Yet another Singaporean torn between staying at a job for growth and prioritising work-life balance

SINGAPORE: Yet another Singaporean has found herself torn between staying at a job for career growth and leaving it for some work-life balance, asking, “At what point does ‘good growth experience’ stop being worth the personal cost?”

The 28-year-old public-sector worker shared on r/singaporejobs that she previously worked in a government role, which she left, not because of the work itself but because of her reporting officer and limited career progression there.

“My reporting officer had virtually no leadership skills. Avoided speaking up, avoided management meetings whenever possible, preferred things to stay exactly as they were, and produced very little output despite being in the role for years. I felt stagnant and couldn’t see myself growing under him/her.”

She noted her job there was stable, relatively chill, had excellent work-life balance, and she genuinely liked her colleagues, but the problem was that promotion opportunities were extremely scarce.

“Most colleagues only got promoted once every 10 years, and in rare cases, after at least 5 years. It was the kind of place where hardly anyone left, which was great for stability but not so great for advancement,” she said.

Back then, she was “quite certain” she wanted a long-term career in the public sector because she valued purposeful work and felt that government-related work aligned with her personality and values.

After joining another organisation, which she explained wasn’t “technically government but closely related to it,” the experience was completely different, with her describing the leadership there as excellent.

“My RO is probably the best manager I’ve ever had. Very nurturing, gives clear guidance, advocates for the team, and is willing to get into the trenches with us when work gets tough. I’ve been given opportunities I never would have gotten in my previous role, including presenting to senior management within my first few months. The exposure, learning, and trust have been incredible.”

She added that the role was also highly relevant to her long-term career plans, paying around S$88,000 a year, including bonuses and that there was a relatively high chance of promotion due to high turnover.

However, the workload became overwhelming, and the environment was extremely fast-paced.

She said, just four months in, “I was already burnt out and sometimes found myself bursting out, crying from the stress, pressure and expectations” and that almost a year later, the workload still had not changed.

“We’re understaffed, and I’m regularly working until 10 pm to 12 am. Weekend work isn’t uncommon either. I’ve stopped doing things that I enjoy. Many times also skipping my meals. I’m less present at home, so my partner always bear the brunt of covering my household chores. Even when I’m not working, I feel mentally checked out and disengaged because work occupies so much of my headspace.”

She also added that while she could be promoted, it probably wouldn’t be for another two years, since, besides being relatively new, the learning curve is steep and expectations are high.

Now, she is torn between leaving after collecting her bonus next year and potentially restarting in a contract role if she returns to the government agency she worked with, or staying another one to two years for experience and a possible promotion.

Asking others who were in a similar dilemma, she said: “Would you prioritise growth and career capital, or would you prioritise work-life balance and sustainability? And for those who have worked in the public sector, would staying one to two years in a demanding but developmental role significantly improve my future prospects, or is that something I’m overestimating?”

Commenters from the public sector shared that they had gone through similar experiences. One who now works in the private sector after 10 years in government said, “This is how government jobs work, unfortunately. If you want a good progressive boss, it comes with lots of exposure and a high workload. Want a chill life? Then get a Dino boss who just tanks by saying no to everything, and you learn nothing.”

Another who went through the same experience and is now in a new role that “may not really have promotion opportunities, but colleagues, salary, and work environment are generally ok” added that she should take the time to keep a lookout for other roles, apply for them, and also informally check with former employees on turnover, culture and workload.

Others advised interviewing for other positions while staying for the next one to two years to have more options open.

Still, the majority were in agreement that no job is worth risking one’s mental health.

“In the meantime, take care. You sound like you are burnt out. Or going to be. And at the cost of your family life, too. That is the heaviest cost of it all,” another commenter said. /TISG