CareersCompass by MyCareersFuture Podcast

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong said during the Committee of Supply (COS) debates in Parliament the government’s goal is to empower Singapore companies to:
Harness AI end-to-end
Redesign business processes
Embed AI into core operations
Develop proprietary applications
Transform workflows
Upgrade jobs and skills
Of course, workers will also have to get onboard these efforts, but don’t worry, we are not called to all be AI engineers, but rather, to become AI literate, according to LinkedIn’s APAC Head Economist Pei Ying Chua.
We speak more with Pei Ying for further insights on why AI is such a big focus in Budget and COS 2026- check out our podcast on what these implications mean for local employers and jobseekers!
This podcast was developed in collaboration with LinkedIn.
Key highlights to listen to
(1:19) How SME's are really doing in integrating AI
(4:48) Do you need to hire workers who are plug-and-play for AI?
(6:36) How will AI affect your business and career industry?
(7:42) What the Brad Pitt vs Tom Cruise AI viral video shows about the future of AI and work
(10:41) Why AI will give fresh grads better experiences on their first job than their predecessors
Over 100,000 jobs await. Discover your perfect role on MyCareersFuture today.

Let’s run through some common scenarios:
Your partner wants to talk about their problems at work, but you don’t really feel interested to listen, or play therapist
Your partner suddenly decides on a career choice that will involve making less money – without discussing it with you first
You’re on holiday with friends, but their constant checking of emails and messages makes you feel like you’re travelling alone
Your friends are unable to make time for you due to overwhelming work commitments and irregular shifts.
If any of these are making you grit your teeth in irritation – or flush with embarrassment – you are clearly familiar with career stress spillover, a term that has become popular online in recent years.
As definitions go, it’s quite simple: when pressure, emotions, and tensions from one area of life – such as work or school – transfers into other areas, affecting interactions and relationships.
For women looking to return to the workforce after taking a parenting or caregiving-linked career break, such spillovers can be hard to manage on top of everything else they're juggling.
Thomas Tsang, a counsellor at Eagles Medication and Counselling Centre, explained to CNA: “Most couples I work with are working couples, which reflects a common norm in Singapore's affluent society.”
“As such, relationship conflicts often revolve around work-related factors such as finances, material expectations, quality of living and perceived status.”
Ms Ooi Sze Jin, a registered psychologist and founder of A Kind Place, added: “One might work nine to five, another might do overtime or shift work.”
“The one who works more gets home tired and carrying stress, and their partners become the default 'outlet' (for them to vent their frustrations).”
“This happens because their partner is the person they see most, there's an expectation of unconditional emotional support, and it feels 'safe' to unload at home.”
Stress Spillover: The trick is about self-regulation
Hazel Tan, a Mental Resilience & Clarity Coach at Growth Luminance believes such habits are really about learning to self-regulate, and not seek validation, or be overly dependent on emotional support from partners, family and friends.
Drawing from her own experience, she shared how leaving a corporate job some years back and started a French bakery with a friend was challenging to manage alongside family life—particularly in terms of how her decision would affect household finances and care for her daughter, who was in kindergarten at that time.
Key highlights to listen to
Hazel also shares about:
(2:42) The relationship cost of making careers decisions without your partner
(3:55) How to manage when work stress hits the fan, and stop stress spillover
(6:05) Compassion fatigue: when you’re tired of playing therapist for close ones
Listen to the full podcast to learn how to protect both your career health and your relationships.
Explore walk-in interviews, virtual career fairs, workshops, and more on CareersHorizon. Find events and resources tailored to your career goals.

This episode unpacks Singapore's Budget 2026 delivered by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, focusing on preparing the workforce, boosting AI literacy, and supporting fair wages and job growth.
Key measures annouced for workers, jobseekers and employers covered include:
Practical AI training and tool access
Higher local salary thresholds and progressive wage credits
Expanded training allowances and senior/mid-career support
Business relief measures like tax rebates, grants, and startup funding
Some key takeaways: it's time to build practical AI skills, keep upgrading through modular learning, and for employers—transform your processes and job design so growth delivers better jobs for Singaporeans!
This episode will be in our Listen and Learn format, which covers a selection of popular career-linked articles on our website.
Keeping in the spirit of the times, you’ll be hearing from CareerCompass’ new AI colleagues, Aiden and Aileen, on what you should be aware about ahead of Budget Day.
Key highlights to listen to:
(2:44) How the Government will help AI learning pathways to be easier and clearer
(7:30) What mid-careerists and senior workers have to look out for from Budget 2026
(10:29) What help do local employers have from Budget 2026
Over 100,000 jobs await. Discover your perfect role on MyCareersFuture today.

