Starting earlier, searching longer: How the first-job hunt has changed

As preparations for working life start earlier and career paths become less linear, young Singaporeans and parents share their perspectives on the transition from school to work

Fresh graduates today are entering a job market where the path from application to offer can feel harder to read.

Published Sep 09, 2026, 04:00 AM

For many students today, the pressure to get their first job “right” starts long before they send out an application.

There are internships to secure, skills to build and, before any of that, a more fundamental question: What path should they choose?

For 20-year-old Chloe Lim, the answer is not always clear. Having more options can also bring uncertainty over which path is right for her. Her friends, who come from different educational backgrounds – some creative and artistic, others more science-driven – are also taking time to figure out where they fit.

Chloe, who was among several young Singaporeans who spoke to F ZINE about career pressure , observes that her parents’ generation seemed to have a more straightforward path into work, with clearer expectations of what counted as a “good” office job.

But when parents and their children have different ideas of what starting a career should look like, it can be hard to understand each other’s experiences.

Roshini Kumaravelu, 25, who works in tech consulting, says this gap in understanding can be frustrating.

“I think for my parents, in their time, it was: you apply for three jobs, you get one out of the three, and then you just go to work.

“So if you tell them ‘I sent 100 applications and didn’t get a job’, they think something is wrong with your approach and don’t necessarily question the system,” she says.

How much the job hunt has changed became clear to Neeta Vendargon when her son, Philip, began applying for jobs 10 months before graduation – a timeline she initially thought was too early.

Despite graduating with a business degree and completing four internships, Philip eventually sent close to 200 applications before landing his first role as a compliance associate. Many of those applications disappeared into silence, with companies often not replying at all – not even with a rejection.

“Now that I’ve seen how things have unfolded, I didn’t realise the process from application to offer would take so long,” says Mrs Vendargon.

A career coach at the Skills and Workforce Development Agency (SWDA) says fresh graduates can find the job search particularly frustrating when they encounter entry-level roles that ask for experience they have yet to build.

He adds that coming from a structured school environment where there is often a clearer link between effort and results, adjusting to the uncertainty of a job search can take time.

(Clockwise from top left) Chloe Lim, Philip Vendargon, Annabel Yee and Roshini Kumaravelu were among the Gen Zs who spoke to publication F ZINE about career pressure, job hunting and the transition from school to work. PHOTOS: SPH MEDIA

(Clockwise from top left) Chloe Lim, Philip Vendargon, Annabel Yee and Roshini Kumaravelu were among the Gen Zs who spoke to publication F ZINE about career pressure, job hunting and the transition from school to work.

The pressure starts earlier

That lack of structure can make young jobseekers wonder if they are falling behind. This is why generic advice such as “just apply for more jobs” may not fully capture what they are facing.

Family expectations and comparison with peers on social media can add to the anxiety. But for some young people, the pressure also comes from within.

Annabel Yee, a 20-year-old student, says: “I feel like I have to achieve a certain thing at a certain age, such as finding internships and a career, and then be able to achieve the financial goals I want.

“And with social media, it’s very common for us to feel like we have to compare ourselves with other people.”

That pressure is also changing how young people prepare for work, even before they enter the full-time job market .

For John Swee, whose son Timothy is still in university, the shift is visible. Timothy is on his second internship and will be deferring a term to complete it, which means he will graduate later.

John initially questioned his son’s decision, feeling that completing his degree first would have been a better choice. The retiree says, “We used to build our CVs on full-time jobs.

“However, the current generation seems to build their resumes based on internships accumulated while they are studying, and even way before graduation.”

After learning that many of Timothy’s peers were making similar choices, he realised how much the career and job-search landscape for graduates had changed. He adds: “Ultimately, what matters is finding what is purposeful for the individual and enjoying the journey.”

The first job won’t be the last

For many young people, career preparations now begin earlier, take longer and involve more trial and error. Still, the answer is not necessarily to lower expectations but to rethink what a “good” start looks like.

Says the SWDA career coach: “The biggest misconception is that career planning is an action they do once, get it right and then execute. It rarely works that way. Careers are built through iteration and experience. You can try something, learn from it, pick up new skills along the way, adjust your plans and grow from there.”

For instance, this could mean embarking on a traineeship, a contract role or an industrial attachment (See below: Resources to help fresh graduates take the next step) . These can serve as stepping stones to gain work experience, build confidence and explore an industry without the pressure of a long-term commitment. They can also help young people build transferable skills and expand their professional networks.

