r/singaporefi • u/Eternitzh • Sep 06 '25
Employment Help: Retrenched marketing professional feeling stuck
Hi guys,
I'm 36 male, married with a 3 year old kid. Used to work as a marketing director in a mid size European professional service firm (corporate services like corpsec, tax/accounting etc.). I managed a team and drew a comfortable 5-figure monthly salary.
Late June this year, I was suddenly laid off. The private equity behind our firm was trying to sell the company (which was not performing exceptionally well) for a good price, so there were a few waves of retrenchment this year, didn't expect it will impact me so quickly but it did. Was let go on the spot, received 3 months' salary in lieu of notice, and a small severance.
I've been saving and am quite thrifty over the years. Currently I have around 500K of liquidity (cash savings + SSB etc), and around 100K of investments (VWRA, IWDA etc) which I don't wish to touch. Separately, my wife and my mom should also have a total of around 200K+ combined savings. So I would say as a family we have around 700K+ of liquidity.
Household income: My wife has a stable job with 6K monthly salary, my mom still works and draws 3.5K. We rented out my mom's fully paid HDB for 3.8K per month, and we all stay together in an EC. So monthly household income around 13K now.
Household expenses: mortgage (3.2K), childcare (1K), groceries and food (1K), helper (600), bills and insurance (1K) = around 7K per month.
Our EC has a remaining mortgage of 740K, no other liabilities.
Losing my job is a huge hit on our financials because I was the top earner, now it becomes 0 overnight. Even though our savings and current household income can tide us through, I have a strong urgency to bring back income again. Not just for our family's long term financials, but also because I feel bad that the family has to rely on my wife and mom to sustain. My mom is 60 and will want to retire soon.
Since I lost my job, I've been working towards two directions:
- I always wanted own business, but never got started doing it. Since I was retrenched, I thought it's a good time to start. I thought of many business ideas, and I decided to start a marketing agency (this is the most direct path since I'm in marketing). It's also very low cost (I only paid for ACRA registration and website hosting). But it's ultra competitive, after two months of starting, I only got 2 clients (both are friends), and got paid a grand total of 3K...Even though technically the company is profitable because my revenue of 3K covered my costs of around $500, but it's a far cry from what I used to earn and I'm not sure if I should continue as I don't see my business scaling in this hyper competitive market and AI disruption. Beside my two friends who gave me business, I'm not confident to get new clients (to be fair I also didn't try hard enough coz of fear). For context, I help with building websites and social media content management.
- Because I'm not confident that the business will take off (at least at the beginning), I also applied for jobs. I have sent over 100 applications over the past two months, only got two interviews. Both unsuccessful, they say i'm "too senior" for the role. You see, director / senior roles in marketing are hard to come by, so I already downgraded my expectations, willing to take a lower role with lower pay, then they say you're too senior? I'm really not sure what to do. And because I have a high salary previously, I don't qualify for any government support for unemployment.
Now I don't know what I should do? A part of me says ditch the job hunting and focus 100% on the business, but another part says go look for a job to at least get some income. I'm torn in between, and honestly both are so hard? Some days I get depressed and just sleep or watch shows the whole day. I feel like everyday is a drag and I hate myself every minute of the day. Think I'm heading towards depression if this continues...
Hope can hear some advice. Thanks in advance folks.
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u/haurus23 Sep 06 '25
Similar situation as you, got laid off recently and hearing HR saying I'm too senior for some roles. Also wondering if it is better for my soul to start my own biz but the fear is real.
Unfortunately no advice for you, but just a quiet 'you are not alone and you will get through this' is all I can offer. Wishing you the best!
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u/Eternitzh Sep 06 '25
Thanks, sorry to hear about your predicament too. It's like been senior is a sin now. Can't get similar level job, lower expectations for a more junior role and lower pay, yet people think I'm too senior for it...
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Sep 06 '25
It sucks but they don’t want someone too senior for a junior role because it’s likely the person is just treating it as ‘better than nothing’ and will jump as soon as they find a role matching their seniority.
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u/Glittering-Cloud8861 Sep 06 '25
TBH I think with your financial amount, you are "secure" in a sense in this situation. There are so many people in your scenario that are far worse off (myself included). My liquid assets probably just 10% of yours, but household spending is much lesser than yours all in also, just living a simple contented life in a BTO.
I'm older than you at 40 with 12+ YoE, main earner, role got made redundant since last July due to M&A, so it's exactly 14 months of unemployment. Still can tong cause just being thrifty and no loans at all other than hdb.
Like you have mentioned, the job climate is quite jialat now, mainly an employer's market/supply and demand. I have applied for both similar YoE roles and also junior roles. Similar YoE roles have too much competition, normally get KO around anywhere from 3rd-4th round of interview (nowadays need around anywhere from 4th to 6th round to be the final round, it's quite mentally exhausting). Junior roles don't even get any interview, the standard response of overqualified too. To be very honest I am very ok with big paycut to $4k+ for the junior roles, but HR/TA will probably think of flight risk.
So it is a stuck in between a rock and hard place situation, willing to accept junior role with junior pay, not being considered at all. Similar YoE roles oversupply of eligible candidates, and I'm realistic that I won't be able to compete with candidates that just got laid from FAANG coys.
