Feeling stuck in your career? Join the conversation on how to level up with ST Podcasts on June 3
ST Engineering telecommunications system engineer Noel Png (centre) and Workforce Singapore senior career coach Parameswari Seenivasan (right) will chat with Headstart on Record host Tay Hong Yi about how to build a meaningful career and stay relevant amid changes in the job landscape at Rasa at Republic Plaza on June 3. ST GRAPHIC: AMIRUL KARIM
Feeling stuck in your career? Join the conversation on how to level up with ST Podcasts on June 3
SINGAPORE – Is your career failing its health check? Wondering how to pivot, grow or stay ahead in a constantly changing world?
Join a discussion and learn practical strategies on how to build a meaningful and rewarding career during the upcoming ST Podcasts Live event on June 3, at Raffles Place's new hangout space Rasa.
Titled 'How to build a career for the ages', the dialogue is part of The Straits Times' Headstart On Record podcast, which aims to help young listeners level up their careers and personal finances.
ST correspondent Tay Hong Yi, who co-hosts the podcast, will be speaking with Mr Noel Png, a telecommunications system engineer at ST Engineering, and Ms Parameswari Seenivasan, a senior career coach with Workforce Singapore (WSG).
Having transitioned from engineering to sales before returning to engineering, Mr Png, who is in his early 30s, was able to tap his transferrable skills to manoeuvre through different industries in a strategic manner and eventually find his purpose. He also has experience working in Europe, spending four years there before returning to Singapore in 2024 .
Meanwhile, Ms Seenivasan brings with her more than 15 years of career coaching expertise, and she believes in helping individuals align their career choices with their personal values and long-term objectives.
The Headstart On Record podcast airs every first and third Monday of the month. The live recording on June 3 is organised in partnership with WSG in support of Career Health, a SkillsFuture initiative that aims to empower Singaporeans to develop resilient and fulfilling careers.
The ST Podcasts Live recording on June 3 will take place at Rasa at Republic Plaza.
PHOTO: MARTIN YEOH
Following that dialogue, a second podcast recording will take place.
The Music Lab podcast will be hosted by ST music correspondent Eddino Abdul Hadi, who will be interviewing award-winning music director and producer Evan Low on how he built a music career in Singapore, scoring big projects such as composing National Day Parade songs and touring with regional stars.
The audience will be able to pose their burning questions to the panellists during the question-and-answer session after each podcast.
Those who are interested in attending the podcast discussions can sign up at http://str.sg/podcastlive
The first ST Podcasts Live event took place on Feb 12 at social impact hub The Foundry, kicking off The Straits Times' 180th-year celebrations.
This was followed by the second podcast event on April 15 at The Projector, with about 100 people attending the recording.
ST Podcasts Live at Rasa
Where: Rasa, 9 Raffles Place, Republic Plaza Tower 1, #02-01/02, Singapore 048619
When: 6.30pm to 9pm on June 3, 2025
Topics: (Headstart On Record podcast) How to build a career for the ages;
(Music Lab podcast) How I make a living out of music – interview with Evan Low
How to sign up: http://str.sg/podcastlive
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Straits Times
a day ago
- Straits Times
Telecoms engineer, music producer share how they forged their careers at ST Podcast Live event
Telecommunications system engineer Noel Png (left) and career coach Parameswari Seenivasan (centre) joined ST's manpower correspondent Tay Hong Yi for a live recording of Headstart on Record. ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE Telecoms engineer, music producer share how they forged their careers at ST Podcast Live event SINGAPORE – Most people expect professional networking to happen at conferences or on LinkedIn, but for Mr Noel Png, 31, it was a part-time bartending job at a bar that unexpectedly opened doors to a career in the satellite industry. It all began in 2016, when Mr Png - then a mechanical engineering student in NUS - struck up a conversation with a group of Western visitors who were in town for a business convention. That chance encounter led to a local internship with Thales Alenia Space, a France-headquartered company that provides satellite-based systems for telecommunications, navigation and other purposes. In 2020, he left Singapore for the UK to pursue a Master's degree in engineering before going on to work on satellite and defence projects across Europe. Mr Png, who returned to Singapore in 2024 and is now a telecommunications system engineer at ST Engineering, shared his story during a live recording of Headstart on Record on June 3. He was joined by senior career coach Parameswari Seenivasan from Workforce Singapore (WSG), and the session