After all, the career coach says, a first job is unlikely to be the last. And even if a job turns out not to be the right fit, the experience can help young people better understand their strengths, interests and the kind of work environment in which they thrive.

Fresh graduates who are unsure about their next step can also seek structured support from a career coach to explore their options, identify their strengths and navigate their job search.

The career coach advises: “The key is to stay curious, recognise the skills you already have and keep building on them while keeping an eye on how opportunities and skills needs are changing in the job market. Don’t let a setback define what comes next.”

Resources to help fresh graduates take the next step

Formed through the merger of Workforce Singapore and SkillsFuture Singapore, the Skills and Workforce Development Agency (SWDA) brings jobs and skills support together to help Singaporeans take charge of their careers, keep learning and grow in fulfilling roles.

For young Singaporeans who are unsure where to begin, SWDA offers resources, programmes and guidance to help them take the next step from school to work.

Get advice from industry professionals Polaris by VCA connects graduating students and recent graduates with Volunteer Career Advisors – experienced industry professionals who can offer sector-specific insights and practical one-to-one guidance as they explore their career options.

Build experience while you explore The GRaduate Industry Traineeships (GRIT) programme offers three to six-month traineeships for graduates to gain hands-on experience, develop workplace skills and explore different career paths while building their professional networks.

Learn on the job Through the SkillsFuture Work-Study programmes , eligible ITE and Polytechnic graduates can deepen the skills and knowledge acquired in school while gaining practical workplace experience. These programmes combine structured learning with on-the-job training to prepare them for suitable job roles.

Visit SWDA’s page for more resources and support to explore your career options, build your skills and navigate your job search .

随着人们更早开始为工作生活做准备，职业道路也变得不再那么线性，新加坡的年轻人和家长们分享了他们对从学校到职场过渡的看法。

如今的应届毕业生进入就业市场时，从申请职位到获得录用通知的路径可能更难以预测。

发布于 2026 年 9 月 9 日 上午 4:00

对于当今许多学生来说，找到第一份工作的压力，早在他们发出求职申请之前就已经开始了。

他们需要获得实习机会，培养技能，但在此之前，还有一个更根本的问题：他们应该选择哪条道路？

对于20岁的克洛伊·林来说，答案并不总是那么清晰。拥有更多选择也可能让她感到迷茫，不知哪条路才真正适合自己。她的朋友们来自不同的教育背景——有的富有创造力和艺术天赋，有的则更偏向科学——她们也都在花时间寻找自己的定位。

Chloe是接受F ZINE采访，谈论职业压力的几位新加坡年轻人之一。她观察到，她父母那一代人似乎有一条更直接的就业道路，对一份“好”的办公室工作有更明确的期望。

但是，当父母和子女对职业生涯的开始有不同的看法时，就很难理解彼此的经历。

25 岁的罗希尼·库马拉维鲁 (Roshini Kumaravelu) 在科技咨询行业工作，她说这种理解上的差距令人沮丧。

“我认为对于我的父母来说，在他们那个年代，情况是这样的：你申请三份工作，得到其中一份，然后你就去上班。

“所以，如果你告诉他们‘我投递了 100 份简历，但都没找到工作’，他们会认为你的方法有问题，但不一定会质疑制度，”她说。

妮塔·文达贡的儿子菲利普在毕业前 10 个月就开始申请工作，这让她清楚地意识到求职方式发生了多大的变化——她最初认为这个时间点太早了。

尽管菲利普拥有商科学位并完成了四次实习，但他最终还是投递了近200份简历才找到第一份合规专员的工作。许多简历都石沉大海，公司往往根本不回复——甚至连拒绝信都没有。

“现在我才知道事情的进展，我没想到从申请到收到录取通知书的过程会这么漫长，”Vendargon 女士说。

技能和劳动力发展署 (SWDA) 的一位职业教练表示，应届毕业生在求职过程中可能会感到特别沮丧，因为他们遇到的入门级职位要求应聘者具备他们尚未积累的经验。

他还补充说，由于来自一个结构化的学校环境，在那里努力和结果之间通常有更明确的联系，因此适应求职的不确定性可能需要一些时间。

（从左上角顺时针方向）Chloe Lim、Philip Vendargon、Annabel Yee 和 Roshini Kumaravelu 等 Z 世代人士接受了 F ZINE 杂志的采访，畅谈了职业压力、求职以及从学校到职场的过渡。图片：SPH MEDIA

