PERSPECTIVE: It is a tough market for job seekers, as many companies have implemented hiring freeze policies, amid the current Covid-19 pandemic.
A recent graduate, Janice (not her real name), spoke to Mothership about why she decided to take up a temporary job working in a supermarket while looking for a full-time job, what her family and peers think of her decision, and why she remains optimistic about her situation.
Janice was supposed to be embarking on her first job in a media firm after graduating from a local university.
Instead, like many others, her plans were derailed due to Covid-19, which left the economy dampened, and caused many firms to slow down their hiring process.
Now, the 23-year-old spends her time trawling a supermarket aisle, doing a series of odd jobs while sending out resumes.
First signs of trouble started when DORSCON Orange was announced
According to Janice, the first signs of trouble appeared around February, when the effects of Covid-19 worldwide was worsening at an unprecedented pace.
She was in the midst of completing her final-year project with three other schoolmates, which involved a physical exhibition as their final event.
When DORSCON Orange was announced, the Ministry of Health introduced additional precautionary measures to reduce the spread of Covid-19 in the community.
As events with large crowds were considered high-risk areas, event organisers were advised to cancel or defer non-essential large-scale events.
With their exhibition cancelled on short notice shortly after the announcement, the effects of the pandemic was quickly becoming clear.
"I think that's when it struck my friends and I about the seriousness of this pandemic," she said.
Internship company stopped hiring
Janice started searching for a full-time job in late January, a full four months before she was due to graduate.
She also reached out to a company which she previously had an internship at, and even attended an interview.
However, by February, the effects of Covid-19 was beginning to show on the economy, and the company enacted a temporary freeze on all new hires, stopping her job search dead in its tracks.
After realising that returning to her internship company was not feasible, she reached out to several other companies, attending a few interviews in the process.
However, none of these efforts bore fruit, and she quickly realised that as time went by, her options were becoming more and more limited.
"When circuit breaker was announced, I realised it was more and more difficult to land a full-time job immediately after I graduate. So I became more open to jobs of other natures, not just full-time jobs", she said.
During the time, Janice had not officially graduated yet, and the situation was, in her own words, "very uncertain".
This was when she decided to take up a temporary role working in a local supermarket, in order to supplement her income while she waited to graduate.
Transition into job
Janice's role in the supermarket was simple: taking up whatever ad-hoc tasks that needed to be done.
"I've done stock replenishing, crowd control, as well as temperature screening, and even ensuring that people follow the SafeEntry measures that have been put in place at the supermarket," she said.
She said that her job was "very tiring" and "physically demanding", but was nothing new to her, having worked many jobs of a similar nature in the past.
"Since I graduated from O levels, I've worked retail, or like F&B. I've even worked at warehouses before. So this kind of odd job is nothing new to me, just that I haven't done it in a while," she said.
While working at the supermarket, Janice said that she meets all sorts of people daily, including people who were very impatient with the new safe distancing measures.
She also encounters many people who appear to walk around the supermarket several times a day, seemingly out of boredom.
"There are actually quite a number of people who come in multiple times a day, or people who walk out empty-handed," she shared.
Janice also observed that when circuit breaker was first announced, people were more cautious in general, with most choosing to follow the rules rather strictly.
However, she also pointed out that people are "becoming more lax" recently, and are no longer as vigilant in adhering to safe distancing measures.
Her friends thought she was working in a supermarket office
Janice shared that her parents were "quite supportive" of her situation, and think that it is "better than sitting around at home", as they understand that it is difficult for her to get a full-time job in the current situation.
On the other hand, her friends were mostly surprised.
"Yeah, they are like, you're going to work at the supermarket, you mean like in the office? I'm like NO, at the store!", she said while laughing.
She explained that most of her friends felt that she should be pursuing an internship instead, or spending more time finding a job that is related to her future career.
Janice said that her short stint at the supermarket ends at the end of June, and although they approached her to extend her job, she admitted she was "not very keen".
She intends to take a break after her contract ends, and focus more on her job applications, adding that her supermarket job did not leave her much time to work on her job search.
In addition, she said that she would give herself three months in her next job search, to find a suitable full-time job, before considering whether she should take up more temporary roles instead.
Willing to take a lower pay if it's the right job
While graduates from her course would normally expect a salary of around S$3,200 per month, she was willing to take a cut of up to 20 per cent, if the job scope was right.
"I'm trying to strike a balance between pay and building relevant skills. So for me, a suitable job would be something that is something that is relevant to what I want to do in the future. And then the pay, maybe a bit lower, I'm okay with it," she said.
She also shared that she was not really tempted by temporary job openings that are available during the Covid-19 pandemic, such as swab assistants and swabbers, who may earn up to S$3,400 to S$3,800 per month.
While these jobs may pay quite a lot, Janice is concerned about the length of the contract, which she said was "rather long".
She explained that compared to taking up a short part-time stint in the supermarket, being a swab assistant may affect her long-term job search.
Searching for a job is my responsibility
In order to help alleviate the pressure that people are facing with their job searches, the government announced in May that more than 40,000 new jobs will be created as part of the Fortitude Budget.
This included 21,000 traineeships, which are targeted at local first-time job seekers.
Janice said that such initiatives "creates opportunities", and welcomed such support, saying that "something is better than nothing".
And when asked on how the government can help fresh graduates like her find jobs, she acknowledged that she "honestly haven't thought much about it", but said that ultimately, the onus is on her to find a job.
"I think that all these initiatives... I feel that a job search is something that is my responsibility. So, I think it's nice that such initiatives are in place, but I can't really think of what I want," she said.
Optimistic for the future
When asked how she feels about having to graduate during this unprecedented crisis, Janice was composed in her response.
She acknowledged that it was "a bit sian" in the beginning, when there were signs that she may have to face a much tougher job situation, compared to previous cohorts.
However, she also pointed out that many others were also "upset" in their own ways.
For example, she explained that many of her juniors, who were on exchange and had to cut short their experience due to the pandemic, were likewise affected by the crisis.
Janice also said that compared to other people, who may be retrenched with families to support, her situation was "not that bad".
"I'm only beginning to start a career and have my first job, so I think it's okay. I'm not too worried, honestly", she said.
She also said that the tough period has taught her to always keep an open mind, and to look out for opportunities in the future.
"I'm just trying to make the best use of my time now, so that I can be prepared for opportunities that will come as we emerge from Covid-19," she said.
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Top image via Unsplash.