Welcome back, dear readers! How was your 2022?
Thankfully, Singapore’s strong economic fundamentals have helped us emerge from the pandemic to seize new opportunities and transform our economy and workforce.
However, it has also been a mixed bag in that regard. While we took a step forward post-pandemic, we also had to manage with the sluggish global economy due to the Ukraine war and higher inflation affecting our paychecks and employer’s business costs.
The Singapore government has looked to the medium and long term and embarked on several initiatives to futureproof Singaporeans and our economy. New policies were designed to improve the competitiveness of various industries, such as financial services, and make upskilling less of a juggle, particularly for employees and jobseekers with family commitments.
As Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong shared: “For some, short bouts of upskilling from time to time will be enough to top up our skills.
“But frankly, just going for sporadic, half-day courses cannot possibly be enough.”
“At best you get a taster of what to learn, but it surely is not enough to build deep skills. In fact, for all of us, such short courses are insufficient, especially when the economic environment is undergoing such dramatic change and transformation.”
He believes all Singaporean workers will need more extensive efforts to upgrade their skills and stay relevant amidst changing industry needs or even to pivot to new areas with more opportunities.
All this will be part of a larger goal to help Singaporean workers become more resilient and help us to:
- Consider the longevity of our current careers and professional skills
- Change the Singapore mindset of career growth, being open to breadth in experience rather than simply climbing the corporate ladder
- Figuring out what skills we really need to excel in and what industries to consider joining
- Relearning how to learn, which can be hard for some after years of leaving school
Amidst this backdrop, we’re glad that our career articles have been useful for our local jobseekers.
In fact, close to 5 million* of you read our articles in 2022!
Here are the top ten articles you read this year, and why they’re worth a read if you missed out on them earlier!
To end 2022, we couldn’t say it better than DPM Wong here: “We will walk this journey together with all Singaporeans. To invest in you, and help you excel and succeed. To equip, empower and assure you throughout the way!”
From white to blue-collar jobs, here’s a roundup of the top 10 roles that Singaporean employers are looking to hire for right now. Read here.
When asked, most candidates and employees will typically quote the higher end of the salary range as they expect employers to negotiate it downwards or at least until their lowest acceptable threshold. However, if the number that you’ve given is arbitrary, your employer can easily dismiss your request and offer you the lowest possible salary rate.
Of the three key factors that have an impact on your salary – skillset, job title and experience – which of these has a higher weightage? Read here.
Rebecca Ng took up the challenge to delve into unfamiliar territory, to take up a role often associated with millennials: digital marketing. Read here.
There are always pros and cons when you turn your passion into a career. Here’s some considerations and tips before making that decision. Read here.
One of the most common interview questions revolves around the candidate’s reasons for leaving a job. We discuss several ways jobseekers can tackle this question. Read here.
The hiring outlook for the maritime sector has remained largely positive, and if you’re thinking of making an industry switch, here’s a quick 101 about the industry to help you make your decision. Read here.
Workforce Singapore gave this Singaporean an opportunity to grow both professionally and as a person. Find out more. Read here.
If you’re currently unemployed or just looking for something to help you get through this rough patch, we may have some decent options for you. Read here.
More than just your salary, your remuneration includes entitlements given to you by the company. Look out for these four companies with great perks and benefits, now hiring on the MyCareersFuture jobs portal. Read here.
For Singaporeans who expect to be working till later in their lives, here’s a look at which careers will suit a later retirement. Read here.
*Non-unique visitors in 2022
