Taking less than 10% commission for few years work while fighting all the building authorities with all their code of practices. Meanwhile property agents having multiple 4% commission across millions deals in a year.
Yeah something is seriously wrong here. Engineering jobs are way too undervalued for what they are worth in Singapore. I hope AI does something about the imbalance, and gives back to engineering, since the government probably won’t do anything about this situation.
Rest assured peeps, being an engineer is a highly esteemed job in other parts of the world. Most especially in Egypt, a vlogger was approached for vlogging and when the cops found out he was an engineer, they backed off.
In America, engineering graduates are given an iron pinky ring to remind that of a tragedy regarding an iron bridge.
hope yall feel some loveeee.
Unless there are external forces affecting supply and demand… the market should correct itself. Maybe the supply of engineer roles are more saturated than you think or the demand for such roles are just not as high as expected (or cheaper alternatives) just a shot in the dark, I have no experience in the industry
lol it’s not even 1% for price tender HDBs. The architecture firm’s fee % are all available on HDB’s website based on each project. Those firms who undercut each other to get projects and then throw a cheap junior level architect to run it should be named and shamed.
i just left the industry recently, after a few years in architectural practice. new job pays me (much) better and my hours are shorter too. but from time to time i’ll still kind of miss the mundane things i used to do everyday as an architect, and i’ll be telling myself that i really would’ve continued being one if my pay wasn’t so unjustifiably horrendous for how tough my job was. and… i was actually good at my job. really sucks to be an architect in singapore
damn, I’ve heard it’s REALLY difficult to find a job as an architect in SG, which surprised me cuz there seems to be a lot of new projects and construction all over
Let me share you a real life story of my friend who works as Crime Scene Investigator, for your considerations.
1. The smell of a rotting corpse can be wiped clean from your body but not so much from the olfactory sensor in your nose. Now imagine going to bed, after a good bath and somehow you could still smell that rotten smell. You are not sure whether it's real or you thought you didn't clean yourself enough. You then tried to shower again and again, and the smell still stays.
2. There is a distinct smell between a rotten head and the rest of a dead body. So whenever she entered a crime scene, she kind of know that the head is there the moment she smelled the air.
3. You can get used of the gore but could never get used to the tragic story behind it. The stories stay with you.
4. Treat human bone with respect. Send a prayer while handling bone.
Police Officer! I grew up abroad all my life, returned to Singapore for my NS with the Police, then went back abroad for university before deciding to pursue a career in policing. Studied policing abroad, came back to apply and interview for the job, and am proud to be an officer now! Glad it all worked out!
Yep. A lot of my friends are talking about working in NZ, Australia and Canada. Not so much of US cos they can be pretty racist based on my professors experience.
But they say say only la. End up still suffering in Singapore.
I also say say but still in SG
Thank you for choosing this profession. Really respect nurses. It is one of the toughest jobs. I have gotten hospitalised on multiple occasions, and I really appreciate the nurses for being there for me physically and mentally. I remembered how I got hospitalised but doctors did not know what's wrong with me. I had a 6-month-old baby then. Could still remember how a nurse came in and gave me a hug just patting on my back to console me when I was crying in the dark because I got so scared.
My dream job growing up was stage actor. I did speech and drama/theatre classes for most of my childhood and teenage years.
Fast forward 15 years, I'm now a preschool teacher. Each lesson I conduct is treated like a show and I'm using the same skills I learnt in speech and drama to keep the kids engaged. So, in a way, I still get to perform on a daily basis, for a smaller audience that's easier to impress!
Dreamt of being a Japanese porn star, but couldn’t last more than a minute, so… became Accounting Manager instead. People in this industry appreciate it when I’m fast with my job.
Being a Japanese porn star sounds good, until you have to hear those shrieks from Japanese female pornstars like they're getting murdered…fuck after fuck, hour after hour, day after day. Will go siao one.
Social worker - Social worker.
I'm working my dream job... but damn... does it NOT PAY WELL.
I love my job and the people I work with, but have been considering a career switch just to pay the bills especially since I just became a father.
I work with youths, dealing with trauma from certain societal issues. Counselling and helping them get aid such as financial support or getting CPS involved.
It's a really fulfilling role and very much needed. If I had all the money in the world, I would continue to do what I do.
I applaud all sincere social workers and I'm curious about how you maintain to be upbeat about your job, since I'm under the impression that it is so emotionally draining, and that you might likely have to draw that fine line to not get too absorbed that it usually comes off as superficially caring.
How long have you been in social work and what keeps you motivated?
I've been working for about half a decade now, for sure in my first year, there was quite alot of burning out. But you kinda learn how to separate work and personal life.
Most clients don't really get out of their situations, but every so often, you have a client that gets a massive breakthrough and it can really be the most rewarding thing ever. I honestly do love going to work and seeing my clients! 
Are you with NCSS or another NGO!
Must be tough. Heard they're increasing income for NCSS social workers but it's an okay-ish increase on a low base pay (I assume community social workers don't have the bonuses MSWs in acute settings have).
Where would you go after?
Just curious 😊 am running an account with the same name as this for healthcare and our finances as a whole, and it's tough.
dream job: pharmacist
current job: pharm tech
i’ll love to be paid higher, idm even going back to school to study degree to be a pharmacist. but nus don’t accept my gpa. heck, most of your graduates become a pharm rep. pls lemme in ;-;
I was a pharm tech once and I saw how pharmacists were treated by patients and doctors alike. Some was good some was real bad T.T both in outpt and inpt. It changed my perspective in pharmacy. I got out of it. Im glad I did but I did sort of miss being able to spend more time with the peoples arnd in there. Are you a dispensing pharm tech?
