Some time out from the rat race is always good. Great that you came out of it wiser and stronger ! : )

I resigned from my 1 year plus job in a hospital in Oct this year. Have been sending resumes online through job portals and direct to company via e-mail since. Not one company replied (what am I doing wrong???), just 2 job agencies that managed to hook me up to 2 respective interviews (one private and one govt hospital). I'm really keen on the private hospital job, and I really think my interview went well, but it has been 2-3 weeks and I've not gotten any replies from either the HR or job agency.

I know everyone claims the job market is slow at year-end (ie. less jobs available, with the end of financial year budgeting etc.). What are the chances of the company hiring new staff at year-end with all above factors? I called up the job agency 2 weeks after and she told me that the company has not gotten back to her about me, and that they are probably still in the interview process. She has been told of some candidates' rejection from the company, so she said that no worries, I am still being considered by the company.

I know I should continue my job searching and application, but I would think that I have already sent countless of applications to various hospitals and now I'm not sure whether there are any positions left to be applied for. -.- This aspect makes me feel like they are all not interested in taking me in...

You only applied to hospitals? Why not broaden your job hunt by applying to other jobs e.g. private companies?

PRs and Singapore Pride
 

Have you ever thought about the PRs who have lived in Singapore over ten years (eg, my family), contributed to the Singaporean economy, education system, worked our asses off, made a lot of Singaporean friends and who treat Singapore as a home?

We would like to apply for citizenship, but it's not as easy as it seems. Please be careful of what you say, because you will be offending a lot of people who genuinely care for this country and are doing all they can to assimilate and stay here and make it their permanent home.

as long as you've not given up your citizenship (regardless of whether you are trying to or otherwise), you'll be viewed as a foreigner who "makes the most out of this country but will retire comfortably back to home country". the citizens here don't enjoy this "privilege".

if you have children who are citizens, good. are they?
if you've served NS, even better. have you?

I think revamp the way you send resumes, whens the last time you changed your resume. Is it too lengthy/too short. Does it have a picture, does it look professional etc. Now a days job experience counts. Knowing nothing about the hospital sector if you took up part time work in Care organizations that could be one way to boost your resume up.

Also applying for jobs online sometimes is the worse way to go about it, imagine how many people are vying for the same position. Not to mention portals like Monster.com invite tons of applicants from Philippines and India. Your resume becomes one of the 1000's being sent daily. I had a friend work in HR, they use to have a pattern to weed out the resumes with low experience and just delete them in the 100's. I heard a story where they throw away your resume just because your picture looks like crap.

Having heard such stories I used to mail my resumes hard copy in an A4 envelope to the companies, I would have multiple versions pending on the type of job I was applying for. Sales, Operations etc Some where lengthy, some brief, some with photos and others without. Why hard copy? Well you can't delete it right, someone would need to physically handle it and even HR would be curious to take a glance at the first page before using it as toilet paper. Which means hey you gotten yourself noticed.

Go with the mindset that your resume gets dumped the first thing it goes in, and think of how you can jazz it up. The mistake would be to assume your resume is even reviewed by anyone in the first place.

It also helps to read up on those Resume books, that's where I got the hardcopy idea.

They have a discard pile and paper bin on the floor next to them.
What makes you think they are so curious to browse through? Just dump

The fact they need to open and verify its contents is already one step further for freshies in the job market. Unless your company has a habit of dumping unmarked physical mails whichI know mine doesn't.

1000's of emails from job sites per day vs 100's of actual mails, its a no brain-er which of the two gets trashed quicker. Heck I get 250 emails per day and I trash 200 at least without checking and I'm not even in HR.

Would been keen to hear your suggestions, care to share?

I have been jobless after graduation for 9 months before I found my first job and then quit without a job after 1 year......now serving notice and finding job.........

Jobless NUS Grad wondering whether to apply for "diploma position jobs"
 

Hi guys

Jobless NUS Grad here. Have been applying for "degree holder" job positions but so far -- nothing! Was wondering if I should apply for jobs meant for diploma holders?

Will HR give us degree holders a chance at diploma jobs? Or will they just see our resume and discard?

Anyone in similar dilemma before?

Thanks guys..I'm still awake at this ungodly hour!