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Taxi drivers waiting to pick up passengers at night. |
1. No career progression
For most careers, there is always a very clear career path for progression: you take on more responsibilities, you get a promotion, your pay increases, you get a bigger and nicer office, you manage more staff. For those of us who are self-employed, there are also very clear goals: you want to earn more money, expand your business, work more efficiently and get more clients (maybe charge them more as well). But for taxi drivers, your job on day 1 is not going to vary for the rest of your taxi driving career, until the day you retire. You pick up passengers, you drive them to where they need to go and they pay. That's it - there is simply no career progression whatsoever: ironically, despite the fact that they are driving around town all day, a taxi driver's career goes absolutely no where when you look at the big picture. It may feel okay in the short run, but if you have any ambition, then frustration is bound to set in at some stage.
2. You don't work, you don't earn
Imagine if a taxi driver trips and sprains his right ankle really badly, this means he can't even walk or drive given how much pain that ankle is in. Guess how much money he is going to earn whilst he waits for his ankle to heal? Absolutely nothing. Those with a full time job can get some kind of sick leave which will ensure that they are still paid when they are injured/unwell and unable to work. Even those like me who run our own businesses can work from home - even if I have broken my leg, I can still boot my laptop up in bed and have my mobile phone next to me, I don't need to be in the office, I can still run my business from bed if I have to. A taxi driver simply doesn't have that luxury - who is going to pay his bills and feed his family if he sprains his right ankle? Would he be forced to work if he is unwell or injured?
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That is a badly sprained ankle... |
3. The monotony of the job
We're talking about the boredom factor. The daily routine for the taxi driver can be extremely boring because he is driving and doing little else. If the passenger is friendly and chatty, that is a bonus - but usually they will simply mind their own business and stare down on their phones. I tend not to talk to taxi drivers because I find such small talk with strangers awkward at best, it is not that I am unfriendly, I just think, "well, I'm going to get out of this taxi in 15, 20 minutes and never see you again. You and I probably have virtually nothing in common, so why torture each other to have this awkward conversation then? I could moan to you about the problems I am facing at work, but I don't think you would understand or care either way." Most people have a variety of tasks and different responsibilities in their jobs and it is that variety of challenges they face on a daily basis which keeps it all interesting and engaging. Taxi drivers drive and do little else - that's boring no matter how you dress it up.
4. Loneliness
Ironically, taxi drivers face loneliness despite rarely being alone. They pick up passengers whom they have never met before and will never meet again - the rest of the time, they are limited to interactions with others via their phones. This is quite different from the kind of experience one has in a team environment, where you work with others and create something together. I have made some incredibly good friends throughout my working life because I have had the privilege of working with some wonderful people. I have had fun with them, learnt useful lessons from them and such is the kind of synergy when talented people come together and work together. Working with such people is truly a privilege. Taxi drivers are not only deprived of that, but if they pick up passengers like me who are not talkative, then they could go many hours without making any meaningful conversation. That can be a very lonely experience indeed.
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Taxi drivers can spend many hours driving with no one to talk to |
5. Low social status
Come on, this is Singapore. Even if I do not personally look down on taxi drivers, guess what? Singaporean society does, I am not going to beat around the bush. It is seen as a last resort, a dead-end career. It is not seen as something that intelligent, talented people would willingly do. Gosh, I remember getting into a taxi in Singapore with by then-boss (this was back in 2011 when I worked in Singapore) and I spoke to the 'uncle' in Mandarin because I just assumed, oh older taxi driver uncle, of course I should speak to him in Mandarin and not English. My boss then made some disparaging comment about the state of his taxi in English and I was like, whoops, I think the taxi driver probably understood that. When I told my boss later, he said that he had just assumed that the taxi driver was uneducated and didn't speak English - that was why I had spoken to the taxi driver in Mandarin. Oh dear - even I made such assumptions subconsciously. There was really nothing to suggest that the taxi driver didn't speak any English, it was just an assumption I made based on the perception of Singaporean society.
6. You are not improving your skills
Once you have obtained your driving license, well, it takes very little skill to drive a taxi. In the past, taxi drivers were valued for their knowledge of the city's streets - they knew the short cuts, they knew which bottlenecks to avoid and how to get you to your destination quickest. In the age of GPS and a multitude of smart navigation apps, there is just no need for a driver to have that kind of knowledge anymore - all he needs is the right app of his phone. I am running my own business and believe you me, there is a really steep learning curve for me to climb: everyday, I am faced with new challenges and as I solve each new problem that comes my way, I am improving my skills and am able to cope with more and more complex situations that come my way. Those working in research & development are particularly challenged to invent brand new solutions and innovate: taxi drivers simply aren't challenged to think like that at all.
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Are you challenged to think and learn in your job? |
In the Today article, taxi driver Alan Dai said, “We don’t need to worry about what what kind of report to do, whether we are late for a meeting or other things like that," Well, he certainly doesn't have the kind of stress that I face trying to market a brand new product from a start up company that's for sure, but as the saying goes: 一分耕耘,一分收获; yes driving a taxi does spare you from a lot of the stresses that a senior role running a company may bring, but that is only because of the simplicity of the job which does come with a lot of monotony and boredom. I am forced to learn so many new things everyday just to do my job, a taxi driver doesn't - but at the end of that process, I emerge a better, smarter, more highly skilled individual whilst the taxi driver is just exactly the same as before. Mr Dai is just 34 years old - he's younger than me, your 30s should be some of the most productive years of your working career, yet he has chosen to stagnate rather than improve himself. Why is young Mr Dai lacking in ambition then?
Don't get me wrong. Please don't imagine that I am attacking Mr Dai personally - it is his life and his decision to make. It is not for me or anyone else to dictate what he should or should not do with his life. However, I am postulating that there is a high possibility that Mr Dai may come to regret his decision some years from now, when he sees the way his peers who have more challenging careers have progressed and improved themselves. If Mr Dai was choosing a career to take it easy, like becoming a life guard at a beautiful beach where he spends his days mostly just sunbathing and looking at some amazing scenery on a golden sandy beach, then fair enough. And when the life guard saves a drowning child, he becomes the hero of the town. Even I would be jealous of that. But he is driving a taxi - it is neither fun nor highly paid. Mr Dai may be seeing his career through rose tinted lenses; it is hardly an enviable career at all.
In my opinion, this article was put out to make the Singaporeans who have turned to driving taxis feel less bad about their predicament. What I am telling you in this article is hardly new - it is all common sense really but as people don't want to be politically incorrect (lest they come across as snobs looking down on taxi drivers), these are things people rather not talk about. But as more Singaporeans become taxi drivers, well, why can't we talk about these issues then? So why is there a taboo about talking about working as taxi drivers in Singapore? Let me know what you think about taxi drivers - leave a comment below please and let's have a conversation about this. Many thanks for reading.
The bigger picture is that Singapore is the most expensive city in the world again. This again shows that the PAP government had run the country poorly. This made many companies to outsource the work overseas.
ReplyDeleteThis in turn also tie in with your article on Singaporean who do not have killer instinct.
A good government should protect it own people by encourage it's people to have killer instinct, encourage more MNC to come in, kick out all Foreign Talent, punish companies that outsource workers to other countries. This can only be done by voting the opposition to be the government and kick out PAP who bastardised Singapore.
Hi Kelvin, I partially agree with you but let me explain where i part company with you.
