JOB SEEKER SAYS EMPLOYERS DISCRIMINATE HIS PRIVATE DEGREE, ONLY OFFER DIPLOMA SALARY

do SG employers still discriminate against job applicants with private degrees?

In the past when I applied for jobs, majority of the employers, especially the govt linked companies, would reject me due to my privately obtain degrees.

I remembered one interviewer said to me that they would only pay me diploma level salary instead of degree level at one of the glc. Is this still being practised in SG?

Why are private degrees seen as “lesser”

The first and most obvious reason why employers may be discriminating against degrees from private universities is the perceived lack of prestige associated with these institutions. Many employers view private universities as being ‘lesser’ than their public counterparts, and as such, they are less likely to consider candidates with degrees from these institutions. This can be especially damaging to those who have spent a considerable amount of time and money on their education, only to find out that their hard work may not be valued by employers.

Another reason why employers may be discriminating against degrees from private universities is the perception that the quality of education offered by these institutions is lower than that offered by public universities. This is an issue that is difficult to address, as the perception that private universities are not as good as their public counterparts is deeply entrenched in Singapore society. Furthermore, employers may also view the lower fees associated with private universities as a sign of inferiority, as they may assume that the level of teaching and resources offered at these institutions is inferior.

Employers may be discriminating against degrees from private universities due to a lack of familiarity with the institution. Many employers may not be aware of the quality of education offered by the institution, or the reputation of the institution within Singapore society. As such, they may be less likely to consider applicants who have obtained their degrees from private universities.

Netizens’ comments

1. Yes. The don’t recognise/acknowledge private degrees from universities that don’t have a name for themselves. One example is P&G. (I know because I’ve worked there)
   At the same time, there are also employers that recognise them.
2. Yeah the gov sector is very strict on certificates and your class of honour.
3. For the most part if you’re at mid-senior level and not trying for the best places (FAANG, IB etc) and unless your degree is some REALLY weird and crap one from the Cayman Islands or Malaysia (hehe) etc, no. Work experience and your performance in the interview matter more. SMEs don’t really filter down as hard.
   For big MNCs or the better places? You’re out of luck. I work in a ‘better’ MNC in STEM and we basically exclude any CVs that aren’t from recognised unis from even round zero. There’s just too many applicants.
4. in my field degrees from local u earn about 4.5k ish starting pay. private u about 3k plus.
   i mention starting pay because i guess to me private u degree is ‘less recognised’, but still able to do certain entry tier graduate jobs
5. You’d better find a MNC. No one ever questioned my 3rd-world-university degree. Interviewers only cared about my skill set and experience. It may be different for entry level job though. When all candidates are fresh out of school there is almost nothing to evaluate, aside from … degree.
6. Well, consider the fact that for many roles there are dozens if not hundreds of applicants. We filter people off at each stage of life – PSLE into NT/NA/Express, O Levels into Poly/JC and it’s various courses and schools, and A Levels into various degree courses and schools.
   Does that mean that everyone that makes it to local uni is better than others? Of course not. I’ve met idiot groupmates in uni that have made me wonder how they clicked enough braincells together to make it here. But it is a good enough filter for most, and instead of trying to find out which private grads are actually good enough or even better than local grads, it’s much easier to just filter them out from the start.
   Hard truth, but it is what it is.
7. I used to do recruitment and some jobs have specific instructions not to hire from private. There was even once I was requested from the hiring manager to only send resumes from NUS/NTU.
8. You expect employers to accept people with Uptron and Kaplan degrees then?
9. I got a private degree (from Curtin University), applied for a MNC entertainment company with no issue. The HR and hiring manager did not seem to care where the degree came from. Once you have your foot in the door, do absolutely everything to impress your hiring manager and you will be okay. All the best!