Jobseekers’ Diaries: No industry network here to help me after overseas work, but new friends made job hunt bearable
Mr Seow Lit Choon (pictured), who is married with no children, had some problems finding a job back in Singapore even though he had extensive work experience overseas.
As jobs are a top concern for Singaporeans in the Covid-19 crisis, TODAY’s Voices section is publishing first-hand accounts from jobseekers in which they reflect on their experiences and what keeps them going.
In this instalment of Jobseekers’ Diaries, Mr Seow Lit Choon found that his working experience overseas did not help him much in his job search in Singapore. He found the strength to keep looking, with support from a newfound network of friends and a career coach.
Seeing retrenchment news as a result of the pandemic, I understood the pain of those affected.
After working in Shanghai for nine years, I was asked to leave my position as an engineering manager in February 2019 as the company was downsizing. This news hit me hard and I found myself at a loss.
I then decided to return to Singapore in June 2019 after working abroad for more than 20 years.
Having been in the automotive industry before, upon returning, I searched for job opportunities there, initially confident given my extensive industry experience.
I applied for more than 50 jobs but yielded no responses from any employers. I later realised that it was due to the limited opportunities available in Singapore’s automotive industry.
While this futile job search left me frustrated, I was not beaten. I knew that I had the capabilities and the right attitude, but I just needed the right kind of help.
After a month of job searching, I approached Workforce Singapore (WSG)'s Careers Connect centre in July 2019 for career assistance and met senior career coach Evelyn Tay.
After several coaching sessions, I recognised that my overseas work experiences and skill sets did not fit the Singapore job market. I didn’t have many friends working in the automotive industry and thus, had no industry network to help me.
The Covid-19 pandemic made the bleak outlook even more depressing.
Despite that, the career coach constantly encouraged me to keep an open mind and look out for opportunities in other industries.
I took her advice and considered the information communications technology (ICT) sector since it was rapidly growing and because I had prior IT experience.
I took the opportunity to become more digitally savvy and actively used LinkedIn to build up my professional network in Singapore.
I also attended workshops conducted by WSG and met a group of jobseekers who were in a similar situation as me. These newfound friends became my pillars of support.
Together, we would source for jobs and even introduce suitable opportunities with one another. We would also encourage each other whenever we felt depressed over our job search.
I learnt the importance of talking to someone when you are down and to stay positive regardless of the circumstances.
In September last year, the rewards of my hard work and perseverance paid off. I was offered a contract role as a system manager in the engineering industry.
Though I’m still new in my job, I am enjoying my newfound opportunity and I feel grateful towards everyone, including my career coach, who gave me the confidence to make this career switch.
Finding employment in this volatile job market was indeed tough, yet it taught me the invaluable lesson of being adaptable.
I encourage jobseekers to leave their comfort zones and continuously look for opportunities to upgrade themselves, as well as to expand their professional network. Most importantly, help is available if you take the first step to ask.
ABOUT THE WRITER:
Mr Seow Lit Choon, 51, had been working abroad for more than 20 years in the automotive industry. He was retrenched in February 2019 and returned to Singapore to seek employment. Married with no children, he eventually managed to find a job as a system manager in the engineering industry after job-searching for close to 18 months.
If you are a jobseeker with a compelling story or know someone who wishes to contribute to this series, write to voices [at] mediacorp.com.sg with your full name, address and phone number.