DeleteThe killer instinct comes from having to fight to survive - you see that in people from countries where there is conflict and war, so there is that fighting spirit in the people. Life is Singapore is arguably too good, that is why people like Mr Dai in the Today article lack ambition and drive to try to do anything more substantial with his career.
Furthermore, you can't kick out all the foreigners - that is waaaay too simplistic. The fact is, even if you did that, can your locals do the jobs that the foreigners did? The foreigners often came because the locals lacked the skills and expertise to do those jobs. You need to look at training & education first, what created these gaps that the foreigners needed to fill? Otherwise, if you kicked out all the foreigners without first addressing those gaps in skill shortages, then the Singaporean economy will collapse. Don't blame the foreigners for filling in those gaps, blame the poor education system for not responding to the needs of the economy in the first place. As for punishing companies that outsource workers to other countries - get real, it is a fact of life, every country in the West is doing it. You can't cut Singapore off from the global economy - you cannot pretend that China or India doesn't exist. What you need to focus on is training & education so older Singaporeans can retrain and adapt to a changing environment rather than try to prevent change from happening.
The answer therefore, isn't regime change by getting rid of the PAP - rather, you need an effective government who realizes how terrible the current education system is and can replace it with a far more effective European style system. Singaporeans are great at passing exams but shit at finding (and holding on to) good jobs - what is the bloody point of doing well in your exams when you are not walking away with the necessary skills to get a good job?
I was extremely fortunate to have a very non-Singaporean education: as a humanities scholar at VJC, all my teachers were white (apart from for Chinese and PE), then I went to university in France and the UK. I make no bones about it - Singaporean teachers are fucking awful. I know cos my parents are retired Singaporean teachers and they have absolutely no clue about whether what they teach is relevant to the real world or not - they just teach it to get their kids to pass exams. WTF?!
Don't blame the PAP please - it is your fucking awful shitty education system that is to blame.
I had to agree with you but it just that I am very fed up with the government/PAP/70% bashing that keep popping up in the Web. Even you jump on the bandwagon of 70% bashing in quite a few of your article and the broke the camel back for me. Used to liked your article a lot but the 70% bashing made me play the devil advocate in your blog.
DeleteOn the education part, the government had made quite a lot of minor changes. This is in tandem to slowly change the people's mindset.
Among them are the initiative of "Every school is a good school", "Skill Future", introduced more ways for students to pursue their education (Poly, ITE, JC, Melinnia Institutes, private institutions), doing away with PSLE point system, not naming any schools with straight A'S, and many other initiatives.
Only your article related to career indirectly supporting Singapore policy on education. Your article on other countries such as the rape case in France is much more neutral compare to your Singapore related article.
I don't like the PAP one bit, not at all, but I also didn't like the way Singaporean society was - that's why I left for greener pastures. The PAP is but one part of the problem: there were so many other problems with society in Singapore that the PAP cannot fix (nor can the opposition). The education system is part of the problem and I hate to say this, but Singaporeans are their own worst enemies when it comes to this. They beat their chests and claim that their education system is superior to the West because Singaporean students score better on exams compared to their counterparts in the West - but wait, so why are all these companies getting foreign talents to replace locals and the locals end up driving taxis? Simple: there is a lack of correlation between doing well in exams and being able to do well in the work place. For years, Singaporean companies have pretended there was and favoured those who have better grades, but ultimately, as Singaporean companies are forced to compete with those around the world in a globalized economy, they realize that model is bullshit and are forced to get FTs.
DeleteI note the part about the government making some changes - it is a slow process, way too slow and often, it is no more than trying to shut the stable doors long after the horse has bolted. Don't get me wrong, I'd rather they try to do something about the situation rather than go into denial - but IMHO, it is all too little, way too late and it is not going to do any good to reverse the situation if Singaporeans do not fundamentally change their mindset. In short, you can bring a horse to water but you can't make it drink.
Do I have a solution? No, I don't. I only realize how bad the situation is because I have had the good fortune of studying/living/working in the West and can compare the two sides of the coin. To begin with, Singaporeans don't even realize how bad the situation is in Singapore - they are in total denial about how they are so fucked by their education system there.
Hi Alex,
DeleteWe can say that the PAP is one part of the problem but then if you look at it, the PAP has a very tight control of every aspect of Singapore society including the civil service. And by that extension, the education system is also under its control. Furthermore the PAP also controls a large part of the Singapore economy via Temasek and other Government Linked Companies.
So why can we not heavily blame the PAP for many of the problems in Singapore?
I do also blame Singaporeans for voting in the PAP and Singaporeans as a lot don't deserve any sympathy for their actions or lack of.
The PAP moves very fast when it wants to come down on political opponents. Wouldn't it serve both the PAP and Singapore well if the PAP directs such efforts into solving the social and economic problems in Singapore?
Like you, I do not like the PAP and neither do I have any solutions to the problems. But then it is not our job to come up with solutions. The PAP is elected and is being paid to come up with solutions. If it can't then it should bow out.
LKY's success in developing Singapore came about due to applying basic principles of developmental economics i.e. invite foreign direct investment. However when Singapore became a developed economy, he could not transform it into a knowledge-based economy simply because it meant that he had to relinquish a lot of the tight controls he had instituted.
Hi Gustavo,
DeleteI agree with a lot of the points you have made. It is this transformation to a knowledge-based economy that has not happened at all - there is a difference between bludgeoning children through a rigorous education system and giving them the tools to thrive in the working world. Singaporeans just have not understood that relationship.
A common sense remedy is to see what is done in other countries but Singaporeans are so stubborn when it comes to even acknowledging that there is a problem in the first place.
Yes I do agree with Alex, we do have serious problems here and putting the blame towards the government and the 70% is not workable. It's resenting. Cos what's done has already been done. Even the government realize this, change is not going to happen overnight.
DeleteI do have to acknowledge the fact we seriously lack of expertises in a lot of areas and it's not possible to train locals up within a short period of time to replace FTs. A lot of smart locals are general all-rounders with no specific expertise. Cos they are so smart, they can learn things fast via theory but they don't have the practical aspect and experience that will make them the experts. There's a stark difference between smart at books and smart at work. U don't have to be exceptionally good at grades to make u an expert in the field of work u do. This is something Singapore fail to see and appreciate. There's an inequality spread of opportunities given to locals which explains why we always have to rely on FTs.
Hi Katie, it is easy for us to identify the problem but fixing it is another matter altogether - that is why so many Singaporeans go into denial mode when it comes to addressing this issue. Do you have any suggestions as to what we could do to help remedy the situation?
DeleteUnfortunately I don't have besides leaving this country and find ur ground. Given the fact that Singapore is such a merit based country, it's quite hard to change this notion overnight.
DeleteMy last job was with a local start-up dealing with cutting edge oncology technology and the founders are looking to get the technology transfer to clinical setting, hopefully able to get FDA approval and eventual IPO within 5 years or less. I'm not an expert but anyone out there can tell this is highly unrealistic for young budding technologies. Though it's not entirely impossible, it's a fact that we don't have the foundation here, neither do we've the experts locally to deal with this. We had to engage foreign consultants who are experienced in FDA regulatory requirements for new technologies to advice us. Even for the development of the device itself, we had to engage a UK firm to do it for us and then later to transfer the maintaining of the system to local company which we've to pay local engineers to UK to get them trained up on the system.