was moderated by The Straits Times' manpower correspondent Tay Hong Yi. The event, which drew nearly 80 attendees to Rasa at Republic Plaza, marked the third edition of ST Podcasts Live, a series kicked off as part of ST's 180th anniversary celebrations. During the recording, Mr Png emphasised how networking has opened up more pathways for him. An extrovert by nature, he found it easy to speak to people from different fields and backgrounds - some of them would go on to become mentor figures in his professional life. His advice for introverted individuals is to make good use of virtual platforms like LinkedIn, where algorithms can help connect them with others in related industries. This episode of Headstart on Record was organised in partnership with WSG in support of Career Health, a SkillsFuture initiative. Ms Seenivasan from WSG encouraged the audience to seek guidance from career coaches throughout their professional journey. 'You don't have to wait till if something's gonna happen, you can always check in with a career coach,' she said. 'A career coach can always help you find out your values, interests and skills, work with you with a career plan, and look at the goals that you want to accomplish.' The full recording of this episode will be made available on ST Podcasts' YouTube, Apple Podcasts and Spotify on June 16. The event on June 3 also featured the recording of a Music Lab episode with award-winning Singaporean music director and producer Evan Low, one of the creators behind The Road Ahead, a well-loved National Day Parade theme song. Close to 80 people attended the ST Podcasts Live event, held at Rasa at Republic Plaza on June 3. ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE Helmed by ST music correspondent Eddino Abdul Hadi, the session focused on how Mr Low found his calling in music and built a career rooted in his passion. Growing up, expressing himself did not come naturally to him, Mr Low said. That was because in his family, love was quietly served on a plate of cut fruits, but never spoken aloud. But this changed when he discovered the piano. The 36-year-old recalled a moment when he suddenly cried while playing the piano , and realised he could express his emotions through music. He took a leap of faith and went on to study music at Singapore Polytechnic and subsequently the prestigious Berklee College of Music. Catch the full episode of Music Lab on ST's podcasts platforms on June 25.

Straits Times
a day ago
- Straits Times
Telecoms engineer, music producer share how they forge their careers at ST Podcast Live event
Telecommunications system engineer Noel Png (left) and career coach Parameswari Seenivasan (centre) joined ST's manpower correspondent Tay Hong Yi for a live recording of Headstart on Record. ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE Telecoms engineer, music producer share how they forge their careers at ST Podcast Live event SINGAPORE – Most people expect professional networking to happen at conferences or on LinkedIn, but for Mr Noel Png, 31, it was a part-time bartending job at a bar that unexpectedly opened doors to a career in the satellite industry. It all began in 2016, when Mr Png - then a mechanical engineering student in NUS - struck up a conversation with a group of Western visitors who were in town for a business convention. That chance encounter led to a local internship with Thales Alenia Space, a France-headquartered company that provides satellite-based systems for telecommunications, navigation and other purposes. In 2020, he left Singapore for the UK to pursue a Master's degree in engineering before going on to work on satellite and defence projects across Europe. Mr Png, who returned to Singapore in 2024 and is now a telecommunications system engineer at ST Engineering, shared his story during a live recording of Headstart on Record on June 3. He was joined by senior career coach Parameswari Seenivasan from Workforce Singapore (WSG), and the session was moderated by The Straits Times' manpower correspondent Tay Hong Yi. The event, which drew nearly 80 attendees to Rasa at Republic Plaza, marked the third edition of ST Podcasts Live, a series kicked off as part of ST's 180th anniversary celebrations. During the recording, Mr Png emphasised how networking has opened up more pathways for him. An extrovert by nature, he found it easy to speak to people from different fields and backgrounds - some of them would go on to become mentor figures in his professional life. His advice for introverted individuals is to make good use of virtual platforms like LinkedIn, where algorithms can help connect them with others in related industries. This episode of Headstart on Record was organised in partnership with WSG in support of Career Health, a SkillsFuture initiative. Ms Seenivasan from WSG encouraged the audience to seek guidance from career coaches throughout their professional journey. 'You don't have to wait till if something's gonna happen, you can always check in with a career coach,' she said. 