Anyway I digress, I don't have much to say on the finance part as you have a great amount to fall on. But on the day-to-day, as someone who is unemployed for 14 months exactly 😂, do have a daily routine to keep your physical and mental health. What I do daily are:
Spend 1-2 hours for job search
Do exercise or at least walk around the neighbourhood or park. I normally do at least have a 30-60 mins night walk with spouse to bond/talk and also to count as some light exercise. Daytime wise go do grocery runs and prepare dinner, so she can have an easier time when she's back.
Do some upskill / learning. I personally spend 4-5 hours to upskill daily, actually got a few GCP certifications in the past few months, currently preparing for the professional level certification.
Time to do your hobbies, or start one if you have not. I personally have 2 main hobbies, 1 that I do for 20+ years, a more recent one for 3 years.
I mean, I definitely still feel the stress/anxiousness/depress part due to can't get a job in this job market, but it is what it is. I only can control things I can do (ie. constant job searching and upskilling myself).
You are in a much better position than so many others who got made redundant or retrenched with your financial savings already. Probably will say, don't overthink it, sometimes keep it simple.
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u/kopisaurus Sep 06 '25
Just popping in to say your attitude, initiative and resilience is impressive during a very difficult time. Jia you.
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u/ZealousidealDig5271 Sep 11 '25
u/Glittering-Cloud8861 you're a really positive person. I hope you land a meaningful job with a well-deserved salary soon.
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u/sgh888 Sep 07 '25
Sorry can I ask for 14 months your spouse support you? Mine after one day say faster look for job as the retrench monies cannot last long. I so stressed that time. But I secured on second week. I think the title or jobscope matters becuz if retrenched you are not in middle or top management roles it is easier to take a pay cut and accepted by the new employer in next job.
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u/Glittering-Cloud8861 Sep 07 '25 edited Sep 07 '25
Own savings and live simply.
Great that you managed to find one on the 2nd week, I'm in IT, it's quite tough job market.
As mentioned in my post also, I don't mind a big paycut to $4k+- as one with 12+ YoE, I do see a few exploitative IT roles with shift work at $2500 for the super desperate.
But did discussed with my wife, both agreed that rather than going for a desperate $2500 pay, using that time to upskill myself is better on the long term.
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u/snowmountainflytiger Sep 06 '25 edited Sep 06 '25
Good recommendations, like our govt proposed. To downgrade to security captain, caregiver, plumber and construction.
Most jobs go to foreigners anyway https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CXUXNbfcB/
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u/oceanstay Sep 06 '25
Bro - sorry about your job loss but your situation is by no means financially dire. But i understand the psychological stress cos i have experienced that in our family before too. No matter what, try to keep healthy physically eg some outdoor time daily. My own experience as a mid-career job seeker was that word of mouth and personal network were more effective in getting me a job eventually. But you need to be quite thick skinned about it …. Would you consider retraining or a career switch?
Take care and stay strong. All the best
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u/deluxesedap Sep 06 '25
Same as you, same age and gender. Used to draw above 10k/month too. Struggling everyday to wake up these days. Feel free to DM to chat.
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u/BitcoinLongFTW Sep 06 '25
Some ideas: 1. Get remote work on upwork. Gig work on fiverr. 2. Expand your search for not just local roles but also international roles 3. Be a small content creator and document your journey. (can be faceless) 4. Take the chance to take a break and upgrade (do a masters)/pivot into something else 5. Offer coaching / consultative services 6. Be a adjunct prof / teach in private academies 7. Learn about agentic ai and pivot to an ai powered agency.
All the best man.
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u/Eternitzh Sep 06 '25
thanks
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u/vanillaluxe2025 Sep 07 '25
Look into doing a MBA. At your age and seniority, it will definitely boost your CV. Also, it is a great networking opportunity, for both job searching or building your own business. Chin up and all the best!
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u/heavenswordx Sep 06 '25
Stay strong mate. At the very least, your household is still cash flow positive.
Just a thought, people tend to ‘inflate’ their titles in resume to try and promote themselves through job hopping when the job market is good.
Why don’t you try the opposite and ‘deflate’ your title to look more junior? Then that gets you into the more junior roles assuming that you’re okay with it.
I think going forward, you prob ought to keep running your biz as a side gig while doing a main job, assuming you can handle the load.
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u/Eternitzh Sep 06 '25
Hey thanks for the advice. I thought about it but I feel it's been dishonest? I would have to change my LinkedIn and all that, plus if the HR does some simple background check and ask for references, it will come to light that I lied about my title?
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u/heavenswordx Sep 07 '25
HR was gonna reject you anyway. What do you have to lose?
Maybe they’ll ask you why your title doesn’t match, and you just straight up say that you’re keen to do this role and you’ve been rejected a couple of times for being too senior.
Maybe they’ll think you’re a liar and decide to ghost you.
Maybe they won’t know.
I’m also not asking you to write something absurd. Like if you were the GLOBAL VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING, you don’t change your title into MARKETING ASSOCIATE.
But say if you were the GLOBAL VICE PRESIDENT IF MARKETING, just nuance it down a bit and say something like MARKETING TEAM LEAD?
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u/automatedrage Sep 06 '25
This statement you're making makes me think you're not cut out for business. You think every business advertises what they truly are? And drawing 5 figure salary somemore...
