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Independent Singapore
29 minutes ago
- Independent Singapore
Jobless Singaporean ex-FAANG marketer gets insulted as "shameless loser" for becoming a Grab driver to "feed 17-month-old daughter"
SINGAPORE: In a world where perception often blinds reality, one jobless Singaporean dad of his little daughter is rewriting the rules of survival—and he's doing it from the front seat of his Grab car gig. Uzen Tan, a former FAANG marketer—that's short for Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, and Google— went viral after launching a full-throttle social media campaign on TikTok @uzentan to find employment. His strategy was to turn his Grab car into a moving résumé, complete with scannable links to his LinkedIn and CV behind the passenger seat. And all of this because of one tiny, powerful motivator: his 17-month-old daughter. However, he revealed that 'Some people have called me a 'shameless loser,'' brushing off the online shade with the grace of someone who's been through the worst. Photo: YT screengrab/@GrowingDot '[But] they're not feeding my family, so why should I care?' he exclaimed. 'The only reason that I'm doing this is because of my 17-month-old daughter,' he said in a YouTube video by Growing Dot . 'If I didn't have a kid right now, I wouldn't have been so desperate. I wouldn't be doing all this,' he added. And by 'all this', Uzen means putting himself out there—boldly, vulnerably, unapologetically. It's an unorthodox approach that's fortunately earned him praise and job leads, but, unfortunately, also trolling and insults. 'Right now in this economy, you have to make yourself stand out…' Before becoming the unofficial poster boy for Singapore's job-scouting hustle, Uzen was living the digital dream. His first corporate role was at Razer , an American-Singaporean multinational corporation and technology company that makes, develops, and sells consumer electronics, financial services, and gaming hardware, where he led product development for the company's first autonomous robotic café concept—because, of course, even your latte needs tech disruption. Photo: YT screengrab/@GrowingDot Later, he was promoted to a hybrid role where he basically became a one-man show. Marketing? Checked! Operations? Checked! Profit & Loss (P&L)? Checked! Reporting directly to the CEO? Also, checked! But like many mid-career professionals, he became a casualty of the tech winter. Layoffs and hiring freezes swept through the industry, and suddenly, his CV wasn't enough. 'Right now in this economy, you have to make yourself stand out,' he explained, moving forward. 'If you're not putting yourself out there, no one's going to know about you.' So, he made himself known. Very known! Uzen's guerrilla marketing on wheels strategy In true marketer fashion, Uzen got creative. While others fire off endless résumés into the abyss of online job portals, he took a more… kinetic route. He designed and installed eye-catching graphic boards at the back of his Grab car seat, which included QR codes for his résumé and LinkedIn profile. Photo: YT screengrab/@GrowingDot The campaign wasn't just brave—it was brilliant! 'On average, I take maybe 10 to 20 passengers a day. And last night, I checked my resume's QR code had been scanned 22 times,' he said. 'That's a really high click-through rate.' That's about a 73% conversion rate that Facebook ads could probably never achieve in that short period of time. And it's not just curiosity that's driving clicks. Uzen says people are genuinely interested in his story, and many want to help. 'This morning, I got a [direct message] DM from a recruiter saying, 'Hey, I saw your post. Can you send me your resume? I'll forward it to my network.' Photo: YT screengrab/@GrowingDot It's small wins like this that give me hope,' he expressed his appreciation for the results of reaching out for help from fellow Singaporeans. 'I just really want to be there to provide the best for my child…' Uzen is proof that fatherhood changes you. '[Before I had a child], I might have even judged [other] people who did [the same like me],' he admitted. But parenthood has a way of stripping one's ego down to its essentials: food, shelter, dignity, and the will to provide. 'I've really become a changed person. I just really want to be there to provide the best for my child,' he expressed his humble awakening. Photo: YT screengrab/@GrowingDot Despite facing nasty comments, he's been floored by the outpouring of support from many across the Little Red Dot. 'After posting those videos, I looked at the comments,' he shared. 