Just when you thought that university students didn’t get enough bad news after the Freshman Orientation Camp debacle.
The Straits Times reported yesterday morning that recent graduates would be entering an even more sluggish job market as compared to last year’s.
This is in light of the global economy experiencing slow growth and large multinational corporations (MNCs) not undergoing expansions that would allow them to get more young blood on board, said a country manager of Randstad Singapore, a job search and recruitment agency.
These claims are supported by last week’s report from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) that reported a rise in unemployment and layoffs in the second quarter of 2016.
The rate for unemployment among citizens rose from 2.6% in March to 3.1% in June, and there was a 70% increase in worker layoffs (5,500 lost their jobs). Redundancies in the service sector largely made up for the numbers, with 3,400 losing their jobs.
According to a survey of 89 companies by Human Capital Singapore and Remuneration Data Services, 45% of these companies “had frozen or plan to freeze recruitment this year”.
It does seem like the highly viral photo album by recent graduate Elizabeth Boon is eeriely prophetic.
Following the news, netizens, most of whom are already working adults, dished out some sobering advice for graduates looking for jobs:
However, the fintech industry, digital marketing and e-commerce industries have been identified as places set for growth, with ManpowerGroup Singapore country manager Linda Teo and recruitment website Glints’ co-founder Oswald Yeo suggesting that graduates be open to startups, especially those in the fintech sector.
Working In A Startup: A Viable Career These Days
The number of startups in Singapore has more than doubled in 10 years (23,000 in 2004 and 55,000 in 2014), and over 345,000 workers are currently employed by startups.
Entrepreneurship is also among the “top 3 choices for students” between the ages of 7 to 14. Say what you want about childhood dream careers, but we can only predict that this would lead to an increasing number of our future workers turning to startups as a career option.
While in general, startups might not offer the same cushy benefits that MNCs and civil service jobs have, the usually small team make up means that employees usually wear more than one hat.
The starting years of one’s career should be focused on gaining invaluable experience, and this usually means trying out different job scopes so that one knows his/her own strengths and weaknesses, and the flat structure of startups definitely allows for personal growth.
Startup Jobs We Found For You
For those interested in getting started in a startup (see what we did there?), we found some open positions that fresh graduates can apply to on startupjobs.asia and angel.co.
Do note that some are internship positions, but these mostly offer full-time employment after probation.
Junior Software Engineer (Rapsodo Pte Ltd)
Who They Are:
Rapsodo is a startup which develops sports electronics products using imaging technologies. Founded in 2010, the company created a golf personal launch monitor, and it was distributed in the USA under SkyTrak. It is now releasing technology for baseball.
They are looking to grow and are “always looking for smart, ambitious people to join [their] team and be a part of [their] journey”.
What They Need:
The opening is for a junior software engineer which will help development tech solutions for the consumer electronics market.
- Curiosity and desire to learn and experiment
- Willing to learn
- Basic knowledge of C, C++ or C#, compilers, development and debugging tools
- Ability to communicate effectively
- Ability to adopt rapidly changing requirements in a collaborative environment
- Can do attitude
Interested?
Apply for the position here.
Junior/Fresh Grad Software Developer (Carro Singapore)
Who They Are:
Previously covered by us, Carro is a used car marketplace founded by former software engineers who met at Carnegie Mellon University.
They are “looking for awesome developers and programmers from around the world to help [them] build the next generation car buying and selling platform”.
What They Need:
They are looking for individuals to fill these roles:
- Backend Developer – Ideally your favourite development language is PHP, and you have had experience with the Laravel framework or related PHP frameworks.
- Frontend Developer – Javascript should be your best friend. You use Javascript for everything and believes that the application can be built entirely on Javascript.
- Mobile Developer (iOS and/or Android) – We know it is almost impossible to get a mobile developer that can develop on both mobile platforms. We are looking for a Unicorn – we know. Even if you can only develop on one platform, we still want to speak with you.
Fresh graduates and those with less than 2 years of work experience are welcome to apply.
Interested?
Apply for the position here.
Mobile Developer (Tech Storm)
Who They Are:
Tech Storm is a community which produces TV programmes, original productions and editorial digest in relation to innovations, discoveries and tech’s rising stars.
They want to “inspire a world of change for tech loving fans”.
What They Need:
For the role, the developer needs to conceptualise, design, develop and deliver end-to-end development of mobile applications for their clients. They would also need these skills:
- Prior iOS or Android development experience is necessary.
- Proficient in IOS or Android development with the apps you have already built and they are on the app store where you were the sole developer.
- Knowledge of Objective C and/or Swift.
- Knowledge of Java, Eclipse and/or Android Studio and Android SDK
- Strong working knowledge of HTML5, CSS and JavaScript
- Experience with PHP, Node.JS and other languages/frameworks.
- Experience working with Parse, Git and GitHub and other 3rd-party libraries
- Knowledge of MySQL or similar database management systems
- Strong background in API/Services integration
- Ability to define APIs
Interested?
Apply for the position here.
Marketing Content Specialist Intern (Perk Coffee)
Who Are They:
Perk Coffee is a local startup which sources coffee beans from around the world, roasts them and delivers them to customers.