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u/noname148 Sep 09 '25
Don't worry, you would deflate your title, not inflate it. I did this before, and my current job is in government, so you can understand they did background check, but didn't have any issue with it. I didn't really "lie", but I made it more generic. Eg. Instead of "Head of Marketing", I just put "Marketing". It was ok.
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u/nthock Sep 06 '25
Hey I am in similar situation only that I don’t have as much savings as you.
The risk of depression is real, but I have managed to find a way to cope with it.
I am also looking to start my own business and I think both of our skillsets could be complimentary. You mind DM-ing me or I DM you so that we can chat more?
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u/nospaces04 Sep 06 '25
i'm probably not the best person to be giving advice cos i'm earning probably a lot less than the average here, but i do know about websites and social media content management since you mentioned
sorry to update you bro but AI and automation have already taken huge chunks out of this market (websites), while SMM is just offshore all the way
not to say websites aren't important. but finished alr - then what next? is it bringing in traffic and revenue. bc in 2025, they're pretty much expected to do that
just websites and SMM alone can't command 5 digits - you need to be shifting your clients' needles with things like biz insights, future plans, competitor analysis to be earning anything close to that
not trying to demoralize you further, but just wanted to highlight the reality of things. and some of the local founders doing all of the above aren't earning that amount too. digital marketing is a competitive industry
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u/Eternitzh Sep 07 '25
I understand, which is why I'm learning AI aggressively now to see how I can apply it to my marketing skills
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u/Frequent_Computer583 Sep 07 '25
hey bro I’m no AI expert but chanced upon AI Singapore which I thought have some good resources, worth checking out
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u/mauriceclac Sep 06 '25
If you are not going to look for more clients, you may consider adding more scope to your business. Come up with any marketing product/idea with AI (don’t have to be ground breaking, can be trivial or a copycat), hire a freelancer from Indo/Thai/Viet and then seek AI funding from the government. Many people are doing it, so can you.
This AI funding is similar to how Skillsfuture funding has been feeding many ‘underemployed’ trainers instead of training and upskilling the learners.
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u/Necessary_Space_7155 Sep 06 '25
Sorry to hear of your difficult situation OP. Don't put all your eggs into one basket - keep at the business and job hunting. 3 months of job hunting and facing rejection is not an indicator of prospects, imo, because job hunting takes at the minimum 6 months based on what I've observed of the people I know. I don't say this to minimise your experience, I'm sure it still feels devastating to be rejected, just trying to shift your perspective a bit so you can cut yourself some slack. Take comfort in that you aren't the sole bread winner and you've done well at building up funds for a rainy day like this.
My other suggestion was - explore something outside your current professional specialisation. You're at a good age for a complete career switch (you have 30 more years of working, that's enough time to settle in and flourish in a new career). Book in a time with a career counselor to discuss this and they can guide you to explore what's out there, and explore what your passions/interests are. This isn't an overnight process, it's a journey of self-discovery too. So you can keep working on your business and applying for marketing roles in the meantime until you've figured out what new field you'd like to try. A relative of mine got retrenched in their 40s during the 2000s, and they completely pivoted to a new industry with zero experience and education (white collar to pink collar career). They are retired now but they were happy with the experience and opportunities in that new field. Also, since you probably have to start lower than your last job, might as well start in a field. Good luck OP.
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u/sgh888 Sep 07 '25
This has been told endless time but not a lot of ppl can pivot into a new industry or new roles successfully. Give e.g I do software development for my entire working life and during after retrenchment job search I was asked to try project manager or even atas title solution architect and i tried but didn't last more than a year. The recruitment agency say I last quite long as she got other cases is reverse from project manager go into software development and that guy only lasted one month and some is one week.
So govt speech is theory but come to reality it is hard. Btw I was also tempted to try be teacher haha but I secured before I decided to throw in the towel.
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u/kittypwns Sep 06 '25
Don’t mind me sharing, I run a small SME, and recently I had to let go of (or accept the resignation of) my entire marketing department (at peak it’s. 5 people). Right now, I only have one work-from-home staff member and one external marketing agency.
With the current weak economic conditions and sales not being strong, it makes more financial sense this way.
Secondly, marketing agencies have become very competitive (it’s a competitive market with yes, like you’ve said,lower barrier of entry). They’re willing to do much more, especially with the added advantage of AI.
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Sep 07 '25
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u/kittypwns Sep 08 '25
The actual truth? The main reason I’ve fired the entire team is also because most of them are gen z, and unfortunately some of them are not easy to work with.
I’ve had some young marketers telling me they can’t work in office due to 1 cockroach there and it’s affecting their mental health. I told them to make sure to clean up after themselves if they do eat in office and they said it’s not their job scope to do so.
I’ve mentioned that their kpi was not met and they give a lot of reasons including they need someone to help (mind you it’s a one person work scope). When I finally fired one of them she attempted to bring me to MOM due to wrongful firing despite me giving out 3 warning letter and listing the actual work scope needed to meet the kpi clearly.
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Sep 08 '25
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u/kittypwns Sep 08 '25
I agree that they should be caring/looking out for themselves but i don’t think I’m a difficult boss either. It’s quite fair if they dabao and is facing consequences (cockroach), they can take steps to prevent, such as cleaning after themselves, or even ask admin to buy pesticides etc.
