An entrepreneur shares his hard-earned lessons on working with one’s hands.

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

For much of human history, manual work and the skilled trades have been the default way to earn your keep.

Even in a small, advanced economy such as Singapore, there remains a need for this work to be done, that requires a mix of hard graft and mindfulness.

To piece together how to be successful in the trades, ST correspondent Tay Hong Yi speaks with his guest, an entrepreneur who slogged to build businesses across landscaping, hospitality and outdoor education.

His guest is:

Mr Clarence Chua, co-founder of The Sundowner Nature Experience Centre

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:53 Did Clarence always know he would be working a skilled trade?

10:07 What is the most satisfying part of Clarence’s job?

11:18 Tips for those hoping to pursue a skilled trade

21:06 Dealing with parental disapproval

Read about Mr Chua’s work here: https://str.sg/iiCi

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

---

Follow more podcast channels:

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

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

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

---

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

---

#headstart

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Three students in their early 20s tell us how they're approaching this.

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

Retirement used to be a word for middle-aged workers, perhaps as they started to think of how to lay up enough savings to enjoy their twilight years. 

But with movements like Fire - also known as financial independence, retire early - younger workers are starting to talk about retirement and prepare for the time they can kick their feet back and stop working. 

And for university students in their early 20s, preparing for retirement is already underway, to hit their goals of retiring early and to fund their ideal retirement lifestyles.  

So how early should you think of retirement and how can you plan for it?

In this episode, ST business correspondent Sue-Ann Tan looks at retirement planning even when you're in your 20s and if Fire can really work. 

Her guests are three NTU students in their early 20s - Tina Aw, Charmaine Chia and Aurene Graciella.

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:51 How old were you when you first thought about retirement?

5:33 Hustling from the age of 12 to achieve Fire

8:20 The mental and social costs of Fire

9:15 What is your ideal retirement age?

11:58 How are you preparing for retirement?

24:56 How much will you need per month in retirement?

27:44 Will you consider micro-retirement? 

Listen to "Should we play with FIRE?": https://str.sg/5mHc

Read Sue-Ann Tan's articles: https://str.sg/mvSa

Follow Sue-Ann Tan on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/A86X

Host: Sue-Ann Tan ([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

---

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

---

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

---

#headstart

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recent high-profile office return mandates belie a broader availability of flexi-work options from more firms.

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

Those of us who are humming along at a comfortable rhythm with hybrid work might have watched with worry recent developments of major firms insisting on five days in office a week by default.

After all, it seemed like an equilibrium was reached in the years following the Covid-19 pandemic of working remotely for at least part of the week.

Moreover, this comes after Singapore has issued landmark guidelines that make putting in place a process to fairly evaluate flexi-work arrangement requests compulsory.

To piece together what to make of this mixed outlook, ST correspondent Tay Hong Yi speaks with his guest, a two-decade corporate veteran who now works with industry players to put in place progressive workplace practices.

His guest is:

Mr Aslam Sardar, chief executive of the Institute for Human Resource Professionals

Highlights (click/tap above):

2:20 What is driving some employers to get workers back in the office so often?

5:11 Flexi-work arrangements are still more prevalent than before

7:57 Is there a chance of a “domino effect” of firms issuing office return mandates, one after the other?

15:31 How are employers here weighing up their options for office returns?

21:07 What to do if your employer asks you to return to the office more often

Read about recent moves to make flexi-work more pervasive here: https://str.sg/tgoM

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

---

Follow more podcast channels:

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

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

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

---

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

---

#headstart

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A master's can help you get ahead in your career, but consider the expenses involved carefully too.

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

It’s a question that comes up in our 20s and 30s - if we need additional educational qualifications to give us a leg up in our careers. 

But how do you decide whether to pursue a master’s degree? How do you go about choosing courses, and most crucially, how do you finance such an endeavour? 

In this episode, ST business correspondent Sue-Ann Tan looks at whether you should do a master’s and what to consider before plunging into it. 