Look, it's not that we don't have the talents here. It's just that as a young nation, we are merely 50 yrs old and honestly speaking we don't have a strong foundation and base to build upon. Sadly enough, Singapore didn't make this as a focus during her early development. The government cares about the economy more than building a solid base for our country. Nothing wrong for fast progression and I really salute LKY and PAP efforts to make this happen within 50 years. However it was on the expenditure of Singaporeans. I'm afraid we are going to stay like this for many decades to come.
IMO, we do have very talented, smart and innovative Singaporeans but to stay in a country where foundation is not strong enough to leverage on, I'm afraid it's not gg to develop their talents to the fullest potential that they can really shine. Rather it impose some sort of hindrance and will make them unhappy campers. Plus being in a merit driven country, this will further gear them into a path they don't actually belong. I feel strongly parents do play an important role cos they r the pillars of their kids' future and they should focus in finding and develop their kids' talent in the correct path rather than follow the Norm and stress their kids out. However, how many such parents are really doing that here? Very few I guess...
Alex, I would have to disagree on your claim that the common Singapore education system is terrible. The common Singapore education system is clearly designed to produce Administrators, and it is very good at it. The common graduates from such a system are good at interpreting instructions and carrying out rote tasks. But then, it could be said the same for computers too. Computers are great at the task too.
DeleteIt is not that other alternatives did not exist in Singapore until all the recent Minister announcements and news. I mean, even before ITE hits the news with their culinary courses some time back, who in Singapore who have known of such a thing as culinary school unless one is very interested in becoming a chef? The same could be said for a lot of professions. There were institutes to train different professions since quite some time ago, institutes like Digipen, which produces damn good software engineers but they were never in the limelight of the education system. The focus were never on all these alternate education systems but on the main common system. The problem is not on the system itself but on the pre-conceived cognition that there is only one education system.
I think Gustavo's post up there is really a sign of some of the problems. The point of this whole article, or series of articles if you see it that way, is to talk about Singaporean's lack of killer instinct, and why is cab driving being glorified in a one sided manner in that TODAY article.
DeleteI get that people bring the PAP's system into this. After all, we can't talk education and jobs without the PAP playing a key role.
But Gustavo's response again, is so typical. I voted for them, I pay my taxes, they are paid high salaries so what can't I be justified to blame them for each and every thing that I want. But as mentioned you can bring a horse to the water, you can't force it to drink. If you have no ambition, are unable to adapt to the skills the modern workplace requires, your government cannot force you to suddenly develop those kind of mindsets. But if you are, and have those, than your government cannot take it away from you no matter what.
Clamping down on political opponents? I believe that, yes, the PAP does that. But again, it is another lazy opposition supporter argument that political control is the source of a lack of economic development and workforce transformation. How does it affect you at the workplace that the PAP clamps down on its opponents? Are you running for the opposition? If not, is it in some way preventing you from self transformation? For you to be talented, motivated and enterprising? How does it prevent you from developing soft skills and realizing that book smarts aren't all that is required? It doesn't. Not at all.
A lot of opposition supporters are like Gustavo. Despite claiming that they want to see change, and an end to PAP rule, they can't talk two sentences without mentioning the PAP. They do not recognize that in today's world, aside from what your government feeds you, you really owe it to yourself to see whats out there, to add tools to your mindset and arsenal of skills. And if necessary, move out of your comfort zone, even if it means moving out of the country. No. Instead, they expect everything to have to come down from the PAP, or opposition, right into their laps. In reality such folks are bigger slaves to the PAP than they realize, as compared to others who recognize what the PAP can and cannot give, and then, just go out there and do their own thing.
@Weiping - excellent points about the education system. I feel that soooo much can be done for those who want to go into IT and do what you do, rather than just bludgeon them through traditional subjects in the O + A level system.
Delete@Raymond - the PAP model worked well when they were able to deliver and people were happy to live in a one-party state as long as things worked. But now that things are clearly not working and the PAP are unable to solve a lot of the problems troubling the people, then who do you turn to? Who do you blame? Who can provide the solutions?
Do you work with the current people in power and get them to find the right solutions, or do you try to give the opposition a chance (and can they deliver?)
Hmm, I'd say that we cannot reduce everything in life to a simple yes no or a cast of a vote. Life is a lot more complicated. You work with those in charge, you run the risk of them never changing according to what you want. You throw your lot in with those who oppose, and you may find yourself having to back a bunch of disgruntled losers.
DeleteYou have to make a choice for sure. And you make your choice based on those few variables that happen to take precedence for you at that point in your life.
But what you cannot do is to let everything that revolves around you to be narrowed down to that one number, or that one cross on the ballot paper. You gotta do your own thing sometimes, if the system ends up being imperfect. You hate the PAP as we know. You have no faith in a lot of opposition as we discussed. But you did your own thing.
I am not sure however if a lot of Singaporeans understand the role self empowerment plays in their personal development. The workers party championed letting citizens empower themselves at the last GE. Ironically I am not sure if many of their own supporters get what it means. Because they are too busy narrowing things down to a PAP yes/no situation.
Well yes Raymond, I agree with you. I didn't like either the PAP or the opposition - and I simply wasn't prepared to wait a few decades given my imminent mortality in a few decades. Like dude, I'm 40 this year - how many decades do I have left to wait around for change to come? Too few. Life is too short to wait. So I had to leave - that was the only sensible option left open to me and I am glad things worked out.
DeleteWell Raymond I need to disagree with you about your point that fixing political opponents is not the root cause of the lack of economic and workforce transformation. Putting aside the issue of morality, silencing dissenting voices engenders an environment of fear of speaking up and nips any meaningful discussion at its bud. This in turn gives rise to workforce that encourages its workers to keep their heads low and just carry out instructions from above and do not question even if it is painfully obvious that it's wrong. This kind of workforce put covering their own backsides above anything else. This toxic culture also suffocates any attempt to be apply common sense, judgment and discretion, to say nothing of innovation.
DeleteAnyway, the argument whether political system enables economic prosperity is an age old question. There are sound arguments on both sides, supported by solid evidence. My explanation is crude, clumsy and unrefined, you should look it up on Google, there are plenty of enlightened discussions about this issue. Though I must say that the empirical evidence suggests that the answer is yes. All the knowledge economies are functioning and thriving democracies. Please correct me if I'm wrong. To quote LIFT, we should look at what is working in other countries.
Well said Dama Ah Cheng, I totally agree with what you said about the toxic culture in Singapore. There is much Singapore can learn from other countries with functioning democracies.
DeleteHmm, getting a bit long here on some threads. I'll probably say one last thing then.
DeleteWhat I really meant to say is that we do have to make a choice on the government we want, no doubt, and the government we have plays a key role in shaping society, no doubt as well. You probably base your choice on things like how the government respects human rights, the kind of social welfare programs it has, etc.
But coming to things we talk about in this article, killer instinct, ambition, future proofing oneself. If you are smart enough to realize that what the government has in place for you in the education system isn't going to be enough anymore, then make use of the internet, read widely, and do for yourself what the system doesn't address. What you don't do is to expect the government to create a system where you coast along, and when it doesn't, its "oh, I have no solutions, I don't know what I want or need to do for myself, but why don't I just blame them".