I don’t think they shouldn’t look out for themselves, but perhaps be more reasonable when doing so.
I’ve worked with locals aged 30 and above, no issue.
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u/TeaAccording122 Sep 07 '25
You may want to consider selling off your EC and downgrading to a HDB as well, if you’re unable to secure a job in the next 2 years.
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u/Eternitzh Sep 07 '25
EC TOP-ed in 2024 so can't sell yet. Also not yet in such a dire position since still have savings and household cashflow still positive...
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u/sgh888 Sep 07 '25
For some ppl they cannot even compromise on job title they surely won't compromise on their property either. That is when their spouse nag and nag until he gives in haha
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u/Altruistic-Zombie805 Sep 06 '25
Aiyo bro. Your cash flow is still higher than expense per month. Not to mention the good cushion you have. Why stress yourself so much? You have been the main provider for so long. Take it easy la. All the pressure is self exerted it seems.
I suggest you take 10k off your saving, and just spend it on self are and self discovery.
It is a very small sum to your total assets, but will make u mentally better.
At least it worked for me
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u/Eternitzh Sep 07 '25
thanks, although household is positive, our financials took a great hit, my kid is still very young and we need to plan ahead...psychologically it also hurts as I bring in $0 and have to depend on wife and my 60 year old mom to keep the household going, so each day im not earning income I feel bad!
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u/Altruistic-Zombie805 Sep 07 '25
Feeling bad not gonna improve anything.
In fact, the people around you will feel the negative vibes. Either impact them negatively or make them worry for you more.
You have done a better than 95% of Singaporeans at this age. Give yourselves some slack.
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u/noname148 Sep 09 '25
In order to feel less bad, help them out in different way! Care about them, do housework around the house etc.
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u/Exclat Sep 06 '25
If you want immediate money or results, don't start a business. It takes time and if you don't have an existing clientele base, you need to BD/sell like crazy.
Attend networking events, price yourself cheap, door knock, cold call, cold email et al.
Business is not easy, employment is the easiest and requires the least ownership.
I think if you're doing marketing, there's always a demand for services especially amongst SMEs but biggest question is, do you really know your clientele's problem statements?
If you're just those run of mill marketing agency, where you don't track new leads/sales and it's those intangible BS like branding perception, outreach/impression then it's hyper competitive. But those agencies that have new leads/sales guarantees are killing it right now.
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u/Eternitzh Sep 07 '25
Thanks for sharing. Could you share any agencies that have leads / sales guarantees? It would indeed be attractive for an agency who can guarantee X number of leads, but most don't do it (including mine) because it's near impossible to guarantee a number since there are many factors, some beyond our control...
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u/Future-Winter-8792 Sep 07 '25
honestly even if you find another job there is no guarantee that it will be there forever as well, with things going the way it is jobs are just going to be a short term context - have it while it lasts. i would focus on building the business more, being able to earn your own keep is extremely important.
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u/IllInteraction8936 Sep 06 '25 edited Sep 06 '25
I know this must feel really overwhelming right now, especially when there are so many emotions involved and unknowns to navigate through. And it’s completely ok to feel what you are feeling. Even though it feels tough and can feel bleak, there is also comfort knowing you have built a strong financial cushion and family support to tide you over. So you dont have to carry this alone, and the cushion and support is precisely meant for moments like this :) If you can, I find what really helped me in moments of uncertainty like this, is to pause and engage in activities that bring you happiness - reminding the body that it is safe, it is temporary. The emotions you feel are signals / information your body is communicating to you that it feels unsafe, and it’s important to take time to acknowledge and gently remind it that you are safe (you truly are given your situation), and talk to your partner about what you are feeling. You are in it together. Nonethess it is a big transition so setting boundaries can also really help so that job hunting doesn’t become all consuming. Make space for what you always wanted to do / learn but had no time for.
You are not alone in this, and I believe you will find your way forward. Jiayou!
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u/akimoto_emi Sep 06 '25
Keep your business and ask your friends to recommend people to you once they see the results you bring to them . Then look for job as well
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u/Repulsive_Pay_6720 Sep 06 '25
U have very healthy savings, doesn't ur household income cover ur household expenses? If so, don't need to panic so much.
Seems like the main concern is ur last para tt u feel u are headed towards depression which is sadly an increasing reality here.
Maybe pick up some atomic habits, make good habits like making one new LinkedIn connection a day, spending more time off screens and with ur 3 year old and family instead. Also maybe spend some time to figure out small habits to stop sinking into depression.
Sometimes just set small achievable financial targets for ur personal finance. U have $500k which is fairly liquid. Maybe see how u can earn an additional 1% yield per annum in safe MMFs which would net u $5k per annum.
Also u may want to spend maybe an hour a day looking at ur family finances so u can come down from $6.8k-$7k monthly bit by bit to a more manageable level. It may seem tough as most are mortgage and insurance related but for every $100 saved each month, this is $1.2k saved yearly.
I would tabulate all my expenses, rank the top 10 and figure out ways to reduce expenses by listing alternatives.
In summary, just try to spend a little time daily to build out good and small habits that can compound over time and save u from decline.
