This local job ad for drivers requires a degree. Boss reveals why

Is this a sign of an ultra-competitive job market?

One construction firm here is looking for a driver, and it seems that simply having years of experience behind the wheel is not good enough for them.

On July 8, Preethi Engineering posted a job advertisement for a "class four driver" on the government job portal MyCareersFuture.

With a monthly salary of between $2,800 to $3,800, the day-to-day responsibilities listed are typical of what a driver in the construction industry would do.

To be considered for this position, potential applicants also need to have more than 10 years of driving experience.

However, what stood out in that ad is that the employer Preethi Engineering requires the driver to have a bachelor's degree.

Speaking to AsiaOne on Friday (July 15), Preethi Engineering confirmed that this job requirement – unusual for this position – is not a typo.

Besides transporting construction materials and workers, the driver is also required to attend meetings with developers to "discuss" building projects, the boss of the construction firm, who only wanted to be known as Poyyamozhi, told AsiaOne.

But in a HardwareZone thread, netizens there are struggling to explain why a higher education is required to be a driver. 

Several netizens, who presumably do not have university degrees, poked fun over their future career prospects.

"This is where you end up when everyone has a degree," a netizen said.

But all is not lost for those who have aspirations to be drivers in the construction industry

Taking a quick look at current job listings for drivers on MyCareersFuture, AsiaOne found out that most companies preferred that their candidates to have at least a secondary school education, or those who can "speak and write in English".

None we saw require drivers to have a bachelor's degree. 

While he has yet to receive a job application, all university graduates – not just those with engineering degrees – are welcome to apply, Poyyamozhi said.

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chingshijie@asiaone.com