A MILLENNIAL AND GEN Z GUIDE TO CHARTING YOUR CAREER PATH IN SINGAPORE

From soft skills to SG60 perks, here's how to build a vocation that works for you.

- Text Syed Zulfadhli

It starts like this: You’re staring at yet another job listing, scrolling past the words “dynamic environment” and “self-starter,” wondering if this is it, and if this is what you're supposed to want. For many millennials and Gen Zs in Singapore, building a career feels less like climbing a ladder, and more like piecing together a puzzle - one where the pieces keep evolving.

Gone are the days when success meant sticking to one company, one role, or even one industry. Today's career journey is far from linear — and that’s not a bug, but a feature. The good news? With a growing number of tools, support schemes and SG60 perks rolled out as part of Singapore's 60th birthday celebrations, there’s never been a better time to take charge of your professional path.

THERE'S NO ONE RIGHT ROUTE TO SUCCESS

A quiet revolution is reshaping how younger Singaporeans approach work. For many Gen Z and millennial professionals, success is no longer defined by job titles or corporate prestige, but by how well their careers align with personal values, mental well-being and lifestyle needs.

According to Singapore recruitment agency TG HR, 38 per cent of Gen Zs prioritise work-life balance over salary, while 81 per cent have left roles due to mental health concerns. A 2024 Jobstreet report echoes this, noting how “work-life balance” has evolved into “work-life expectations” — where flexibility, purpose and emotional sustainability are now non-negotiable.

Increasingly, younger professionals are also embracing freelance work, side gigs and hybrid roles that offer more autonomy and creative freedom. The rigid nine-to-five is giving way to careers that allow space to grow, reflect and live fully.