Job search toolkit: 4 NTUC resources to find a new job in 2025

It’s the start of the year, and we think many of you are planning your career resolutions for 2025.

We know that many are concerned about job prospects and progression in 2025.

NTUC’s 2025 Survey on Economic Sentiments, conducted at the end of last year, found that around one-third of the 2,088 respondents were worried about losing their jobs within the next three months.

Layoffs are also on the rise. The latest Manpower Ministry statistics point to over 9,000 workers axed in the first nine months of 2024. This retrenchment figure is higher than the total number of workers retrenched separately in 2021 and 2022.

Rather than worrying, there are some things you can do to improve your competitiveness in the job market. Read on to find out how NTUC can help!

BEST FOR JOBSEEKERS

NTUC Career Festival

The inaugural NTUC Career Festival is a good way to find a new job, network with prospective employers and seek expert advice on almost anything career-related.

Highlights include:

Career Launchpad: An interactive experience with six themed zones for resources and guidance.

Recruitment Fair: Over 4,500 jobs up for grabs.

Skills and Training Marketplace: Boost your skills to move to a new role or industry.

Thematic Presentations and Panel Discussions: Gain insights from industry experts, including blogger Xia Xue and Titan Digital Media CEO Jianhao Tan.

Networking Opportunities: Connect with over 70 employers to learn about company cultures.

Visit the Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Halls B and C, from 9am onwards on 10 and 11 January 2025.

Unable to attend the festival? Don’t fret, most of the resources and support offered at the festival are ongoing NTUC programmes and services you can explore anytime. Check out the following three tips for more details.

NTUC’s e2i’s Career Centres

Sending resume after resume with no interviews lined up? Going for several interviews but not getting any callbacks?

If you’re currently facing this in your job search, it may be time to consider some professional intervention.

Consider visiting one of the NTUC’s e2i (Employment and Employability Institute) career centres for personalised career coaching, skills upgrading advice and job matching services.

There are 27 centres across the country, including the heartlands, so you should be able to find one that’s convenient for you. The two centres at Hong Kah North and Yuhua Community Clubs operate 24/7.

In August 2024, NTUC’s e2i’s career coaches were equipped with the AI-powered Virtual Career Coach (VCC). This digital assistant consolidates listings from national job banks and upskilling courses in one go. NTUC’s e2i career coaches use this digital tool to analyse jobseekers’ resumes and profiles, provide more informed career insights, and recommend relevant courses.

As announced at the NTUC Career Festival, the VCC will be upgraded to boost career coaches’ ability to assist jobseekers. To date, over 3,000 jobseekers have benefited from this resource.

From April to November last year, NTUC’s e2i career centres assisted nearly 24,000 jobseekers in finding employment — and you could be next.

Find an NTUC e2i career centre here.

BEST FOR AT-RISK EXECUTIVES

NTUC Job Security Council

If seeking help at a career centre isn’t your cup of tea, the next best thing to do is to join a job alert service.

We recommend the NTUC Job Security Council (JSC), a network connecting companies seeking to hire workers with those planning to release employees.

Beyond providing job vacancies, the JSC also gathers information on jobs that will soon be phased out to facilitate the matching of soon-to-be displaced workers with available opportunities. In other words, it helps to place workers into new jobs before they are retrenched or displaced, thereby reducing the duration of unemployment.

The network will also help workers plug skills gaps before they embark on their new roles.

Since it was formed in 2020, the JSC has placed over 110,000 jobseekers into new roles. With its ability to find you a job before you lose it, you may get a job sooner than you think.

Join the JSC telegram channel at https://e2i.com.sg/JSCTelegram/PMET for career opportunities.

BEST FOR NAVIGATING NEXT STEPS

NTUC Mentors Network

Okay, mentorship isn’t purely for jobseekers, but it may help you decide what to do next, especially if you’re at a crossroads.

When it comes to mentorship, we know it’s usually different strokes for different folks. Lucky for you, the NTUC Mentors Network has three unique programmes to suit different career stages and needs. Plus, with over 1,100 mentors onboard from various industries, you’re bound to find one who understands your needs.

• NTUC Executive Mentorship Programme by U PME: Ideal for professionals, managers and executives planning to switch to a new role or industry, mentees will be matched to experienced industry experts in their field for three months. Receive advice on advancing your career, gain access to valuable resources to achieve career goals, and network with other like-minded executives.
• Women Supporting Women Mentorship Programme by NTUC U Women and Family: Open to female NTUC Union Members planning to return to work after caring for their children, mentees will be supported by women leaders with different professional experiences. Over six months, mentees will learn to develop professionally, receive help with employment issues, and network with other women in similar circumstances.
• Youth Development Mentorship Programme by Young NTUC: As its name suggests, this programme best suits fresh graduates and young workers. Mentees will receive guidance from mentors experienced in 23 different industries, helping them understand what to expect in the working world and how to build their professional portfolio. Only NTUC Starter Members will be matched to a mentor for a four-month programme for further advice and support.

Be an NTUC Starter Member or NTUC Union Member today.

More career innovations to come

If you found these resources helpful, NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng said that NTUC took proactive measures five years ago to develop its current career solutions, including mentorship, in response to feedback from workers.

He wants to assure you that NTUC will continue to harness the Labour Movement’s extensive network to roll out more innovative new initiatives and programmes to help you thrive at work.

“Building up job security is more than securing a first job, the current role or next opportunity. It requires continuously shaping their careers and skills through planning, progression and prospecting —and this is where NTUC comes in to help them,” he said.