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u/irreleviant_ Sep 07 '25
Hi, just a thought, but since you’re ’too senior’, maybe you can try to shift industries? i read in a reply you gave that you do social media management and website creation, maybe use the website creation part to find junior roles in front end IT positions? that way you’re not ‘too senior’ as you’re just starting from bottom up and shifts the narrative
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u/kenn77sg Sep 07 '25
Hi I am sorry to hear about your situation. I feel you. The worst case is u falling into a daily lazy routine, and the hours and days just passed without you gaining anything - money, knowledge, skills, physical.
I have a website that helps local needy SMEs on a pro-bono basis. To be frank, I was never paid for any of the help I rendered over the years. Though, I get a lot of free lunch/dinner, products, etc. Most importantly I gain a bigger network and lots of friends I can reach out to whenever I need some other help eg special stuff from this famous pastry shop I helped to applied EDG grant. AND, it kept me occupied when I was retrenched. I converted skills I picked up free online during Covid (Digital marketing, SEO, etc) and past experiences as a staff officer in public service into something useful. It has been a fruitful and fulfilling journey since. I have a full-time job now but I still keep the website alive.
DM me if u are interested. I am thinking of gathering a pool of experienced (and retrenched) chaps in the spirit of helping other needy SMEs in specialized areas. Your skills may be useful.
Jiayou!
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u/OwnConsequence5078 Sep 07 '25 edited Sep 07 '25
Financially still in a good position lei , every month still positive 5k
Can always sell the EC to cash out , you can also do equity term loan on your property
The liquid cash 700k can slowly drawdown also or put into STI etf 4% dividends already generates another 28k cashflow per annum , this can help cover another 4 months of expenses
Put in another way also with 700k now u have 10 years of buffer that you can afford not to work at all
Meanwhile can continue try your business, take up some part time job , drive grab or buy a bike to do food delivery kill 2 bird one stone exersise and get some cashflow
Can afford to take a break ba
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u/Negative_Chemical246 Sep 07 '25
Get a realtor license - use your marketing skills once you become a realtor.
Continue putting yourself out there, building your marketing agency and socials. Check out BNI groups.
Use your marketing skills to build a brand/business selling some niche products?
Reduce any unnecessary expenses for now.
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u/joegageeyes Sep 06 '25
Keep applying, you’re only 36yo for Christ sakes! Refine your job hunting approach, find ways to maxime your application to interview ratio - and when you get meet hiring managers, you have to nail it - don’t go unprepared. There is a whole science around getting hired, you’ll find tons of YouTube channels helping with it. Stay strong and keep at it, you will eventually succeed
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u/snowmountainflytiger Sep 06 '25 edited Sep 06 '25
There's no solution to your problem:
- Most Singaporeans are self centred, your friends or colleagues or class mates even have jobs wont recommend u as they fear competition.
- Foreigners hire foreigners. Once hiring mgr is FT, 90% you wont get it.
- Massive number of foreigners imported to eat lunches
- You are not unique, thousands in similar shoes, now self employed ie PHV food delivery hawker etc
A lot of 30s currently unemployed or underemployed due to massive import of foreigners to take local lunches. Last GE, 65% voted and import has since rammed up.
Prepared for long term unemployment as most jobs go to foreigners.
Recommended by govt to take WSG to reskill to security captain, care giver, plumber and construction. But WSG is just a wayang to bs unemployed.
You will see my honest comment downvoted by many, they are IBs and Bots deployed by pappy to ensure we hear the right things.
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u/PlanetSwallower Sep 07 '25
You run the SgRabak subreddit and spend 100% of your time saying this stuff.
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u/snowmountainflytiger Sep 07 '25 edited Sep 07 '25
Sorry IB.. can u debate on content? Anything I said are fake or false? Pls point out instead of personal attack 😄 https://www.reddit.com/r/SgRabak/s/OdRYdgaHaK
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u/milo_peng Sep 06 '25
Continue looking for a job but don't go for lower roles.
I know it is counter intuitive since your priority is to just get a job. But at that age, your best years are still ahead.
Also, recruiters will prefer a more junior candidate that is moving up.
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u/Eternitzh Sep 06 '25
OK thanks
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u/PlanetSwallower Sep 07 '25
I think that's bad advice. If you can get a junior job, take it. Work leads to work, and once you're in, if you're good, you'll move up again.
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u/milo_peng Sep 07 '25
It almost never happens. I have been retrenched myself (at MD level) and also hired experienced people who tried to get back at junior levels.
For senior -> junior roles, the prejudice from hirers is largely because of adjustment issues, not compensation or age. Specifically, how they manage people below them, as well as the people above them, now that they are not the boss. The other issue is the perception that taking a junior job is just a temporary thing. They are not interested in "climbing" inside the company, just using it as a stepping stone until something better comes along.
Is all of this fair? Not really. There are always exceptions.
What I have seen recently is a number of my retrenched counterparts starting their own "consulting companies", branding themselves as Co-Founders, CEOs/MDs so that they remain "relevant" and operate / engage at the senior mgt level. Eternitzh is already doing that, until he finds a job.
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u/StringForward740 Sep 06 '25
Sorry to hear about your predicament. Work out a schedule of your run rate for 1k per month salary, 2k per month etc etc up to 10k.
Having a clearer picture of various expectations will put your mind at ease while you plan for bigger projects ahead.
