‘Dear younger me’: SG jobseeker asks workers what advice they’d give their younger selves
SINGAPORE: A Singaporean jobseeker has asked fellow workers what advice they would give their younger selves if they could travel back five or 10 years, after his current job hunt made him realise how useful some earlier career decisions could have been.
In a post on the r/askSingapore subreddit, he said the competitive job market had him thinking about what he could have done differently to improve his chances of landing a full-time role today.
“So I was job hunting, and currently with the competitive market in Singapore … I’m like … holy cow, if I had done this 5/10 years ago, it would be so useful sia,” he wrote.
He then asked, “I’m thinking, whether you’re currently working, job hunting or taking a break, if you’re given a chance to travel back 5/10 years ago. What advice would you give yourself so that you have a better chance of securing a job/ something to not do (like don’t work in this industry in the future).”
For his part, he said he would have chosen internships over part-time jobs.
“Dear Younger Me, screw all the part-time jobs you’re doing. Go for internships instead. Don’t go for that fast part-time cash. Gain that experience in an internship instead so that you will have a better advantage and actual useful experience to hunt for full-time jobs,” he wrote.
‘Any pay + experience is better than the one year of no job’
The thread was quickly flooded with messages addressed to users’ younger selves.
One individual said he would have told his past self to focus more on building connections rather than logging countless hours trying to raise his grades.
“If I could travel back to uni, probably not to grind so hard at just my coursework, and continue doing sports and join clubs - I think it would give me a better network as well as a broader and healthier mindset. Also, to date around more rather than try to find the one in a single shot.”
Another wrote they would have told their younger self to stop caring so much about others' opinions.
“Don’t care too much about other people's lives and what other people think of you. The path to happiness is to let go of all that, and I wish I discovered that earlier in life.”
Two opposing views also emerged: one person advised taking a lower-paying job, while another warned never to sell yourself short.
“Take a lower pay, it's fine. Any pay + experience is better than the one year of no job,” one said.
“Dear younger me, DO NOT ACCEPT A JOB OUT OF DESPERATION! Also don’t lowball yourself in terms of salary!” the other wrote.
A third echoed the original poster: “Should have spammed those internships during the COVID period. I was gutted I was not able to go on exchange during that period but should have used that opportunity to spam internships.”
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A fourth, meanwhile, said they would have told their younger self to enjoy life more. “Dear Younger Me, you can prepare all you need for the workforce, but the workforce is constantly changing. Even if you are a top achiever in school with multiple internships, you may not make it big in corporate. It's a big ocean out there. Find hobbies and invest your time equally there too. Become someone you can be outside work and apart from your job title.”
Some also emphasised the importance of prioritising their mental health, maintaining a healthy work-life balance, and, of course, making time for their loved ones.
“Dear Younger Me, do not worry about sustainable professional development. Spend more time with your parents. You will understand why very, very soon,” one said./TISG