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Working Overseas vs in Singapore: Salary, Costs & Career Growth [W&S 141]

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Ever wondered if building your career overseas is really worth it—or if staying closer to home could actually give you more?

Join us with two remarkable guests who’ve lived the global career life, then made the bold decision to return home. Here’s what you’ll hear:

  • The real trade-offs between global roles abroad and regional success at home
  • How family, identity, and balance shape major career decisions
  • Surprising lessons about growth, discomfort, and redefining success
  • What many professionals overlook when considering an overseas posting

Meet our guests:

  • Chris Ngoi – Chief Strategy and Business Officer at Libeara (a Standard Chartered subsidiary); SMU Lecturer, with years of experience across Hong Kong, London, and Singapore.
  • Hon Mun Yip – A veteran of both multinational corporations and Asian family businesses, with a career spanning five cities and industries from tech to farming, now a Coach, and NUS Adjunct Professor; Global Business Consultant

This isn’t just about careers—it’s about choices, trade-offs, and what really matters when life and work collide. Tune in to hear their stories and insights that might just change the way you think about your own path.

 

What We Discuss:

  • 05:23 Why did you decide to return to Singapore?
  • 07:04 How did coming back affect your career?
  • 10:56 Are there opportunities that you could've missed if you continued staying in Singapore?
  • 14:11 Would climbing the top career ladder in regional roles be on par with a global role?
  • 20:04 How do careers differ between staying in Asia and moving abroad?
  • 25:41 What advice do you have for mid-career professionals considering a career switch?
  • 35:51 Were there any challenges when coming back to Singapore after staying overseas for so long?
  • 39:31 What is the biggest career benefit of living abroad?

Episode Resources:


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