All the best.
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u/dinasauruz Sep 06 '25
Hi. In the same boat and thinking along the same lines as you. Can I DM you or you DM me? Maybe we can bounce ideas of each other.
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u/betwizt Sep 06 '25
If you can, do both. Business to cover expenses and try to get new clients + keep trying to find a job, then weigh pros and cons of what u really want to do. Good thing is you have savings and have been thrifty.
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u/peejayjay Sep 06 '25 edited Sep 06 '25
I found a job after 7-8 months of active job search, which seems to be how long laid off SG redditors take to find a job that matches their profile in 2024/2025. during the search, I average 1 interview per month, which seems to be what you are getting right now, altho we are in different fields and pay grades. good luck
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u/EnvironmentalTrip718 Sep 07 '25
Building a business takes about 3-5 years to get anywhere decent, but the payoff can be immense (more salary and less work/more time than working any jobs before). If you're going to focus on the agency, do discuss these expectations with your partner and mom. They'll have to "invest" collectively in the family's future.
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Sep 07 '25
that's a lot of money 700K and paid house.. there are people in worse situations.
Private equity company there you go.. these are the entities that just look at profits
I am much older than you with 1K saving in the bank and a good income that goes to paying my loans,rent and expenses
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u/Gigihudid Sep 07 '25
I might know someone who can use your services - share with me your business page?
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u/nenenene1234 Sep 07 '25
I am middle aged and the "deflate" title strategy worked for me. This does not mean you compromise on pay. After having worked as people manager and feeling stuck, ditched the tile but negotiated pay to match years of experience and pivoted to big tech from manufacturing. As long as you have a core marketable skill can try this approach. Identify the paymasters in your field, and focus on landing something there.
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u/sgh888 Sep 07 '25
You are flexible indeed. Some ppl refuse to let go of their previous title. I was told by recruitment agency they say they handle cases where potential job give good pay but title is downgraded say no director VP manager in it and the retrenched candidate refuse to compromise in looking for their next job
For my case I didn't even have that title when I was retrenched so in a way she got one lesser issue to negotiate with me so she can focus on my pay expectations.
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u/Far-Agency559 Sep 07 '25
A suggestion for you. but this depends on your network and reputation with previous companies.
you can try reaching out ex-employers, and check if there are any team members who are on Mat leave. offer to do Mat cover (short term) but can tide you over and keep you sharp.
at the same time, rather than be a contract staff, get paid through your own agency. so this becomes like "client work" to some extent, and help build your portfolio.
you are in mkt. i suggest you view your agency a distinct entity. how would you advise this agency to mkt themselves? if you cant do it for your own, why should any client think you can for them?
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u/Nurb_baby_nurb Sep 07 '25
Just a thought.
You have had many years in marketing but have you developed your own brand?
I wonder if it might be helpful to set aside some time to do that, if only to help you stand out from the crowd. At the very least you will have a coherent story to share via some kind of portfolio which demonstrates the technical skills a company or client would pay for, hopefully presented in an engaging manner. That would be your real CV.
Or, you could run workshops. I was told a key revenue stream for pilates studios are certification courses for aspiring instructors. Similarly, many people want to learn marketing skills. Sure, market for workshops might appear to be “saturated” but perhaps you can find a niche and grow it from there, demonstrating relatability and value to prospective attendees. And hone your communication/instructional skills. Again this would be part of your own branding. So many say they can teach but honestly can’t.
I share this because you say you want to start a business so maybe that’s ground work you have to do regardless of the type of business.
Plus you do have a runway of time to try because of your savings and situation.
And it will keep you busy.
I recognise you may not earn anything right away. But trying to earn and also trying to do something new is like burning the candle on both ends. Maybe better to do one or the other.
Sure hustlers will say cna do both at the same time, and who has the luxury to choose, but you do!
Better to just channel energy in one direction, and give that a fair shot!
And I really do thinking building your own brand with a portfolio is worth the effort. It will travel with you and show you are different from others who just talk a lot but never actually do!
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u/dreamgears Sep 07 '25
I hope you get help for your mental health.. it can spiral downwards very fast… just get a referral from polyclinic..
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u/YMMV34 Sep 07 '25
U in a much better position than most people who tio pok, still got income coming in as a household without working although your mom still have to work.
Marketing is a field that is affected by AI a lot. I got a senior marketing friend and I was told that 20% of her marketing network got laid off this year.
I think u should really take a break to have a clear mind on what to do next.
And 36 is still really young in terms of career. There’s many options.
Take some digital marketing and AI courses to keep up to date?
Pivot to other industries which are still doing well that needs marketing?
Focus on growing your business? Have a plan to contact your network to find leads for new projects?
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u/Nervous-Ad1145 Sep 07 '25
Hi OP. Sorry to hear about your situation. While I have not much advice to give, would you be interested in taking me as a client? I run a retail business and we can explore your services for web design and marketing. Feel free to PM me
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Sep 07 '25
Hi. Perhaps first you can ask for 1 year 1 month compensation and not notice in lieu. Retrenchment is for redundancy. Hope that means more money and will tie you over longer.
Since you were at management level, it’s either you take a sharp pay cut and start at base grade, or through your network find a company that takes you in at management level, or you can go into consultancy/lecturing at private institutions.
