Teaching an introductory course at my department allows me to interact with first-year students embarking on their university studies. I always remind my students that they should think about their resume throughout their journey, not only when they are about to graduate. For example, if none of the tasks that they are doing during internship is worth listing in their resume, they should explore further ideas with their supervisor.
Tepid job market for entry-level positions
For young people, the current job market appears tepid. Recently, Manpower Minister Tan See Leng noted that: “One issue we have heard from graduates in their job search is that while there are jobs available, many employers are also looking for individuals with years of relevant working experience to fill them.” [1]
Despite the changes, I believe that my advice on thinking early about one’s resume remains sound. However, under current conditions, we probably need to think harder about what makes a resume stand out today.
Employers prefer individuals with relevant work experience because it is faster for them to get onboard and start contributing to the business. Internships provide students with the opportunity to gain such experiences. This has not changed.
I agree with Ms Corrine Ong, director of career and employability services at SMU’s Dato’ Kho Hui Meng Career Centre, that it is important to “look at the quality of the internship” and not just “chase the numbers games” [2]. My advice here is for students to take ownership because they are the ones who have the most to gain (or lose). If none of the tasks that you are doing during internship are worth listing in your resume, take the initiative to explore further ideas with your supervisor.
Companies do not hire out of charity. They hire fresh graduates because there are areas where they can contribute meaningfully to the organization, despite their lack of work experience. The challenge now is that tasks that have traditionally been done by entry-level hires are increasingly performed by AI. The current macroeconomic environment is not helping.
In a recent interview with BBC, Aneesh Raman, chief economic opportunity officer at LinkedIn, acknowledges that “some companies are going to use old math for the new equation and just think it’s all about shrinking” but also reminds us that “others will realize we’ve got to bring these folks in who are going to help us build new business lines and think in different ways.” [3]
If Mr Raman is correct, it follows that companies that are hiring fresh graduates are likely to be more impressed by resumes that demonstrate the ability to help businesses think in different ways and seize new opportunities.
Rules have changed, but the principles remain the same
My students undergoing a full semester industrial attachment are required to send me their workplan at the start of the internship, provide an interim report at the midpoint and submit a final report upon completion. At all three stages, I keep a look out for one-liners that the student can include in his or her resume. For Industrial and Systems Engineering students, these will typically be process improvements resulting in cost savings and/or increased productivity.
I believe that such achievements remain attractive to prospective employers. However, in this period of AI disruption, students who demonstrate the ability to, not just use what is taught in class, but also self-learn and innovatively apply new technologies beyond the course curriculum are likely to stand out more.
What I am saying is that the rules have changed, but the principles remain the same:
- Demonstrate value: The better you can demonstrate the value that you bring to the table, the higher your chances of getting hired.
- Start early: Developing a strong value proposition backed by evidence takes time. I cannot stress enough the importance of starting early.
- Take ownership: See it as your responsibility to make the value proposition as easy to understand as possible. Do not leave it to your potential employer to “uncover” your value. Remember that you are the one who has the most to gain (or lose).
It is also worth noting that AI is not just changing the job market, but it is also changing what it takes to start a business. The same technologies that are automating entry-level tasks could also provide budding entrepreneurs with the tools to create their own startups as noted in this Forbes article [4]. Hence, it could be worthwhile for undergraduates to think beyond resume crafting and also consider striking it out on your own.
Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about (added on 1 Oct 2025)
Faced with a stagnant job market, these Gen Xers chose self-employment. That is the title of a recent article [5] reminding us that everyone is fighting a personal battle that we know nothing about. There is a tendency for us to overestimate the difficulty of our own problems because we experience the pain, stress, effort, and uncertainties firsthand, but the struggles of others are less visible to us. The tendency to privilege one’s own perspective is known as egocentric bias.
Older workers face a different set of roadblocks from fresh graduates. However, getting rejected hurts, regardless of whether the reason is because one is underqualified (i.e., fresh graduate) or overqualified (i.e., Gen Xer). I believe that we can all agree that getting rejected hurts. Period. What is encouraging in the article is that the individuals did not just keep banging their head against the wall and lament about it. They adapt. For example, there was a 50-year-old former Walmart manager who remained unemployment after a year and a half, despite applying to ten or more jobs daily. Eventually, he “decided to take matters into his own hands” and started his own business.
A fresh graduate may fear that he or she lacks the experience and resources to start a business. An older overqualified professional facing ageism may fear that he or she lacks the energy and IT skills to start a business. Perhaps what we need is a platform to bring the two together. I am not sure if there is such a platform out there, but if there isn’t, perhaps it is time for us to learn from the 50-year-old former Walmart manager and take matters into our own hands.
References
[1] https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/traineeship-employment-fresh-graduate-economic-uncertainty-5306581
[2] https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/multiple-internships-university-undergraduates-competitive-job-market-build-connections-4667286
[3] https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20250825-aneesh-raman-young-people-employment-opportunities-katty-kay-interview
[4] https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbestechcouncil/2025/04/16/how-gen-z-entrepreneurs-are-leveraging-ai-for-success/
[5] https://finance.yahoo.com/news/faced-stagnant-job-market-gen-134606208.html