Long hunts, few replies: Singapore university graduates finding it tough in job market, CNA poll shows

SINGAPORE: When Ms Renee Kuek started her job search upon graduating from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) this year, she knew it would be tough.

But the reality proved harder than expected, said the psychology, linguistics and multilingual studies graduate, who has yet to hear back from most companies. 

“It's just been a bit demoralising, the whole process,” she told CNA. “There's definitely a lot of pressure and very little response.” 

Ms Kuek, 23, is not alone in her struggle to secure a job. 

In a CNA straw poll conducted this month of 105 graduates from the 2024 and 2025 cohorts of local universities, 28 respondents (or 26.7 per cent) had yet to secure a full-time job. Among them, a quarter said they were not confident about finding one in the next six months.

Across all respondents – including those already employed – 60 per cent said they found the job search “somewhat difficult” or “very difficult”.

This echoes official data from the latest Joint Autonomous Universities Graduate Employment Survey released in February. It found that 87.1 per cent of fresh graduates surveyed were employed within six months of completing their final exams – down from 89.6 per cent in 2023. The proportion in full-time jobs also dipped, from 84.1 per cent to 79.5 per cent.

FIERCE COMPETITION, MULTIPLE INTERVIEWS

In CNA's poll, a majority of respondents – 67.6 per cent – pointed to “intense competition from other applicants” as the top challenge encountered during their job search. Others cited onerous hiring processes and uncertainty about employer expectations. 

Communication studies graduate Ong Chong Li, 26, has applied to over 100 roles since January. He said popular job postings on LinkedIn attract hundreds of applicants within hours. 

Beyond fresh graduates, mid-career workers also apply for these positions, further intensifying competition. 

“So I guess that's why you're already scrutinised more, and it's harder to even get the first round interview, or even to make it past interview rounds,” the NTU graduate added. 

Business graduate Lim Yi Xuan began her job search early – in September 2023, eight months before finishing her course at the National University of Singapore (NUS). She secured a role in financial services in March last year. 

“Once the job opening is open, you have to quickly apply,” she said. “After that, (employers) may not even look at your CV because it’s just too late. They’ve already looked through 1,000 applicants.”

She described the hiring process as exhausting, involving multiple rounds that included phone screenings, game-based assessments, AI-powered interviews and case studies, before in-person interviews. 

Business graduate Takahiro Shukuri, 26, who entered the job market last year, said luck and timing played a big part in his six-month job search. He applied to over 100 positions, often “spam applying every day”, before landing a role in the payments industry in June last year – a job he applied for within an hour of the opening being posted.

The former NTU student added that by the time he discovered some ideal openings, they were already weeks old, making it unlikely that employers would still view his application.

Ms Marissa Koh, 23, who graduated this year from NTU, said she noticed her peers going “above and beyond” to refine their resumes, get recommendation letters and create portfolios. So the communication studies graduate created her own website and beefed up her resume, but initially received no replies.

“I was very confused. Is it because I’m not good enough, or is it because there are just so many people competing for a limited pool of jobs that there aren't enough jobs to go around?” she said. 

She eventually secured a job in an advertising agency in July, after applying to nearly 100 jobs. 

UNDERSTANDING EMPLOYER EXPECTATIONS 

More than half of those polled by CNA (56.2 per cent) said that understanding employer expectations would improve their confidence in job applications. Others said they would benefit from paid internships or traineeships (55.2 per cent) and more interview opportunities (54.3 per cent).

For Mr Wee Lian Kit, who majored in economics at NUS, vague job listings made it difficult to gauge his suitability for roles.

“You send a lot of applications that you think you are qualified for, but at the end, you might not even make it past the screening stage,” said the 27-year-old, who now works in an executive search firm. He recalls applying to over 100 roles when he graduated last year.  

NTU graduate Mr Ong agreed, saying more clarity from employers would help applicants understand rejections. “At least when I get rejected, I will understand why I got rejected,” he said. 

Group CEO of recruitment firm Reeracoen, Mr Kenji Naito, said employers could help bridge the gap by sharing clearer job scopes and valuing potential and cultural fit, not just qualifications.

He added that amid global shifts and growing use of artificial intelligence, soft skills such as empathy and adaptability are increasingly valuable. Graduates can also take short courses, volunteer for leadership roles or seek mentorship to strengthen their profile.

Mr Derrick Teo, a certified Institute for Human Resource Professionals (IHRP) senior professional, said AI tools are reshaping job functions and graduates need to learn how to use such tools effectively.

Mr Teo, who is also the CEO of HR solutions provider Elitez Group, also noted that job competition now extends across borders. 

“Rather than fixating on salary benchmarks – which can be influenced by recruitment marketing – graduates should focus on differentiating their skills, adaptability and commercial awareness,” he said. 

BE PROACTIVE 

The government has said it is working to improve employment outcomes for fresh graduates.

Minister of State for Trade and Industry Gan Siow Huang said on Jul 9 that authorities are “closely monitoring” the employment situation. Institutes of higher learning are also working with agencies such as Workforce Singapore and the NTUC's Employment and Employability Institute to organise career fairs, workshops and mentoring sessions. 

The Singapore Economic Resilience Taskforce, led by Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, is also exploring ways to support new graduates. The task force was set up in April to address the impact of US-imposed tariffs. 

Minister for Manpower Tan See Leng said on Jul 10 that entry-level job vacancies remain steady. "To our 2025 graduates, it is still early in your job search. We encourage everyone to keep an open mind to different opportunities in their job searches," he said.

Career experts encouraged graduates to be proactive by networking at industry events and tapping on their professional contacts. In CNA’s straw poll, 40 per cent of respondents said a lack of industry contacts or networking opportunities was a challenge. 

Randstad Singapore’s country director David Blasco said even conversations that don’t lead to offers can offer insights into industry trends and in-demand traits.

He added that graduates can leverage platforms such as LinkedIn and industry events to ask working professionals about industry trends, in-demand skills and personality traits that employers value in young hires. 

For Mr Ye Jun Zheng, a Yale-NUS graduate in urban studies, a friend’s referral helped him land a role as a customer support specialist at a tech multinational corporation. “I was lucky to find a fit at a place I least expected – with a friend who introduced the job to me and another to refer me in,” said the 25-year-old. 

Mr Zac Ng, managing director of recruitment agency Cultivar Asia, said there is no fixed timeline for fresh graduates to land a job, but it is important to stay active by taking on temporary or contract roles.

“The goal should be to keep moving forward – be it through employment, training or internships – so that the momentum is not lost,” he said, adding that such roles offer both income and transferable skills.

“They are stepping stones, if not a long-term career.”

As for Ms Kuek, she sees a ray of hope in her job search after securing an interview with a publishing company. 

"I'll see how this one goes … If it falls through, then I have to keep trying."

Additional reporting by Jia Wen Tang and Deborah Ng.