CareersCompass by MyCareersFuture Podcast

In a recent Pivot Point roundtable discussion on whether local employers are really on board workplace and industry transformation, a crucial statistic brought up by moderator Brandon Lee, Chief Futures at Skills and Workforce Development Agency (SWDA) caught the eye: in 2026 a MOM report showed that only 4% of employers have seen jobs lost to artificial intelligence (AI), and only 6.2 % of local companies have made any form of headcount reduction due to AI.  Yet at the same time, another report by ADP, People at Work 2026 also found that 85% of local workers are insecure about their jobs, and 77% don’t believe their employers will have their best interests when it comes to integrating AI! In addition, a report released by Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) also revealed that adoption amongst among small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) rose from 14.5% to 23.4%, while adoption among larger businesses jumped from 62.5% to 70.4% over the same period. Ultimately, artificial intelligence is showing trends that the global labour market in moving towards two opposite directions. In this podcast excerpt from the roundtable, Brandon and the following speakers delve deeper on these trends, what this all means for local workers and employers. They also look at how the latest technologies are simply reshaping jobs for humans, rather than replacing them altogether:  •    Kung Teong Wah: Cluster General Manager, PARKROYAL Collection Pickering, Singapore, PARKROYAL on Beach Road; •    Low Peck Kem: Chief Human Resources Officer, Advisor (Workforce Development), Public Service Division (PSD), and the President for Singapore Human Resources Institute (SHRI) and World Federation of People Management Associations (WFPMA) •    Dr Goh Mong Song: Deputy CEO, Institute of Technical Education (ITE) The trio also share examples —from faster back-office processing and redesigned SOPs in the hospitality sector using automation to raise pay and cut turnover —and argue technology will boost job quality, not just reduce headcount. Listen to the podcast below to learn more- and to watch the full roundtable, where our guests discuss in greater depth on workplace transformation in Singapore, click here! Key highlights to listen to (2:23) How this Singapore employer is redesigning work around technology (6:24) How local SMEs can initiate tech projects best for their workers (10:27) What it takes to build an open culture of change and learning at work Ready to take charge of your career? Polaris is tailored exclusively for you and designed to match your unique aspirations and ambitions. Sign up today! ----more---- Read the full article here: https://www.content.mycareersfuture.gov.sg/why-robotics-and-ai-will-compliment-human-work-not-reduce-it 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 

Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a strategic priority across Singapore’s economy, as highlighted by the Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in Budget 2026 as a core driver of national missions. He also announced that efforts to equip white-collar professionals with AI skills will begin with lawyers and accountants—two knowledge-intensive professions under growing manpower strain. This was followed by the Ministry of Law issuing a guide to using generative AI in Singapore’s legal sector. We spoke to Frederick Tay, director at Joyce A. Tan & Partners LLC, to find out how AI is beginning to be included in workflows in the legal sector, what skills are now required, and what does this mean for job redesign for those in the legal industry, and legal- adjacent sectors. If you're interested the current state of AI-integration when it comes to hiring, and reskilling and upskilling for those in the legal sector, listen to this podcast! Key highlights to listen to (1:35) How and why the government is looking at the legal industry when it comes to early AI integration (7:13) It's all about the clients: their considerations when it come to AI and what local lawyers need to learn (11:01) How AI integration is happening in law, and how are Singaporean firms evolving, and what skills are needed Ready to take charge of your career? Polaris is tailored exclusively for you and designed to match your unique aspirations and ambitions. Sign up today! ----more---- Read the full article here: https://www.content.mycareersfuture.gov.sg/how-are-singapore-law-firms-getting-ai-ready-and-what-skills-do-they-need 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 

For years, many senior workers have felt caught between two options: continuing in a full-time role that may no longer be sustainable or retiring earlier than they would like. In Singapore, this decision is often shaped by practical realities. Rising living costs, conversations around CPF adequacy, and the desire to remain financially independent mean that many seniors want — or need — to continue working for longer. But that all-or-nothing choice is changing. As Singapore’s workforce ages, more support is being put in place to help senior workers stay employed in ways that are healthier, more flexible, and more meaningful. At the centre of this shift is the new Part-Time Re-employment Grant (PTRG), which encourages employers to create part-time roles and age-inclusive workplaces for senior workers aged 60 and above. Keeping in the spirit of the times, you’ll be hearing from CareersCompass’ AI colleagues, Aiden and Aileen, on understanding the following: What is the PTRG and what does it offer? How does it help senior workers work more flexibly? How can senior workers find out if their employer is on the PTRG? Ready to take charge of your career? Polaris is tailored exclusively for you and designed to match your unique aspirations and ambitions. Sign up today! ----more---- Read the full article here: https://www.content.mycareersfuture.gov.sg/ptrg-explained-how-this-new-grant-supports-senior-workers-in-2026 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 