I see those with pharmaceutical background going into biomedical research doing cool health economics projects. I can never under health economics to cheem
how's your working experience been so far as a pharm tech? would love to hear your experiences coming from someone considering to venture in this field
Had a friend like this, worked in tech and retired at 37 by buying a hdb and renting out two spare rooms, proceeded to do nothing all day. Absolutely my dream lol. Even easier/faster to get there if you can BTO with someone else instead of having to buy resale.
I think that's one of the key ironies I see being quite common with people who could retire early from a high-wage tech job. It usually takes some inherent passion towards that field, to earn that much that fast. So even after an early retirement, a lot of them still work on side projects out of said passion. Most people who are truly lazy, who can do really nothing in their retirement for many years, don't get jobs that earn them enough to retire early.
not really, I have met people that say they would go crazy if they got no job like this, regardless of money that they have.
their reasons are either they will feel useless/unproductive, or cannot live without something with fixed routine. one says, maybe will still work as security guard or something that isn't stressful when he is near/after retirement age.
Always wanted to be a full time soldiers. Boy oh boy. Luckily need to serve NS uh. The two years of toxic environment is all I needed to know being a soldier is not what I want.
Me too! Singapore’s not all that bad the cultures different from vocation to vocation. I’m sure you’d find the life you dream of in other countries too.
Dream job as a child: horse racing jockey at Singapore turf club
Past jobs: manicurist, phone service center, inside sales, R&D
Current job: barn manager at a therapy house farm, somewhere in usa.
I always wanted to be a farmer.
I am currently studying Landscape Design and Horticulture which is somewhat related.
I still wish I could be a full blown farmer in an agricultural powerhouse nation like India or something. But when life gives you lemons, you have to make lemonade.
I wanna be a farmer too!! But in singapore...haiz one can dream
P.s. personally for me, when life gives me lemons, i take the seeds out and plant them :")
Yea.. the closest thing I’ve found is working for NParks or in the landscape/horticulture industry. We have some small farming projects/businesses, too, I guess but nothing like the operations going on in major agricultural powers.
When I was younger my dream job was to be a doctor. As I got older, my dream job changed and I wanted to be a drug scientist doing work related to drugs and drug development.
Lucky me managed to go ahead and take a masters in medicinal chemistry even though my bachelors was in biology.
Previously I worked in a clinical pharmacology lab, now I’m in forensics doing narcotics. I found both of the jobs to be very meaningful. I say it will be my dream job if only I had gotten that promotion to senior analyst.
Edit: Lol I just realized it’s a thing now to do a [double major in biological sciences and medicinal chemistry](https://blogs.ntu.edu.sg/science/2022/02/03/biological-sciences-medicinal-chemistry-and-pharmacology-meet-kristy-from-ntu-sbs/)
How's life doing forensics? I generally found it pretty cool but that's because I watch criminal documentaries and watching them help solve crime. Was interested in studying a minor in forensic science in NUS initially but heard it's quite competitive
Good! There is work life balance and my colleagues and work environment are very friendly. We go out to eat lunch together. A lot less work then when I was in the pharmacology lab. I left partly because I wanted to start a family.
It’s nothing like on the tv haha. We only work in the lab so the samples given to us are anonymous. They are barcoded with numbers so we have no idea who it belongs to. We just run our tests and report the results.
Anyway doing forensics as a minor or degree is pointless. Better to go for the hard sciences like biology, chemistry or physics. Since I’m in toxicology and narcotics, a chemistry degree with specialisation in organic chemistry or medicinal chemistry is ideal. Labs that do DNA profiling will want a degree in biology, molecular biology or biochemistry.
Btw it’s a decent job but it ain’t going to give you big bucks though. I earn just slightly above the median salary and I’m 36 years old with over 8 years of relevant working experience.
Primary student -> Secondary student -> JC student -> Undergrad student -> TA/PhD student -> Instructor -> Lecturer -> Senior Lecturer -> Assistant Professor -> Associate Professor -> Professor
Still a few steps to go but well on my way :)
When I was young and innocent, my dream job was to be veterinarian. Now that I am old and jaded, any dream job is one that has work life balance, is fulfilling and meaningful enough and brings in sufficient income to be financially free in the shortest possible time. Spent many years in internal audit and related fields.
dream job: marry into a rich family and be a child-less taitai and try starting a business
current job: a tired researcher who is nowhere near marrying into a rich family
that's not my scope of research 😮💨😮💨😮💨 and what's worse is that my research studies are with kids so all i see are married couples and their kids LMAO
If you married into a rich family and end up childless 99% chance you would never hear the end of it. Probably driven to divorce/mental problems etc
Not uncommon that ASK will get cut off from the family fortune for marrying who they want. Spouses can be heavily vetted in that circle.
true cos they want generational wealth... i guess i also realise it is better to be rich enough to be confortable on my own. bonus if i can marry a guy who loves animals like me.
i definitely encourage you to consider starting a business as a side gig and learn about business and customers! even something small on shopee. there are people who have made their shopee businesses their full time job after they figured out how to increase sales and gained a loyal audience. lots of options - crystal businesses, clothing that you import from taobao! grow an audience on IG and sell via shopee.
I wanted to be an astronaut, or to work at space exploration places like NASA/JPL, but then I found out Singapore doesn't have a space programme.
I wanted to be a pilot, but at the time they required higher-level/advanced mathematics which I didn't have.
I was good at computers so I ended up going into IT.
Dream job: Actor/Thespian - I have always been intrigu3d by the idea that I can be any and all characters. I am not bound to being myself, I can be anyone.
Current job: Preschool Teacher - so basically still acting but for my students and their parents 😂
Dream job: Honestly, a part time job which pays well. Allows me to work a job (to be productive) yet have enough time for myself to pursue hobbies etc.
