We refer to Mr Rajkrish Kumaran's letter, "No success with job search after 2 years" (Oct 8).

We thank Mr Kumaran for his feedback on our services. One of our career coaches has been working with him since his referral to us in September.

Mr Kumaran had his first session with his career coach on Sept 14.

In the two weeks following that session, his coach worked with him on his resume and guided him on expanding his job search.

He also sent Mr Kumaran's CV to some prospective employers, and suggested that Mr Kumaran attend a career workshop that may be helpful to him.

We thank Mr Kumaran for being open and receptive to his coach's suggestions. We also note his preference for more frequent interactions with his coach, which we are happy to facilitate.

Job-matching efforts by Workforce Singapore (WSG) and NTUC's Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) intensified last year, with 34,000 job seekers receiving customised career coaching, like what Mr Kumaran is undergoing. This was a 15 per cent increase over 2019.

On average, about six in 10 job seekers who received customised career coaching found jobs within six months, while others required more time.

WSG and e2i career coaches are committed to supporting their clients in their job search journey until they secure a job or no longer require employment assistance.

Our experience working with job seekers is that the job search process can be very challenging and frustrating for them at times.

We fully empathise with Mr Kumaran, and would encourage him to press on with career guidance and give his coach the chance to continue supporting him in this journey.

Janice Foo
Director (Career Services Division)
Workforce Singapore