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Photo: Vecteezy/Manop Phimsit (for illustration purposes only)
Stressed Asian man
SINGAPORE: A 30-year-old Singaporean has shared online that he feels “dejected” about his career, saying that even with both a polytechnic diploma and a university degree, he has not been able to land a job that pays reasonably well.
In a post on the r/singaporejobs forum, the man said he is currently employed in a casual hospital role through an external vendor, supplementing his income with freelance work to make ends meet. He had briefly taken on a team lead position during his first month, but voluntarily stepped down, explaining that the stress did not justify the S$2,300 monthly salary.
He added that the role offered “only seven days of annual leave,” which left him feeling drained and undervalued. “It demanded so much from me for so little in return,” he wrote, admitting that he feels “disappointed” in himself.
To earn more, he now works six to seven days a week, which he described as “exhausting” but necessary to stay afloat.
Looking back on his work history, the man said he started out in customer service, staying two years at one firm, his longest stint, where he earned S$2,600.
Although he liked his colleagues there, he eventually quit due to burnout from constant overtime while also completing his part-time degree at SUSS.
After that, he took a year of part-time work to recover. The following year, after getting married, he secured a contract role as a sales analyst paying S$3,000.
However, he chose not to renew it, as he realised he didn’t like “sales-related stuff.” He then tried running a small business and pursuing creative work, but neither panned out.
After collecting his BTO keys in 2023, he picked up freelance work as an independent contractor, a role he still holds, but said the income is low and comes with no CPF contributions.
He kept searching for a more stable job during this time, yet only landed three interviews where “one was rejected, one ghosted, another was a scam.”
The turning point came late last year when he realised his CPF savings had dropped to a worrying level and he had to extend his HDB loan to 25 years. That prompted him to apply for jobs “maniacally,” which eventually led him to his current hospital role.
Feeling discouraged, he asked fellow Singaporeans for advice and perspective:
“I wonder if there is any hope for me. My mind has been spiralling, and sometimes, it goes really dark. I just actually want a simple life raising chickens and gardening, but we can’t have that in SG can we?”
“Right now my last glimmer of hope is being able to secure a role directly under the hospital through a mutual friend. If I don’t get this role, then I really don’t know what to do.”
‘You need structure more than anything’
The man’s post drew some rather blunt responses from fellow Singaporeans, with several pointing out that having a degree was no longer a guarantee of a comfortable salary.
Some also felt he needed to settle on a career direction rather than continue searching for a job that offered both good pay and minimal stress.
One said, “I think you have some grand idea that you’ll have some dream job that aligns with everything in your life, but sadly that is not how reality works. At this point it looks like you need structure more than anything. I would try to sign on if I were you; at least pay is really decent with guaranteed bonuses.”
Another user commented, “So what it sounds like is, you want a higher-paying job but don’t want the stress. Seems like you were given the chance to lead, but you decided to step down due to stress.”
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“Without a proven track record, I’m sad to say nobody will pay you big bucks to lead. Furthermore, your CV will look super fickle-minded, as you don’t seem to know what you want to do and focus on.”
A third shared that he was somewhat going through the same thing, albeit in his case, he’s got a child to think of.
“I am in my mid-30s, in a part-time job currently since Aug 2026 to make ends meet, and have been unemployed since Jan 2026, after leaving a stressful sales job and having a kid. I am lost in life currently too. At least, you have no childcare commitment. Still can slowly think about what you really want to do in life.”
“I am also currently trying to figure out my life, as going back to my sales job is impossible with a child; I cannot afford to commit as many hours as before having kids to chiong sales, hence not feasible. Jiayou OP, things will get better for you.”/TISG
Read also: ‘Study, get a job, buy a house’ : Singaporeans reveal what they once accepted as normal but later realised was stressful
