Entering the job market today can feel overwhelming and intimidating, especially when rejection, ghosting, and uncertainty seem to be part of the process and the norm.
At the Youth Career Dialogue organised by Workforce Singapore (WSG), RICE Media, and Mediacorp’s You Got Watch, five speakers came together to unpack these challenges in an evening themed “Between Rejection & Reinvention.” Together, they offered insights to young Singaporeans who are trying to make sense of a job market that can sometimes feel stacked against them.
The panel featured Janice Foo (Director, Career Guidance Division, WSG), Julian Wong (Co-founder, RICE Media), Gerald Tan (Projects Director, Avodah People Solution), and Teresa Liew (Busker, @treezdoingthings on TikTok), alongside host Nicholas Yeam (Content Creator, The Hop Pod), each offering unique perspectives shaped by their personal experiences and industry insights.
From their candid stories emerged seven valuable lessons that you can carry into your job search to navigate this journey with greater confidence.
1) Good grades don’t guarantee employment
One of the biggest misconceptions is believing that academic results automatically translate to career success. Janice makes it clear: while good grades may open doors, it’s your adaptability, attitude, and willingness to learn that truly set you apart from the rest. In a nutshell, your character and attitude matter more than your GPA.
Janice also shares how today’s career paths are no longer linear. Beyond full-time roles, there are internships, volunteering opportunities, traineeships, and project-based work that you can explore to give you the qualities and experiences that matter more than any certificate.
2) Recalibrate your expectations before rushing ahead
The transition from school to work can be jarring. According to Julian, you may feel lost as you enter the market. Suddenly, you’re faced with competing narratives — what you see online, what you compare yourself against, and what others advise you to do. This overload often causes paralysis, a fear of making the “wrong” choice.
Gerald adds that one of the most helpful things you can do is to pause and zoom out. Instead of fixating on what’s not working or what others seem to be achieving, taking a step back allows you to see the bigger picture of your own journey. He notes that comparison is constant — students from non-top universities feel they must work harder, while those from the top schools still worry they’re not good enough compared to what they see in the market.
This is where you need to ask yourself: Are my expectations aligned with reality? Or are they shaped by pressures from others?
By reassessing this, you begin a necessary recalculation process, like a GPS rerouting. This takes time, and what matters is being intentional with it:
- Use this phase to explore alternatives
- Pick up experiences that stretch your mind and skills
- Seek help from people who can guide you without adding pressure
3) Non-traditional pathways can build transferable skills
When asked whether part-time jobs or freelance gigs unrelated to your degree matter on your resume, Gerald explains that they absolutely can if you approach and position them strategically.
Every experience helps you build new or transferable skills. For instance, you might develop customer service abilities, problem-solving skills, operational know-how, or even gain meaningful stories that connect you to your desired job.
“What made you choose this retail job, even though you studied computer science? What did you learn? If employers see tenacity and clarity in what you want, they’re more likely to go with you. What they don’t want is someone trying too hard to cover gaps,” Gerald explains.
He adds that research shows that a person’s vocational maturity only develops five to seven years after entering the workforce, and encourages you to treat this initial phase as a period of exploration and growth.
4) A strong resume is simple, clear, and fast to read
Recruiters spend an average of 6 to 10 seconds deciding whether to keep reading your resume. The consensus is clear: clarity beats creativity. A resume isn’t an art project. It’s a document meant to be understood quickly, and you should make that the priority. Here are tips the panel recommends:
- Refresh your resume frequently
- Stick to clean and neat formatting
- Avoid bright colours or distracting layouts
- Use bullet points that clearly show your responsibilities and impact
- Include numbers to help employers understand the scale of your work
- Study the resume formats of friends who are in roles you want and model yours after what works
- Get someone to review your resume
5) Prepare, practise, and show up for interviews with the right mindset
Teresa emphasises the power of preparation, especially when it comes to common questions. You should memorise answers to the top five to ten interview questions so you can deliver them naturally and confidently — particularly because recruiter calls can come unexpectedly. She also recommends mapping your experiences into four key behavioural categories, with strong stories for each:
- Handling failure
- Leadership
- Stakeholder management
- Workflow prioritisation
But preparing what you want to say isn’t enough. You also need to practise how you say it to ensure your key points don’t get jumbled under pressure. Janice highlights the value of rehearsing out loud and checking your body language in front of a mirror.
Practising with family members, friends, anyone willing to role-play an interviewer is also useful, Gerlad adds, for human interaction can help your responses become more natural and authentic.
Finally, Julian reminds you that interviews are a two-way evaluation — you’re also deciding if the company is right for you. Come prepared with questions about the role, the team’s expectations, and how success is defined. This not only shows your interest but also helps you understand whether the job is genuinely a good fit for your values and long-term goals. And if you don’t know the answer to a question? That’s okay. Julian recommends explaining your thought process instead.
6) Connections aren’t about name-dropping
Networking can feel intimidating because it sounds like something reserved for people “in the know.” Janice reframes it: connections are simply people who can help you learn what a job is really like and offer advice about entering an industry.
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WSG’s Volunteer Career Advisors (VCA) are also a powerful resource if you want real insights into different sectors. “Reaching out to career coaches is also a form of connection,” Janice adds, “Because they’ve worked with many job seekers and can share what’s helped others like you.”
7) Your job does not define your identity
Gerald points to the example of a man who got retrenched after serving a company for decades, only to continue driving to his former workplace every day for months, sitting in the car park. It is a heartbreaking reminder of how easy it is to let your identity become tied to your job.
Gerald stresses that while work can be part of who you are, it should never be the whole story. Job titles are temporary labels — they are not permanent markers of your worth. He encourages you to anchor your identity across three states: the present, the past, and the future:
- In the present, remember that you are more than your job. You’re a friend, a sibling, a person with skills and value beyond employment.
- Looking to the past helps you reconnect with the interests and motivations that have shaped your choices so far.
- Linking these to the future lets you chart a direction based on self-understanding rather than fear.
Your career is a journey, not a race
In a tough job search, remember that it’s not always about being more qualified. Sometimes, it’s simply about enduring the wait. As Teresa shares, caring for yourself, rebuilding your confidence in small ways, and giving yourself permission to rest can make all the difference!
At the same time, Janice reminds you to stay open and adaptable. Being willing to explore adjacent roles, pick up new skills, and recognise the value of your transferable strengths can open doors you may not have once considered.
Finally, Julian highlights one of the most powerful yet overlooked career tools: building genuine relationships to form your network. “Your network is what will surface opportunities to you. And this is what I’m learning now, which is that you really don’t know how the dots will connect,” he shares, and advises you to start cultivating those connections now, in your own way.
Remember, a bad market does not define your worth or potential. Keep learning, keep growing, and keep believing in the value you can bring.
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