young man, using phone, calling
Fresh grad MNC worker seeks job with 'low mental load' and pays at least S$3.5K after realising ‘blue collar’ jobs might be more up his alley
SINGAPORE: After realising blue-collar jobs might be more up his alley, a fresh graduate working on probation at a multinational company (MNC), earning just under S$4,000 a month, said online that he is looking for a job that pays at least S$3,500 and comes with “low mental load”.
On r/singaporejobs, the man, who is in his late 20s and still lives with his parents, said he misses his previous “chill” delivery job, explaining: “What I miss isn’t necessarily the delivery but the autonomy and mental simplicity. I reported to nobody as everything was done in-app. D*mn chill.”
He said that working at an MNC required him to spend around eight hours a day, five days a week in front of a screen, while having to deal with constant emails, messages, deadlines and discussions. “Even things like 1 on 1 and asking to go on leave feels like school,” he said.
On top of the actual work, he also found the social aspect of corporate life “exhausting”—from making small talk, needing to be enthusiastic and joining in the “heh-heh ha-ha” with colleagues to putting on a professional front in meetings he does not feel like participating in.
He added that all of this sometimes feels “quite dystopian”, making him wonder, “why are we putting up a show?”
“Back when I was doing delivery work, I wasn’t earning anywhere near what I’m earning now, but I genuinely remember being much happier,” he said.
According to him, back then he could cycle around, listen to music, explore neighbourhoods and decide where to spend his time. Delivery work was physically tiring, but mentally it felt “very straightforward”, he explained.
Eager to trade earning more for peace of mind, he asked: “I’m wondering if there are jobs that require a degree but offer some of the same qualities?”
“I just dislike the feeling that work occupies my brain even when I’m not at work,” he said, explaining that he would still find himself thinking about what he needed to do or communicate to other stakeholders after work.
“I want to be very casual, like talking at the market kind, if that makes sense. Had I known, I wouldn't have gone for a degree and would apply to roles such as at a local cafe near my house,” he added.
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Some commenters, however, were quite pessimistic about his job search. One commenter said, “No such thing; last time 4k/month job = know how to use excel and vlookup, now 4k/month job need to know rpa, copilot integration, openclaw integration, rpa, vba, powerbi, statistics with python and r.”
Another, however, advised him to “work according to passion”. “Just scale down on expenses if need be. Don’t make yourself miserable. Life is too short for bs,” he said.
Meanwhile, a third remarked, “Singapore working culture can be demanding. I also don't know how I can survive as a corporate warrior.” /TISG