SINGAPORE: Fresh graduates typically begin applying for positions once they finish university, although some start the process even earlier, putting in applications well before graduation. Given the increasingly competitive job market and drawn-out hiring procedures, many feel it is wise to get a head start.
However, one student who is due to graduate next month shared on Reddit that he plans to take a different route. Rather than entering the workforce straight away, he has decided to take a break.
In his post on the r/askSingapore forum, he explained that he had already attended interviews through school-organised career fairs and walk-in sessions, where companies came directly to campus. He even received job offers with starting salaries of S$4,000 and S$4,200. Despite this, he chose to turn both down.
“After studying for 17-18 years, I believe I deserve a 1-year break before working,” he said.
“I saved S$80-90k over my years as an NSF and at university by making small investments, rolling the money, and working. Not really parents’ money, as over the 6 years, the money I got from them would amount to only about S$20-30k. I have set aside about 50k purely for solo travelling for the next 1 year.”
Still, even with his plans carefully mapped out, he remains unsure whether the decision could backfire. He asked others online whether taking a gap year is common among university graduates and if it might reduce his chances of securing a job later compared to applying during his final year.
“Does gap year put me at a disadvantage for finding a job?” he asked, adding, “Initially, I thought it was normal that many took breaks. But over time, I saw that none of my peers around me are taking a break and that job offers don’t come easy(?) On top of that, with a gap year, will employers think I am lazy?”
“I doubt a gap year will put you at a disadvantage.”
Commenters quickly chimed in with their views, with many telling him that taking a gap year is completely fine.
One person said that, as someone who has hired people at different seniority levels, it would not bother them at all. They added, “I’d view it as a positive that a young Singaporean had been more independent. Many people I’ve hired at the graduate level were extremely well educated and very smart but lacked any self-reliance in any real way.”
Another commenter said they would actually be more inclined to hire him. “Dude, I would actually hire you because you are different,” they wrote. “You saved up for the 1-year trip (which says a lot about your attitude and discipline), and you dared to do something different.”
A third explained, “I doubt a gap year will put you at a disadvantage. You just need to come up with a compelling narrative to explain the gap year. You can even frame your experiences to your advantage by highlighting your planning, soft skills, self-driven curiosity, learnings, etc.”
However, not everyone agreed. Some were more sceptical and felt it could hurt his chances. One commenter said, “To hiring managers, you will be less desirable since you are not a fresh grad, so better have a better CV than the next batch you are competing with.”
Another remarked, “The job market now is bad (and who’s to say for next year), so you may be disadvantaged in that sense.”
In other news, a software engineer took to social media to share that he’s considering leaving his S$3,500-paying job after his company failed to deliver a promised salary increase.
On Friday (Feb 27), he posted on the r/singaporejobs subreddit, explaining: “I recently completed my part-time computing degree at NTU, but I did not receive the promised salary increment due to budget constraints. I have 3 years of experience as a software engineer, and I feel completely undervalued and misled, and I am seriously considering leaving.”
Read more: Software engineer considers leaving S$3.5K job after company fails to deliver promised salary increase
