‘50 applications, 10 interviews, but no offer’: Singapore worker says job hunting feels harder than before COVID

In Singapore, a finance professional who has applied for at least 50 jobs and attended 10 initial interviews expressed her frustration with the current job market. She began her search for a new role in April, following a promotion and increment denial this year, which she attributed to her manager's favoritism. On an online forum, she shared her disappointment that even when she received an interview, it often ended without an offer.

For example, she mentioned an interview that was canceled at the last minute and only told the news one month later that the position had been filled. She also highlighted that the hiring manager had asked to meet three days later, but she delayed the meeting due to her leave schedule. Furthermore, she noted that some recruiters would stop following up after sending her profile to hiring teams, leaving her without updates even after politely requesting them.

Concerned about her variable bonus timing, she remarked that by the time she received a realistic job offer, it would coincide with her next bonus period, forcing her to restart the process from scratch. While some commenters expressed optimism about her application-to-interview rate of 20%, she felt the real challenge lay in converting those interviews into offers.

To improve her situation, she advised others to focus on stages where interviews typically stall and continue applying. She also suggested avoiding delaying interviews when companies are moving fast. Earlier this year, Singapore experienced the steepest decline in job postings since March 2021, while the labor market remained robust, with job postings 32% higher than pre-pandemic levels.