Why is it so impossible to get a job without the RIGHT SKILLS?

[dancemania]

Tried the link I posted? I see a couple of temp admin jobs which state "No experience required, training provided".

Do you know how much these jobs are paying? $7-$8.50/hr. Is this worth it for a degree holder? These jobs that you posted are for NEWBIES. I don't think that you will gain any NEW skills from these jobs.

I also note that the jobs are from Recruit Express. Do you work there?

 

[Foxshade]

Do you know how much these jobs are paying? $7-$8.50/hr. Is this worth it for a degree holder? These jobs that you posted are for NEWBIES. I don't think that you will gain any NEW skills from these jobs.

I also note that the jobs are from Recruit Express. Do you work there?

Times are tough.

There are moments where you have to bite your lips and go with it. Anyway, it's not a permanent post right? You'll definitely keep a lookout for a better offer.

View it this way, your available option now with a degree paper is S$8.50/hour or S$0.00/hour. Your choice. Even you choose the latter, you still need to spend for basic necessities like f&b.

I've waited for years till I have my break too. If I were picky, n stick to what my qualification paper is worth, I think I would have starved to death before I get my break.

 

[dancemania]

Times are tough.

There are moments where you have to bite your lips and go with it. Anyway, it's not a permanent post right? You'll definitely keep a lookout for a better offer.

View it this way, your available option now with a degree paper is S$8.50/hour or S$0.00/hour. Your choice. Even you choose the latter, you still need to spend for basic necessities like f&b.

I've waited for years till I have my break too. If I were picky, n stick to what my qualification paper is worth, I think I would have starved to death before I get my break.

How true! But it sounds pathetic after working so hard for the degree. Besides,it didn't come easy either.

 

[kandinsky]

Do you know how much these jobs are paying? $7-$8.50/hr. Is this worth it for a degree holder? These jobs that you posted are for NEWBIES. I don't think that you will gain any NEW skills from these jobs.

Yeah, I know. I took on a temp job like that myself after graduation before getting a perm job. The thing is, are you looking for work related to your degree? If that's not the case, the 'worth' of your degree is moot. If your degree isn't relevant to the job you're seeking, you don't have the qualifications they are looking for, you don't have relevant experience, the harsh truth is that you are indeed a newbie to most employers. Even a masters degree in ethnomusicology is not going to be worth much if one is 'only looking for an office admin job'. It's frustrating, but look at things from a company's POV, you don't exist to give people a chance to 'try something new' or 'learn new skills' at your expense.

If the job you want isn't out there, either bite your lip and take what's available as Foxshade said, or create your own path, but you will also have to start from scratch if you want to do something entirely new. Start a business, go back to school, learn a trade, freelance, etc.

I also note that the jobs are from Recruit Express. Do you work there?

If I did I'd be upfront about it. "Hi, I work for ________. We may have some suitable jobs, check them out."

Found them by merely searching for temp job ads with 'training providing, no exp required', since you implied such jobs didn't exist.

Even temp jobs all require relevant skills too so it is difficult to get a temp job too even you want to try something new or gain new skills.

 

[donut88]

Actually, I am only looking for a office admin job.

One interviewer asked whether I have SAP knowledge and I said no but am willing to learn. Some recruitment agents also ask this question but tell me no SAP no can do.HA!HA!

Then maybe change your job criteria, expand it to other areas like banks, frontline, education, public service, event management, FMCG, pharmaceutical, etc.

Don't restrict yourself to office admin. Think about operations jobs.

If u really wan to learn SAP, there are specific courses on SAP. Comes with certificate somemore

I don't quite believe that every admin needs.SAP, because I myself considered doing admin job in most of my career, even my present job, and I don't even touch SAP at all.

My Leave system is SAP but I'm just a normal user.

 

[Dfive]

If you are in the mid-40's and hold a degree but it is extremely difficult to get an admin job. Lots of people would say, this is unbelievable but it is true. It has been found that some employers ask- have you done travel arrangement, SAP system, Powerpoint etc. If you have not done any of these in your previous jobs, no one is willing to offer you the job. Even temp jobs all require relevant skills too so it is difficult to get a temp job too even you want to try something new or gain new skills.


Would you upgrade your skills? Say, do a diploma in HR, marketing or others -WSQ? No point right? If there is no opportunity to get into the workplace, how are you going to do progress or do anything?

People need to get off there butts and spend some $$$, study after hours and even use some holidays to LEARN more... even if your working now.... simple.

People who sit there and expect current employers to GIVE and DO more training are lazy.

Life is about continuous learning - either you do it or you fall behind.

 

[kiwi2]

Times have changed. In the 70's and 80's, if you have a degree, you have a bright future. Back then, only those with very good grades (practically got to have many A's or at least some B's) then you can get into universities.

After that, in the '90s, the admission criteria were relaxed. They wanted more intake of students. Today, it's the worst of the worst times. Practically, you can score terrible grades, somehow, some uni out there will accept you if you have $$$ to give them. Even our local unis have dropped quite a lot in standard (except perhaps for the few popular courses).

So if I were you, I will think very carefully about whether it is worth it to get a degree. In general, I can say that the usual degrees are no longer a guarantee you will have a comfortable life. You have experienced it yourself on how much they will pay you. $8.50 an hour?

Even if they don't get you, they can get a foreigner or PR who will accept the job. To them, that is quite reasonable money. (Any surprise why this country loves foreigners? Pay them less to get the job done, businesses reap benefits by paying them less, country aka government prospers!)

