SINGAPORE: Amid a competitive hiring climate, one Singaporean who received four job offers has shared useful job-hunting tips on Reddit for those still searching for work.
In a post on the r/singaporejobs forum, he began by sharing a brief account of his job-hunting journey before outlining his tips, writing:
“I am in the digital marketing space, seeking middle management roles, and I’ve gone for 3 interviews and received 4 offers,” he said, adding that in one of his interviews, a company offered him two roles.
“The interviewer was from the regional parent company, though I interviewed for a local-focused role. The interviewer brought up that there’s a role to fill in the regional office, and they see me as a good fit. Hence, I was offered the privilege to choose between an offer from the local company or the regional parent company.”
Having done better than he expected, he said, “I do believe my conversion rates are not exactly typical. I thought it would be good to share how I prepared for my job hunt in SG.”
Customise resumes
Resumes are crucial in getting one’s foot in the door. As such, the man prepared five different versions of this document, each carefully tailored to the roles he is vying for.
“I have one resume focusing on performance marketing, one for digital marketing, one for web and SEO, and so on. Employers give out a lot on what’s important to them in their job description, so I’d use the right resume.”
A report from Huntr, a job search company, supported the man’s approach. Based on an analysis of more than 59,000 resumes, it found that jobseekers who customised their resumes achieved a “5.75% conversion rate from application to interview or offer stage, compared to just 2.68% for those who did not have a tailored resume.”
This represents a 115% improvement in success rates.
In addition to customising his resume, the man said he made sure that his resume was “ATS (Applicant Tracking System)-compliant.”
“If your resume is made on Canva, chances are AI crawlers could not make out the contents. Hence, your resume wouldn’t survive the filtering. Use multiple online ATS tools to check the AI readability of your resume.”
Be more selective
Instead of going for the “spray and pray” method, where one applies to as many positions as possible and hopes something lands, the man said his job search was much more intentional.
He was “selective” in the roles he applied for and made sure his applications addressed all the key points listed in the employer’s requirements.
“I ensure I strike all points in the employer’s job description, and I’d have an even higher chance if the company were from the same industry as the one I’m currently with. Mass applying and not hearing back would naturally demoralise me.”
Schedule interviews strategically
The man said it also helped when he “scheduled his interviews closely together.”
He wrote, “Be open about interview stages with other employers. Once you have received the first offer letter, use it as a leverage of urgency in the interviews.”
“Tell them you’re dragging another offer, and you’ll need to revert within a week. You’ll probably hear back pretty soon. This method helps me get next-day offers from 2 final interviews.”
Focus on sounding ‘human and natural’
Contrary to what other professionals advise, the man said he avoided memorising his introduction, as he wanted to come across as “more natural and human.”
“I used to memorise my intro, but later on realised it made me sound too polished. Worst yet, if my flow is disrupted, I’ll find myself stuttering. So, be conversational.”
He also said he often gets anxious in the final 15 minutes before an interview. To manage this, he shared a simple trick: “What helped me was, as the interviewer enters the room, I would greet the interviewer and always ask for water. This helps create a time gap between the first contact and my introduction, allowing small talk, loosening, and anxiety to dissipate. It’s better than diving straight into intros directly.”
Do thorough research
The man shared that before the interview, he made it a point to do a thorough online search into the employer’s future plans and business direction. He then used this preparation during the interview itself by being proactive in bringing up the company’s long-term focus and clearly linking it to how he could contribute to those goals.
“This shows you’ve done homework, and they really like that. They always nod to it.”
He also mentioned that he looked up the interviewer’s LinkedIn profile a few days before the interview. “They can see that you visited, but that’s one point to show seriousness and preparedness. Go through their work history and bring it up whenever you can. Make interviewers talk about themselves; it’ll lead to a more relaxed and conversational session.”
Keep things concise
On presenting himself, he said he focused only on his most recent or relevant roles, keeping things concise. “They do not need my entire career history. I keep it short and sweet—matching jargon to the interviewer (revenue, lifetime value, etc. for directors / CAC, CRO, AOV for marketers).
Use visuals if possible
It also greatly helped when he brought with him an Ipad to showcase a series of slides regarding his past portfolio, charts, and measurable performance.
“It greatly increases credibility while helping to reduce any awkwardness as attention is diverted. An interview consisting of only verbal presentation can be underwhelming.”
At the end of his post, the man wrote a message to all jobseekers: “I hope the steps I covered aren’t too common nor generally practised by everyone. Nonetheless, I hope some of you may find my quick read useful and actionable. All the best in your search!”
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