SINGAPORE: Most people tend to go for stable, well-paying corporate office jobs, valuing the financial security and career progression that often come with them. But this 28-year-old woman says she prefers working in retail even though it pays her only half as much.
She shared in a post on the r/askSingapore Reddit forum on Tuesday (April 8) that she used to work in retail during university and continued for about a year after graduating while she was searching for a job related to her degree. However, after finally landing a corporate job that aligned with her qualifications, she realised that working in retail was much more enjoyable.
The woman added that although she has “spent 2–3 years” working in the corporate world, her views still haven’t changed. In fact, at one point in her career, she even returned to retail to work on a part-time basis, earning just $12 an hour.
She continued, “That job gave me such a spark in life that I can’t even explain, and it’s quite ridiculous, especially since I’m only paid $12/hr for the part-time job. I make double with my full-time job pay. But it gives me so much joy and life. I work at a store in Jewel, and it makes me happy to interact with the mix of locals and tourists.”
“Everyday is a different day and experience, though I am selling the same product, because of the different locals and tourists I interact with when I serve them. Sure, there are days when the customers can be difficult, but I still enjoy it, and everyone at work regards it as free entertainment or drama for the day. We just laugh it off.”
In contrast, she wrote that working in the office felt the opposite. “My daily lifestyle is really boring. I talk to the same people every day and do the same work every day, and I’m sick of it.”
Additionally, the woman confessed that she generally feels “healthier” in her retail job since she’s constantly moving around, compared to her office job where her back has started to ache from sitting too much.
At the end of her post, she asked the Reddit community, “Is there something wrong with me? I don’t want to waste my degree by working retail but I really do enjoy it.”
“Just do what you like more.”
In the discussion thread, many Singaporean Redditors chimed in with supportive comments, assuring her that there’s absolutely nothing wrong with preferring retail over a corporate job. Some even encouraged her to stick with retail if it really brings her so much joy and purpose.
“‘That job gave me such a spark in life that I can’t even explain.’ It’s not often you hear someone say this about a job. If I could flip your last comment about wasting your degree around, I would say you shouldn’t waste this spark by working an office job! ” one Redditor said.
“Just do what you like more. I quit an $8k job downsizing to a mid-$3k job because I don’t like working in a corporate environment and wanted more time to spend on myself rather than just work, eat, sleep, repeat. I am happier now and feel much better mentally as well,” another shared.
“Hey, there’s really nothing wrong with you. There’s something wrong with SG society’s expectation that a degree holder must work in an office job. Everyone has their own preferences, and we should respect all jobs,” a third commented.
Others, meanwhile, said that if she’s also concerned about the financial aspect of working in retail, she could explore other career paths that offer similar levels of social interaction and physical activity, but with a salary that aligns more closely with her financial goals.
“Maybe work in high-end restaurants or boutiques? I’m sure they pay much better because they need their staff to provide a certain level of service. Or maybe account manager or client servicing roles in corporate jobs—you’ll get to interact with people too,” one suggested.
In other news, a Singaporean man took to social media to share that he’s still “poor” though he is already in his thirties.
In a post on the r/askSingapore subreddit, he wrote, “I’m 32 this year, and I have around S$5,000 to my name. I am trying desperately to get a job, and I feel like I am way behind my peers who have had steady jobs for the past eight years or so. I have been applying for jobs almost daily, and there has been no response as of yet.”
Read more: ‘I have around S$5k to my name’: 32-year-old jobless Singaporean laments being poor in his 30s
Featured image by freepik (for illustration purposes only)