As to why even small start-ups require you to know many stuffs and multi-task, it's not surprise. Same reason as above. The more they can squeeze out of you, the better it is to run their business. The cost of running a business here ain't cheap. What many don't say is how many businesses fail for every successful one that exists today.

To sum up, I'd say you are pretty much screwed in this country if you don't have a firm or sought after skill set/profession when you are already in your 40's. Good news is, you won't die of starvation. Bad news is, you have to work very hard trying to make ends meet.

Start from bottom and slowly work your way up. Lower your expectations. Work longer (probably past your old age?). Try to get multiple jobs if your body can take it. This advice I think generally applies to graduates and non-graduates out there.

 

[sachokphantom]

Do you know how much these jobs are paying? $7-$8.50/hr. Is this worth it for a degree holder? These jobs that you posted are for NEWBIES. I don't think that you will gain any NEW skills from these jobs.

I also note that the jobs are from Recruit Express. Do you work there?

I used to work as a technician in a rail company and now working as a sales engineer in a local company. During those times as a technician, most of us took part time classes to upgrade ourselves. Since we were in engineering line, mostly took Mechanical engineering or Triple “E”. Expect for 1. He took Journalist for his degree.

After he completed his course, he applied as a Engineer in the company. Well, I am not saying his degree is useless but it is useless in engineering line if he want to continue as his career. I do not know what degree and yes, even a $10/hr is low for a degree holder but hey, look on the bright side, I took a taxi licence recently and in fact, some are Lawyers and Engineer. What am I saying is we work for living and by working, we will not be rich. To be rich, money has to be invest.

 

[qystan]

Bottom line is, its a business transaction.

As the payer, why get less for the money.

Would you have employed someone at $5k a month whom you know will need hand holding?

If the person is going to be paid new entrant rates, things will be different. At 40 years old, no one will treat as new entrant. Also, why bother with a 40 year old when there are plenty of new graduates who are easier to train. Not that the 40 year old is difficult but it's one you know and one you're not too sure about.

Sad fact, but that's the way it is.

 

[donut88]

Just to give you some.encouragement.

I know someone who is a Arts and Social sciences graduate. Know nuts abt finance and accounting.

He got a finance job, and he's not young. He was about 32 when he got this offer.

And as u kmowe, finance will need to use SAP. He knows nothing abt SAP too.

And he.still can learn and.perform this role for 4 good years.

He did fees collection, GBiz procurement, budgeting, spreadsheet, invoice processing, account payable, claims reimbursement and any other finance work u can think of.....

So who say someone must have prior knowledge before he can get an offer?

The most.impt ingredient that the interviewer can see in someone is that this person has a good attitude and chemistry to do a job.

Prior knowledge or not, its not important. If a.person has a F up attitude and thinks highly, no one will hire him, regardless he's fresh grad or old man

So what I am trying to tell u is that the.reasons why no one has offer u a job is not due to SAP experience. It could be more than just the SAP.

it could be your attitude, your body language, your confidence level, your eye movements, the way u talk, the way u dress, your hairstyle, your nails, your face, anything that is causing this problem of not getting a job.

 

[Octarine]

The most.impt ingredient that the interviewer can see in someone is that this person has a good attitude and chemistry to do a job.
Prior knowledge or not, its not important. If a.person has a F up attitude and thinks highly, no one will hire him, regardless he's fresh grad or old man

My former boss said clearly: He is hiring personality and attitude. Training is a normal activity for every job and learning is expected from the hired person.
(The right attitude includes the willingness to learn something new.)

it could be your attitude, your body language, your confidence level, your eye movements, the way u talk, the way u dress, your hairstyle, your nails, your face, anything that is causing this problem of not getting a job.

That would be a bit too far fetched and touch the borders of discrimination. E.g. hairstyle is part of personal expression and can only be used for selection in certain professions.

 

[donut88]

My former boss said clearly: He is hiring personality and attitude. Training is a normal activity for every job and learning is expected from the hired person.
(The right attitude includes the willingness to learn something new.)

That would be a bit too far fetched and touch the borders of discrimination. E.g. hairstyle is part of personal expression and can only be used for selection in certain professions.

Humans are discriminatory. That's the hard truth.

Going for interviews is all about packaging yourself. Everything is a package.

Here, we are talking abt office admin work. A set of norms has already in the mindset and office culture

I ever advised someone, who just couldn't get a bank job after many tries (he has a good MBA, v well qualified for the job), to change his hairstyle and get rid of some body odour, and he got a job right after that.

There are many proven surveys that shows better looking people get the jobs, compared to less attractive people.

 

[Sion]

There are many proven surveys that shows better looking people get the jobs, compared to less attractive people.

A company I once worked had a downsizing sometime ago.

All the more attractive staffs had been let go.

The ungly ones like me retained our jobs. :bsmilie:

 

[donut88]

A company I once worked had a downsizing sometime ago.

All the more attractive staffs had been let go.

The ungly ones like me retained our jobs. :bsmilie:

Then u r one lucky monkey.... lol

 

[Sion]

Then u r one lucky monkey.... lol

The compnay paid peanuts and bananas though. :bsmilie:

 

[donut88]

The compnay paid peanuts and bananas though. :bsmilie:

At least the company knows they can't afford the better looking monkeys. Lol

 

[ManWearPants]

A basic degree is quite important nowadays. Even if it does nothing for your job, it does plenty for your self esteem and confidence.

It does give you access to more openings.