Figuring out what the next right move for your career is only half the battle — the other half is to stay the course, and keep focused on doing the hard work, either by reskilling and upskilling, or by looking at the next job or industry to switch to that will serve your personal and longer-term career goals best. But staying motivated can be a challenge, and while we have friends and family to be our personal life-cheerleaders, who’s in your corner when it comes to your career? That’s where a good career coach can help, and to meet those, you might want to check out personalised career programmes for Singaporeans such as Polaris. It’s a suite of personalised career guidance programmes delivered by SWDA and its appointed providers, Ingeus and AKG. It is designed for those who are: Exploring career opportunities; Seeking clarity before making crucial career decisions; Looking to move up in their career; and Contemplating honing their expertise in a specific role. In this episode, SWDA Principal Manager Kelvin Tan shares how his career coach Joey helped him figure out what the next stage of his career needs to be, especially when factoring the volatility of the job market now, as well as the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) as a crucial work skill. Key highlights to listen to (1:00) How many sessions did Polaris take, and what did they do? (2:22) Defining the next career steps is crucial  (3:20) When you need someone to check in, a career coach matters Ready to take charge of your career? Polaris is tailored exclusively for you and designed to match your unique aspirations and ambitions. Sign up today! ----more---- Read the full article here: https://www.content.mycareersfuture.gov.sg/career-guidance-middle-aged-coaching-helps-motivation 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 

Don't get tongue-tied trying to answer tough job interview questions. Listen to some good interview answers in this podcast episode! We’ve all been there — thinking we made a good impression so far during the interview when we’re suddenly faced with a question that throws us off completely. Don’t fret; we examine 5 common questions at interviews and how we can answer them successfully. Key highlights to listen to (2:24) How best to describe yourself (8:35) Why hiring companies ask hard questions, and how to deal with them Need job search help? Book a free session with our career advisors today. ----more---- Read the full article here: https://www.content.mycareersfuture.gov.sg/how-positively-answer-weakness-questions-during-interview 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 

In this episode, we speak with Ken Ong, Managing Director at Morgan McKinley, about salary and hiring trends in Singapore's financial services and insurance sectors. He shares why financial services and insurance jobs are seeing wage growth despite concerns on profitability, the rise of interim/contract roles in the industry, and a growing demand for data and AI-related skills. Ken also reveals how employers are favoring conservative hiring, regional mandates, and multi-skilled candidates. There's also further advice for job seekers on setting salary expectations and for employers on structuring contracts and regional roles to attract talent. Key highlights to listen to (1:28) Why a strong Singapore dollar is helping our financial services and industry (3:19) The hiring and salary trajectory for the financial services and insurance industry for the rest of 2026 and ahead  (6:26) Has there been a rise in interim and contract roles in the sector? (8:33) What wage expectations should those in the industry have? (9:26) Advice for Singapore employers calibrating their hiring and salary Over 100,000 jobs await. Discover your perfect role on MyCareersFuture today. ----more---- Read the full article here: https://www.content.mycareersfuture.gov.sg/financial-services-and-insurance-singapore-outlook-hiring-and-salaries 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 

You spent hours perfecting your resume. You ran it through AI tools, aligned it with the job description… and hit submit. Then… nothing. No response. No feedback. Just silence. In this day and age, this isn’t unusual. Job hunting hasn’t just become more competitive. It’s become harder to understand. Because the same tools helping you apply are also changing how you’re being filtered and assessed — often, even before a recruiter sees your name. AI is now managing high volumes of applicants to screen resumes, match skills, and even run early-stage interviews! Recruiters are now shifting their focus from how well something is written to how clearly it communicates real experience: what you did, how you did it, and what changed as a result — makes a candidate easier to evaluate. 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’ AI colleagues, Aiden and Aileen, on understanding how in a hiring process shaped by algorithms, the goal isn’t to outsmart the system, but rather, understand how it works and where you still have control! Key Highlights to Listen to (1:06) What can you do when everyone is augmenting their resumes with the same AI? (6:01) The limitations of AI when it comes to employment (9:54) The goal isn't to sound perfect on paper, but... Need job search help? Book a free session with our career advisors today. ----more---- Read the full article here: https://www.content.mycareersfuture.gov.sg/modern-realities-job-hunting-ai-harder-to-stand-out 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 

