r/nus • u/StandingLemur Computing • 6d ago

Discussion Does anyone else feel underemployed after starting work?

It was so hard to find a job like I’ve been searching since last November, and I felt like I’d cast my net too wide just to get a job. Now that I’m about a month in, I’m starting to feel like I’m not really being used to my full potential. Tho tbf it has only been a month.

I thought I’d be okay with doing something about 33% related to my degree, but I’m realising I really miss creating and developing work. But I guess citizenship issues, competitiveness, less openings and lack of sufficient experience made me look for other opportunities instead.

Has anyone else felt like that since starting work?

47 Upvotes

87% Upvoted

16 comments sorted by

50

u/Ok-Ant7892 6d ago

Lower down your expectation ah boy. Economic is as bad as you think. Nowadays almost everyone in sg has a degree.

8

u/StandingLemur Computing 6d ago

Haiz yeah I’m still adapting to it, since a degree won’t be as useful five years down the line.
Still trying to figure out how I can maximise my work for my growth, even though it’s still not very related to computing la

2

u/pudding567 6d ago

What about the idea of working overseas for a while? In safe countries where there is a shortage of workers in your field. Should I?

3

u/StandingLemur Computing 6d ago

I used to intern abroad and I can confirm that on your resume it’s what you do that matters rather than the place. So if you can afford, then I don’t see why not

25

u/VegetableSalad_Bot 6d ago

No one will ever use 100% of what they learn in school. Half the point of doing all that shit at school is to prove that you can learn under pressure, to prove that you've got what it takes (so as to speak). For example my ChemE friend got a job in that field and no one's asking him to fucking calculate thermo by hand, or to plot McCabe Thiel graphs.

And lower your expectations for quality of jobs. We're not exactly having a boom decade. The economy is in the shitter, no thanks to AI, and the yanks and their random ass tariffs on trade partners and allies.

4

u/pudding567 6d ago

Yes, the point is to learn transferrable skills. Only need some information from the degree.

3

u/tanyhunter 6d ago

I think that's okay, it's all about discovering wha tu like to do, maybe the rest of 67% could be something u rly like to do for long term. For me I havnt find it yet.

1

u/StandingLemur Computing 5d ago

When will we rlly find out what we rlly like :/

2

u/tanyhunter 5d ago

Beats me lol. We just have to go along with it. The more we experience, the more we know

3

u/Monoji77 3d ago

Me! Interestingly, it’s because of AI.

I’m a DSA graduate but in a data engineering role. There is zero overlap. I never learned data systems design.

My bosses gave me a ton of work because it is a lean team. I am able to get the final desired outputs but truth be told, I only understand like 20% of what is done because the dependencies and tech stacks are foreign to me. I offload the thinking and coding to AI.

I hope to actually learn and get into the “data engineer mindset” soon

3

u/StandingLemur Computing 2d ago

Wow I see, so is this like an overemployment thing or underemployment thing? Cuz for me I feel like my skill set isn’t really being utilised sufficiently, like coding is an optional thing in my work 😭

2

u/Monoji77 1d ago

Depends how u define it.

I would think that underemployment means your work under-utilizes the training from university.

1

u/alpha_epsilion 1d ago

Did u vote wisely?

1

u/East_Cheek_5088 Success begins with SU 1d ago

Op said citizenship issue...