Political clamping down? I think that's way overrated. Might be a contributing factor but certainly not the root cause. Although I ended up voting PAP, I've been over the past year looking at the online political scene. I followed what goes on in blogs, alternative websites like TRS, and what people say about political figures, events, and controversies like Roy Ngerng, Amos Yee, etc. And it really strikes me that the type of people going onto all these sites everyday to rant about things, demand for freedom of this and that, are in fact the very sort of people who will fall behind in terms of future proofing themselves and developing killer instinct in the areas that matter, because they are spending too much time discussing about all this need for "political freedom", rather than addressing areas in their lives that they will need to. You see the same people first to comment on every bit of news that comes along. How are they being "silenced", when they spend all of their time commenting and blogging? In the end, they fail not because they were "silenced", but because they lag behind doing all these things while others moved ahead.
This is why after the the elections, I decided to tone down my following of the socio political scene in Singapore. I still follow blogs like this one, and some alternative sites. But I decided to clean up my wall, share less political related stuff, and follow more knowledge and insight based pages. And its been a lot better for me.
If we could bear with one final ramble from me, I'd just like to highlight recent happenings in Singapore on why I think political clamping down is overrated as a reason, at least here and now.
DeleteThe Online Citizen recently launched a subscription drive in which its supporters can pledge a small amount each month to keep the site going. I'm not a supporter, but I think we know what TOC stands for wanting to ask the necessary questions on the status quo and be a foil to the government based media. How well it does that is subject to question, but these aims are what many who profess to want more political freedom want.
After more than a week, the amount pledged is only a few hundred bucks, which is barely enough to pay for the hosting of the site. In this same period, a few days ago, blogger Roy Ngerng launched yet another crowdfunding to pay his settlement to the Prime Minister. Given all that went on with him, of course less people donated this time, but he still managed a more than 10K sum in 2-3 days.
Two fundraising efforts. No one was clamping down on either. Yet for all the talk, opposition supporters chose to ignore the website that seeks to fly the flag of alternative media, and give their money to someone whom they likely know is a loose cannon, a poor example of free speech and who is least likely to take local politics forward. This is why I am very skeptical, no offence, whenever I hear Singaporeans, at least, blabber on about political freedom. You guys are right that it works for the better in other countries, but here, as yet with the type of people fronting it, its still pretty much as I said, a work in progress.
In response to what you said about TOC, here's one I wrote earlier. It's about TRS but many of the same principles apply: http://limpehft.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/trs-gutter-press-bad-journalism-and.html
DeleteHave got to say that your article mirrors my thoughts, Limpeh. When I saw this article, my feeling was that yeah, driving a cab is an honest and decent means of a livelihood, but why the hell put a spin on it as though it is some fantastic career choice? Like you said, it is neither fun, nor enviable in many ways.
ReplyDeleteOf course, many jobs are neither fun nor enviable, and the salary you get also varies. That's when you got to take stock and see what is it you really want. Being rich in pay checks doesn't mean you have a rich life. There are people who realize that, and having reached a certain stage, decide that they are content with what they have and seek little progression. I've colleagues who seek only to be individual contributers, to contribute with their knowledge rather than have to take on the stress of managing others, for instance.
But to take what appears to be the easier way out, short time, and in your early 30s, say that hey $3000-$4000 also not bad what, reeks a bit of complacency and taking things for granted. But it is Alan Dai's personal choice, and for all we know, he could really be one of those contented souls who finds simple joys in ferrying passengers, without the need for much progression in terms of job titles and salary. Good for him if that's the case, because to find simple joy in being an everyday man is not something that many Singaporeans can do. If he truly is such a person, I'd congratulate him for already achieving a much richer and happier life than most. More often than not, you get the bloke who makes excuses like not being stressed, not having to attend meetings, etc, but he often is unwilling to forgo the perks, titles, and salary that comes with added responsibility.
Which brings us to Kelvin Tan's above post. Its very typical. Vote for the opposition and they will freeze off all foreign intake. It is fair to say that the current government can do better with controlling foreigner intake, but as you mentioned, it is way too simplistic. If Singaporean start having the mindset that it is OK to do rote jobs, not be creative, not set trends, and be contented with not having to meet deadlines and not rushing to attend meetings, then who you vote is not going to matter. No opposition party will be able to work miracles and bring in the MNCs if a workforce consists of guys in their 30s deciding their careers are over and just want to coast along. Of course, it is not surprising that there are people who believe this is possible, when you have the likes of Gilbert Goh and Roy Ngerng, essentially people who have either not been in, or have lost touch with the job market long ago, put themselves forward as opposition candidates and claim to know how to solve all the problems.
The bottom line is Alan Dai lacks ambition - like you said, it is his choice, maybe he simply isn't capable of doing much more, so he is choosing to be content with his choice. That's fair enough and I hope he is happy - but why glamorize it? Why celebrate it as something that others can envy? The article failed to provide a balanced approach, to show 2 sides to the story, that is why I wrote this piece to address the other side of the coin.
DeleteAs for the likes of Ngerng and Goh, good fucking grief. Ngerng is a loose-cannon, Goh is a certified fucking idiot loser who has this victim's mindset, he's got no fucking balls, he's got no killer instinct, he's a castrated loser who only knows how to play the victim. With people like that in the opposition, I can tell you that I have no faith in the opposition - that's not to say that the PAP are any better, they are a bunch of narcissistic, complacent bunch who are totally out of touch with reality and incompetent when it comes to the challenges of today. No, without someone with true vision at the helm, the future looks bleak for Singapore, especially since LKY is now dead.
He is an ex-career soldier. They aren't know for liking change or challenges. So probably he just wants to autocruise until retirement age. I mean he could withstand the rigid regimentation of the military for over 10 years what is boredom and monotony to him?
ReplyDeleteFair point. You know what I think of SAF regulars. I couldn't wait for my ORD to get the hell out of the SAF. For someone to sign on as a regular... I can't even get my head around it.
DeleteAlex, the SAF gig is a dream job for simpletons. Think about it - as long as you keep your head down, don't think too much, follow the orders, suck up to the right people, you will rise up through the ranks eventually. Oh, and you should exercise more. Get IPPT gold as a regular and you are treated like a god in some combat units.
DeleteIn return, SAF gives you food, shelter, job security, the chance to travel, and more pay than you will ever get outside in the real world. And if you ever get any self-esteem issues, why, you have an entire cohort of 18 year old NSFs to lord over every year. Just don't end up killing them... oh wait you get promoted nonetheless! (http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/courts-crime/family-of-nsf-who-died-will-get-legal-bill-slashed)
Its no wonder at all SAF attracts some of the worst characters for their low-middle management roles.
Hahahaha, that is so so true BFL. I did serve NS after all and know exactly what you're talking about.
DeleteI suppose you don't get how US Soldiers and Marines like being soldiers and marines too, huh? Then again, those guys get to kill people. SAF? Not so much, apparently.
DeleteHi Daniel, i am currently in Miami, Florida. And you're actually pretty wrong about the situation. The fact is the whole macho thing about killing people - now that's just a small factor in the process. Do you realize just how much poverty there is in America? Not everyone lives in big houses, drives nice cars and have nice jobs - there is a sizable amount of people born on the wrong side of the tracks and they live in bad neighbourhoods, have no access to decent jobs and struggle to make ends meet. Even when they walk into a supermarket, what is affordable for the rich is so expensive for them. I was in the supermarket last night and trust me, food is not cheap here, even compared to the UK. The US military is always looking for more people to recruit, so for many of these poor Americans, that's a way to get a decent job - especially if you have a family to support. Imagine if you have a daughter to put through school or a sick elderly parent: joining the army may be the only way you get to pay all your bills if your family is very poor and you are not very educated. It is hideously expensive to get a degree here and for many poorer people, it is just not possible.