'It's amazing to see so many people being very, very encouraging, especially in times like this. One said, 'Uzen, I've been there before. I know what it's like. Hang in there, bro,' while another wrote, 'I hope you find a job really soon.' See also SG woman shares scary encounter with Grab driver at JB Photo: YT screengrab/@GrowingDot Stuff like that really surprised [and even] shocked me,' he added. Photo: YT screengrab/@GrowingDot For anyone still doubting whether vulnerability is a weakness, Uzen is showing us it might be your greatest strength instead. 'So if you're looking for a product marketer or go-to-market professional… hit me up!' As of now, Uzen's still charging full speed ahead in pursuit of his next job opportunity. Photo: YT screengrab/@GrowingDot 'I'm a professional marketer with experience delivering end-to-end marketing activations across global and APEC markets. So if you're looking for a product marketer or go-to-market professional… hit me up!' he signed off with a smile, turning his hustle statement into his featured headline. In a time when job searching can feel like shouting into the void, Uzen's story reminds us of something simple, yet powerful: If you don't ask, you don't receive. Or in his case, if you don't QR, you don't go far. Watch Uzen's full story and how his inspiring job search campaign unfolded on the Growing Dot YouTube video below: In other news, another Singaporean, a Grab rider, Afiq Zayany, has cracked the code to living large on a lean budget—stashing away six figures a year while probably enjoying a sweet teh tarik by the pool of his luxurious S$400,000 villa in Johor Bahru, all while still serving his Singapore customers. You can read all about his inspiring story over here: Singaporean Grab rider shares how he earns six figures and lives in a RM1.4 million villa in Johor Bahru
CNA
41 minutes ago
- CNA
Sony hikes profit forecast seeing smaller trade war impact
TOKYO :Sony raised its full-year operating profit forecast on Thursday by 4 per cent to 1.33 trillion yen ($9.01 billion), citing expectations of a smaller impact from U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war. Sony sees a tariff impact of 70 billion yen, compared to 100 billion yen forecast in May. It said the estimated impact is based on tariff rates as of August 1 and that the situation remained fluid. Japanese companies such as Honda Motor have trimmed their expected hit from tariffs amid a reduction in uncertainty with Japan striking a trade deal with the U.S. last month. Sony also said it sees a stronger profit outlook at its games business, boosted by sales of network services and favourable exchange rates. Sony was once well known as a maker of household electronics such as the "Walkman" portable cassette player but has become an entertainment behemoth spanning games, movies and music as well as a leading maker of image sensors for smartphones. The group reported a 36.5 per cent rise in operating profit to 340 billion yen for the April-June quarter, beating the 288 billion yen average of eight analyst estimates compiled by LSEG. Shares in Sony, which announced results during the midday trading break, jumped 5 per cent. Sony sold 2.5 million PlayStation 5 game consoles in the first quarter, a 4 per cent rise compared to the same period a year earlier. Quarterly operating profit at the games business more than doubled to 148 billion yen due to higher sales of network services and games not made by Sony. The console industry was set to receive a boost this year from the launch of "Grand Theft VI" but the latest addition to the popular series has been delayed to 2026. Nintendo, which is seen as a potential beneficiary of GTA 6's delay, last week reported robust early demand for its new Switch 2 gaming device. Elsewhere in the conglomerate, Sony is preparing to cut its stake in its financial unit to less than 20 per cent through a partial spin-off, with the business to list in Tokyo on September 29. ($1 = 147.5700 yen)
CNA
an hour ago
- CNA
Sony hikes annual profit forecast by 4%, citing smaller trade war impact
TOKYO :Sony raised its full-year operating profit forecast on Thursday by 4 per cent to 1.33 trillion yen ($9.01 billion), citing a diminished impact from U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war. In May, Sony forecast a profit of 1.28 trillion yen, factoring in a 100 billion yen hit from the tariffs. The Japanese conglomerate has transformed from a maker of household electronics such as the Walkman to an entertainment behemoth spanning games, movies, music and chips. Sony reported a 36.5 per cent rise in operating profit to 340 billion yen for the April-June quarter, beating an estimate of 288 billion yen from eight analysts surveyed by LSEG. ($1 = 147.5700 yen)