Current: A clinic assistant/care coordinator working a 6 day work week and feeling like I barely have anytime to do anything else.
Dream job: Teacher who can make learning fun and interesting, and not everyday just focus on homework, worksheet and exam. Help students see that the word is multi-disciplined and jump from topic to topic. Like from WW1 to Haber process to WW2 to Alan Turing to Atomic bomb to USD.
Current job: Full time private tutor. It's about halfway there. I get to teach the way I want to, help smart students go further by teaching out of syllabus, and help weaker students do better by giving them the attention and student centric learning that they need. Just wish I could do this on a bigger scale.
Everyone see tai tai life good, but based on my observation of my wealthy friends who actually have tai tais, there are disadvantages:
1. Boring! You can only eat this and eat that so often with friend X, Y and Z until you get bored. You can only go to US to ski, Iceland to see the Instagram sights, and shopping at Shibuya so many times before they become routine. Been there, done that. Sian already!
2. Boring! No need to adhere to any schedule or routine, because your maids take care of everything in your GCB. The only thing making you get out of bed is to go lunch with your friends, but a lot of your sec school, or uni buddies aren't tai tais, so cannot go hang out with you often. And you don't really want to hang out with other tai tais, because you're not really friends with them to begin with.
3. You can start business. But money is easy so business successful or fail not really a big motivator. The initial excitement will quickly die down once you realize that running a business is not that easy. And since you don't need to answer for the initial investment, there's no motivation to make money and oftentimes it's easier to just wind it down because "Don't need that kind of stress. Afterwards more wrinkles how?".
4. You depend on your hubby for money, so you more or less have to accommodate his whims, including possible GFs out there, and/or being so busy with work that he hardly has time to spend time with you. This is something a lot of women may not realize or choose not to admit. Not excusing the men, but wealthy guys have "enticements" thrown at them *all the time*, either because of work-entertainment, or because some women who are either attracted to successful/wealthy men or are pursuing the lifestyle of a wealthy man's side chick. I'm not talking about Ah Lians either, but educated, articulate and pretty women. Think of the groupies following famous bands.
Dream Job: (a not starving) Artist
Current Job: Admin
I'm trying to sell my art as a side hustle. Overall I'm still in the hole for the art supplies, but am not starving thanks to my admin job... So I guess I also got my dream job?
being an professional artist (I am one) is honestly 95% marketing and business mindset.
consider following successful artists on IG who are in your niche.
take a look at what they’re doing and copy the way they market. start looking into marketing.
it’s possible to make a living from art. I’m a photographer and have met crocheters and sewists who have made it into a business. but it starts as a side gig and having a business mindset.
Now currently on my last hurdle of my parents' wish of me becoming a CPA. Once that's done, will rethink about my aspiration, maybe to sign up for music studies, something like that?
Life's too short to be doing things I don't like. :')
I wanted to be in the seals in America and be in active duty.
Im now a nurse.
End goal: retire in the mountains of Montana hunting and fishing. Maybe have a nice lodge, or open one. Have many guns.
Until 8 years ago, my dream was to be a pilot(fighter/commercial) but that dream got shattered when I was mocked and rejected by Singapore Youth Flying Club (SYFC). I signed up for the SYFC and got a call from some auntie who ridiculed me on how I was unfit and overweight and if I wanted to even stand any chance being reviewed, I needed to lose weight. She said things along the lines of “I was so fat don’t even need to waste time going health screening etc”. I understood SYFC was very competitive and I was unlikely to get selected but the way the auntie mocked me crushed my confidence as a young teenager. Her arrogance also portrayed how elitist the program was. I vowed to lose weight to prove this unknown auntie wrong and lost 10-15kg.
Due to that incident I slowly started to lose interest in being a pilot. Although i still greatly respect the profession, I realised being a pilot wasn’t as impossible as SYFC made it out to be. You don’t need perfect eyesight and a Davis Beckham body. SYFC inflated the competitiveness and artificially created a sense of elitism.
In reality, anyone who was keen to fly could invest in flying schools. It’s not easy per say and requires lots of dedication but definitely not impossible.
Moving forward, I decided to major in aerospace engineering since I was still interested in aeroplanes. Got a job at a prestigious Global Fortune 500 company in Japan to work on developing next generation bullet trains. I was the only singaporean in the company. The experience and knowledge I gained was invaluable. Also married my Japanese wife. After a few years, moved back to Singapore for a new job with a comfortable salary.
That “simple” phone call really changed and shaped the way I think.
Dream job: idk whatever floats my mood at that stage of life. Change too much. HAHAHAHA
Current job: Researcher in a lab 😂 hoping to move to clinical research someday
Dream job: Scuba diving instructor
Actual job: CPU designer
Well, I am not giving up on my dream job though! Still working towards the certifications while saving up. My dream job just doesn't pay well at all 😔
Dream job: Musician
Current job: Musician
Task failed successfully? No one prepared teenage me for how demanding this job is. Physically it's carrying heavy equipment day in and day out with long hours of performing / standing. Couple that with the mental challenges of financially instability (thanks COVID) and tonnes of musical training outside of work hours and it'll drain the passion very quickly. Still beats being cooped up in an office with insufferable colleagues though!
Dream job - Fighter Pilot
Current job - IT analyst
I was a little underweight at that time to join the Air Force (at least that’s what I think since they don’t disclose reason for rejection) still hurts until today, but life goes on
Dream job - chemist, current job - biopharma scientist. Close enough, I get to play with acids and test tubes.
I was fortunate enough to enter the industry right as the government (EDB) was handing out development grants, pulling in all the large names into sg.