'A career coach can always help you find out your values, interests and skills, work with you with a career plan, and look at the goals that you want to accomplish.' The full recording of this episode will be made available on ST Podcasts' YouTube, Apple Podcasts and Spotify on June 16. The event on June 3 also featured the recording of a Music Lab episode with award-winning Singaporean music director and producer Evan Low, one of the creators behind well-loved National Day Parade theme song The Road Ahead. Close to 80 people attended the ST Podcasts Live event, held at Rasa at Republic Plaza on June 3. ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE Helmed by ST music correspondent Eddino Abdul Hadi, the session focused on how Mr Low found his calling in music and built a career rooted in his passion. Growing up, expressing himself did not come naturally to him, Mr Low said. That was because in his family, love was quietly served on a plate of cut fruits, but never spoken aloud. But this changed when he discovered the piano. The 36-year-old recalled a moment when he suddenly cried while playing the piano , and realised he could express his emotions through music. He took a leap of faith and went on to study music at Singapore Polytechnic and subsequently the prestigious Berklee College of Music. Catch the full episode of Music Lab on ST's podcasts platforms on June 25.

Straits Times
4 days ago
- Straits Times
ST Engineering hits all-time high; stock picks roll in after MAS update on $5 billion equities boost
Shares of SGX climbed through the week to reach a high of $14.33 on May 30 before dropping abruptly by almost 2 per cent to close at $14.02. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI SINGAPORE - Shares of ST Engineering hit an all-time high last week after rising by 4.3 per cent to close on May 30 at $7.82. The company's shares have been on a tear since the start of 2025, climbing more than 68 per cent on the back of record 2024 results and increased dividends over the period. It also reported a solid first quarter for 2025, driven by strong growth in its defence and public security segment. The strong share price performance came ahead of the weekend's anticipated annual defence-focused Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. Addressing the audience at the dialogue on May 31, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth suggested that US allies and partners in Asia should take their cue from Europe, where members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation are committing to spend 5 per cent of their gross domestic product on defence. Shares of Singapore Exchange (SGX) climbed through the week to reach a high of $14.33 on May 30 before dropping abruptly by almost 2 per cent to close at $14.02. No announcements were made on the day. Trading activity on the exchange has increased in recent months, driven by market revival measures announced in February and growing investor interest in Singapore stocks as a safe haven amid global volatility. Almost 29.5 billion shares worth around $41 billion were traded in April, up from around 26.8 billion shares valued at $29.6 billion traded in March, according to SGX data. The average daily value of shares traded in April, at $1.9 billion, is the highest level since March 2020. Analysts pick potential winners ahead of $5 billion boost Trading on the SGX has included shares in companies outside the benchmark Straits Times Index (STI), supported by a central bank-led programme to allocate $5 billion in seed capital to Singapore-based funds for investing in local, non-STI stocks. Announced in February as part of the measures to revive the stock market, the Equity Market Development Programme (EQDP) has received positive interest from global fund managers, and suitable investment strategies will be shortlisted by end-September, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said last week. Analysts reckon the funds will likely be deployed before the end of 2025 and have been highlighting stocks they believe could benefit from this bonanza. SIA Engineering is one of their favourites, with CGS CIMB, UOB KayHian, DBS and Morgan Stanley including the company in their list of stock picks. They like the company as demand for its aircraft maintenance, repairs and overhaul services is expected to grow. Systems assembly provider Frencken Group and property agency PropNex are also among the analysts' top picks, owing to the companies' strong revenue forecasts for 2025. Other selected stocks include instant coffee maker Food Empire, finance platform iFast, precision engineering business UMS Integration, supermarket chain Sheng Siong, Raffles Medical, technology solutions provider CSE Global, palm oil producer First Resources, transportation giant ComfortDelGro and construction firm Hong Leong Asia. Some analysts also like Oiltek International, a provider of vegetable oil processing technology, and Centurion Corp, which operates workers' dormitories in