Before one-click applications and LinkedIn, finding a job in Singapore looked very different. A Reddit thread asking older Singaporeans to share memories of job hunting between 1998 and 2003 quickly filled with stories about newspaper classifieds, handwritten applications, and personal referrals.
Newspapers were the first stop
For many, the answer was simple. The Straits Times classified section was the first stop, especially the Saturday edition packed with job listings. JobStreet and JobsDB had already launched, but neither had become the default platform yet.
The process looked very different from today. Resumes were printed, slipped into envelopes, and mailed to companies. Email was slowly becoming more common, though much of the hiring process still relied on paper applications and phone calls.
Referrals opened doors too
Referrals also played a big role. Employment agencies helped many land temporary jobs or make connections with employers. One commenter recalled taking short-term assignments through an agency before emailing a photography portfolio to local photographers until one eventually offered an assistant role.
Newspaper classifieds were useful for more than jobs too. Several commenters remembered flipping through the same pages to search for rental properties long before online property sites took over.
Interviews were often much simpler as well. According to several commenters, one interview was usually enough for a hiring decision instead of the multiple rounds that have become common today.
Jobs were harder to come by
Finding work was not necessarily easier though. Those who graduated during the 1998 economic downturn remembered a difficult job market, with many choosing civil service roles because of the stability.
One commenter also recalled constant headlines describing young job seekers as lazy or too picky despite applying for positions far from home and showing up for every interview opportunity available.
See the post here:
Dear older Singaporeans, how did job search look like between 1998 to 2003?
byu/mystoryismine inaskSingapore
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