We round up some key topics that affect Singapore’s workforce, jobseekers and employers ahead of Budget 2026, which will be delivered by Prime Minister (PM) and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong on 12 February 2026.
This episode will be in our Listen and Learn format, which covers a selection of popular career-linked articles on our website.
Keeping in the spirit of the times, you’ll be hearing from CareerCompass’ new AI colleague, Aiden on what you should be aware about ahead of Budget Day.
Key highlights to listen to:
(2:07) Economic growth is no longer a guarantee of job growth
(3:16) What are WSG’s Job Transformation Maps, and what can you learn from them
(5:59) Upskilling while employed needs to be normal, not exceptional
Over 100,000 jobs await. Discover your perfect role on MyCareersFuture today.

With Valentine’s Day not far off on the horizon, this episode is going to touch an interesting crossover topic: Are there similarities between modern dating and hiring?
After all, these days the key catchphrase in workforce circles is “transferrable skills”, so what would count as such when comparing dating and networking skill sets?
We speak to Ryan Lim, QED Changemakers, an Asian leadership platform, where he is its principal consultant and founding partner.
He covers similarities and tips in terms of:
Dating apps vs application tracking systems
Communicating via text for a first date vs an interview
First impressions on a first date vs an interview
Dressing to impress for a first date vs an interview
Small talk and conversation for a first date vs an interview
Dealing with uncomfortable moments and conversational cul-de-sacs during a first date vs an interview
Following up for a first date vs an interview
Dealing with rejection
Listen on for more tips and anecdotes that crossover from dating to professional networking for better “rizz” in both spaces!
Key Highlights to Listen to:
(1:55) Dealing with dating app algorithms is the same for employer application tracking systems
(5:12) First date vs first interview: All about first impressions
(6:46) Why using too much ChatGPT to communicate before a first date and interview will hurt your chances
Listen and learn more here!
Explore walk-in interviews, virtual career fairs, workshops, and more on CareersHorizon. Find events and resources tailored to your career goals.
Read the full article here: https://www.content.mycareersfuture.gov.sg/job-hopping-for-better-wages-good-move
Find out more about SWDA's programmes and services to help you in your career:www.swda.gov.sg
Read about the latest career tips and advice | Apply for Jobs | Register for events here:https://go.gov.sg/podcast-careerscompassbymcf 

Jamie Ong leads the People and Communication function for HAVI Southeast Asia cluster and Freight Management Asia business.
But her two decades in the workforce has not always been so smooth sailing. In fact, Jamie revealed to us that in the course of her career, she’s experienced five merger and acquisitions (M&As)!
These can be fraught with uncertainty, with outcomes ranging from an outright retrenchment by new company investors,  internal restructuring that leads to joining  a new department or team, to performing a completely different job role, she shared.
In this episode, Jamie reveals more on the circumstances of these moments in her career, and puts on her HR director cap on to share tips on how to deal with such situations.
She also talks about how to bounce back, whether it’s moving to a new job or staying in the organisation, and how to settle into the new reality fast.
Key Highlights to Listen to:
(2:45) To be retrenched, or reassigned to a new role during an M&A: Which is worse?
(3:52) How to improve your chances being retained in such situations
(5:23) If your career path changes, how can you settling into your next job fast?
Listen and learn more here!
Need job search help? Book a free session with our career advisors today.
Read the full article here: https://www.content.mycareersfuture.gov.sg/what-happens-employer-retrenchment-ma-exercise
Find out more about SWDA's programmes and services to help you in your career:www.swda.gov.sg
Read about the latest career tips and advice | Apply for Jobs | Register for events here:https://go.gov.sg/podcast-careerscompassbymcf 
 

Let’s face it — there’s a big disconnect between younger workers and employers these days.
How bad can this gap be, you ask?
Well, a recent study by Becoming You Labs , an academic research organisation in New York, asked 2,100 hiring managers to understand what they looked for in candidates. They also reached out to Gen Z employees to learn about their professional priorities.
And here’s what hiring managers prioritised in what they wanted in candidates and workers:
Achievement (30%)
Learning (22.8%)
Hard work (22.4%)
However, only 2% of the Gen Z employees surveyed ranked all three of these values among their top priorities. Instead, they preferred:
Well-being and self-care
Authenticity and expression
Helping people
Even though this survey was done overseas, these sentiments aren’t too far off touch from Singaporean’s Gen Z’s and younger workers.
In a recent survey conducted by CNA’s Money Mind among youth aged 21 to 28, 53% of Singaporean respondents in viewed flexible work arrangements as their top priority when it came to choosing an employer. 
“Gen Zs in general just want to feel like their boundaries are respected and their work is being valued,” fresh graduate Charlotte Ang said to CNA.
“That’s why I think to a lot of Gen Z, a work-from-office mandatory arrangement might not make sense because you feel very controlled. It seems to convey a lack of trust.”
In this podcast, we speak with Andy Poh, managing director at PAL Line, a global shipping and logistics company in Singapore.
He spoke at a recent Workforce Singapore Employers Connect event on managing the needs of Singapore’s Gen Z employees.
In this podcast, he shares with us more tips to help both local employers and younger employees bridge their differences. Learn more here!
Key Highlights to Listen to
(2:50) Understanding the psyche of Gen Z workers
(3:49) "If the company isn't loyal to me, why should I be loyal to them?"
(4:21) Why Gen Z workers are different, and how to manage them to success
(6:53) What these younger workers can bring to the table, and why it's your loss not to use them
Over 100,000 jobs await. Discover your perfect role on MyCareersFuture today.
Read the full article: https://www.content.mycareersfuture.gov.sg/understanding-gen-z-workers-advice
Find out more about SWDA's programmes and services to help you in your career:www.swda.gov.sg
Read about the latest career tips and advice | Apply for Jobs | Register for events here:https://go.gov.sg/podcast-careerscompassbymcf 

