, “Just to let you know that you’re not the only one feeling this way. I’m struggling and overloaded, and sometimes my tears just flowed while working. I’ve been sending resumes and praying I can leave this job ASAP. I know it can be difficult, but cheer up, and I hope that we can escape from this [job] soon!”

Some commenters, meanwhile, urged her to consider quitting for the sake of her mental health.

One told her, “Quit. The mental workload and suffering aren’t worth it, and it’s a vicious cycle because this affects how you think and plan your career/life with calmness and clarity.”

Another added, “If you can, just quit; else go home on time every day and have something to look forward to, like cooking or gaming. Don’t bother with the OT, take care of your own health first.”

In other news, a man has found himself in an unexpected dispute after his ex-fiancée insisted he reimburse her S$15,000 in cash for the CPF downpayment she lost when their BTO application was cancelled.

Hoping to find some guidance, he posted on the r/asksg subreddit on Tuesday (Apr 28). 

In his post, he explained that he had been in a relationship with his ex-fiancée for five years before they called off their wedding plans. He also noted that he had already returned her share of the wedding banquet and vendor expenses.

Read more: Man says ex-fiancée demanded S$15k after BTO cancellation: ‘She wants the downpayment back’

This article (‘I cry every day’: Worker says burnout and lack of support are taking a toll) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

SINGAPORE: A 27-year-old Singaporean says he’s now willing to accept a salary between S$2,500 and S$3,000 just to “get something on his resume.” It’s not exactly the dream, but at this point, he just wants to start somewhere.

In a social media post, he shared that he graduated in 2023 and, somehow, is still without a full-time job today, unlike many of his peers who have already moved on and settled into their careers. Watching that happen from the sidelines has not been easy.

“I get jealous seeing my friends,” he admitted. “Is anyone else going through the same thing? Fellow Singaporeans, do you think the job market is pretty bad?”

He was quick to stress that he hasn’t been “picky.” In fact, he said he has been applying to “everything and anything related” to his field of study, casting his net as wide as possible. Unfortunately, nothing has stuck.

“I either get a call and then get ghosted, or I don’t hear back from the company at all,” he said. “I get one to four interviews every month, and it’s getting frustrating.”

Still, despite everything, he said he’s thankful to have some income coming in from helping with the family business and running a small home-based bakery on the side.

Expert says Gen Z applicants need better resumes

The state of the job market for Gen Z has been talked about loads online. Endless articles have been churned out, and there’s a steady stream of job seekers on local forums laying it all bare, admitting just how much the whole ordeal has messed with their mental health. 

At the same time, there’s been plenty of chatter about how younger people are quietly abandoning the traditional career path their parents swore by and drifting towards the gig economy instead.

Still, while some have more or less thrown their hands up and resigned themselves to never finding stable work, others are still stubbornly pushing on, CV in hand, hoping for the best.

Which then leaves the slightly exhausting question: how do you actually stand out in all this chaos?

Jeannie Kim, a former vice president of content at Policygenius, digital executive, and journalist, shared in a CNBC article that she’s reviewed over 1,000 resumes. Drawing from that experience, she offered a few practical bits of advice for job seekers trying to make theirs stand out:

Be specific

Instead of just listing tasks or responsibilities from internships, Kim says job seekers should go a step further and include actual results from their work, ideally with numbers.

She encourages them to talk about the “impact” they’ve had in the organisations they’ve worked in.

Tailor your resume

Kim advises job seekers to stop sending the same CV to every job and instead tailor it for each role. 

This means tweaking your resume so your skills and experience match what the job is actually looking for.

Be concise

Kim also says it’s important not to go overboard. Jobseekers, she explains, should focus on including only relevant information tied to the role and highlighting “their biggest achievement.”

Read also: ‘She wants me to pay for the whole house and lifestyle’: Man questions girlfriend’s intentions

This article (‘It’s getting frustrating’: Jobseeker says he’ll take S$2.5-S$3k pay just to ‘get something on his resume’) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.