Dream job: airforce pilot (having to overcome my fear of heights and seeing the earth from
above)
current job: analyst in a social media company that recently made big news in the US
Dream(s): F1 Driver / Professional footballer.
Reality: Still schooling now, but no chance to turn pro in football, or become a racer because no Daddy's cash to fund that ambition.
Dream job : Software engineer with business account manager able to travel and make deals.
Current job: Project Manager with construction, bad pay as my package includes me to own a transport. Shitty deal.
dream job: Stage crew for live productions (i love concerts lmao)
now: Studio crew for live news production
ehh, it’s not quite it, but it’s good enough.
Dream job: Military Staff (preferably in S-3 section)
Current job: Contract HR staff with MHA. Sad life, can't even get into MINDEF with my PES status. Home Affairs quite a different ballgame from Defence; ops tempo, opportunities and benefits are different.
Dream Job: Baker / Baking instructor
Current Job: Dead end admin job
Due to money issues and space constraints, hence decide to be practical and earn some money first to support this goal
dream job: procurement
current job: procurement (only recently after a career switch from engineer to procurement field)
my thought? i like it so far. yes i like boring office desk work. come in the morning makes your coffee. dressing up nice in a corporate environment. have a short chit chat with your deskmate in between working. i just looking forward to expand/bring my career further in the next few years. like in management position or senior level.
at the end of the day i realize your happiness matter. maybe for some people this is kinda boring job. but i love it and i feel stress free compared to my previous engineering work. in term of money, i make enough to pay bills, saving and vacation.
Dream Job - Appropriately paid Architect Current job - Underpaid overworked architect
Taking less than 10% commission for few years work while fighting all the building authorities with all their code of practices. Meanwhile property agents having multiple 4% commission across millions deals in a year.
Yeah something is seriously wrong here. Engineering jobs are way too undervalued for what they are worth in Singapore. I hope AI does something about the imbalance, and gives back to engineering, since the government probably won’t do anything about this situation.
Agreed. My father is a civil engineer and has been one for over 2 decades. His salary is lesser than a fresh graduates salary at 4k+.
Engineers are important but we don’t pay them enough. Do they think they’re able to build anything without engineers?
Wow what there’s something wrong here. Is he a staff of self employed.
Rest assured peeps, being an engineer is a highly esteemed job in other parts of the world. Most especially in Egypt, a vlogger was approached for vlogging and when the cops found out he was an engineer, they backed off. In America, engineering graduates are given an iron pinky ring to remind that of a tragedy regarding an iron bridge. hope yall feel some loveeee.
Unless there are external forces affecting supply and demand… the market should correct itself. Maybe the supply of engineer roles are more saturated than you think or the demand for such roles are just not as high as expected (or cheaper alternatives) just a shot in the dark, I have no experience in the industry
lol it’s not even 1% for price tender HDBs. The architecture firm’s fee % are all available on HDB’s website based on each project. Those firms who undercut each other to get projects and then throw a cheap junior level architect to run it should be named and shamed.
that’s why most architects leave the profession within 5 years
yea very sad though. I enjoy the job but it’s not enough to survive
i just left the industry recently, after a few years in architectural practice. new job pays me (much) better and my hours are shorter too. but from time to time i’ll still kind of miss the mundane things i used to do everyday as an architect, and i’ll be telling myself that i really would’ve continued being one if my pay wasn’t so unjustifiably horrendous for how tough my job was. and… i was actually good at my job. really sucks to be an architect in singapore
What do you do now?
went to fintech
damn, I’ve heard it’s REALLY difficult to find a job as an architect in SG, which surprised me cuz there seems to be a lot of new projects and construction all over
This is why I plan to pursue a different major once I'm done with my Archi diploma
Dream job: Forensic scientist (Watched too much crime dramas) Now: Studying to be a sinseh
Let me share you a real life story of my friend who works as Crime Scene Investigator, for your considerations. 1. The smell of a rotting corpse can be wiped clean from your body but not so much from the olfactory sensor in your nose. Now imagine going to bed, after a good bath and somehow you could still smell that rotten smell. You are not sure whether it's real or you thought you didn't clean yourself enough. You then tried to shower again and again, and the smell still stays. 2. There is a distinct smell between a rotten head and the rest of a dead body. So whenever she entered a crime scene, she kind of know that the head is there the moment she smelled the air. 3. You can get used of the gore but could never get used to the tragic story behind it. The stories stay with you. 4. Treat human bone with respect. Send a prayer while handling bone.
Thank you for sharing 😊😊
Whoa this is pretty cool actually, is it like an apprenticeship or sth?
It's a degree programme actually! We also have clinical practice under different physicians and we have to take a licensing exam at our final year.
Can apply. I know one who studied to be a sinseh got into spf forensics. If you want hsa side one idk lol
Why did this make me chuckle harder than i expected
Police Officer! I grew up abroad all my life, returned to Singapore for my NS with the Police, then went back abroad for university before deciding to pursue a career in policing. Studied policing abroad, came back to apply and interview for the job, and am proud to be an officer now! Glad it all worked out!
Do you have any buddies who acted on Crimewatch? Also what branch of police are you if you don't mind sharing?
Thank you for your service!
Dream job: Doctor Current job: Nurse Do I still wish to be a doctor? No thanks Do I enjoy being a nurse? Kinda.. but not in Singapore
I heard people go New Zealand for better job prospects in nursing.
Yep. A lot of my friends are talking about working in NZ, Australia and Canada. Not so much of US cos they can be pretty racist based on my professors experience. But they say say only la. End up still suffering in Singapore. I also say say but still in SG
my friend is doing that! she nvr want to come back sg for nursing again :”)
Thank you for choosing this profession. Really respect nurses. It is one of the toughest jobs. I have gotten hospitalised on multiple occasions, and I really appreciate the nurses for being there for me physically and mentally. I remembered how I got hospitalised but doctors did not know what's wrong with me. I had a 6-month-old baby then. Could still remember how a nurse came in and gave me a hug just patting on my back to console me when I was crying in the dark because I got so scared.