DeleteSo I think that you are focussing on the wrong issue altogether if you talk about killing people being a motivation at all - poverty is the problem here and there are a LOT of very poor Americans here, for them, the military is probably the only viable employer for them.
LKY is a visionary but he is a once a century kind of guy. Although I don't agree with some of his beliefs (eugenics), you have to admit he has chutzpah to stick to his way and execute them. They current PAP party lacks such a person.
ReplyDeleteYou might not be the person who posted, but if you're the one looking at WSQs qualification to do a mid-career switch into healthcare, I must caution you about doing that. I just can't find the right post to reply it too.
DeleteAs it is, of all the private institutions out there from overseas that limpehft pretty much trashed, even they do not recognise WSQ. Heck, our own big 3 will not recognise WSQ. So if you're looking at healthcare where they are very strict about minimum contact hours and course content, I suggest you look at what qualifications those people from within are getting.
Forget about WSQ. The other ivory tower of higher education as of now is not Recognising ANY WSQ qualification for bachelors and masters alike. If you're applying for a bachelors with nothing less from a 3 year Programme from a government backed school, forget about it, The private school I work at, will reject you, the fastest I've seen in 5 minutes. And that guy's problem? Too Low a GPA from a recognised 3 year one.
I want to scream unfair when limpehft did his post on private education but then again, what's the point? The field is so poisoned that any of you from the outside looking in wont have all the information it takes to make an informed choice.
So just stick with the big 3.
@muchopunk Yes, I looked into a mid-career switch into healthcare. But that was in the past because I had already switched for more than 1 year.
DeleteI don't really know much about this WSQ thing so I did some reading on it. This training is more for lower education people to get a foothold into certain industries. With the training provided you are only qualified to do support roles like administrative, ass wiping, or hospital porters, etc.
The program I am taking is called PCP which covers my study expenses for a full-time 3 year course in a government Polytechnic. I am studying together with A level graduates from other government JCs.
Since healthcare is such a specialised skilled job I doubt a part-time qualification could make the cut. Even an enrolled nurse needs 2 years of full-time training in order to be qualified and they tend to do the dirty jobs. The unqualified ones (not sure what they are called in SG) will be in charge of wiping inpatients arses after they shit themselves.
And FYI not only is my qualification recognised by all heathcare institutions in SG, but I already have a job waiting for my e once I graduate.
As for GPA so far mine is above 3.8. Not as good as LIFT but not barrel bottom either.
Correct. Why glamorize it, was what came to mind as well. And its glamorizing for the wrong reasons. At least bring out some other good aspect of the job, maybe try to make it have some sense of mission. Even bus drivers are occasionally in the limelight for the lengths they go to to help disabled passengers, etc. But don't use things like not needing to write reports and attend meetings to explain why you chose this profession. That's essentially telling everyone that you chose this job because it allows you to slack off more than your peers. Which may be true for you, but hell, to advertise your profession in that manner? And I don't even think its worth the easy way out as cab driving to me is actually a tough job, needing to be out at times when people are back home with their families, or taking a rest.
ReplyDeleteGilbert Goh, well I believe you might know he tried living in Australia. If I am not wrong, he wrote a lengthy letter back then to the government telling them to embrace FTs. Then, when he more or less screwed up over there trying to be an FT himself, he came back and adopted this whole anti-foreigner stance. Kind of tells you all about the guy.
Which is why I basically only want an opposition only to fulfill a few roles, which is maybe to address some basic rights needs, ensuring minority groups are not left out, ensuring income gap isn't too great, taxes are not too imbalanced, etc. And of course, help craft a better education system. We need their voice in this. But if you tell me never mind, voting them in ensures change and so tell me to vote in the likes of Goh and Ngerng, no way. Why is there a 70% average for the PAP anyway? Its really because the likes of these guys contested, and lost so badly that the PAP could bump up their average, that's all. Thanks for letting us exercise our voting rights, but no thanks, really.
Raymond, I agree with everything you said and I have a simple solution: leave Singapore. Do what I did. Gilbert Goh fucked up in Oz because he doesn't have the ability to adapt to life in a new country. I have managed to do that in both the UK and France - and am mega-proud of the latter, given that I only started learning French at the age of 18 (but it is now my 2nd language).
DeleteWell, PAP voter here remember? Lol. As of now its unlikely I foresee needing to leave Singapore, and even if so, not yet. To me, its still a work in progress. It is Singaporeans who have made this place and system into what it is, yet I believe in Singaporeans as being the ones who can turn it around. Its kind of like climate change. Humans got the planet into this shit, but its also humans who have the power and technology to turn it around.
DeleteIf I do leave though, it'll not be without any credit to Singapore. It was still the place which provided me with certain values (eg. hard work), and of course paper qualifications, that would play a part in helping me get started elsewhere, so yeah, not forgetting that.
Thanks for the discussion.
Hi Raymond. I guess my perspective is based on the fact that I am an old man - i am turning 40 this year, i am not a young person fresh outta school. I could have said the same thing, that Singapore was work in progress when I graduated in 2000 and established a career in Singapore but i felt that this 'work' would take way too many years to complete to a point which would satisfy me, that is part of the reason why I chose to work in Europe instead when the opportunity presented itself.
DeleteThe analogy I would give you is this: I moved house recently and one of the other flats I nearly bought is a gorgeous penthouse apartment which will give me splendid views, overlooking what will be ... the biggest construction site in England. Yup, right next to the HS2 rail project which will last for years. The estate agent said, this is just work in progress, when the work is completed you will live next to one of the most important railway stations in England and the value of your property will go up. And I did question myself, work in progress? I'll be an old man when that is complete - I am already old today, so how many more years of my life do I have to wait for the 'work in progress' to complete? I bought somewhere else instead.
Time passes faster than you think my friend. The years just fly by.
@ Raymond
DeleteI applaud you for your optimism that things can turn around.
Personally, I am still around as, all things considered, life is comfortable for me here at the moment. But recent governmental screw-ups (and the dismaying results at the last GE) have me thinking very often lately about make more sustainable long-term plans.
The feelings of just dropping off everything and leaving will certainly intensify as we creep towards another season of haze.
I agree BFL. I don't have the patience or the optimism to wait/hope for things to get better.
DeleteHi Limpeh,
ReplyDeleteI don't think Alan really think he's got a good job but rather to be contented with what he has.
Even MBAs are competing for low-paying internships with undergrads. And entry-level jobs ironically require years of experience and VBA, R, financial modelling, python, Bloomberg, and whatever that schools are not teaching (I mean, you can't learn Bloomberg without getting access to the machine right?)
I've got friends who are doing everything "right", they are not even applying to good companies Goldman Sachs but their three or four internships and excellent resume don't even result in an interview. Or, companies in the top 10 SGX will comment sarcastically on their asking of $3200 as "high pay", when it's like the lowest job in that company with nothing enticing to learn or do. Other small companies even sarcastically comment like "Your first-class honours is borderline hor", when they couldn't even get into NUS. We just want a job, any job, but it's impossible because we are born too late.
