SINGAPORE: Becoming a father has prompted one 24-year-old Singaporean to rethink his career and finances.
Although he earns S$5,200 a month and says he and his wife are financially comfortable for now, the news that they are expecting their first child has left him wondering whether he can provide the future he wants for his growing family.
On Monday (Aug 3), he turned to Reddit’s r/asksg forum to seek advice on how he could “go further in life” with only a diploma qualification.
The man shared that he currently works as a compliance manager on a fixed monthly salary, with no commissions or performance bonuses.
“I think financials wise, my partner and I both spend very little to begin with. Collectively we have about S$8k monthly after CPF deductions. Out of that S$8k, we only spend about S$2.5k, and we save the rest. We are living at her dad’s place, so no mortgage or crazy bills to look out for.”
“I think we are both earning comfortably enough to support ourselves and our baby that’s about to come, but after receiving this piece of news I wish to do better so that I can provide a better life for the family I am going to build.”
“I was hoping to receive some advice on ways I can increase my income, but I don’t really know where to start.”
He went on to share that he graduated from polytechnic with a GPA of 2.8 and doubts he would qualify for local universities such as NUS, NTU, SMU, or SUSS.
“I highly doubt I can make it to [these] universities. Even if I could, I doubt I can commit to studies full-time because that would mean I have to resign from my current job.”
With that in mind, he asked whether pursuing a part-time degree would be a realistic alternative, given the demands of full-time work and fatherhood.
“How feasible is it for me to juggle between my wife, baby, work and still pursue a part-time degree? I’m not entirely certain with the choices I have even, and I’m not even sure what I’d like to pursue. Would just love to do better for my family, so if you can provide any advice, that would be of great help!”
“Just stay in the industry and do certifications”
In the comments, many Redditors said he was already doing exceptionally well for someone his age with only a diploma.
“Honestly, an impressive salary for a 24-year-old with a diploma only,” one user wrote.
“You are doing better than more than 90% of diploma holders out there. I’m 32 and holding diploma too, and my basic salary is S$4.3k lol. You got a crazy headstart!” another commented.
Beyond the praise, some also shared practical advice on how he could continue growing his income over the long term.
One suggested pursuing a part-time degree at the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS). “SUSS part-time classes are mostly at night, and most are online,” they wrote. “It will take commitment and juggling but is manageable for most. Kudos to you for earning that much with just a diploma; many fresh uni grads make S$1k less.”
Another Redditor, who said they also work in compliance, recommended focusing on professional certifications instead.
“Just stay in the industry and do certifications instead of a generic degree. The income cap for this industry is high, and it’s one of the few industries where professional certificates are both accessible and in demand by employers. Plus, if you end up deciding to get a degree anyway, the certifications help fast-track it a bit.”
A third commenter encouraged him to focus on excelling in his current role and working towards a promotion before moving elsewhere.
“My advice to you is to become great at your current role and workplace. Ask how you can be promoted to manager/VP level. Get that in writing, and make sure you hit KPI. Then jump to a bigger company with that title. I know a diploma holder who is currently drawing S$9k as a tech community manager. And his diploma, btw, was like a 1.4 GPA. But he’s damn good with people and very hands-on, proactive, and a great project manager.”
In other news, a local shared he was “baffled” after spotting a job advertisement for a Food and Beverage Worker that required applicants to be able to speak Chinese. He questioned why requirements like that, along with an age range and nationality preference, were still showing up in job listings in 2026. GeographicReference
On Tuesday (Jul 28), he took to Reddit’s r/SMRTRabak forum and shared a screenshot of the job listing.
Read more: Singaporean questions why F&B job ad seeks workers aged 20 to 32 who can speak Chinese
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