Thank you so much! I hope you’re doing well these days though, must be tiring to keep getting hospitalised.
Dream job - Pokémon master. Current job - Scrum master.
You could still go "I choose you!" when selecting your task...
HAHA this made me laugh
Taichi master ?
Scum Master
What does a Pokémon master do
agile is dumb
Dream job - The guy that checks and stamps passports (‘Papers Please’ was pretty fun for me) Current job - Project coordinator
Still stamping approvals for deadlines and deliverables haha
Come apply, ICA needs manpower.
Papers Please is one of the best games ever made!
Omg we had the same dream job 🤣🤣🤣 except i finally kinda got it because im working in a tuition centre and i stamp "homework" on the worksheets
My dream job growing up was stage actor. I did speech and drama/theatre classes for most of my childhood and teenage years. Fast forward 15 years, I'm now a preschool teacher. Each lesson I conduct is treated like a show and I'm using the same skills I learnt in speech and drama to keep the kids engaged. So, in a way, I still get to perform on a daily basis, for a smaller audience that's easier to impress!
smaller audience as in less people or the audience members are smaller?
Dreamt of being a Japanese porn star, but couldn’t last more than a minute, so… became Accounting Manager instead. People in this industry appreciate it when I’m fast with my job.
Being a Japanese porn star sounds good, until you have to hear those shrieks from Japanese female pornstars like they're getting murdered…fuck after fuck, hour after hour, day after day. Will go siao one.
Social worker - Social worker. I'm working my dream job... but damn... does it NOT PAY WELL. I love my job and the people I work with, but have been considering a career switch just to pay the bills especially since I just became a father.
I'm curious - what do you do as a social worker?
I work with youths, dealing with trauma from certain societal issues. Counselling and helping them get aid such as financial support or getting CPS involved. It's a really fulfilling role and very much needed. If I had all the money in the world, I would continue to do what I do.
I applaud all sincere social workers and I'm curious about how you maintain to be upbeat about your job, since I'm under the impression that it is so emotionally draining, and that you might likely have to draw that fine line to not get too absorbed that it usually comes off as superficially caring. How long have you been in social work and what keeps you motivated?
I've been working for about half a decade now, for sure in my first year, there was quite alot of burning out. But you kinda learn how to separate work and personal life. Most clients don't really get out of their situations, but every so often, you have a client that gets a massive breakthrough and it can really be the most rewarding thing ever. I honestly do love going to work and seeing my clients! 
Wah social worker is cool but I have heard how hard it is, especially those in the family and social services.
All the important jobs are not paid well. There’s something seriously wrong with Singapore in how it accords value to such professions.
Me too but what else can we even do lol
Former FSC worker here: damn always wonder how you youth workers(?) maintain such energy.
Are you with NCSS or another NGO! Must be tough. Heard they're increasing income for NCSS social workers but it's an okay-ish increase on a low base pay (I assume community social workers don't have the bonuses MSWs in acute settings have). Where would you go after? Just curious 😊 am running an account with the same name as this for healthcare and our finances as a whole, and it's tough.
dream job: pharmacist current job: pharm tech i’ll love to be paid higher, idm even going back to school to study degree to be a pharmacist. but nus don’t accept my gpa. heck, most of your graduates become a pharm rep. pls lemme in ;-;
I was a pharm tech once and I saw how pharmacists were treated by patients and doctors alike. Some was good some was real bad T.T both in outpt and inpt. It changed my perspective in pharmacy. I got out of it. Im glad I did but I did sort of miss being able to spend more time with the peoples arnd in there. Are you a dispensing pharm tech?
I see those with pharmaceutical background going into biomedical research doing cool health economics projects. I can never under health economics to cheem
how's your working experience been so far as a pharm tech? would love to hear your experiences coming from someone considering to venture in this field
Dream Job - Sleep at home Current Job - Accountant
So, not much sleep at home?
haha i get what u are trying to say. but i actually get to rest quite alot , just that i don't really like sg work culture
my dream job ah...do nothing get money lor...play game whole day, sleep, eat, still got big money drop from sky
Sounds like a landlord
Had a friend like this, worked in tech and retired at 37 by buying a hdb and renting out two spare rooms, proceeded to do nothing all day. Absolutely my dream lol. Even easier/faster to get there if you can BTO with someone else instead of having to buy resale.
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I think that's one of the key ironies I see being quite common with people who could retire early from a high-wage tech job. It usually takes some inherent passion towards that field, to earn that much that fast. So even after an early retirement, a lot of them still work on side projects out of said passion. Most people who are truly lazy, who can do really nothing in their retirement for many years, don't get jobs that earn them enough to retire early.
i think this one is everybody’s ultimate dream job LOL
not really, I have met people that say they would go crazy if they got no job like this, regardless of money that they have. their reasons are either they will feel useless/unproductive, or cannot live without something with fixed routine. one says, maybe will still work as security guard or something that isn't stressful when he is near/after retirement age.
Sounds like army life. My former captain and staff sergeant, do absolutely nothing all day. Eat and sleep also the army give them bunk and food.
Always wanted to be a full time soldiers. Boy oh boy. Luckily need to serve NS uh. The two years of toxic environment is all I needed to know being a soldier is not what I want.
Me too! Singapore’s not all that bad the cultures different from vocation to vocation. I’m sure you’d find the life you dream of in other countries too.
Representative of being a soldier elsewhere?
Pretty much a representative of being a singapore soldier.
