You are not alone. I am very similiar to you in terms of experience and salary and I work in a very big MNC. The thing is that we as young people are so driven that some work environment cannot provide.

A banking job is good for driven people and to move there, you got to be young and driven. Even though you have no relevant experience, worth a try and if you need to start from Local banks just go for it to get the first step in.

I've ever considered starting own business etc to fulfill the drive but never had a good business idea. I just feel that no matter which job you are in, after a while, it gets stagnant and boring.

What I am trying to say is that, take a step back and think what you want out of LIFE. LIFE is not only career so think of it holistically. Consider sidelines to kill time? Or switch a career. Taking MBA is only adviseable for those top-notch schools (no local schools), otherwise you are wasting money and time.

Good luck and find your direction. Speak to more pple and be ready to embrace new ideas.

good advice

Wow! So many young people with high pay. I wonder why still got some graduates write to the papers saying that they cannot find a job after sending out a few hundred applications. I think only sinkies are having problems.

This is indeed good advice, especially the part about what you want out of life.

Where you are right now is actually a very good place to take stock of your life and to reflect upon your ambition(s). $6K a month for a 28 year old is very comfortable. I therefore assume you have the luxury of stability to think.

First, if you don't have a good financial plan, get one now. With one that helps you plan for a realistic retirement, you will find you will have a lot more freedom to take "risks" rather than held back because you're not sure if you will ever reach financial independence. Trust me, having firm numbers in front of you can be very reassuring.

Second, you say you messed up the interviews. Perhaps this is indicative that there is room from growth in the area(s) you failed? Maybe you should focus on fixing that now? Maybe you're just not ready to move on to something bigger, as much as you think you are?

Third, do you find satisfaction in what you currently do? There is nothing wrong with staying at a "plateau" for a few years if the job is satisfying. With seniority comes a certain amount of confidence and therefore security. This might be useful in addressing the previous point. There's also nothing wrong with staying in your current job. You may even be able to carve out an interesting niche for yourself, like being a mentor to younger staff members because you have some experiencee. From personal experience that can be quite rewarding.

Fourth, you must control ambition, and not allow it to control you. Ambition will change over time too. If you're deciding what you want to do because you feel pressured to move up the corporate ladder to be someone in life, then I suggest you need something to find something else that will define you. Again, now's a good time to think about what your passion is. A test here is if you were to die, what would you want to be remembered for? You dont have to aim to be a saint.

Fifth, when you fail, you'll only have passion to keep you going. I was talking to a guy recently whose career has gone up and down - civil service scholar, left to become a banker, did very well, bankrupted 7 years later, now doing what he really likes (not something drastic like opening a restaurant or a toy shop, but managing business projects) and by the looks of it, he's doing quite well for himself. The one thing he told me is based on his experience, money is fleeting, and the only way you'll keep your sanity is to have a good financial plan from young and to focus on deriving satisfaction from everything but money.

This possibly isn't the practical advice you may want, because truthfully, I'm not familiar with your field. But I think too many young Singaporeans are getting cynical and disillusioned because by competiting with each other, and using career progression and $ as a benchmark, they're heading towards unrealistic, unsustainable zones.

There's really more to life! :)

And I think I can say that to you without feeling bad because $6K a month at 28 years is very good. I earned half as much, and that wasn't too long ago!

I am in a similar situation as the topic starter. I am in a comfortable job that I love and find true meaning in. I never have problem waking up to face the day and truly enjoy most part of what I do. Unfortunately, this isn't the kind of high flyer career that takes you to places. The salary is comfortable and I have had enough time and savings to invest and am making a good 5% to 8% returns annually. I earn a comfortable living and will enjoy the same sort of stability within the near future of say 10 years or so if I stay in my job.

However I have gotten really dissatisfied over the last 2 years. I am seeing some of my friends, especially those who are unmarried and without kids move into senior positions, something I can never dream of myself becoming. I tried to interview for jobs but were either rejected or ignored.

I know I should count my blessings, but it is easier said than done. I am only in my 30s and have a good 30 years more before retirement. In 10 years time, I see myself lagging behind even more of my peers. But moving out of my current job means a pay cut and many many overtimes and job instability.

Will you move? What will you do if you were me?

There's never an easy answer to this question.

I don't want to get all preachy and tell everyone to "count their blessings" because everyone has a different take on life.

Ultimate, every decision made has a cost. Don't think you'll get anything for free. Even your successful friends would have paid some "cost." You pointed out those who are unmarried or without kids are doing well. Perhaps that in itself is a "cost?"

But if you're a risk taker, and seeking challenges is part of your character and personality, then it's also not wrong to "take the plunge" and try to get further in your career.

I think you should have a good idea of my take on this topic so I don't think I'll need to elaborate.

But the one thing I'll add is that envy feeds upon itself. There's always a higher mountain to climb - where do you stop? When will you say "OK, that's enough?" If you benchmark yourself against you friends, you'll always find someone who's doing a little better than you are, and the race will never end.

Perhaps you should also take stock of what you've already achieved, instead of looking at what you think you haven't?

In fact, I dare say your discipline in saving is something you should be proud of. It seems you're already well on your way to financial independence. That's something that's quite commendable. I am told quite a few of these "successful" types actually don't have a good retirement plan. It's easy in, easy out.

Don't understand why you are even comparing with your fellow colleagues. If you step back and take a look around people of your age group, how many are earning $6K??

A male, fresh graduate probably starts work around 25/26 years old after completing NS. With just two or three years of experience, many of them are earning just $2.6K to $3K. You are already on the fast track.

Well, it's just human nature to be greedy. 人心不足，蛇吞象

Hi TS,

With your current work experience, you'll have no trouble landing interviews. Many of these jobs are in the 'hidden' market. The closest you can get to these jobs would be through the branded recruitment firms.. robert walters sort.

From what you say, it's about contentment in life. Are you contented with your life as it is? If yes, there's no reason to move. If no, then plan your life, get confident. I consider myself socially inapt, but can portray myself as confident if I want to. You first have to want to do it. Then do it.

Having said all these, I am also in a transitional phase in life. I'm in a civil service analyst position (non-scholar) earning 3.5k, worked hard for a yr with an above avg performance, only to be given a 170 annual increment. I've made up my mind to move on. In fact, mgmt consulting is one field I am interested in. Please share on how you chanced upon your job?

i am also from govt. engineer position. fresh grad 3.5k.
i studied chem. eng.
i know i am higher paid than most of my peers in smaller MNCs.
Even my frens in shell and exxonmobil are only slightly higher/comparable with me.
However, sometimes i also think of long-term prospects would i earn more staying or gg to real chem eng job...

btw TS, i also thought of petrochem consulting... is your company CMXX ? Or ICXX?
mind telling us your background too? =)