Her guests are Charmaine Yee who studied an MSc in wealth management and now works in private equity, and expert Kenneth Tan from OCBC who is Managing Director of consumer unsecured lending. 

Highlights (click/tap above):

3:46 How her master’s got her into private equity

5:06 Do you need an MBA to work in finance? 

10:11 How much does a master’s cost?

13:54 How do I fund a master’s? 

18:36 Planning now to do a master’s five years later

20:54 Transitioning from work to school again

25:22 How about working and studying part time?

Read Sue-Ann Tan's articles: https://str.sg/mvSa

Follow Sue-Ann Tan on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/A86X

Host: Sue-Ann Tan ([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

---

Follow more podcast channels:

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

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

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

---

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

---

#headstart

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Major shifts in the job market and employer practices make for more options but tougher decisions too.

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

Singapore’s tertiary education system has been shaken up in recent years, with polytechnics and universities among those seeing major changes.

These include apprenticeships, structured talent programmes, industry attachments, longer-duration internships and even global exposure opportunities that raise the skills bar and prepare students for skilled roles from the outset.

On one hand, some employers, especially in technical fields, seek for diploma graduates who enter the workforce earlier than others in their cohort and gain skills on the job.

On the other, there is a push to grow the proportion of the cohort enrolled in university for further studies.

ST correspondent Tay Hong Yi speaks with his guest, a seasoned education expert on how to make sense of these different forces in charting out your own education and career path.

His guest is:

Associate Professor Jason Tan, who studies education policy, curriculum and leadership at the National Institute of Education

Highlights (click/tap above):

2:10 Where are these shifts in the tertiary education system stemming from?

5:49 Does this mean there are more pathways to meet industry needs from an earlier age?

10:35 What are the challenges that come with these changes?

16:34 Pay structures that look strictly at paper qualifications may not reflect differences in skills

18:08 Keeping an open mind on the best choice

Read about one such recent change: https://str.sg/ioJA

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

---

Follow more podcast channels:

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

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

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

---

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

---

#headstart

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

CDC vouchers are welcome, but young people also want more housing, jobs and childcare help.

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

Budget 2025 has come and gone - the time we Singaporeans look for some free money and vouchers. 

This year, a big theme was around helping to alleviate the cost of living especially with inflation in the last few years. 

But exactly how much did the Budget have for us young people in our 20s and 30s,  and what are the remaining problems that are untackled? 

In this episode, ST business correspondent Sue-Ann Tan looks at what the Budget gave and what young people might want from it in the future. 

Her guests are young financial literacy expert from DBS Shawn Lee, and investment strategy managing director Vasu Menon from OCBC. 

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:39 What were the top three Budget goodies for us?

6:15 Help for young parents and families

8:58 Feeling the cost of living pinch

12:21 No housing measures this Budget?

18:31 Help for young people looking for jobs?

25:10 What would you tell PM Wong given the chance? 

27:44 Giving your Budget 2026 wishlist

Read Sue-Ann Tan's articles: https://str.sg/mvSa

Follow Sue-Ann Tan on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/A86X

Host: Sue-Ann Tan ([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

---

Follow more podcast channels:

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

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

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

---

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

---

#headstart

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An expert shows how fresh entrants to the workforce can gain the prior experience employers increasingly seek.

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

It seems paradoxical for prospective employers to seek prior experience even for entry-level roles.

This reflects the rising bar expected of fresh entrants to the job market.

However, employers are becoming more open-minded towards what constitutes relevant prior experience.

ST correspondent Tay Hong Yi speaks with his guest, a seasoned career expert who has worked with tertiary students from different backgrounds, on the help at hand.

His guest is:

Ms Sarah Neo, head of the career development office at the Singapore University of Social Sciences.

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:55 Why are employers increasingly seeking prior experience even for entry-level roles?

4:13 The forms such experience can take, from internships to hackathons

9:05 Is it realistic to expect ever more prior experience from students before graduation?

11:58 How can students who lack experience still land that first job?

14:15 What does Sarah recommend those who remain undecided about their future careers do?

