Having been retrenched in 2020 at 55 after a long career, I soon realised how difficult it was to prepare for and obtain a new job.

Job searches now are very different from when I started working in the early 1990s. Accomplishments, credentials and work experience are now condensed within two pages at most – no more lists of schools and awards, accompanied by copies of degrees and other credentials.

My NTUC membership helped me gain the services of a career coach in September 2020, who worked with me until I landed a job in mid-2022. He helped me prepare a new resume and enrolled me in several courses that built useful skills for my job search. He also guided me through mock job interviews to build my confidence and prepare me for the questions that employers ask now, such as those on emotional intelligence, critical thinking, and scenario planning.

I then sent out resumes that followed the current job requirements and later landed a good job, 22 months after I was retrenched.

My retrenchment experience has heightened my understanding and gratitude for the initiatives of Forward SG, which was launched in June 2022 to help engage Singaporeans on how we should refresh our social compact for the road ahead. Job security is uncertain, and we need to take responsibility for ourselves and our loved ones to make the best of opportunities to improve ourselves.

Forward SG is also manifested through the Government helping to provide high-quality public services, investing in the well-being of all Singaporeans, building for the future, and caring for the needy. Before the launch of Forward SG, I had attended consultation sessions about it and I knew that reskilling and upskilling play an important part in Forward SG. Without the courses and job coaching that I received, I would have been unable to upskill and reskill to land my current job.

It is up to us to be future-ready. Forward SG’s success is when we take responsibility to care for one another and have each other’s back. When everyone has a stake in our nation-building, our future will be secure.

Arulnathan John