The established wisdom for most Singaporean workers who are looking for a pay bump is to change jobs, with a market report from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in 2025 showing that six out of ten job switchers experienced real income increases. But according to a report by Fortune in 2026, economists have started noticing that this tactic is beginning to show decreased effectiveness. ADP, a U.S. research institute, revealed in its recent Employee Motivation and Commitment Index that the low-hire, low-fire trajectory in 2025 also resulted in year-on-year pay growth for American job hoppers, which slowed to 6.4% in January 2026 from 6.6% in December 2025. On the other hand, for job stayers, pay growth remained stable at 4.5%, consistent with medium-term trends. Factoring in year-on-year changes in base salary and bonuses, it was also revealed that the gap between job stayers and hoppers has been shrinking. As of January 2026, the gap was just 1.9%, the closest it has been since November 2020! 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’ AI colleagues, Aiden and Aileen, on whether job hopping for better wages is still a viable career planning strategy! Key Highlights to Listen to (1:06) The pros and cons of changing jobs for a pay raise in a nutshell (3:01) More money is great, but what are the variables to factor in? (4:49) A quick strategy on weighing up the pros and cons Ready to take charge of your career? Polaris is tailored exclusively for you and designed to match your unique aspirations and ambitions. Sign up today! ----more---- 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   

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  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  At the previous Career Health Summit (CHS), jointly organised by Workforce Singapore ( now known as Skills and Workforce Development Agency (SWDA) from 1 July 2026) and the Singapore Business Federation on July 2025, Gabriel Lim, Acronis’ head and director for government relations and partnerships development, shared how the company developed a Career Health Cycle for its employees. In addition, through Workforce Singapore’s Career Conversations Guidebook, Gabriel’s team learned to use the VIPS framework—mapping each employee’s Values, Interests, Personality, and Skills. This simple tool enabled managers to tailor their approach: offering work-life balance discussions for senior employees while focusing on growth opportunities and learning for younger, ambitious team members. In this podcast, Gabriel also elaborates on the following: •    As Minister for Manpower Tan See Leng said during his opening speech at the CHS, starting employees and workers on the path towards better career health can sometimes be as challenging as asking patients to build better diet and fitness habits for health outcomes. What challenges did Acronis face in terms of reshaping employee perspective and culture, and what strategies have worked? •    What is Acronis’ unique culture and methodology towards the career health of its employees? •    Acronis has built Growth and Reward programmes for its employees. Gabriel explains how they work to build career health for Acronis employees. Listen and learn more in this podcast! Key Highlights to Listen to (1:13) How to take a pro-active approach to engage employees about their career with your company (2:30) Changing workplace mentalities and habits: what works (4:50) How to build programmes in your company for different workers and different career health needs Ready to take charge of your career? Polaris is tailored exclusively for you and designed to match your unique aspirations and ambitions. Sign up today! ----more---- Read the full article here: https://content.mycareersfuture.gov.sg/strategies-for-building-workers-career-health-what-has-this-singaporean-employer-did 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 

Many workers still subscribe to the old school notion that career progression should be a straight climb — with no detours, gaps, or pivots. But according to Wilfrid Foo, Managing Director for Direct Motor Interests at Jardine Cycle & Carriage, such notions of career progression are increasingly outmoded. The idea that you start at the bottom and eventually rise to the top after years in the same company or industry no longer reflects how careers actually unfold. He believes that the new models of career development is less about tenure and more about impact. Rather than a straight climb upward, careers now look more like a game of snakes and ladders — with momentum that shifts, stalls, and surges at different points. This 'M-shaped' trajectory, with its peaks and dips, is becoming the new normal. Wilfrid, speaking at an EthosBeathChapman event on career transitions, building transferable skills, and adapting to change, also shared more from his myriad of career experiences, having taken on many different roles, “even within one company,” as he put it! Key Highlights to Listen to (2:02) What to do if you’re a deep introvert managing career changes (3:21) Tenure vs impact: What will really get you ahead in the career game (5:01) Why understanding the financial aspects of your company matters (7:05) The right way to shake things up in a new role Ready to take charge of your career? Polaris is tailored exclusively for you and designed to match your unique aspirations and ambitions. Sign up today! ----more---- Read the full article here: https://content.mycareersfuture.gov.sg/you-want-to-progress-in-your-career-heres-the-secret-to-getting-ahead 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