SINGAPORE: Job hunting is already a nightmare for many locals, but one foreign graduate says it’s even brutal for her. On Reddit, she spilt that after more than six months of sending out applications and going through “countless” interviews, landing a job in Singapore now feels “nearly impossible.”
“I’m honestly at a breaking point. The job market is not easy for anyone right now, I know, but for me as a foreign graduate, it feels nearly impossible,” she wrote on the r/singaporejobs subreddit on Friday (Sept 26).
She explained that she often makes it all the way to the later stages of interviews, sometimes even receiving a verbal job offer, only for everything to fall apart once the subject of work passes comes up.
“[The moment I] explain that I need S Pass sponsorship, the response is almost always the same: ‘Unfortunately, we are not able to…’ and just like that, the opportunity disappears immediately,” she said.
What makes her situation even more painful, she wrote, is that unlike many foreign job seekers who arrive later in life, Singapore has been her home since she was a child. She first moved here in Primary 3 on a Student Pass and has spent most of her growing-up years in the city-state. “This has been home to me. I’ve been in Singapore for most of my life,” she said.
She also mentioned that she has gone through the local education system and worked part-time jobs in retail and F&B from as early as Secondary 3 to help with her daily expenses. Later, during her polytechnic years, she even took out student loans to fund her tuition.
Over time, she has built nearly two years of retail experience and additional stints in F&B, where she picked up valuable skills in customer service, teamwork, floor support, and handling the everyday challenges of frontline work. While fashion has always been her main passion, she has proven that she can adapt and work hard in different industries when circumstances demand it.
Today, she holds a Diploma in Apparel Design & Merchandising and is in Singapore on a Long-Term Visit Pass under the Graduate Scheme.
However, she explained that without work sponsorship and a stable income, she cannot move forward, establish a life, or even remain in the country.
“This is especially hard because I’ve grown up here. My classmates and peers (many of them Singaporeans) are moving on with their careers and stability, and I feel like I’m falling behind despite putting in the effort.”
“I don’t want to give up. Singapore is the only place I’ve known for so long, and I want to contribute here. But right now, I’m lost, and I really don’t know what else to do.”
Reaching out for advice, she asked the online community: “Does anyone know of fashion/retail or F&B brands that are open to sponsoring S Passes? Has anyone been through a similar situation as a foreign graduate and successfully transitioned into work here? Any advice, contacts, or even words of encouragement would mean a lot.”
“The industry in SG for your domain is quite small.”
Hoping to make her job search easier, many left advice in the comments.
One Singaporean Redditor suggested that she look into smaller companies and startups: “Startups are always looking for people with positive attitudes and some work experience. Reach out to the founders, check if they are looking for interns, and you can start with an internship to prove your ability.”
Another advised her to be upfront early in the process: “The industry in SG for your domain is quite small. You gotta filter companies out early by mentioning you need SPass sponsorship so that you won’t waste time going through all the interviews, then find out they can’t sponsor your pass.”
Meanwhile, a third shared a personal story that closely mirrored hers: “I have also lived in Singapore since I was 6 years old. Went through the whole system as well – studying, graduating from university, and now married. After months of searching and being let down, I realised it’ll be difficult to get a full-time job here. I chose a different route. I started applying for internships (THAT WAS EASY). I was getting accepted for every single internship. I managed to secure one in a large MNC, and got converted to a full-time role 5 months in. I suggest you try that out!”
In other news, a man earning over S$200,000 a year took to social media to share his frustrations about footing the bill on first dates, saying he refuses to pay alone if he feels the woman is simply using him for an ‘atas meals’ costing more than S$50.
Posting on the r/sgdatingscene forum on Thursday (Sept 25), the man recounted how he had invited a woman out for a casual coffee and meal, only for his date to order a “ton of good food” worth S$85.
While he admitted that he generally considers himself “generous”, he confessed he couldn’t shake off the feeling that he was being taken advantage of. This experience, he said, prompted him to set firmer boundaries when it comes to future dates.
