For dedicated career adviser Fauzyah Johari, work does not end when a client lands a job.

She often checks in with them on how they are coping with work and offers advice on upgrading their skills to remain relevant.

Relationship building is important for Ms Fauzyah, 35, who has been in this role - officially, a "senior career ambassador" - for three years and who is the first point of contact for job seekers. She works at the Workforce Singapore's (WSG) Careers Connect centre at Our Tampines Hub.

Referring to the pandemic's toll on the labour market, Ms Fauzyah, who is married and has three children, says: "It's about putting myself in their shoes. I try to understand their stress and difficulties, especially with the current situation, and to be a listening ear."

She is among those from the employment and skills sector invited to attend a flag-raising ceremony at the Lifelong Learning Institute. The event is part of the National Day Parade's Anthem moment unfolding at several locations across the country.

Ms Fauzyah has seen more clients in recent months amid the economic downturn. Unemployment and retrenchments surged between April and June.

As part of her job, she asks clients about their needs and preferences in their job search. For example, she has to understand if they were retrenched or had resigned, and if they would like to make a career switch.

She then recommends resources they can tap to find employment, such as job portals like Mycareersfuture.sg, schemes and courses they can attend to acquire new skills.

Ms Fauzyah also helps them to polish their resumes by pointing out gaps in job descriptions or giving tips on how they can improve the format.

If clients need more in-depth advice, she refers them to a career coach who can help them in areas such as confidence building and strategies to network with potential employers. The first session with a client usually lasts half an hour, either virtually or in person.

Ms Fauzyah, who previously held administrative roles at WSG, recalls a recent client who, in her late 60s, found a job as a condominium security officer after she was retrenched from her customer service role. She has kept in touch with the client so she can provide more information on job-related programmes if the client needs it.

"She was happy that she found a job near her place. It's very fulfilling to meet people from all walks of life and to be able to make a difference to them."