Pursuing Your Dreams

I was recently sent an article that discussed the issue of bright Singaporeans who study overseas and decide not to return to Singapore: http://forum.channelnewsasia.com/viewtopic.php?t=267510&sid=c4f5835108db7b282831f44c4067ac06

The article focused on Singaporeans in places such as the US and the UK and the much larger variety of jobs that they had the opportunity to access once there, including many that offered substantially higher starting salaries than what is available in Singapore. 

Reading the interviews of the students brought back memories of my own university days at Cambridge, and the comments in the article certainly echoed the sentiments of many of my friends in university.

 A.  The Greener Pastures

University is a wonderful time in life.  For many of us, it was the first time we were living on our own, old enough to make our own decisions and live life in the way we like, yet young enough to believe that the world was our oyster.  We could be full of hopes and dreams and still believe that we could make those dreams come true. 

For a small country like Singapore, we had a disproportionately large representation at Cambridge.  I believe there were some 200 of us when I was there.  A good number were on scholarships from PSC and other bodies.  The Singaporeans were generally a hard working group, and this work ethic generally helped them do well in the university exams. 

Naturally, academic success opens many doors not just in Singapore but anywhere else in the world.  The good Singapore students in Cambridge, and other universities in the UK, found themselves on the receiving end of lucrative job offers in London, Europe and New York.  Often, these may be in industries or areas that have not reached the same level of development in Singapore and so there would be no equivalent opportunity back home. 

 I have many friends (including some very close ones) who have chosen to pursue their dreams abroad instead of coming back to Singapore.  A number of them are doing very well in their chosen fields.  I am extremely proud that people I had grown up with are able to do well in so many other parts of the world, including Europe, America, Australia and the Middle East.  I guess the immigrant spirit of their forefathers is still in their blood, helping them meet all the challenges in their new country.

 It has now been some years since I have graduated and interestingly, I am seeing a somewhat different pattern emerge too.  I keep running into many of the friends I had known who had initially started working abroad along Raffles Place and Orchard.  Some were just back for visits, but many had in fact chosen to relocate to Singapore.

They offered a wide variety of reasons for the relocation, but one common theme I picked up is that many missed the familiarity of home and the friends and family they had grown up with.  The more open ones mention that while they have no issues doing the work abroad, fitting in culturally was more difficult and they often felt like second class citizens.

 B.  When Disaster Strikes

 I recently met a young man who graduated from a top UK university a few years ago, just when the economic boom from 2004 to 2007 was taking off.  We met at a large social function, and although he had a smile on his face (like most others at the function), it struck me that there was a certain sadness behind this smile. 

We spoke and I found out that he started working in London with a plush job in the financial sector and then transferred to New York with an even better offer.  During the good years, he earned a great salary and enjoyed good bonuses.  However, when the financial crisis hit, he was one of the casualties and he lost his job. 

At this point, he suddenly found New York was a very lonely place.  He had gone there following the most lucrative opportunities, but when disaster struck, he was suddenly alone.  I’m guessing like many Singaporeans, he probably put work first and did not have the opportunity to build a large enough circle of friends in New York who may have been able to help him through this difficult period. 

 He had an education with all the right pedigree and I suspect that this was his first major setback in life.  Like most people who are down, he returned home to his friends and family here.  He also mentioned he rediscovered his faith in God, and compared his own story to the parable of the prodigal son who, after exploring the world, decided to return home.   I thought he may have been being a bit harsh with himself, since he hardly seemed like the reckless, extravagant sort.   

 He mentioned that the biggest challenge he faced in finding a job here was that he worked in such a specialized field of finance that the equivalent did not exist here.  Intellectually, he probably understood that he was a victim of ‘structural unemployment’, meaning that although there are jobs available, none of these jobs require his particular skills, but I am not sure if this made it any easier for him to cope emotionally. 

Personally, I think it is a wonderful thing that Singaporeans are able to hold their own and pursue their dreams in other parts of the world.  However, in doing so, they should be aware of the risks they take on as well as the usual challenges of fitting in with the new country and separation from home that any immigrant faces.   These risks are sometimes overlooked when one is a starry eyed young graduate. 

Happily, many of the Singaporeans I know continue to maintain their bridges to friends and family back in Singapore and I personally enjoy meeting my friends when they come back for visits.  Perhaps, one day they may decide to return to Singapore, with their new found skills and talents, to develop new sectors and opportunities in Singapore based on what they have learned abroad.