Should young job seekers start their careers with contract roles?

With stiff competition for full-time roles, a tight job market and employers being more selective about new permanent hires, perhaps contract roles shouldn’t be off the table.

In Singapore, such roles have become more common over the past few years. What can young people do to build their careers? Also, is contract work truly the ‘lesser cousin’ of permanent work?

In this episode, I speak with:

• Francois Lancon, the regional president of Asia Pacific and Middle East for ManpowerGroup, a global expert on labour market and employment trends,

• Tyrina Toh, a contract content creator for businesses, who has worked only contract or freelance jobs since she graduated from university in 2022, and

•Seth Ng, a fresh university graduate who is currently looking for a job.

Host: Natasha Ann Zachariah (natashaz@sph.com.sg)

Read Natasha’s articles: https://str.sg/iSXm

Follow The Usual Place podcast on IG: https://str.sg/8KNT

Follow Natasha on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/v6DN

Filmed by: Studio+65

Edited by: Eden Soh & Natasha Liew

Executive producer: Danson Cheong

Producers: Natasha Ann Zachariah, Elizabeth Law & Zachary Lim

Follow The Usual Place Podcast and get notified for new episode drops every Thursday:

Channel: https://str.sg/5nfm

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Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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Mothers today have more advice than ever before. But when does helpful information become overwhelming, and what can we do about it?

Synopsis: Join us for a five-part series on working motherhood from July 3-31 with episodes out every Friday.

Social media has become a lifeline for many mothers - offering advice, reassurance and community at the tap of a screen. But what happens when the endless parenting tips and constant comparison start to undermine our confidence instead?

In this episode, host Vanessa Chelvan sits down with Huda Rashid, founder of The Mum Collective, and Minister of State Rahayu Mahzam to talk candidly about the pressures of raising children in the digital age.

From information overload to screen time guilt and the pressures of competitive parenting, they unpack why so many mothers feel like they're constantly falling short - even when they're doing their best.

The conversation also explores practical ways to build a healthier relationship with social media, trust your own instincts again and find real support beyond the screen - reminding parents that no algorithm knows their child better than they do.

Highlights (click/tap above):

5:20 Do social media algorithms reflect our anxieties back at us?

9:54 Too many choices have eroded mums' confidence in their own instincts

13:00 Getting caught in the comparison trap

18:04 Rahayu on mum guilt and parenting her son

23:45 Screen time struggles and why parents may feel judged

27:50 Keeping it real on social media and examining your own triggers around screentime

33:08 Intensive mothering: Can we be less competitive?

37:42 The tuition dilemma

41:42 Using social media as a tool, not a trap

45:10 Finding a mum community IRL

47:50 No algorithm knows your child better than you do

Host: Vanessa Chelvan (vpchelvan@sph.com.sg)

Read Vanessa's articles: https://str.sg/gr5Z

Follow Vanessa on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/jHdJ

Produced and edited by: Teo Tong Kai

Executive producers: Ernest Luis & Elizabeth Law

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Follow The Mother Load limited series every Friday (July 3-31):

Channel: https://str.sg/oMofY

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/8Kbv

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Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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While more car lanes induce congestion, reclaiming road space for micro-mobility would make for a highly efficient transport.

Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests.

New rules for Personal Mobility Aids (PMAs) kicked in on June 1, slashing speeds to 6 km/h and requiring medical certificates to crack down on able-bodied riders.

But as pedestrians, e-bikes, and gig workers continue to squeeze onto narrow pavements, are we fighting over the wrong patch of concrete as Singapore embarks on a car-lite journey?

In this episode of In Your Opinion, assistant podcast editor Lynda Hong sits down with associate professor Yap Fook Fah from Transport Research Centre@NTU. They discuss why it is unsafe for micro-mobility devices to travel on Singapore’s roads, and his argument for allocating more space to transport modes that take up less room but have the capacity to ferry more people.

Yap also discusses why regulations alone won't fix our active mobility woes, the illusion of induced demand for cars, and how aggressively reclaiming car lanes might be the ultimate, sweat-free solution to Singapore’s last-mile commute and congested feeder buses.

Highlights (click/tap above):

6:27 The mobility gap: why able-bodied commuters are using PMAs

14:07 Cars take up more space but ferry fewer people

16:30 Why fewer cars would not slow the economy

17:57 How allocating more space for cars would induce traffic congestion

26:22 How integrating micro-mobility transport could save hundreds of millions of dollars in commute time

29:42 The weather isn’t hot for the first and last mile commute

34:19 Shifting the mindsets to view roads as public space instead of car space

Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH

Follow Lynda Hong on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/Gm2v

Host: Lynda Hong (lyndahong@sph.com.sg)

Produced and edited by: Hadyu Rahim

Executive producers: Danson Cheong and Lynda Hong

Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops:

Channel: https://str.sg/w7Qt

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wukb

Spotify: https://str.sg/w7sV

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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The Usual Place Podcast YouTube: https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast

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