I have met him before, basically he is a patient guy who will listen to your complains when you are feeling down, but beyond that really there is nothing practical and useful you can approach him for.

Most of his advice is very generic like remain positive, have sense of purpose, don't give up etc. The whole set up is just himself who flies in to Singapore occassionaly (he lives in Sydney) and another freelance councelor volunteer, they have no job networks, CV building programs or HR knowledge. To put it bluntly is just a feel good talk crock sing song session.

How can there be jobless?

Unemployment rate is 2% and when I look around me, no one is jobless. Even a O level cert guy can get a S$1800 job.

Teachers' pay has been adjusted upward, and I heard everybody pay has been adjusted upward, my company's pay is adjusting upward too. Inflation is coming in, those with jobs are likely to get salary adjusted upward. Those jobless will be fried.

Naive.... 2% are those who are jobless for less than 6mths. If you cannot find a job after 6mths, you are considered retired, or "non-existent" in the gov view (since you dun pay tax).

You just ask around, ask the cab drivers why they drive taxi...

should be 4weeks.
After 4 weeks of unemployment u will be considered as not interested in looking for a job, hence will be taken out of the unemployment statistic.

yes...true...but then every countries in the world do jobless accounting in the same way. And taxi drivers are still considered employed.

don't think so...

Yes...same way...if you are jobless for 6 months, you disappear from statistics....but if many people come out to look for jobs again, the jobless rate will increase if new jobs creation is not as much....still I think not many people are jobless...even people with no O level cert can find a S$1500 job but of course he kept complaining about long hours etc...what to do? student time so lazy...work time also so blur....but still have job.

plain stupid statement by a brainless person.

After reading through this entire thread, I finally found the courage to share my story with everyone....

I majored in marketing during my uni days and graduated in 2008, coming into the workforce in early 2009, but it was a bad timing and with financial dues, I took up a job as quickly as possible with an IT MNC doing customer support. However everyday I looked forward to getting back and doing marketing but constantly under restraints, I made due with a seemingly mundane job that I have no passion for.

After a 2.5yrs stint with the company, I left for the Telco industry for better salary in order to quickly pay back my financial dues. I was on probation in a perm job which in retrospective, should expect a conversion of 6mths. But that didn't happen and I was further extended for another 3mths again, with no hints of perm conversion. At then did i realize I'll be out of a job by Aug 2012. It was a painful experience for me...coupled with the financial burden I had to shoulder as well. I had no choice but to leave the company on my own accord voluntarily rather than being let go or asked to leave.

As of now, at 5mths, I'm still out of a job and out of luck...especially when every month, there's only an outflow of expenses rather than inflow. It was a very discouraging fact and it mattered to me so much that I left a company within 1 year.

I need some advice on how I can better position myself with interviewers and agencies, hopefully the people here can offer some insights on the below:

1. How should I/would you position yourself when people ask you why you left your previous company within 1 year?

2. Would saying "end of contract" or decided not to renew/extend your "contract" term to pursue other oppurtunities viable?

3. If I want to do my line of study again and start from scratch(including taking a pay cut) , what are some of the ways I can try to justify the issue of being overqualified so as better secure interviews and job oppurtunites?

Thanks for anyone in advance who can offer their insights.

I thought I was in a very bad scenario but see some of people who posted (esp. 30s and mid 30s with family commitments) being unemployed/jobless are probably in a much worst scenario that I am. Nonetheless I hope everyone in a unemployed/jobless scenario like myself can get the chance and oppurtunity that we need to turnaround.

Underemployed
 

Underemployed is the norm now.
Best to go get taxi license when you hit 30 years old.