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

---

Follow more podcast channels:

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

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

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

---

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

---

#headstart

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do your homework and hold for the long term - these are among expert tips for stock picking.

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

There are so many different methods to invest these days - from buying roboportfolios, to exchange traded funds or index funds benchmarked to certain indices.

But there are also investors who wish to pick their own stocks because they are convinced of their increasing value. 

This particularly occurs when it comes to tech stocks that might be rapidly rising, or when certain industries show strong potential for growth. 

But how does someone go about stock picking and what are the risks involved? 

In this episode, ST business correspondent Sue-Ann Tan looks at how people can choose solid stocks in the volatile environment of 2025. 

Her guests are young investor Troy Cheng and ex-ST journalist and veteran market watcher Ven Sreenivasan.

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:42 What is stock picking and how to go about it?

6:00 How to decide if stocks are overvalued or undervalued?

8:10 Where do you get your stock picking recommendations from?

11:41 Which industries are promising in 2025? 

15:47 What to know before jumping into overseas stock markets?

20:14 Looking at the Chinese stock market

25:09 Opportunities in the Singapore market  

Read Sue-Ann Tan's articles: https://str.sg/mvSa

Follow Sue-Ann Tan on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/A86X

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

Host: Sue-Ann Tan ([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]

---

Follow more podcast channels:

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

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

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

---

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

---

#headstart

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Conditions such as ADHD, autism and dyslexia, as well as the ways one lives with these conditions, can provide fresh ways of thinking.

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

Neurodivergence: A big word, but one imbued with the simple promise of progress.

It means to recognise that brains may be wired differently between different people, causing perceptible differences in information processing and social relations, impacting both work and personal life.

ST correspondent Tay Hong Yi, who was himself diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) aged 27, talks about the emerging consciousness of neurodivergence and the importance of supporting the neurodivergent to fulfil their potential with his guests.

His guests are:

Mr Rumi Mohd, associate director for sales and marketing hiring at Randstad Singapore, who was diagnosed with dyslexia as a child

Mr Himanshu Chaudhari, a finance professional diagnosed with ADHD in adulthood and board member of awareness group Unlocking ADHD

Highlights (click/tap above):

02:30 How did the guests find out about their condition?

05:31 How did their conditions affect them at work?

10:34 What can employers do to meaningfully support neurodivergent team members?

14:33 Is it a good idea to disclose one’s neurodivergence to employers?

20:33 Has anyone ever dismissed the guests’ neurodivergence?

25:17 Is neurodivergence a “superpower”?

Read more about neurodivergence in the workplace: https://str.sg/CZz6

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

---

Follow more podcast channels:

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

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

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

---

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

---

#headstart

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A young start-up founder talks about quitting his job to take the path less trodden, and discuss with DBS the ingredients for success.

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

Gen Zs are embracing the entrepreneurial life. Instead of working for someone, they want to start their own companies, sometimes fresh out of school. 

There are also more entrepreneurial programmes for them even in secondary schools. Online platforms also let them start businesses online and have a wider audience for their products and services. 

But what exactly is involved in starting a start-up? Is it something only for the rich kids or is it within reach of everyone?

In this episode, ST business correspondent Sue-Ann Tan looks at how people can start their own business even in their 20s, and what’s involved in the process. 

Her guests are Accredify founder Quah Zheng Wei, who started his business aged 27, and DBS Head of Corporate and SME Banking Koh Kar Siong. 

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:52 The steps to starting a start-up

5:33 Quitting his banking job to venture out on his own

8:39 Entrepreneurs as young as 12 

14:40 How to get funding 

21:16 What defines a successful start-up and what’s the survival rate?

24:28 What are your ingredients for success?

28:05 Will starting my own business make me rich? 

Read Sue-Ann Tan's articles: https://str.sg/mvSa

Follow Sue-Ann Tan on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/A86X

Host: Sue-Ann Tan ([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

---

Follow more podcast channels:

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

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

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

---

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

---

#headstart

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.