Part 2 - How to get good jobs?
Background - local fintech bro, 29 years old, neighbourhood school & ex NUS, 5 figure a month.
Continuing post on some tips & reflection I used to secure 7 offers, 22 top company interviews in 1 month. Sharing 3 small realisation this time!
1. Increase exposure & self-awareness 💡
- find out more about different jobs, understand what drives you, and your personal USP!
- Personally, I realised I have good business sense, passionate to drive business metrics, with decent technical skills, but definitely can’t outbeat A class techies. Picked a role that leveraged my business sense & little tech.
- Explored options early, which opened my eye to other more rewarding careers - which I had done this much earlier! Wasted my Uni education..
- Observed some valedictorians being stucked in low pay & growth roles… as SG culture maximise on grades (still impt to certain extent though haha)
2. Choose the right niche & company 📈
- What skillsets are rare and won’t be commoditised? What other people can’t do or are not willing to do, but the world will need?
- personally, I joined companies which gave me opportunity to lead projects in high value space early. Which I realised really helped my portfolio.
- big brand names also seemed to help, to hop between each of them.
3. Take risk 😎
- Choosing something that people can’t do or are not willing to risk, can bring potential income upside
- did internship in engineering & felt like a robot part of a huge factory. Though salary was higher, glad I took the risk & left. My career options would have been much lesser!
- I also rotated internally when I felt my skill growth was stagnating with risk of missing promotion. This really helped me broaden my exposure & get jobs that require 2x years of experience
Many more personal experiences to share, but keeping these digestible bits for next time friends.
Let’s learn together & maintain our SG edge!
Reflecting on my own journey beyond the initial tips, one key lesson I learned was the power of continuous networking and staying updated with industry trends. In fintech and tech-driven roles, the landscape changes rapidly, so regularly attending webinars, joining relevant forums, and connecting with mentors helped me spot opportunities that others might miss. Additionally, tailoring your resume to highlight specific projects that demonstrate leadership and measurable impact made a huge difference during interviews. Recruiters notice when you can quantify your contributions, whether it’s leading a successful project or improving a business metric. From my experience, cultivating adaptability is invaluable. I remember rotating internally when my growth plateaued, which not only broadened my skills but also kept me motivated. This willingness to embrace new challenges often leads to roles that require more experience but also offer greater rewards. Lastly, while technical skills matter, I found that combining business acumen with technical understanding is rare yet highly sought after. This combination helped me secure roles that leverage my strengths and differentiate me from purely technical candidates. If you’re looking to get good jobs in competitive spaces like fintech, don’t just focus on grades or titles. Invest time in understanding yourself deeply, experiment with opportunities early, and be willing to step out of your comfort zone. Your career path is unique—design it with intention and resilience.
