SINGAPORE: After a decade of working as a security officer, a 35-year-old man took to an online forum to ask Singaporeans if it was too late to pivot to another career.
In a recent post on the r/singaporehappenings forum, the man confessed that he was “tired” of working in a position that only pays S$2,300. “(I got) stuck with this job after my divorce. I don’t know why I’m working in this line,” he said. “I need to change careers, but I don’t know what I’m good at. I also realize I’m scared to step out of my comfort zone.”
Considering that he still has one child to support and only has an ITE certificate in Mechanical and Electrical Services, he asked locals whether he could still change the course of his life. “Am I wasting my time? Is it too late to start over? What can I do to restart my career?”
The man added at the end of his post that his goal is to find a job with flexible hours that pays S$3,000.
“You’re still young at 35.”
In the comments, many users reassured him that it was never too late to make a career switch, although they acknowledged that it wouldn’t be easy.
One user added, “You’re still young at 35. If you have the awareness that you’re stuck in this security officer job, it means there’s a yearning deep inside you for more. Don’t cap yourself by what you can do for S$3k. Think about this question: ‘If money was not a concern, if you were not afraid of being judged, what would you do?’”
To motivate him further, another shared, “Bro, I’m in my late 40s doing a PhD. It’s never too late to change! I’ll admit that having savings and zero commitments helped me a lot, but my brother went to med school while already in debt and with a young child. Now, he’s a successful doctor, so yes, you can do it!”
Some also encouraged him to upgrade his skills through courses or certifications, especially in fields with higher demand and better pay.
One user said, “If I remember correctly, even Grabfood alone can earn S$2.3k a month when I did last time. You can use your skill future credits to upskill and get some certs to get a higher-paying job. Try manufacturing.”
Another suggested, “[Use] Skillsfuture to be a plumber.”
In other news, a 17-year-old Singaporean was shocked when she discovered that her parents had secretly placed a tracker on her, hidden within the fabrics of her school bag.
Sharing her frustration on the r/SGexams forum, she revealed that this was just the latest in a long series of invasions of her privacy by her parents.
“They have never respected my privacy or even me as a person,” she wrote.
Featured image by freepik (for illustration purposes only)