Singapore tech worker with S$200K annual pay confesses he’s lost ‘excitement’ in his career
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SINGAPORE: After 15 years in the tech industry, one man finally reached what many would consider the pinnacle of career success: a senior title and a S$200,000 annual package, yet instead of feeling proud or accomplished, he confessed online that the reality had left him restless, unmotivated, and questioning whether all those years of effort were worth it.
In a lengthy post on the r/asksg subreddit, he admitted that the “excitement” he once felt in his work has completely disappeared.
“I used to find it enjoyable when an issue rose, and I was woken up at some unearthly hour to troubleshoot and manage. With my promotions, I realise it’s increasingly become more managerial, and [the] job seems more working around the office politics and lunching with stakeholders than working on something meaningful,” he said.
“I also feel I am not living up to my full potential, and am coasting along instead of challenging myself like I used to. While I guess this could be attributed to life events, e.g., kids, elderly care, etc., I also feel there was laziness on my part and procrastination to kick the can down the road.”
The man added that recent rounds of layoffs at his company have also made him rethink his future. Although he has not been directly affected, he believes it is “only a matter of time” before his turn comes, perhaps within the next “12 to 18 months.”
Reflecting on his journey, he said, “A lot of my career, I, on hindsight, realise I kind of lucked out in that what facilitated my growth was the soft skills rather than the hard skills. I was hired for the hard tech skills, but did well cos of my soft skills. I’m not sure how to convey this via a resume or an interview, and what kind of roles or jobs appreciate such traits.”
Reaching out for advice, he asked others in the forum: “How did you find a job or career that complemented your strengths and made you happy?”
“Like, how does one properly curate their strengths and weaknesses, and then how does one map that into a job. Like every job I see (not lawyer, doctor, or something that requires specific knowledge, which can’t be learnt on the fly) I feel I can do, just need to learn and grow the right skills. Any other insight or sharings you have, I would also love to hear.”
“Focus on building the life you want.”
In the discussion thread, many Singaporeans chimed in to share their own perspectives on career fulfilment.
One Redditor wrote, “I feel that only a handful of people find a job that remains their calling for life. From my observations, in different seasons of life, people value different things and look for opportunities for that to intersect.”
“For me, at the start of my career, it was learning and growth, then came money, and now it’s work-life balance with a dash of a challenging task once a quarter.”
Another commented, “Honestly, it’s difficult. For most people, a job is a job. Also, what you enjoy now may not be what you’ll enjoy in the future. From your post, it seems you prefer being a technical expert and not a people manager. Absolutely nothing wrong with that.”
A third remarked, “Focus on building the life you want rather than optimising your career.”
In other news, a freshly hired employee recently shared online that he already “hates” his new job at a well-established accounting firm, just one day into starting work.
In a candid post on the r/SGexams subreddit on Tuesday (Aug 26), the man admitted that his first impression of corporate life had been far from positive.
“The turn-off for me was the fact that the office looks run-down. Literally the nicest part was the toilet,” he wrote, noting that the poor condition of the workplace was the first thing that struck him.