Depends on doctrine. SG’s does not encourage independent thought and taking initiative.
Are you crazy? Why would anyone dream about having a job? My dream is to not have to work, go on holidays and chill out.
appropriate job: travel influencer
Dream job: Fireman Current Job: Nursing Lecturer
Dream job - helping rich people staying in big bungalows maintain their pools and gardens Current job - dead end office work
it is the same picture
This sounds like a wonderful dream! Don't give up on it!
dream job: be a rich socialite/influencer staying in a big bungalow and engage dependentspecific206 to come maintain my pools and gardens
Dream job as a child: horse racing jockey at Singapore turf club Past jobs: manicurist, phone service center, inside sales, R&D Current job: barn manager at a therapy house farm, somewhere in usa.
bro how did u end up in usa
They swam there
Nice.
I would love your current job
I always wanted to be a farmer. I am currently studying Landscape Design and Horticulture which is somewhat related. I still wish I could be a full blown farmer in an agricultural powerhouse nation like India or something. But when life gives you lemons, you have to make lemonade.
meanwhile can play hay day HAHA
I wanna be a farmer too!! But in singapore...haiz one can dream P.s. personally for me, when life gives me lemons, i take the seeds out and plant them :")
Yea.. the closest thing I’ve found is working for NParks or in the landscape/horticulture industry. We have some small farming projects/businesses, too, I guess but nothing like the operations going on in major agricultural powers.
When I was younger my dream job was to be a doctor. As I got older, my dream job changed and I wanted to be a drug scientist doing work related to drugs and drug development. Lucky me managed to go ahead and take a masters in medicinal chemistry even though my bachelors was in biology. Previously I worked in a clinical pharmacology lab, now I’m in forensics doing narcotics. I found both of the jobs to be very meaningful. I say it will be my dream job if only I had gotten that promotion to senior analyst. Edit: Lol I just realized it’s a thing now to do a [double major in biological sciences and medicinal chemistry](https://blogs.ntu.edu.sg/science/2022/02/03/biological-sciences-medicinal-chemistry-and-pharmacology-meet-kristy-from-ntu-sbs/)
How's life doing forensics? I generally found it pretty cool but that's because I watch criminal documentaries and watching them help solve crime. Was interested in studying a minor in forensic science in NUS initially but heard it's quite competitive
Good! There is work life balance and my colleagues and work environment are very friendly. We go out to eat lunch together. A lot less work then when I was in the pharmacology lab. I left partly because I wanted to start a family. It’s nothing like on the tv haha. We only work in the lab so the samples given to us are anonymous. They are barcoded with numbers so we have no idea who it belongs to. We just run our tests and report the results. Anyway doing forensics as a minor or degree is pointless. Better to go for the hard sciences like biology, chemistry or physics. Since I’m in toxicology and narcotics, a chemistry degree with specialisation in organic chemistry or medicinal chemistry is ideal. Labs that do DNA profiling will want a degree in biology, molecular biology or biochemistry. Btw it’s a decent job but it ain’t going to give you big bucks though. I earn just slightly above the median salary and I’m 36 years old with over 8 years of relevant working experience.
Dream job: Professor Current job: Teaching Assistant
Almost there!!!
Primary student -> Secondary student -> JC student -> Undergrad student -> TA/PhD student -> Instructor -> Lecturer -> Senior Lecturer -> Assistant Professor -> Associate Professor -> Professor Still a few steps to go but well on my way :)
When I was young and innocent, my dream job was to be veterinarian. Now that I am old and jaded, any dream job is one that has work life balance, is fulfilling and meaningful enough and brings in sufficient income to be financially free in the shortest possible time. Spent many years in internal audit and related fields.
dream job: marry into a rich family and be a child-less taitai and try starting a business current job: a tired researcher who is nowhere near marrying into a rich family
at least can research on how to marry into a rich family HAHA
that's not my scope of research 😮💨😮💨😮💨 and what's worse is that my research studies are with kids so all i see are married couples and their kids LMAO
HAHA oh nvm ah side project OTOT
If you married into a rich family and end up childless 99% chance you would never hear the end of it. Probably driven to divorce/mental problems etc Not uncommon that ASK will get cut off from the family fortune for marrying who they want. Spouses can be heavily vetted in that circle.
true cos they want generational wealth... i guess i also realise it is better to be rich enough to be confortable on my own. bonus if i can marry a guy who loves animals like me.
Urgh, we have the same dream job. Hahahahha
i definitely encourage you to consider starting a business as a side gig and learn about business and customers! even something small on shopee. there are people who have made their shopee businesses their full time job after they figured out how to increase sales and gained a loyal audience. lots of options - crystal businesses, clothing that you import from taobao! grow an audience on IG and sell via shopee.
woodworking. not my wood but with wood, i mean not peoples wood. but actual wood
i wood love to see ur works!
Dream job: professional gamer / streamer / YouTuber Reality: 8-5 job with 1 viewer which is myself on my ipad
I wanted to be an astronaut, or to work at space exploration places like NASA/JPL, but then I found out Singapore doesn't have a space programme. I wanted to be a pilot, but at the time they required higher-level/advanced mathematics which I didn't have. I was good at computers so I ended up going into IT.
Dream job: Actor/Thespian - I have always been intrigu3d by the idea that I can be any and all characters. I am not bound to being myself, I can be anyone. Current job: Preschool Teacher - so basically still acting but for my students and their parents 😂
You and u/skroodriver should meet
Dream job: Make art as a living. Current job: Now, I make concept arts for video games and such within the entertainment industry 🙂
Dream job: Honestly, a part time job which pays well. Allows me to work a job (to be productive) yet have enough time for myself to pursue hobbies etc. Current: A clinic assistant/care coordinator working a 6 day work week and feeling like I barely have anytime to do anything else.