Good for Alan that he is supporting himself. If he refuses to stoop to being a taxi driver, an employment gap is not going to help anyway, since some researcher did an experiment when he submitted identical resumes with long employment gaps and better skills vs no gap and worse skills, but those with longer gaps get 50% less interviews.
Hi Aurora, yeah fair point ref: Alan Dai isn't boasting per se, nor is he self-delusional. Come on, I am 40 this year and I keep in touch with my old classmates via Facebook and you know, I can't help but compare myself to them and some of them have done well, others have not. Some are crazy rich, others are scraping to get by. There is actually a pretty wide spectrum despite the fact that I did go to a good sec sch and JC in S'pore.
DeleteAs for entry-level jobs, all I can say is that you need work experience & internships to prove yourself so the HR manager making the hiring decision is assured that you are capable and have proven yourself. But you are making the situation sound really dire - is it that bad?
I was in a shop earlier today and I overheard a conversation between two Irish people: the shop manager has been in London for over 30 years and he was talking to a young lady who has just arrived - and the young lady was going on and on about how London is heaven for young people: esp when it comes to job opportunities for young people (whilst in Ireland, there are far fewer jobs and the money is shite). The older Irish man was saying, "yeah but everything here is so expensive, you wanna buy a house you can get a huge house in Ireland for so little." But the younger lady is here for work and she said, "even if I had a nice house, I need a job, I need to work and there's no work in Ireland for me."
Like seriously, if things are that bad in Singapore, try London. The Irish lady today was certainly full of optimism.
Hi Alex,
DeleteMy friends are really smart people, and capable too, or else they wouldn't have gotten their prestigious internships. But with no full-time offer, their self-esteem falls to pieces when the HR anyhow give reason to reject them without an interview (oh your GPA is not high enough) when it clearly is. Now they are delusionally trying to study EVEN HARDER because they really believe so that a 0.1 difference will get them a job.
As for me, I'm trying my best to network and make friends,I think that's the only way I'll ever get a job lol. I have pretty much given up on studying that hard as I know that results will not make much of a difference.
Aurora, I've written a piece about self-esteem which you should read. I think your friends really need to read this: http://limpehft.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/having-confidence-and-my-relationship.html
DeleteHi Aurora,
DeleteInternships are a platform to full-time employment. If your friends are not getting offers from their companies, this means that they have not impressed enough at their workplace. The GPA excuse is just that - an excuse. If an intern looks like a good prospect, I am not going to care whether or not he aced his final exams as long as he passed.
So instead of looking to get that 0.1 difference in GPA, your friends should be looking to impress, network with or outright suck up to the right people in the company. Of course, they may also look for other prospective employers where they can start with a clean slate. You have the right idea, but please do not give up totally on your studies. You should still do the best you can within reason.
Very good points BFL. I have just talked to three guys interested in doing an internship with my company - I have offered them a place based on what they are currently doing now and how well they did on the interview, but if they screw up during the actual internship, then there's no way I would turn around and hire them just because they scored the internship with me. Like BFL said, they need to IMPRESS during the internship and your friends clearly didn't. I think that there's a certain element of being 'paiseh' to give the real reasons as to why people are rejected for jobs. I had only gone out of my way to be blunt and honest once when it comes to giving an ex-employee a reference: this Australian guy did a shitty job and went back to Oz, he applied for a job and the HR dept called me up and I told them the truth about how he jumped before he was pushed when his work performance was just so poor. I was happy to warn a HR manager and be that honest, but if he came to me and asked me for feedback, would I be that blunt? Nah, I would be nice, I would be too 'paiseh' to be that blunt about how badly he sucked at his job.
DeleteHi BFL,
DeleteSometimes if the company only converts 1 out of 10, 20 interns cause of budget despite (fake promises during the interview), then it's not fair isn't it? I'm sure those people who get into JP Morgan did their best to impress but they might only be the 2nd or 5th best intern.
The GPA excuse is a totally new company (much worse than the internship company) that sarcastically pick at faults when they themselves would never be able to achieve. Imagine a HR who graduated from SIM thinking it's hard to get perfect GPA at NUS meh. If they can afford to have high standards because of the bad economy, fine, but that's no reason to make it sound like my classmates are the ones not "good enough" for the job which doesn't require perfect GPA, but rather "oh MBAs are competing with you and got the job instead of you".
I think it is a gamble you have to take - but as we say, go into it with both your eyes open wide, being fully aware of the odds you are taking. You need to roll the dice and play the odds, hope for the best and make sure your expectations are realistic. Companies should not over-promise things they cannot guarantee or deliver for their interns.
DeleteThe fact is the companies can only hire so many people - so the GPA excuse is just a standard excuse to say no to people. The real reason would be, "we just don't have the budget to hire so many people at this stage". Interns are a LOT cheaper than employees you know.
Hello Alex! It has been quite some time I pop by here!
ReplyDeleteOh well, not only Singapore but even FTs has the metality of assuming people who works in such low skilled job is not qualified and uneducated. I'm probably the most and overly qualified service crew ever working in a local sandwich shop. The founder was smart enough to position his chain of sandwich shops in various CBD areas and specifically targeting these FTs. Majority of patrons are FTs, Singaporeans probably only constitute about 5% or less. No one really knows I'm a degree holder with and had been working both R&D labs and commercial sector for more than a decade. It's particularly interesting to find out I'm surrounded with people who works in big pharma companies such as GSK and MDS pharma and famous consulting companies such as Bain & Co. While I don't brag and announce out loud about my background cos I find it unnecessary, some of them already set their eyes towards me as uneducated or not qualified. I can feel it and it's darn obvious for some. I do get the notion from some local Chinese customers I can't speak English well and begun conversing with me in mandarin at start. Haha! Till I deliberately replied them with my polish English, the look from their face is epic! I guess it's only natural for all humans to see things superficially and begin to assume.
This reminds me of what happened in the supermarket last night - I live 250m from a huge supermarket and I was there last night to food shop. The cashier was serving the woman in front of me who was Italian and he spoke Italian with her quite happily, he even told her, 'I speak 9 languages'. And I thought, well, I speak 11 but I am more curious to find out why you are working as a cashier in a supermarket when you are so linguistically gifted? Sorry if that sounds like an awkward question, but that was the first thing that popped into my mind. In any case, since there was a queue of people behind me, i did not have that conversation.
DeleteHahaha I wished I could have the chance to brag about my background to my customers! But seriously it's not really necessary cos I know there'll be curious ppl like u who will ask why I ended up selling sandwiches. The thing is I don't wish ended up complaining how sucky life is in Singapore. It only encourage negativity and I'll ended up an unhappy woman on my way back home. I'd rather stay positive and do my job well.
DeleteI'm not particularly unhappy selling sandwiches as one of the main reasons I went ahead to work as a service crew there is to get myself back to work physically. The weird side of me is also to experience how selling sandwiches and making coffee is like. And I do save a lot of monies cos meals are provided and I'm having $20 worth of sandwiches and salads for free everyday there! Coffee is part of the staff meal package and this is what really tempts me to work there. Haha! Sounds like a ridiculous reason but for a coffee lover person like me, this seems to be a pretty good deal for me! I can further save my pennies, get paid yet able to satisfy my daily caffeination at the same time. Please don't call me crazy!
