S2E20: Forging careers at all ages, for all seasons

The Straits Times Podcasts

Find out how developing crucial career skills can help you triumph over times of turmoil.

Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, get a headstart in your personal finance and career with The Straits Times.

Developing a vibrant, resilient career in this age will require consistent effort to make deeper and more frequent changes.

Mastering what we do in the here and now, does not suffice. Instead, we need to cast an eye towards what our jobs may become and even consider entirely new ones.

In the third ST Podcast Live session recorded on June 3 at swish nightspot Rasa at Republic Plaza, we touch on what it takes to thrive at each stage of our careers, against a backdrop of economic upheaval.

This special episode of Headstart On Record is in partnership with Workforce Singapore, in support of Career Health, a SkillsFuture initiative.

We speak to a young engineer - Mr Noel Png - who did not let poor school grades deter him from an engineering career that took him to Britain and back home, where he also contributed to putting a satellite in space.

He is now a telecommunications system engineer at ST Engineering. Oh, he's also met Elon Musk.

He shares about his unorthodox approach to networking, how he found mentors who helped him find his direction in life and his thought process to take uncertainty in his stride.

Joining him with host and ST correspondent Tay Hong Yi is veteran senior career coach Parameswari Seenivasan.

A trained counsellor with over 15 years’ of experience from Workforce Singapore, she has helped over 2,000 clients in her work. She helps us draw principles and good practices from Mr Png's career experiences.

The ongoing series of ST Podcast Live sessions are being held to celebrate 180 years of The Straits Times in 2025, with three more events planned for the rest of the year.

Highlights (click/tap above):

3:13 How a chance encounter led Noel to work in the space industry

5:41 Taking stock of your strengths and values

10:37 How career coaching can help you gain clarity on next moves

16:43 The broader range of options you can explore

18:58 Making sure each transition builds on the next

24:38 Parames’ and Noel’s proudest moments in their careers

Find out more from WSG about Career Health SG: https://str.sg/H8Ko

More about WSG: https://www.wsg.gov.sg/

Read how the live podcast went down: https://str.sg/uJ4C

Read Tay Hong Yi's articles: https://str.sg/w6cz

Follow Tay Hong Yi on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/AAxy

Host: Tay Hong Yi ([email protected])

Produced & edited by: Amirul Karim

Executive producers: Ernest Luis, Lynda Hong & Joanna Seow

Follow Headstart On Record Podcast channel here:

Channel: https://str.sg/wB2m

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wuN3

Spotify: https://str.sg/wBr9

Feedback to: [email protected]

Get business/career tips in ST's Headstart newsletter: https://str.sg/headstart-nl

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Follow more podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

ST Podcasts website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa

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Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:

The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB

Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX

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Chapters

1. Forging careers at all ages, for all seasons (00:00:00)

2. Chance meeting leads Noel to space industry (00:03:13)

3. Taking stock of your strengths and values (00:05:41)

4. Career coaching helps clarify next steps (00:10:37)

5. The broader range of options you can explore (00:16:43)

6. Making sure each transition builds on the next (00:18:58)

7. Parames' & Noel's proudest career moments (00:24:38)