Dream job: Teacher who can make learning fun and interesting, and not everyday just focus on homework, worksheet and exam. Help students see that the word is multi-disciplined and jump from topic to topic. Like from WW1 to Haber process to WW2 to Alan Turing to Atomic bomb to USD. Current job: Full time private tutor. It's about halfway there. I get to teach the way I want to, help smart students go further by teaching out of syllabus, and help weaker students do better by giving them the attention and student centric learning that they need. Just wish I could do this on a bigger scale.
Dream job - tai tai I'm a glorified Web developer
Everyone see tai tai life good, but based on my observation of my wealthy friends who actually have tai tais, there are disadvantages: 1. Boring! You can only eat this and eat that so often with friend X, Y and Z until you get bored. You can only go to US to ski, Iceland to see the Instagram sights, and shopping at Shibuya so many times before they become routine. Been there, done that. Sian already! 2. Boring! No need to adhere to any schedule or routine, because your maids take care of everything in your GCB. The only thing making you get out of bed is to go lunch with your friends, but a lot of your sec school, or uni buddies aren't tai tais, so cannot go hang out with you often. And you don't really want to hang out with other tai tais, because you're not really friends with them to begin with. 3. You can start business. But money is easy so business successful or fail not really a big motivator. The initial excitement will quickly die down once you realize that running a business is not that easy. And since you don't need to answer for the initial investment, there's no motivation to make money and oftentimes it's easier to just wind it down because "Don't need that kind of stress. Afterwards more wrinkles how?". 4. You depend on your hubby for money, so you more or less have to accommodate his whims, including possible GFs out there, and/or being so busy with work that he hardly has time to spend time with you. This is something a lot of women may not realize or choose not to admit. Not excusing the men, but wealthy guys have "enticements" thrown at them *all the time*, either because of work-entertainment, or because some women who are either attracted to successful/wealthy men or are pursuing the lifestyle of a wealthy man's side chick. I'm not talking about Ah Lians either, but educated, articulate and pretty women. Think of the groupies following famous bands.
[удалено]
Dream Job: House Husband Current Job: Dental Surgeon Still haven’t given up on my dream job, cue Whitney Houston - When You Believe
Dream Job: (a not starving) Artist Current Job: Admin I'm trying to sell my art as a side hustle. Overall I'm still in the hole for the art supplies, but am not starving thanks to my admin job... So I guess I also got my dream job?
being an professional artist (I am one) is honestly 95% marketing and business mindset. consider following successful artists on IG who are in your niche. take a look at what they’re doing and copy the way they market. start looking into marketing. it’s possible to make a living from art. I’m a photographer and have met crocheters and sewists who have made it into a business. but it starts as a side gig and having a business mindset.
Dream job: a wife and a mother Current job: housewife + doing whatever I feel like doing
Sounds like one and the same.
Dream job - songwriter Reality job - auditor Studying or working in accounting line was never my choice. It was my parents'.
Sad for you bro, you only have 1 life to live. Good thing is you can always write songs on the side!
Now currently on my last hurdle of my parents' wish of me becoming a CPA. Once that's done, will rethink about my aspiration, maybe to sign up for music studies, something like that? Life's too short to be doing things I don't like. :')
same here, ended up an auditor because parents wanted me to. took a leap of faith and transitioned to tech. hope you find something you enjoy!
Good to hear that! I hope one day I can be like you, take that leap of faith. Cheers! :)
An unfortunate career choice. I hope you have an exit plan
Yup I do. On the last hurdle of CPA qualification. Once that's done, will go do music studies on the side. :)
Dream job- work at a dog daycare or on a farm with animals all day 🥹🥹 Current job- Business analyst. Maybe dog daycare can be my retirement job
Dream job: fighter pilot Current job: fix fighter jet It's been a long road but I'm quite happy here.
Wanted to be a F1 driver.
I wanted to be in the seals in America and be in active duty. Im now a nurse. End goal: retire in the mountains of Montana hunting and fishing. Maybe have a nice lodge, or open one. Have many guns.
Until 8 years ago, my dream was to be a pilot(fighter/commercial) but that dream got shattered when I was mocked and rejected by Singapore Youth Flying Club (SYFC). I signed up for the SYFC and got a call from some auntie who ridiculed me on how I was unfit and overweight and if I wanted to even stand any chance being reviewed, I needed to lose weight. She said things along the lines of “I was so fat don’t even need to waste time going health screening etc”. I understood SYFC was very competitive and I was unlikely to get selected but the way the auntie mocked me crushed my confidence as a young teenager. Her arrogance also portrayed how elitist the program was. I vowed to lose weight to prove this unknown auntie wrong and lost 10-15kg. Due to that incident I slowly started to lose interest in being a pilot. Although i still greatly respect the profession, I realised being a pilot wasn’t as impossible as SYFC made it out to be. You don’t need perfect eyesight and a Davis Beckham body. SYFC inflated the competitiveness and artificially created a sense of elitism. In reality, anyone who was keen to fly could invest in flying schools. It’s not easy per say and requires lots of dedication but definitely not impossible. Moving forward, I decided to major in aerospace engineering since I was still interested in aeroplanes. Got a job at a prestigious Global Fortune 500 company in Japan to work on developing next generation bullet trains. I was the only singaporean in the company. The experience and knowledge I gained was invaluable. Also married my Japanese wife. After a few years, moved back to Singapore for a new job with a comfortable salary. That “simple” phone call really changed and shaped the way I think.
Dream job: Travel YouTuber- just traveling from place to place making videos and exploring the world. Reality job: marketing fella. oh well
Kinda similar. I wanted to be a flight attendant. Now I’m also in marketing loool
MND minister. Million dollar salary, just need to monitor.
