Anxious woman/female employee
‘You’re gonna lose your job’: Singapore tech worker says every mistake triggers fears of being laid off
SINGAPORE: The unforgiving job market has left one 25-year-old Singaporean woman feeling as though even the smallest mistake at work could be enough to cost her her job.
Sharing her experience online, the woman said that despite having only five years of working experience, she had already been laid off twice following company restructuring.
That experience appears to have left her feeling particularly vulnerable in an already uncertain job market, especially as she works in the tech sector.
“I’m really anxious about the job market, especially because I’m in tech. Every single mistake I make at work is my mind going, ‘You’re gonna lose your job,’” she wrote on the r/asksg subreddit on Friday (Aug 28).
The constant fear of losing her livelihood has also taken a toll on how she views her career. Rather than dreaming of climbing the corporate ladder, she admitted that she was simply tired of the rat race and no longer knew whether she wanted to keep pursuing the conventional idea of career success.
With her thoughts seemingly going round in circles, the woman said she felt “so tired” of the situation.
Yet walking away from her job is easier said than done. Despite feeling burnt out, she said the need to keep paying her bills was one of the main things stopping her from quitting.
“I’m single with no boyfriend or kids; I still live with my parents, but I already feel like my entire world is falling apart,” she wrote.
“I’m thinking of quitting, but I’m too scared, and I’m also burnt out. I don’t feel like I have a purpose; neither do I enjoy life.”
The woman said she had begun thinking about possible ways of stepping away from her current life, including moving abroad, furthering her studies, or even taking a year off to go backpacking.
For now, however, she appears to be caught between wanting to escape the pressure and being afraid of what might happen if she gives up the security of a regular income.
She ended her post by questioning whether she was alone in feeling this way, or whether her exhaustion and anxiety were signs that she was somehow failing at life.
“I don’t really know what to do anymore, and I’m wondering if I’m alone in this feeling of being burnt out and anxious or if I’m just a loser,” she wrote. “Will it ever get better?”
‘I suggest you take a break’
The post appeared to strike a chord with many Singaporean Redditors, several of whom said they could relate to the strange contradiction of being terrified of losing their jobs while also feeling desperate to escape the rat race.
One woman around the same age said she had experienced similar feelings. She recalled asking a manager in his 40s whether the anxiety over job security and the pressures of working life ever really went away.
“I feel that way too. I asked a manager (40 plus) if he feels this way (rat race, fear of losing job). He says that feelings never disappear; it gets worse when you have a family. So yes, the feelings may not get better for many,” she wrote.
Another Redditor also reassured the woman that she was far from alone.
“You are for sure not alone. I’m in my late 30s, and I also still have that feeling. Burnout is real but inevitable. You can try changing jobs if possible.”
Meanwhile, a third user reminded her that being laid off during a restructuring exercise was not a reflection of her worth or abilities and urged her to take some time away from the daily grind to work out what might make her happier.
Newsletter
Get updates straight to your inbox
“I suggest you take a break and find your secret spot. Is it exercising outside work? Hanging with friends? It’s okay to be let go in restructuring; sometimes one door closes and another opens! You’re doing fine. You must treat yourself better and tell yourself you are in control of your own destiny.”
In order to make herself less vulnerable in a competitive job market, a fourth user advised her to upskill.
“Identify a niche. Get good in it. Use it as your central pillar and expand from there. You don't need to be very good at something. You just need to be decent enough.”
In other news, a soon-to-be-divorced couple are at odds over how to divide their BTO flat, with the husband pushing for a 60/40 split in his favour because he believes his wife failed to fulfil her responsibilities during their marriage.
The woman, however, feels the arrangement overlooks the non-financial contributions she made to their household, including doing the chores, cooking, and paying the utilities.