As jobs are a top concern for Singaporeans in the Covid-19 crisis, TODAY’s Voices section is publishing first-hand accounts from jobseekers in which they reflect on their experiences and what keeps them going., Miss Jessie Yeo, 47, recounts how she was dealt a double blow amid the pandemic when her mother died and she lost her travel industry job shortly after. Keeping a positive mindset, Miss Yeo signed up for courses and worked with career coaches to upgrade her skills.
My once busy life packed with business trips and shuttling in and out of the hospital visiting my mum suddenly became free.I feared that finding a job would be challenging because the industry I had been in my entire career was badly hit by Covid-19 and it would be difficult to switch industries due to my age.
I also took up a Work-Study Certificate course with Ngee Ann Polytechnic. It covered topics such as digital marketing, social media strategy, and skills such as CV writing. I also took up activities which I had been wanting to do but didn’t have the time to. I used my SkillsFuture credits to sign up for a baking class.
After 15 months, 90 job applications and almost 20 interviews, I finally landed a job outside of the travel industry in January 2022 — a six-month contract as a marketing manager in a human resources solutions firm.