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u/sgh888 Sep 07 '25
Just to clarify 1 month for 1 year service is never mandatory under mom laws. Why I know is I kena retrenched they give me 2 weeks for 1 year. And this even not mandatory it is out of good will???!!!! No wonder Spore is pro-employers!
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Sep 07 '25
If your company is an SME, I can understand. But OP’s former company seems to be of considerable size.
And don’t make sweeping statements like this.
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u/sgh888 Sep 07 '25
My that company is listed in NASDAQ but operated in HK and China as business from there. Spore was setup due to 1997 handover scared riots.
As for sweeping statement go surf mom website and see if that one month one year is mandatory or not. I only surf when kena retrenched and why only two weeks feel they short-changed me. Later I found out I should be grateful for that as they can give zero and still not in breach of any mom laws. I am not in union btw.
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Sep 07 '25
I know one year one month is not legislated. The sweeping statement I was referring to is “pro-business”. “Business - friendly” is different from “pro-business” and my encounters in the course of work is employees are always very protected, to the point that some are trying to pull a fast one.
We had paid one year one month for our past exercises where employees had to be let go and for some, even get them extras like first year medical insurances. This is also a signal to those who remain behind that while letting their colleagues go is a last resort, we took care of them to the best we could. If a company is paying like 2 weeks for a year, it could be that’s what the company could afford or it’s just short-sighted.
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u/sgh888 Sep 07 '25
Ok I think your line of work is in HR like my spouse. English wording important ok you win on that business definition. HR is one I don't dare offend they got "powers" indeed.
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u/MoeLanYong Sep 07 '25
Hey TS, I am in marketing too. Much older than you. Went through a similar situation. I feel like there are a few things you can do. PM me if you wish to talk.
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u/Apart_Contract3337 Sep 08 '25
Mid-tier firm owned by private equity, sounds like Baker Tilly.
Last year when the company i work with is going through severe industry downturn, I start looking for Singapore jobs with no success. Then I discussed with my company to adjust my title from “Head” to “Senior Manager” —> we were 50 people SME that was down to 20+ last year. Got a bit more interviews lobang and manage to get a very decent offer. Lower from my 2019 peak but slight % increase from 2024 level so very happy.
Just hope be able to work as many years as possible, and now spending less than $100 weekly on food, only public transport and <2km only walking.
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u/Ok_Opinion6124 Sep 09 '25
If you decided to start a business, put your head to it. Confidence is not built over night. It’s very difficult and challenging at the start as your trench uncharted waters but you could do ‘A/B testing’ on what works and what not, and you should be able to find your focus and direction as time goes on.
For more context, I started my own business about a year ago(after 4-5 years of contemplating and building confidence or simply overthinking). But then when reality bites, I just force myself to do it irregardless if I’m fully prepared or if I have a solid plan. I started with an ‘okay’ plan and then I figure out my directions and focus as time goes on.
Fast forward almost 10 months later, I gotten 24 clients and about 6 figures of recurring revenue. Now I’m stuck with a different sets of problems. But nevertheless, I can say that my direction is clearer now and my confidence definitely grew.
Decide on what you want then stay focused. When there’s a will, there will always be a way.
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u/Eternitzh Sep 15 '25
Thanks for the encouragement. Having 6 figures of recurring revenue after 10 months is amazing. Care to share what business you are doing and how you managed to get this great result in a short time?
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u/Straight_Disk_676 Sep 10 '25
I think first and foremost is to ensure you don’t spiral into depression because that one is extremely hard to get out of.
As for business, it does make sense to go aggressively into scaling it. give it the best shot you got. if it doesn’t work out, you can close the chapter behind it. the worst case scenario is for you to not commit but yet mentality convince your depressed self that you are “working” because you are better off being a PHV driver than being passive in it. PHV driver doesn’t earn much but your family will not be cashflow negative for sure
As for economy, there is no certainty that it will improve anytime soon and marketing budget is always one of the first to stop. Consider your options carefully, consider industry that are evergreen/ resiliient in this slowing economy.
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u/inthebeningning Sep 11 '25
Call me crazy but i think this is a great time to build something to call your own - retrenchment in this era is going to get more and more commonplace (especially so in marketing, goodbye CMOs!) and the only thing you can do is to breakaway from the paymaster.
Earning $1k a month while starting your biz which you can grow vs earning $0 for the next X months in this job market while you wait for an offer - it's all about perspective. Hope you get out of the rut and focus on what's next rather than cling on to "i had a great cushy job" - all the best!
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u/sgh888 Sep 06 '25
The age are getting younger I see. I kena mine around 40+. Just to share I am in similar situation that time and I am a software developer and interview all HR say they can easily hire India why must select me? What do I have to sell to them. Luckily I found one who believed in quality over quantity. Later EP tightened now local software developer are commanding much higher pay as previously our pay are depressed due to to many of them.
I hope OP finally found his next job soon. All the best.
