These days jobs are hard to come by… even for someone with a GPA of 4.72/5 like myself. My CV isn’t that bad, with a mix of relatively good CCA records and track record in a business startup. I applied to probably a dozen places already, but only got one single interview and either got rejected or never heard back from the rest.
I kinda gave up seriously looking from last December, because I know I am just not going to get lucky – all the good jobs would probably be offered to candidates who have previously interned with the companies or those with good connections. From time to time I do scan web sites of firms like the banks, big three audit firms and other big names but there just aren’t any openings.
Of course it didn’t really helped that I applied to all the major banks which are the worst-hit by the ongoing economic crisis. Actually, I don’t really know what to apply for… but here’s a rough guide of what I am looking for:
1. A company that is one of the top players globally in its industry
2. Non-technical positions in IT (e.g. IT strategy planning, IT audit, E-Marketing, management trainee roles, etc)
3. Competitive salary (e.g. hopefully not at ‘recession rates’)
4. Opportunities to (eventually) work outside Singapore
Perhaps some people might think that I am having too unrealistic expectations in such uncertain times, and that I should just settle for any job that comes along. But I have my reasons for having those criteria:
1. I slogged through 3 years of polytechnic education, graduating amongst the top 5%; and am in my 3rd and last year of slogging it through university to hopefully get a first-class honours degree. If I am going to settle for a career in some average company then my efforts in school would be wasted. I might as well have relaxed through the 6 years of tertiary education if I am just looking for an average job, right?
2. Some people have suggested to me that I just take any job offer that comes along, and then when the economy improves I can apply to join a better firm. As I understand it, top companies look at your previous employment when deciding whether to make an offer – I might not be able to join a good firm later on if I start off in a lower one. Putting it in another way – I believe that it is easier and better to move from top-down rather than from bottom-up.
3. I am looking to join a firm with international presence because of my life goals – to eventually migrate from Singapore. It would be easier to seek an internal posting. Of course, I don’t mind starting my career in another country too.
4. I hope to work in a management or professional, non-technical IT role because I know my strengths are not in programming or systems development work but in planning, analyzing and stuff like that. No point climbing up the wrong ladder and taking up a development job only to waste time and change career track later when I know what exactly I want.
I am thinking of waiting out the crisis to get a good job in a good firm… but wonder how long it would be before the better firms start to recruit again. Sure, many of them are still accepting applications on their career web sites right now, but how many people are actually receiving offers? Given my CV, I can’t even get short listed for an interview with them. It makes me wonder if they are just indiscriminately rejecting all applications but putting on a false front to say that they are still recruiting, so that the market will not panic that much.
I suppose waiting out is certainly an option for me because I am lucky in that my family don’t need my financial contributions and I have no financial obligations (e.g. debt) to pay off. The dilemma I am facing is that waiting out would disrupt my 6-year career and life plans. I ain’t getting any younger and I really hope to get started on a good career, start a family and move on in life as soon as possible.
It’s really tough luck to be graduating at this time… I know I am probably better off than many of my counterparts already since I don’t have tuition fee loans to pay off or other financial obligations, plus with my CV I probably can have better luck on the job market than average graduates. But then, nobody is really any better off during a recession isn’t it?
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Have you consider applying for overseas companies such as those in the region? Or international companies based in other countries.
Sure I have, but the problem is many aren’t hiring, or I get rejected outright – I suspect in times like these even the biggest names won’t want to hire on expat terms unecessarily (e.g. for fresh grads) and rather take their local graduates.
Bad times indeed. A look at Ebay and it’s affiliated companies’ recruitment sites show that few positions are available anywhere despite the company size. Same thing for the major audit firms regardless of the office location.
Dear mrbiao, I graduated during 2001 and 2002 both periods where the job market is extremely soft and the economy is badly affected by the SARS outbreak. I think I can empathize with your current situation. The reality on the ground is that firms are very selective in their hiring and they currently have a slew of candidates to pick from.
If you would allow me, I offer the following advise:
a. Lower your expectations and take your first job as a chance to learn and experience working life. You may be surprised that your interests and strengths may lie outside of the jobs you had originally preferred.
b. Propose to start as an intern.
c. Take up a course or activity in the meantime to show that you are actively pursuing your interests. This will give you a slight advantage over your peers when the employers are making a decision.
d. Be positive and keep your head up
I was never a bright student in university and did not graduate with the most sterling results. However, I understood that to stand out amongst my peers, I had to be different from them. To be different, I had just to be myself and pursue my interests. Pursue my interests I did, eventually I got the opportunity to represent the state in a sporting event. This experience rather than my results opened quite a few doors for me.
Happy job hunting!
Hi eaststopper
Thanks for the advice… yup I am actually thinking of taking up some short courses especially management or language ones – I think that would prepare me well to face potential employers when they start to hire again.
Actually, my plan is to take up a temp job as a research assistant in the university if I can’t get a good job – it should pay pretty well, and I think it also gives me an opportunity to really consider if I want to do a PhD in future.
It’s really my hope that I can eventually do something I like (actually, who doesn’t want that)… but you are right – how do I know what I like when I haven’t really gone out to try different things?
But I really hope I will be lucky enough to be able to settle down into a long term career that I like without job hopping for too long, I’m thinking along the lines of, roughing it out for the first few years, get to a reasonable position (and salary level), then decide where to move on from there.
I suppose this is a tough time for everybody… Thanks for the well wishes, I hope you’ll do well in your endeavours too!
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