They’re aiming to make “make freshly roasted specialty coffee fun, accessible and affordable to everyone”.
What They Need:
They’re looking for someone who can create engaging and valuable content for social media, email, blog and other touch points. The position is a full-time internship for a minimum of 3 months with possible future employment.
- Marketing background
- Passionate about F&B and lifestyle (in particular coffee we hope!)
- Good communication and team work skills
- Independent and self-motivated
- Proficient with Adobe Illustrator and PS
- Love to take awesome photos
- Great at social media
Interested?
Apply for the position here.
Marketing/Sales Executive (2359 Media)
Who They Are:
2359 Media is an award-winning, multinational mobile application development and mobile consultancy company. They were also the first investment made by Innov8, Singtel’s corporate venture arm, in 2011.
They describe their “hierarchy [as] very flat”, and employees can get to “enjoy high level autonomy, and be seen and heard for all the great work [they] do”.
What They Need:
They need someone to manage the company’s external communications and develop marketing solutions and strategies. Fostering stakeholder relations with existing/potential clients and government bodies is also needed.
- Passion for technology and how it can solve real world problems
- Exceptional command of English
- Ability to work under tight timelines independently
- Creativity and resourcefulness in generating content
- Excellent networking, communication, negotiation and persuasion skills
Interested?
Apply for the position here. They are also looking for a Management Trainee.
Business Growth Intern (Sqkii)
Who They Are:
Sqkii is a mobile web application that rewards users with cold hard cash for looking at sales promotional advertisements. We have covered them previously, so if you want to know more head on here to find out more.
Their internship programme will be focused on “allowing individuals to hone their capabilities and to create a real significant impact on [their] mission”.
What They Need:
In a tongue-in-cheek move, they listed “50 years of working experience”and “PhD in Business Development and Strategy” (among other ridiculous achievements) as their requirements.
Regardless, what they want in an ideal candidate is:
- Able to work in a fun & dynamic working environment
- Loves to eat & shop (being crazy about promotions and discounts is a plus point +1)
- Able to start in August 2016 with a 6 months commitment
- Able to work independently
- Wants to push his/her own boundaries
- Most importantly, have the drive to create great work that makes a difference
Fair enough.
Interested?
Apply for the position here.
Growth Hacking Intern (Call Levels)
Who They Are:
Call Levels is a financial monitoring and notifications app that has been helmed as being trusted by “Wall Street investors and hedge fund managers”. The startup made news earlier this year following an announcement that Indonesia’s Lippo Group had invested in it.
They’re looking for someone who is “passionate about PR and marketing and loves using social media and other online platforms to engage, share opinions and ideas with others”.
What They Need:
The job will entail assisting in executing Call Levels’ PR, growth hacking, marketing strategy, managing social media and also proposing content angles and distribution approach.
The internship will last 3 months with potential of conversion to full-time hire.
- Good writing and communication skills. Writing samples will be requested.
- Savvy social media user on iPhone and / or Android
- Self-starter, enthusiastic and spontaneous – there are no set rules in a startup so don’t wait for cues from others!
- Positive attitude and willing to try new things and learn from mistakes
- Organized and good at multi-tasking
- Detail-oriented
Interested?
Apply for the position here. They are also looking for a Design Intern and Programming Intern.
Operations & Strategy Internship (Lazada Singapore)
What They Are:
Lazada is an e-commerce site hailed to have an online footprint of approximately 4 million daily website visits to its, and the largest Facebook following in Southeast Asia with over 10 million fans.
They are “searching for dynamic, entrepreneurial, broad-minded individuals to be part of [their] rapidly expanding team.”
What They Need:
The candidate will be reporting to the COO for his/her duties, including supporting the operations team, driving new strategies and analysing data and presenting the insights in comprehensive charts.
- Strong educational background with outstanding academic grades
- Interest in the Internet / ecommerce / supply chain
- Strong Powerpoint and excel skills
- Ability to work under pressure and/or tight deadlines
- Possess excellent time management skills and detailed- orientated
- High energy, self-motivation, willing to work hard and the desire to work in a dynamic and entrepreneurial environment
Interested?
Apply for the position here.
Performance Marketing Executive (MoneySmart)
Who They Are:
MoneySmart is a comparison platform that was founded in 2009 to help Singaporeans make better financial decisions.
They also have a popular blog which aims to provider its readers with tips, news, reviews and commentary on financial matters.
What They Need:
The main goal of the role is to maximise reach, conversion, retention and brand awareness of the brand in Singapore through campaigns. Those interested in digital marketing as a career are recommended to apply for the job.
Competencies are also simple enough, but we’re guessing that how well you score in the interview and prior experience plays a big role in getting your foot through the door. They need someone who is:
- Creative
- Good copywriter
- Analytical
- Organised
Interested?
Apply for the position here.
May The Odds Be Ever In Your Favour, Graduates
There you have it, just some of the startups that are looking for candidates. We believe that there are many others on the lookout for fresh ideas and minds as well, so instead of simply scouring listings of MNCs, why not try applying to startups as well?
Did we miss out any? Feel free to tell us in the comments!