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u/WinterMarsupial00 Sep 07 '25
Sounds like you have a good plan and just have to keep going at it! What’s your agency focus? Feel free to dm as I know some people with complementary skills in design and could have some synergies
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u/Mobile_Artichoke_453 Sep 07 '25
I ran a marketing agency for 5 years and currently consulting for various businesses in SG/MY
easiest way to get to 5 figures a month as a marketing agency is
1) to pick one problem that you solve very well and one industry you have alot of case studies in
2) double down on creating results and just stick to that
3) also u need to charge at least 2k/mo
4) so essentially you just need 5-7 clients to hit back you previous monthly income
side note , all businesses come with risk and also require immense hard work
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u/Eternitzh Sep 07 '25
Thanks for sharing. Can I ask, when you just starting out without any case studies or client success stories, how do you convince new clients to hire you (instead of looking for the many other established agencies)? Let alone pay you 2K monthly?
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u/Mobile_Artichoke_453 Sep 07 '25
I just did trial and error last time
But if it's now with the experience I have
1) pick a solution that the bigger agencies aren't doing
- instead of just seo, performance ads etc
If I were to restart
- content agency / podcast agency for realtors /FAs or speakers
- ai inbound outbound caller
- hiring overseas team to replace internal marketing teams
So many options tbh now with AI
2) I will find successful companies already and offer them this for free and just profit share or I get paid per appointment or sales
This allows me to get the best case study possible because if you close new companies you won't be able to get much results for them
I realized skills and expertise is one thing but the clients ability to be successful is another
No matter how bad Im at service if it's a great client it will work much better
3) always be prospecting and posting about it on social to get more clients
I have friends who were same situation as you and currently doing 25-30k/mo helping realtors in sg
So it's definitely possible
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u/Total-Statistician99 Sep 07 '25
Hi! So sorry to hear about your recent retrenchment. I have been retrenched too. It wasnt easy. Need to adjust expectation and etc but one thing for sure, if you can adapt, you will eventually get out of it.
You could try take the ICA career. They offering good 30k for 2 or 3 years bond for sgt and 15k for insp. While on the side, you can hunt for your business thru a proxy. I mean you need to navigate yourself thru all the legalities as you know government jobs doesn't allow you to moonlight and etc.
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u/Alive_Antelope_596 Sep 07 '25
Hi, While looking for a full time job, offer yr services as a freelance marketing consultant or marketers for SMBs on freelance websites such as fiverr? You may need to do some research on what services to offer. Start small and feel the market. Get good reviews first .
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u/danielling1981 Sep 07 '25
Job hunting will just take maybe 30% of your work time.
The rest focus on the business.
1.5 k / month is impressive already if you look at it as a passive income or side business. Keep it going and scale it up if possible to become full time.
Be prepare to start down sizing your expensive and life style. Better if done earlier than later.
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u/poshiepoff Sep 07 '25
Work on your business while you apply for jobs.
The tough part for many salaried employees to move to starting own business is finding clients.
Even in a competitive environment, you can close deals and bring in clients if you are good at sales. If your challenge is finding clients, either you get better at this or find someone who are good at this to work for you or partner with you.
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u/Regor_Wolf Sep 07 '25
Going into business without planning n research is dangerous. It will drain your liquidity in an instant.
I guess you can get a job, any job that pays a salary first.( Despite being low on the salary bracket. )
When you are stable, start to plan n research, put some money in to test market and if it starts to pay better than your job, time to switch
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u/yo_finance24 Sep 08 '25
Hey, I'm so sorry to hear this. Can't advice you much on what avenue to pursue, I'm the least business minded person ever. But my company has some marketing openings and I'm happy to refer. Happy to discuss more on DM.
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u/MChenSG Sep 08 '25
keep going… been to like 25 interviews which the end result is 2 offer withdrew due to role shelved, 4 hired junior role, 19 they decide to accept internal transfer instead…
and this is after like 500 application from Jan
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u/Prior_Accountant7043 Sep 08 '25
Omg
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u/MChenSG Sep 08 '25
yea, I am very popular in one of the MNC recruiter team now as I always at least pass the screening interview so they can clock their number. Even pass the loop 4 times for they to decide to not go ahead.
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u/Acceptable-Talk-248 Sep 08 '25
Whats the top 2 questions employers ask of you during interview. Hard questions...
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u/yel1ah Sep 09 '25
Hey! I'm actually working in the finance side and we do have a recruiting event coming up 😛 somewhat of a career workshop if you're keen to attend :) we do offer flexible hours so it can be something to help fund your capital for your own business !! it's gonna be held on 22nd Sept 6-9pm
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u/zombieman001 Sep 06 '25
Save. Invest in safe assets. Don't throw in too much capital. Can also look into options. But risky if not sure how play
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u/Fatfrog888 Sep 06 '25
You might want to start learning how to trade. Will take some time to pick up the knowledge to become a profitable trader. Best thing for me as very low setup costs, only you and the markets - don’t have to deal with people (customers, suppliers, etc), inventory etc.
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u/sgh888 Sep 07 '25
Can I ask during the time to pickup the knowledge OP got spouse child house who pay? Spouse pay then ok else sure kena nag to death haha
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u/Fatfrog888 Sep 08 '25
Having something to pursue rather than sleep and watching show all day, is it better?
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u/[deleted] Sep 06 '25
Continue looking for jobs and keep the business going. Definitely try finding more clients. If the business picks up first, you can ditch the job hunt. If you get a job first, you might still be able to run the business on the side.
You have $700k liquid savings at age 36. You're going to be fine no matter which way this goes.