Well, it's not I can't really find a job that matches my background but it seems that I've been down on luck and the economy isn't really doing too good. There has been a lot of retrenchment going on and I don't think it's going to get any better this year. I was indeed on a job hunt since last year trying to get myself back to my industry so that I won't stay out of touch for too long. After several talks with recruiters, I got to realize my background has a severe lack of specific skills and/or experiences, though I had worked in MNCs, and had a wide variety of experiences in technology transfer, device regulation and scientific marketing and international biz. My last job with a local start-up was practically doing a lot of things at the same time without a main job focus. Apparently my background was way too general. Even I lower my standard and look for entry-level jobs to get myself started till a point of willing to take a 50% paycut so that I can step my foot again to the industry, my last drawn paycheck and experiences seems quite daunting to a lot of employers to a point they don't really know how to deal with me. Recently I had been called up for an interview with a local start-up for a lab job. I was elated 'cos this could be the company of many who might give me a chance given the fact I've not stepped into a lab for more than 5 yrs. It was indeed a surprising one 'cos a lot of labs have rejected me! I've this pre-initial thought that they are probably open to nurture and teach people from scratch and perhaps prefer someone who has some start-ups experience to grow together with them at this initial stage. Alas, I was eventually told they prefer someone who has specific lab skill and able to get things done fast without much supervision. So being humble and want to start from scratch is not my best bet to get a job.
It seems more likely I'd need to rebuild my ground and looks like I gotta leave here for Australia if I seriously can't find a job within this year. It's also some sort of justifications I've to make to my parents before I leave for good. So I'm back to selling sandwiches till the next potential interview which I think it's gonna be very long.
Katie, I hate to be mean, but someone's gotta give you a dose of reality: I ask you please to read what you wrote. The justification about free coffee and food, I seriously had a facepalm moment. Like is she trying to convince me (cos I sure as hell ain't convinced) or convince herself? Listen, where I work, they ply me with fine food, there's an amazing pantry which is always well stocked, you can get every fancy coffee under the sun and it's unlimited, they even give us beer on tap for free. Why? Because we are so valued for our time and energy that they will do everything to keep us in the building we are working in, so we don't have to waste time going out for lunch, so we end up doing more work. Getting free coffee is a very, very poor reason to choose a job. I'm so sorry, but you sound like the taxi driver I was talking about in this article - you have a less than ideal situation, you're vastly overqualified for your job, yet you are trying to 'talk up' your job as if that somehow makes the situation okay and more acceptable? I hate to say this Katie, but no, the situation you're in is far from ideal: you're overqualified and underpaid, you're not making the most of your potential and skills - yet you are trying to be grateful for the free food? For crying out aloud, instead of being happy for drinking free coffee, you wanna make so much money that you can walk into Takashimaya and buy the most expensive Blue Mountain coffee they sell. Yeah, when you are in that position, you know you have a good job.
DeleteAs for the rest, it looks like you need to get some more training to make your skills relevant or identify an employer who's willing to give you a chance. Heck, I've never taken a job I'm totally qualified for - instead, I have always managed to convince people that I am a fast learner if you were to give me a chance. As a boss of a company today, I'd rather hire someone who's a fast learner than someone who actually know everything.
Alex, those are my sentiments exactly. Even now, as a software engineer, my fellow engineers look up to me for technical consultations but then, I keep feeling that I am not qualified enough to do that as I, myself, has got much more to learn and improve on the craft of engineering itself.
DeleteAfter some research, I found that there is a term for this feeling, impostor syndrome, when we feel that we are like an impostor in our roles. The name may sound bad, but it usually results in driving people to learn more out the role that they are playing to become better at that position. Each time when I start to feel a bit cocky, I would remind myself that I may have improved but I am not the best and I still am an 'impostor'. It helps me to reduce my resistance against learning new things.
But the difference between Katie and Alan is she is working in ur current job while still looking for a job in her field isn't she?
DeleteWhat would you like her to do in the meantime while doing paragraph 2 of your reply?
Sit at home because she is overqualified for that service job?
Well Alan Dai is an ex-army regular and for him to have looked for another job in his old field would mean another contract with the SAF - clearly, for his own reasons, based on his experiences there, he would rather be a civilian and drive a taxi. That is clear. He didn't bitch about why he left the SAF in the article - not that it would be published but one can only guess that he had his own reasons, good ones.
DeleteCall me naive (as already discussed in this previous article): http://limpehft.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/why-singaporeans-lack-killer-instinct.html but there is a huge gap between having a well paid job in your field and driving a taxi or making sandwiches. Surely there's something in between the two extremes and it boils down to having transferable skills that you may adapt to different fields that may be somewhat out of your comfort zone but after you get over the initial learning curve, you're okay. I'm not saying she should goyang kaki at home, I'm saying that she should be more adaptable and receptive to jobs that are not exactly her first choice in her field of expertise. Like I said in a recent article, if life gives you lemons, you don't say 'actually I prefer apples and my first choice is apple juice' - you just make the best lemonade with your lemons. That's how I ended up in my industry today - not my first choice, but I made the most of the good opportunity given to me. You can't sit around and wait.
What Alex probably means is that since Katie has already obtained information regarding the particular skillsets that the employer is looking for, she should start making herself more marketable by picking up those skillsets.
Delete@Weiping - the politics of working for a big company drives me nuts. I left that for smaller companies and eventually worked for myself. I'm not even good looking enough to sleep my way to the top.
DeleteI apologise because my earlier statement came out rude. I'm sure you were trying to spur her on.
DeleteAs someone who had to find a similar job (I worked in a shop) while searching for a job in my field just to pay for rent, I was kind of annoyed to hear you say that she chose the job because of the coffee.
Because I read it as a job to keep herself afloat. The coffee was probably just the perk to keep her going.
No worries man, perhaps I didn't explain myself clearly. Clearly Katie has some kind of scientific background (hence 'labs') - so at the very least, she could tuition kids who have to do subjects like physics, chemistry etc and at least she is putting her scientific knowledge to some use, it is not an ideal situation, but at the very least she is cashing in on her knowledge. But to make sandwiches? Coffee?
DeleteWe all have knowledge and skills we can draw on and use to make a living from - the question is whether or not you can find someone who is willing to pay you money for your skills. You can't expect work to come looking for you, sometimes, you have to go search high & low to get that work or in my case, create your own company and be your own boss.
Hi Alex, some thoughts on young taxi drivers:
ReplyDeleteOptions: I agree with you but I do feel that these points apply largely to people with options. Well educated, people with good careers, indeed taxi driving will not appeal to this set. I know a couple of young taxi drivers in their early 30s; they are not well educated, they have previously worked in low wage (but skilled) jobs such as mechanics etc. Taxi driving actually allows them to earn more than what they can in their skilled jobs. With the lack of education, career choices/development are limited and/or slow (to take a diploma will take years and then they have to work up the career ladder) whereas real life needs such as marriage, buying a home, kids, do not wait. Are they taking the easy way out? Yes and no, everyone has their circumstances and personalities; in a slightly harsh way, delayed gratification is not for everyone.
Socially speaking, removing the taboo from "low status" jobs is not a bad thing for obvious reasons which I don't need to expound on.
(As an aside, you are my JC senior, ever got into trouble and got leephuimanded?)
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteSorry to report - had to correct an error.
DeleteFair points, of course.
