The harsh reality of “generalist” degrees in Singapore’s job market

[SINGAPORE] A recent Reddit post from a National University of Singapore (NUS) graduate sparked an unexpectedly wide response online—not because the user was asking for niche advice, but because their story reflected a widespread struggle. Despite holding a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Global Studies, the poster was struggling to land even entry-level roles in admin, HR, or research. This disconnect between educational achievement and job market access is not unique to one graduate. It signals a systemic problem: Singapore’s economy rewards specialization and technical skills far more than broad-based knowledge, leaving many social science and humanities graduates adrift.

Mismatch Between Degrees and Market Demand

Singapore’s workforce is finely tuned to a high-skills economy. Industries like finance, tech, engineering, and biotech dominate job creation, while government policies and incentives favor sectors tied to innovation and productivity. According to Ministry of Manpower (MOM) data, employment rates for fresh graduates with degrees in information systems or engineering consistently outpace those in the arts and social sciences. The rise of digitalization has only sharpened this divide, with demand surging for data analysts, software developers, and fintech specialists.

Generalist degrees, like Global Studies, while intellectually rigorous, often lack a clear vocational anchor. They develop critical thinking, writing, and analytical skills, but employers in Singapore prioritize immediate functional competence. This results in a paradox: graduates with good academic records and soft skills find themselves competing—often unsuccessfully—for jobs where hard, demonstrable skills or prior internships weigh more heavily in hiring decisions.

The Hidden Biases of Entry-Level Hiring

While the Reddit commenters offered practical advice (look for civil service roles, pivot to corporate communications, or tap into personal networks), they also surfaced a deeper issue: the hidden experience trap. Many “entry-level” jobs in Singapore, especially in popular sectors like HR or admin, now list one to two years of experience as a baseline requirement. This creates a bottleneck where fresh graduates—especially those without specialized internships—are shut out before they even start.

It’s worth noting that even within the government, where social science graduates historically found steady roles, competition has intensified. Schemes like the Public Service Leadership Programme (PSLP) attract top graduates across disciplines, making it harder for “generalist” applicants to stand out. Meanwhile, in the private sector, humanities graduates often need to rebrand themselves as communications or marketing professionals, pivoting into roles that value storytelling and strategic thinking, even if their degrees didn’t explicitly train them for such.

Forecasting a Harder Road Ahead

Looking forward, the structural challenges facing generalist graduates may only deepen. As Singapore doubles down on Industry 4.0, sustainability, and AI-driven growth, sectors like green technology, advanced manufacturing, and biomedical innovation will shape the future labor market. Graduates with technical credentials—coding, data science, life sciences—will be in pole position. Unless universities and policymakers intentionally create better transition pathways for social science and humanities graduates, this talent pool risks underemployment, wage stagnation, or exit into unrelated industries.

Some signals of progress are emerging: interdisciplinary programs that blend humanities with data skills, or government upskilling initiatives aimed at the humanities crowd. But these are still early-stage efforts. Without stronger integration between education providers and industry partners, broad-based graduates will continue facing the burden of “retrofitting” themselves for job markets that weren’t designed with them in mind.

What We Think

The story of the job-hunting NUS graduate is more than just an individual’s frustration; it’s a mirror reflecting the structural inefficiencies of Singapore’s labor market. As long as the economy remains hyper-focused on technical skills and immediate functional value, generalist degrees will struggle for recognition. It’s time for a policy and industry rethink: How can we better harness the adaptable, critical minds that social science and humanities graduates bring? Until Singapore builds more intentional bridges between broad-based education and its evolving economy, we will continue wasting valuable talent—talent we can’t afford to leave on the sidelines.