Singapore. Both companies have seen their share prices climb since the start of 2025, driven in part by Oiltek's upcoming transfer from the Catalist board to the mainboard and the potential listing of a real estate investment trust (Reit) by Centurion. Analysts from UOB KayHian said they are now more bullish on the Singapore market as a result of the anticipated injection of liquidity from the EQDP, and have raised their forecast for the STI to 4,054 points by the end of 2025 from 3,720 points previously, implying an upside of 5 per cent from current levels. They noted, though, that 'it will be critical for the authorities to ensure that the $5 billion is not a one-off and that as the market grows, it will be able and willing to continue to lend its support'. More firms could leave the local bourse Two more companies announced moves that may impact their SGX listing status even as efforts are being made to boost market interest and attract new initial public offerings (IPOs). Singapore Paincare on May 27 received a privatisation offer from Advance Bridge Healthcare at 16 cents a share, valuing the company at about $27 million. The local medical services company will be delisted from the Catalist board if the deal is successful, it said. Meanwhile, Chinese manufacturer Fuxing China Group said on May 29 that trading in its American depositary shares would begin 'very shortly' after it received approval to list on the Nasdaq on May 23. When contacted by The Straits Times, Fuxing China Group declined to confirm whether it would maintain its SGX listing or provide further details on the Nasdaq move. In 2025 so far, at least 15 companies have received privatisation offers, compared with just one IPO. This is despite ongoing efforts to draw more companies to list on the SGX, including proposals announced on May 15 to ease the disclosure requirements for firms pursuing an IPO here. Other market movers Shares of Samurai 2K Aerosol jumped by over 52 per cent last week and closed on May 30 at 9.6 cents. The aerosol paint distributor said on May 28 it had agreed with its insurer on a RM16.06 million (S$4.9 million) indemnity claim for a May 2024 fire at its Johor premises. It can also claim an extra RM1.79 million if the damaged properties are repaired according to certain conditions and within a set timeline. The insurance claim had initially been declined due to non-compliance of the insurance policy terms, according to its insurer. However, Samurai 2K escalated the matter to the Malaysian central bank and engaged consultants to help it negotiate the claims. The company reported on May 30 after market close a 31.4 per cent jump in revenue for the year ended March 31, to RM104.9 million. However, it registered losses of RM7.8 million due to the write-off of inventory worth RM12.7 million and property damage totalling RM3.5 million as a result of the fire. The insurance claims receivable will be registered in 2026. Acrophyte Hospitality Trust (AHT) jumped 23.4 per cent last week and closed May 30 at 29 US cents. AHT's managers on May 30 said they were evaluating a 'range of strategic options' that could result in a 'potential transaction' involving AHT's stapled securities, although this is not guaranteed. Stapled securities are financial instruments where two or more different securities are contractually bound together and traded as a single unit. The AHT group comprises Acrophyte Hospitality Property Trust and Acrophyte Hospitality Management Trust. The strategic review comes in the light of potential spending needs to upgrade AHT's current properties. This involves upgrades to seven Marriott and Hyatt-branded hotels in 2025, after six other hotels were upgraded in 2024. It also comes after a similar move by Frasers Hospitality Trust (FHT) in April, following which FHT's sponsor Frasers Property made a second attempt to privatise the stapled group at 71 cents per stapled security in May. FHT comprises Frasers Hospitality Reit and Frasers Hospitality Business Trust. AHT was formerly known as ARA US Hospitality Trust before the manager changed hands to come under Acrophyte AM, a unit of Acrophyte, which largely consists of the businesses of the formerly listed Chip Eng Seng. The entities are all ultimately controlled by property tycoon Gordon Tang and his wife Celine, who have multiple interests in property and construction, including Suntec Reit and Singapore property developer SingHaiyi. What to look out for this week Shares of OKP Holdings, which rose 9 per cent last week, could see more trading activity – after the market closed on May 30, it announced a $258.3 million contract from the Land Transport Authority to construct cycling paths across 11 towns in the eastern part of Singapore. The win brings OKP's net contract order book to a record high of $735.8 million, with contracts extending until 2031. Oiltek could see more trading, too. The company will officially transfer from Catalist to the SGX mainboard on June 6. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.