As for Ms Lee, I remember once I was with my friends in the canteen when she came around and put her arm around me as is she was some caring, loving auntie. That did my social cred amongst my friends no good whatsoever! I even found a good luck card from her when I was moving house - she was trying to convince me to return to VJC as a teacher after I graduated. No lah, I was not a rebel, I was a double scholar (humanities + SSC) and the only double scholar in my year (one of my juniors, one year below me was also a double scholar), so whilst the scholars were her favourite students, the double scholars were her personal pets. She had assumed that I would go on to ace some prestigious scholarship, thus bringing glory to VJC - I opted for a scholarship to the UK that eventually led me to stay on in London for good. Sorry to say this, but I was Mrs Lee's teacher's (or principal's) pet. If I was up to no good, I sure as well wasn't gonna get caught and get into trouble. Never do anything naughty unless you know you can get away with it.
Sorry to say this, but I feel that those who choose to drive taxis are stupid.
ReplyDeleteI was recently hospitalised because I suffered an allergic reaction to one of the medicine that was prescribed to me and the hospital bill was $560. (Stayed for 3 days 2 nights).
It was fully covered by my Dad's medisave. If not for medisave, my family probably wouldn't have that much money to pay in such a short and sudden notice. There's no CPF/medisave contribution for taxi drivers. They are at a losing end.
If I meet such circumstances where I have to choose driving taxis or retail, I would rather work at a retail store (the last gig gave me medical benefits even though I was a part timer, gave me Christmas $30 cash bonus and even had dance and dinner). I get paid $1200 that month before CPF. It is not a lot of money but it is still it is enough if I live a simple life.
Sorry to hear about your allergic reaction episode Dakota, get well soon.
DeleteThanks Limpeh. :)
Delete@ Raymond,
DeleteIt is immaterial who we support but politics affects each and every person because it is about the governing of a country. As such everyone has the right to voice their political opinions. A healthy and open debate in the political arena is what brings about better policies.
PAP's political control has undermined the basic tenets of a democracy. As a consequence it has affected the country's development in various aspects and not just economic.
Just be aware that not every opposition supporter is a lost soul without ambition or is unable to help himself. And neither do we shirk personal responsibilities nor condone indiscipline.
I cannot speak for every opposition supporter as we are not a single entity. But I have recognised what the PAP can and cannot do and have taken actions to change my situation. I have also observed the hardship PAP's failings have caused a lot of people who are unable to help themselves and need a helping hand.
Will the opposition do a good job if they are voted in? The PAP has been voted in time and again, is it doing a good job?
It is your prerogative who you support, as mine. However, simply because present circumstances are favourable to you (or every other PAP supporter) does not mean you will not be affected by bad government policies. It is just a matter of time.
You know there is a simple solution .... just leave. Move to another country.
DeleteHi Alex,
DeleteI emigrated quite a few years ago.
However I visited Singapore about a year ago to settle some personal issues.
During that time I had a conversation with a taxi driver who I believe was in his late 50s. He mentioned that he used to be an airline pilot. Apparently he had some big plans for his CPF but changes in the withdrawal rules destroyed all his plans.
He was highly critical of the PAP but from our conversation I could infer that he had been a lifelong PAP supporter but was now forced to drive a taxi.
I could have easily said that he deserved it but didn't as I could sense the profound bitterness in his voice. Our conversation did not go further as my destination had arrived shortly.
This is just one example of someone who has been affected by the PAP's policies.
Guys like Raymond criticise people who are critical of the PAP but fail to recognise that it does not mean we advocate giving the opposition a blank cheque.
All I am saying is that everyone should be objective in their support and not turn a blind eye to what is wrong.
This is the bit I never understand - to go from an airline pilot to a taxi driver just like that. Like he had no other skills at all to offer apart from driving. Like not a single airline in the region (even with the boom of budget airlines) could offer him a job, even as a co-pilot. WTF? Even if my current business went bust, then I have so many skills up my sleeves - I have accumulated so many useful skills along the way in my working life that I can always somehow find some form of (fairly) lucrative employment which draws upon one or two aspects of my brain power and thus that is why I will never be reduced to driving a taxi. No disrespect to taxi drivers, but that is a job that sucks and skilled people like me don't have to do this kind of dull, monotonous work because of our wide array of skills.
DeletePerhaps I can only blame this airline pilot (well, former airline pilot) for not having a plan B, to know what to do should he ever lose his job as a pilot. Funny thing is that you don't really hear about former pilots driving taxis in the UK. It just does NOT happen here.
Well Alex,
DeleteI suppose it could be due to lack of self confidence for working in only one company and doing only one job over a lifetime.
Or it could be due to age discrimination in Singapore companies. This I believe is quite prevalent in Singapore as guys lose jobs in their 40s and can't get re-employed.
I wanted to ask him a lot of questions but did not have the chance.
Personally I have nothing against driving taxis and I would do it if necessary to make a living. But the scenario playing out in Singapore just reflects very badly on the government simply because it has been going on for too long.
It is common knowledge that the government has been throwing billions at zany investments via GLCs. Why can't they allocate more funds into retraining the workforce towards more meaningful and effective training programs?
Come on, Singapore is a small country. I am sure the PAP can do a better job in getting the people into more fruitful second careers than just driving taxis.
Well I guess it is a generation gap thing - people of my parents' generation would usually opt for what they call an iron rice bowl, a job which you could keep for life. Whereas when it comes to my generation, we are more willing to change jobs, become self-employed, take on shorter contracts. I have sacrificed job stability for the opportunity to do more with my life and it is a risk I took when I became self-employed, but I had a lot more fun; for example, when I took on that contract with Google France and then with Google Germany, to have been able to do those contracts was such fun. And I say all this as a man turning 40 this year.
DeleteAs for the allegation of age discrimination - I would caution you against anything that resembles the victim's card. Are these people really the victim of age discrimination, or are they simply playing the victim's card when really, there's plenty they could have done to have helped themselves? It is also what they are looking for - if they are looking for that elusive 'iron rice bowl' then forget it, it doesn't exist anymore. It is 2016, not 1986. Can they adapt themselves to the demands of the job market in 2016 or do they have a mindset and skillset stuck in the 1980s?
Another aspect that makes me exasperated is the total waste of resources: people like me who grew up in Singapore in the 1980s and 1990s spent soooo much time, money, effort and resources getting educated. Believe you me, there was so much investment on the part of me and my parents to get me a good education. And you're telling me, that after all that effort, the only thing that these people (who no doubt invested as heavily as I did in their education) can take away from all that, like the only useful thing left, is their driver's license (which was not part of their formal education) and everything else is rendered useless? Like, seriously? That's why I wonder why Singaporeans study so bloody hard when so little of what they learn is actually going to be any use to them when it actually comes to the real world. You may as well just drop out of school, knowing all you need to do is get a driving license to make a living in Singapore. Duh.
My main thought is, if Singapore one day implements a nation-wide driverless system (and I think this is actually highly probable), taxi drivers are gonna be in trouble....
ReplyDeleteI always find small talks with strangers useful because they can branch into other things. Even a conversation starter like "how are you" or "weather looking good today" can easily go into deeper stuff. You are right that in that 20-30mins time, you may never meet that person again. But you can still learn a fair few things about the world today, learn a person's life story, learn how that person deal with struggles. For me I love to chit chat when I can, so many people, so many interesting stories out there
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