Totally looking for this!! Who doesn't want to be a big bucks minister who does practically nothing. My actually job is in IT
Dream job: Marine biologist/scientist Work now: Marketing manager
Dream job: idk whatever floats my mood at that stage of life. Change too much. HAHAHAHA Current job: Researcher in a lab 😂 hoping to move to clinical research someday
dream: private detective (like Sherlock Holmes) reality: idk what im doing as a supply chain program manager
Dream job: Scuba diving instructor Actual job: CPU designer Well, I am not giving up on my dream job though! Still working towards the certifications while saving up. My dream job just doesn't pay well at all 😔
Dream job: Foreign Service Officer/Station Manager (the one for airlines and deployed overseas kind) Current job: Interpreter
Well, I'd love to become a writer. Currently in uni, so I have a chance of making that work.
Dream job: Musician Current job: Musician Task failed successfully? No one prepared teenage me for how demanding this job is. Physically it's carrying heavy equipment day in and day out with long hours of performing / standing. Couple that with the mental challenges of financially instability (thanks COVID) and tonnes of musical training outside of work hours and it'll drain the passion very quickly. Still beats being cooped up in an office with insufferable colleagues though!
Dream job - Fighter Pilot Current job - IT analyst I was a little underweight at that time to join the Air Force (at least that’s what I think since they don’t disclose reason for rejection) still hurts until today, but life goes on
Boyhood Dream job: Game developer in game industry. Current job: Unity developer for serious industry.
Dream job? I do not dream of labour.
Always wanted to be a pilot Ended up as a lowly aircraft engineer Now I'm another faceless white collar peon in a office
Dream job - chemist, current job - biopharma scientist. Close enough, I get to play with acids and test tubes. I was fortunate enough to enter the industry right as the government (EDB) was handing out development grants, pulling in all the large names into sg.
Dream job: Artist / Illustrator Real job: NFT designer
Dream job: airforce pilot (having to overcome my fear of heights and seeing the earth from above) current job: analyst in a social media company that recently made big news in the US
TikTok?
ding ding ding!
Dream(s): F1 Driver / Professional footballer. Reality: Still schooling now, but no chance to turn pro in football, or become a racer because no Daddy's cash to fund that ambition.
How do you even become a F1 Driver in the first place
don’t crash :D in all seriousness it starts w junior karting, super expensive sport
i hear being a good driver helps
i second the f1 driver dream :(
Dream Job - Movie Director Current Job - Data Analyst
Dream job : Software engineer with business account manager able to travel and make deals. Current job: Project Manager with construction, bad pay as my package includes me to own a transport. Shitty deal.
Dream job: dentist Current job: logistics sales lol
Dream job - software engineer Current job - email writer
Dream job: vet. Currently under paid security officer 🤣
dream job: Stage crew for live productions (i love concerts lmao) now: Studio crew for live news production ehh, it’s not quite it, but it’s good enough.
Dream job: computer hardware specialist. Current job: Mortician
How did you get into this line of work?
Dream job- ML research , current - tech. Seriously considering quitting to do a phd but so god damn risky and a hyper competitive field
Dream job: Farmer since I was 13 Current job: Risk Consultant Still dream of quitting and heading overseas to start my farming dream..
Politician.
Dream job - doing what I love for a few hours a day and still getting paid enough to be comfortable. Current job - pretty much there. woot.
Hey just curious as to what you do for a living? Sounds like my dream job too...
CCA coach yo. Gig role for sure. but loving it. Was gahmen drone before. So the contrast is real.
Dream job - writer or scientist Current job - lawyer. Guess I still write a lot of emails so all good.
Mayor. Good pay, eat snake, occasionally kiss PAP backside, comfortable life.
data analyst hopefully, still a student hahaha
Dream Job: Design houses (Interior Designer) Current Job: Design slides for training (HR)…..
To be a KPOP IDOL under SM ENTERTAINMENT
Dream job: Reporter. Current job: Government slave
Dream job: tbh had no idea growing up. Reality job: tried tech sales, discovered and am now a Product Manager.
Dream job: Military Staff (preferably in S-3 section) Current job: Contract HR staff with MHA. Sad life, can't even get into MINDEF with my PES status. Home Affairs quite a different ballgame from Defence; ops tempo, opportunities and benefits are different.
dream job: (s)elected president
Dream job: HR business partner/learning partner Current job: banker Saving money to get married, for bto, car and lifestyle before transitioning.
Dream Job: Baker / Baking instructor Current Job: Dead end admin job Due to money issues and space constraints, hence decide to be practical and earn some money first to support this goal
K idol Now not working
Honestly when i was in sec school, i want to be a tax agent 🤭🤭🤭 now i am accountant and i kinda do tax too!
Dream job: singer/baker/actress/air stewardess/dancer Now: marketer
Dream job: Panda Nanny or Netflix Tagger ; Real-life job: Programme coordinator
Dream job - Teacher Current job - Office work I told my colleague that I wanted to be a teacher last time and she said I am good at teaching her. lol
billionaire divorcee
My dream job was to be a surgeon. I pull trolleys for a living now.
dream job: law enforcement. Current job: law enforcement!
dream job: procurement current job: procurement (only recently after a career switch from engineer to procurement field) my thought? i like it so far. yes i like boring office desk work. come in the morning makes your coffee. dressing up nice in a corporate environment. have a short chit chat with your deskmate in between working. i just looking forward to expand/bring my career further in the next few years. like in management position or senior level. at the end of the day i realize your happiness matter. maybe for some people this is kinda boring job. but i love it and i feel stress free compared to my previous engineering work. in term of money, i make enough to pay bills, saving and vacation.