This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Jianhui Tan. Tan served in the Singapore Armed Forces for a decade before leaving for the private sector in 2021. The following has been edited for length and clarity. Business Insider has verified his employment history.
My parents were surprised when I told them I wanted to pursue a career with the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) after my mandatory national service.
Honestly, nobody would have expected my teenage self to have made such a decision. Growing up, I was pretty naughty, which didn’t seem to gel with the army’s regimented culture.
But my time in national service was a transformative experience. As a military officer, I trained new conscripts during their basic military training.
I also found purpose and meaning in my role as military personnel and wanted to stay on.
One of the things that kept me on the job was the camaraderie and friendships I forged with my superiors, peers, and subordinates. I felt that the strong bond between soldiers couldn’t be found elsewhere.
Making the difficult decision to leave
That said, one’s priorities do change. After spending about 10 years with the SAF, I got a wake-up call when my aunt died.
I realized that I hadn’t been spending enough time with my family. I worked very long hours and stayed in the camps most of the time.
Though my family supported my decision, they warned me that life in the corporate world would be very different from the military. My current and former bosses also discouraged me from leaving, citing the great career progression I could enjoy if I stayed.
But I pressed on anyway.
Switching careers was tough and stressful
I left the SAF with no job offers on hand, and my career transition journey was stressful. I had no idea when I would find a job. It also meant that I would not draw any income while job-hunting.
I relied on my savings while looking for work and spent around six months taking courses to get new certifications.
My last role in the military had a lot to do with project management, so I took up courses to advance my skills in that area. I also dabbled in business intelligence courses because I enjoy working with numbers. The courses gave me a glimpse of what different industries were like.
But trying to break into the private sector was daunting. I didn’t know how to craft a résumé based on my work experience in the army. There were things I couldn’t include because of security reasons.
Getting noticed by recruiters was also a challenge. Even when I was fortunate to be called up, I had to battle the stereotypes some people held toward military personnel. Some hirers had the false preconception that former soldiers had no relevant experience or could be rigid in their ways.
Eventually, I landed a job with the market research company Euromonitor as a business development account manager. I was fortunate to have met recruiters who believed that my past experiences were relevant and decided to take a chance on me.
Getting used to the corporate world
One of the biggest differences between the military and the private sector was the culture. In the army, there was brotherhood and camaraderie, and we were driven by a collective sense of purpose.
That wasn’t the case in the corporate world, where organizational bonding isn’t as strong as it is in the military. It took me some time to get used to the new work culture.
Entering a fresh industry meant that I had to navigate a steep learning curve. I had to learn a lot of new things in my first month on the job.
And, of course, I had to start thinking of what I should wear to work since I wasn’t donning my army uniform anymore.
Though the transition was tough, I also tapped on what I learned in the military to address the new challenges I faced.
One of the key things I picked up in the army was how to communicate with and persuade people efficiently.
As an officer, I had to lead and influence some of my conscripts. I had to convince people to do things they didn’t want to do. While conscripts had to obey orders because of military law, I thought it was important to win their trust, too.
Being in the military also came with its own challenges, and it toughened me up and honed my resilience. That’s why I don’t shy away from new challenges that come my way.
Looking back, I have no regrets about starting my career with the SAF. The time I spent as a soldier made me a stronger and better person.