“A quiet revolution is reshaping the global workplace”, according to recent industry reports. It was only apt that industry leaders at the recent Economic Times Future Forward Singapore Chapter 2025 discussed the rise of new-collar jobs, which emphasises skill over traditional qualifications.
Panellists at the event shared the following:
Employers need to move towards a more “purposeful agenda”, looking beyond simple profit margins; and
Employees need to build their ability to “unlearn and relearn” continuously, given the pace of tech changes in all industries.
A McKinsey study cited also showed that hiring for skills is five times more predictive of job performance, compared to hiring based on traditional qualifications. Christina Lu Maxwell, Head of HR, APAC at Neste Asia Pacific, added: “The more skills each one of us have, the easier we can pivot (to a changing employment market).”
The big question
Which industries are employers adjusting hiring requirements and introducing skills-based assessments for jobs available, then?
Nilay Khandelwal, Senior Managing Director, Michael Page Singapore, talks of which ones are doing so. He also shares how jobseekers can adjust their CVs and resumes to showcase their demonstrable skills, not simply showcase job titles.
He also mentions the mindset changes that Singaporean workers need to make to nab new collar roles, particularly in terms of
Attitude and willingness to learn;
Staying connected and networking;
Aptitude-building to show problem skills; and
Adaptability to market shifts.
Of course, potential employers may compare you with other candidates that follow a more traditional path. The trick is to show how your commitment to lifelong learning has made you a worker who matches genuine interest in the industry with skill.
In this new job market, he adds, the bottom line for talent is the marketplace is tight. As such, workers must show they’re continually updating their “software”, and showcasing how those skills can add value to current and future employers.
Key Highlights to Listen To:
(1:06) Are Employers Really Hiring Based on Skills Yet?
(2:36) And for Singapore Workers- Are their CVs and Expectations Reflective of Their True Skills?
(3:53) Which Industries Are Hiring for New Collar Jobs, and What are Skills-Based Assessments Focused On?
Listen to this podcast and learn more!
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In this day and age, internal mobility matters — employees want the chance to learn new skills and a fresh change of job scope. Because without that, greener pastures and the possibility of a pay bump are very powerful push factors.
Companies that successfully ensure employees can move to different roles within the same organisation, but still maintain promotion and growth prospects, enjoy benefits such as reduced hiring costs, increased retention, and a more adaptable workforce.
That’s why there was quite a gasp in the room when Kritvi Kedia, an associate partner at global management consultants McKinsey & Company, shared at Workforce Singapore’s Career Health Summit, that her firm had managed to achieve 21% internal mobility, which was high compared to other peers in their industry.
In this podcast, she shares the following:
How McKinsey achieved their internal mobility rate;
McKinsey’s playbook that HR leaders can use to improve their in-company talent; and
How a structured framework like the SkillsFuture taxonomy can help Singapore companies learn flexibly, and evolve their workforce to market demands.
Listen to this podcast to learn more!
Key highlights to listen to: 
(1:43) The mindset of Singaporean workers when it comes to change can be a challenge for Singapore HR leaders
(2:57) Good frameworks to organise change at your organisation for its business strategy
(6:15) If leaders don't mirror the change they want in their organisation...
(8:55) Understanding skills-based hiring and learning journeys for workers in the age of career health
Over 100,000 jobs await. Discover your perfect role on MyCareersFuture today.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong recently acknowledged many younger workers and fresh graduates are worried about jobs and employment, because of the current uncertain economic outlook.
He then revealed the launch of a new and similar traineeship programme, called the GRaduate Industry Traineeships (GRIT) Programme.
It aims to offer traineeship opportunities for a period of 3 to 6 months across various sectors, with these key benefits:
Gain valuable industry experience through structured on-the-job training;
Boost employability by preparing for full-time job transition; and
Receive a traineeship allowance co-funded by the Government and the host organisation.
While GRIT will help young workers get a foot in the door, there also needs to be a mindset change for them to start building career health as early on as possible.
Key highlights to listen to: 
We spoke to two young workers, Li Jiayue and Xiao YiXuan, who share their take on:
(1:30) Being open to job market changes, and needing to pivot quickly
(2:12) Career health is not about having good mental health at the workplace
(4:56) There are no fixed ways for career success
(7:00) The kind of skills you’ll need to learn after you enter the workforce
For those interested in GRIT, register your interest  to be among the first to know when opportunities become available!
Explore walk-in interviews, virtual career fairs, workshops, and more on CareersHorizon. Find events and resources tailored to your career goals.