Who are you outside your job title?

A Singaporean friend who works in Chicago once shared something interesting with me.

He noticed that in Singapore, a lot of our everyday conversations tend to revolve around work, BTOs, condos, stocks, and renovations.

Over there, his colleagues often talk about sports, hobbies, or things they enjoy doing after work.

That resonated with me.

In Singapore, our jobs and financial progress often become a big part of how we see ourselves. It is quite normal to meet someone new and get asked within minutes, “So, what do you do for work?”

Many of our social conversations revolve around our company, colleagues, bosses, and careers.

Sometimes, it feels like there is not much space left to talk about who we are beyond all that.

It also feels less common to hear friends talk about hobbies where they are creating something, like art, music, writing, videos, or other side projects. In simple terms, just being creative for the joy of it.

Even in my early twenties, I had this quiet feeling that achievement should mean more than just hitting KPIs or getting promoted.

This year, that feeling became even clearer. I do not want to look back on my 20s and 30s and realize that my biggest achievement was working late nights to help a for-profit company hit targets or simply being a technology sales representative who exceeded numbers.

Even if I exceeded the numbers, there were many others in other companies doing the same. To me, that alone did not feel meaningful or impressive.

That is why I am grateful I kept up with content creation and volunteering all these years, alongside building my career. This gave me something meaningful outside of work, and helped me build a fuller version of who I am.

Of course, I know that not everyone’s job is the same. Some people work in roles where they get to make a direct impact on society through what they do.

Also, I know not everyone has the time or energy for creative hobbies, especially if you are a caregiver or in a demanding job you cannot leave. That is completely okay. At the same time, if you ever wonder whether there is more to you than just your job, it is worth giving that feeling some space.

If you are in a job where the main purpose is profit or growth targets, and you are starting to feel the same way, it is worth asking:

If your biggest win only exists within your office walls, is that the kind of impact you want to be remembered for? Are you playing too small?

And if this resonates with you—what would you want to be known for beyond your job title at <company>?

Youth is fleeting, and it will not come around again. Do not let your only sense of achievement come from a corporate job.

You have so much more potential, and so many ways to make your time count.

我有一位目前在芝加哥工作的朋友，与我分享了一个挺有意思的观察。他说，他在新加坡的社群里，大家最常聊的话题就是公共组屋、公寓装修，还有股票市场。但相对地，他在美国的朋友圈，大家更喜欢聊自己的兴趣、运动之类的话题。我很认同他的体会。

在新加坡的社会里，职业和经济发展，往往成了很多人自我认同很大的一部分。当你第一次和别人见面时，常常会被问到：「你是做哪一行的？」

朋友之间聊天，也很容易聊到公司的事、同事、老板，或者职业规划。有时候，我会觉得，好像没有太多空间去谈谈，除了工作以外的「我们是谁」。

在新加坡，很少听到身边的人分享他们的兴趣，尤其是那些「在创造些什么」的爱好比如画画、做音乐、拍影片，或者其他副业、个人计划。简单来说，就是单纯为了开心而去创作，这种事真的不常见。

我在二十岁出头的时候就开始意识到，所谓的成就，远远不只是升职或达成 KPI。而今年，这种感触变得更强烈。我不希望有一天回头看自己二十到四十岁的岁月时，发现我最大的“成就”，只是帮一家不属于我的公司上市，或者当一个业绩突出的业务员。我的野心、我对成就的定义，该比那更大、更宽、更有意义。

就算我业绩再出色， 世界上还是有成千上万个销售员， 能做出跟我一样的成绩。 我不觉得那种成就值得被佩服， 因为它对社会、对别人，几乎没有带来什么真正的贡献。

我很感激的一点是，这些年来我一直都有在做义工，也持续在创作。这样的“斜杠生活”让我慢慢建立起一个多面向的自己。

当然，每个人的工作性质都不一样， 有些人确实能透过工作为社会带来影响。我也明白，并不是每个人都有时间或精力去发展兴趣，特别是如果你是照顾者，或者在一份无法轻易离开的高压工作中。这完全没有问题。但如果你有时候会想：“我除了工作，是不是还有更多可能？”那种感觉值得被认真看待。

但如果你的公司主要目标就是赚钱、提高利润， 而你也开始有点那种“空空的感觉”， 也许该花点时间， 往心里挖一挖。

问问自己： 如果你青春里最值得骄傲的事， 只存在于办公室的那几面墙之内， 那真的是你想创造的影响吗？ 还是，你其实把目标设得太低了？你希望别人记住你的是什么？除了你在 <公司名> 的职称之外。

青春只来一次， 不会重来。 好好把握， 不要让工作岗位成为你全部的认同。 你能做的， 其实远远不止这些。你能做的，真的更多。

Jeraldine Phneah focuses on the challenges working adults face rising costs, burnout, job insecurity, and caregiving and offers reflections to drive meaningful change. If these issues matter to you too, let’s stay connected on Youtube.