He sent 100 applications, but can't find a job

Armed with a university degree, he sent out 100 job applications in hope of finding a better job, but is still unemployed after five months of job hunting.

Lianhe Wanbao reported that Mr Zeng Yong Guang, 41, studied part-time for six and a half years to get his degree from a private university in Singapore.

After leaving his former job as a computer technician in April this year, Mr Zeng has been actively looking for a job in the months since.

He and his wife, who live in Seng Kang, have been relying on his wife's monthly salary of $1,500 in the past five months. But after his wife got pregnant, his job hunt became even more urgent.

Mr Zeng told Wanbao that he thought looking for a job would be easier with a degree, so he started studying part-time in 2002, and graduated in 2008. So far, his plan has backfired.

"For almost half a year, I mailed and emailed more than 100 applications to IT firms, requesting for a salary of $3,000 or more, but I was not even offered an interview."

With no income for the past few months, Mr Zeng has found it hard to pay for daily expenses. Eventually, he had to pawn a watch and diamond ring - gifts from him to his wife - just to pay for their utilities.

He says that he has lowered his expectations, and now just wants a stable income to support his family.

"We have been fighting a lot about money recently. She said I have not been proactive enough in my job hunt," said Mr Zeng.

He also says that the couple, who have been married for 12 years, have always had a good relationship until he became unemployed.

Worried about their finances, his wife even wanted to go for an abortion as she was not sure they could afford to care for the baby.

But Mr Zeng says that he managed to dissuade her from doing that and hopes to find a job soon so they can start saving up for the baby.

Due to the financial pressure he is facing, he even told potential employers he only has an O level certificate in the hope of finding a job to tide them over. So far, that has also yielded no results.

"The restaurant manager asked me if I had any experience in the service industry, the KTV lounge manager asked me if I was a good drinker. When I said no, they lost interest. They are also not willing to let me start afresh."

Mr Zeng told Wanbao that he knows companies today want qualified and young applicants who are willing to work for lower salaries, and he feels that his age is a disadvantage when looking for a job.

But despite that, he stressed that he is willing to learn, and work hard, and hopes that some company out there will give him a chance to prove himself.