（从左上角顺时针方向）Chloe Lim、Philip Vendargon、Annabel Yee 和 Roshini Kumaravelu 等 Z 世代人士接受了 F ZINE 杂志的采访，谈到了职业压力、求职以及从学校到工作的过渡。

压力来得更早了。

这种缺乏系统性的求职方式会让年轻的求职者怀疑自己是否落后于人。因此，诸如“多申请工作”之类的泛泛建议可能无法完全解决他们面临的困境。

家庭的期望以及在社交媒体上与同龄人的比较都会加剧焦虑。但对一些年轻人来说，压力也来自内心。

20岁的学生Annabel Yee说：“我觉得我必须在某个年龄取得某些成就，比如找到实习机会和职业，然后才能实现我想要的财务目标。

“在社交媒体上，我们常常会感到需要与他人比较。”

这种压力也在改变年轻人为工作做准备的方式，甚至在他们进入全职就业市场之前就开始了。

对于儿子蒂莫西还在上大学的约翰·斯威来说，这种变化显而易见。蒂莫西正在进行第二次实习，为了完成实习，他将休学一个学期，这意味着他将晚些毕业。

约翰最初对儿子的决定表示质疑，认为先完成学业会是更好的选择。这位退休人士说：“我们过去常常通过全职工作来积累简历。”

“然而，现在的年轻人似乎更倾向于根据他们在学习期间，甚至在毕业之前积累的实习经历来构建他们的简历。”

得知许多同龄人都做出了类似的选择后，蒂莫西意识到毕业生的职业发展和求职环境发生了多么大的变化。他补充道：“归根结底，重要的是找到对个人有意义的事情，并享受这个过程。”

第一份工作不会是最后一份工作

对许多年轻人来说，职业规划现在开始得更早，耗时更长，也需要经历更多尝试和失败。然而，解决之道并非降低期望值，而是重新思考“好的”开端究竟是什么样的。

SWDA职业教练表示：“最大的误解是，职业规划是一次性完成，确保万无一失后就可以执行。但事实并非如此。职业生涯是通过不断迭代和经验积累而建立起来的。你可以尝试一些事情，从中学习，在此过程中掌握新技能，调整计划，并在此基础上不断成长。”

例如，这可能意味着参加实习、合同工或企业实习（参见下文：帮助应届毕业生迈向下一步的资源）。这些机会可以作为积累工作经验、建立自信和探索行业的跳板，而无需承担长期承诺的压力。它们还可以帮助年轻人培养可迁移技能并拓展职业人脉。

毕竟，职业顾问指出，第一份工作不太可能是最后一份。即使最终发现这份工作并不适合自己，这段经历也能帮助年轻人更好地了解自身的优势、兴趣以及最适合自己的工作环境。

对于不确定下一步该怎么走的应届毕业生，也可以向职业教练寻求结构化的帮助，探索各种选择，发现自身优势，并指导求职过程。

职业教练建议：“关键在于保持好奇心，认识到自己已有的技能并不断提升，同时密切关注就业市场的机会和技能需求变化。不要让一次挫折决定你未来的方向。”

帮助应届毕业生迈向下一步的资源

新加坡技能与劳动力发展局（SWDA）由新加坡劳动力发展局和新加坡技能创前程局合并而成，致力于将就业和技能支持结合起来，帮助新加坡人掌控自己的职业生涯，不断学习，并在有意义的岗位上成长。

对于不确定从哪里开始的新加坡年轻人，SWDA 提供资源、课程和指导，帮助他们从学校过渡到工作。

VCA 旗下的 Polaris 项目将应届毕业生和近期毕业生与志愿者职业顾问联系起来，这些经验丰富的行业专业人士可以提供特定行业的见解和一对一的实用指导，帮助他们探索职业选择。

在探索的同时积累经验。研究生行业实习计划 (GRIT) 为毕业生提供三到六个月的实习机会，让他们获得实践经验，培养工作技能，探索不同的职业道路，同时建立专业人脉。

通过“技能创前程工作学习计划”，符合条件的工艺教育学院（ITE）和理工学院毕业生可以在工作中学习，加深在校期间所学的技能和知识，同时获得实际的工作经验。这些计划将结构化学习与在职培训相结合，帮助他们为合适的岗位做好准备。

访问SWDA的页面，获取更多资源和支持，以探索您的职业选择、提升您的技能并指导您的求职过程。