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

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/9ijX

Spotify: https://str.sg/cd2P

YouTube: https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

---

Follow more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

---

Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:

The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB

Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX

--

#tup #tuptrf

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

—

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

Channel: https://str.sg/oMofY

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

Spotify: https://str.sg/DELD

Youtube: https://str.sg/HnaV

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

—

Follow more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Watch The Mother Load on YouTube: https://str.sg/HnaV

---

Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:

The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB

Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX

#themotherload

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

---

Follow more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

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

---

Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:

The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB

Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX

---

#inyouropinion

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Discover why standard clinical checks might miss critical heart risks, and the vital role of fat loss over weight loss.

Synopsis: Every first Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you.

For millions of people worldwide living with hypertension, keeping blood pressure numbers in the normal zone is the ultimate goal. But what if that peace of mind is an illusion? Recent findings from the REMODEL study at the National Heart Centre Singapore suggests that the true danger to your heart might be completely invisible to standard clinical checks.

The study, published as a letter in the journal MedCom in February 2026, found that nearly 30 per cent of health complications related to high blood pressure occur in patients whose blood pressure appears perfectly normal on paper.

In this episode, Joyce Teo speaks to the study’s senior author, Associate Professor Calvin Chin, to find out about the importance of fat loss over mere weight loss and why a normal blood pressure reading may not always tell you the full story. He is a senior consultant in cardiology from the National Heart Centre Singapore and the deputy director of the National Heart Research Institute Singapore.

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:43 Your blood pressure reading does not tell you the full story

4:11 High-risk individuals have a higher amount of visceral fat

7:30 Know your waist-hip ratio

12:08 How hard should you exercise?

13:46 Is it safe to exercise at maximum intensity all the time?

16:32 He discovered the importance of core strength the hard way

Read Joyce Teo's stories: https://str.sg/JbxN

Host: Joyce Teo (joyceteo@sph.com.sg)

Produced and edited by: Amirul Karim

Executive producers: Ernest Luis and Lynda Hong

Follow Health Check Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWaN

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

Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaQ

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

---

Follow more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

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

---

Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:

The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB

Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX

---

#healthcheck

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From modern hanboks to Jeju's legendary sea women, discover how South Korea's oldest traditions are finding new life.

Synopsis: Every first Friday of the month, The Straits Times catches up with its foreign correspondents about life and trends in the countries they're based in.

In this episode, host Li Xueying interviews South Korea correspondent Wendy Teo to explore the modern revival of South Korea's cultural traditions, from the reimagined hanbok to Jeju's legendary haenyeo.

They also discuss why the hanbok is making a comeback in South Korea, from everyday office wear to global pop culture, driven by K-pop, changing attitudes towards traditional dress and efforts to preserve cultural heritage.

Then travel to Jeju to meet the haenyeo, the island's legendary female free-divers, and find out why this centuries-old, physically demanding way of life is drawing a new generation seeking a slower, more meaningful life.

Highlights (click/tap above):

0:50 Modern hanbok redefining tradition

5:00 The BTS effect on national dress

6:00 The power of hanbok diplomacy

12:55 The siren call of Jeju Island

16:15 Diving into the unknown

18:20 Can these traditions survive?

Read Wendy Teo’s article here: https://str.sg/LBkd

Read Li Xueying’s articles: https://str.sg/iqmR

Follow Li Xueying on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/ip4x

Sign up for ST’s weekly Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/sfpz

Host: Li Xueying (xueying@sph.com.sg)

Edited by: Natasha Liew

Executive producer: Ernest Luis

Follow Asian Insider on Fridays here:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8

Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

---

Follow more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Asian Insider YouTube: https://str.sg/rF3qR

---

Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:

The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB

Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX

---

#STAsianInsider

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are Singapore’s lawyers doing ok?

The Legal Profession Sustainability Study, which was released on June 23, suggests that lawyers were leaving the profession because of toxic bosses, inflexible court timelines, punishing deadlines and the constant need to be available 24/7.

These are just some of the grievances aired in the study, which had 31 in-depth interviews with former judges, legal academics and lawyers from diverse types of firms. There was also a survey done with 855 practising and former lawyers.

What is the cost of becoming a lawyer in Singapore, and is it worth it any more? If these issues have been raised for more than 30 years, will this study change anything?

In this episode, I speak with:

• Zhang Yu Fu, a junior lawyer at Dentons Rodyk, who was called to the bar in April 2026 and took part in the study, and

• Wong Yi, the General Counsel for construction company Lum Chang Holdings, and previously worked for one of Singapore’s Big Four law firms. He was also the chairman of the Young Lawyers Committee for The Law Society of Singapore from 2014 to 2019.

Highlights (click/tap above):

2:23 A decades-old problem that hasn’t changed

4:50 “What’s so wrong with being a strawberry?”: Yu Fu

10:28 Trained through “sheer obedience”

15:08 How young lawyers navigate bad bosses

17:06 Any incentive for senior lawyers to change?

21:13 Generational gap between older and younger lawyers

28:34 Judge wants lawyers to drink from a straw

32:55 “Role models” for working through childbirth

34:44 No real consequences for workplace bullying

37:18 Why lawyers leaving the profession matters

40:40 “Why can’t we do better?”: Yu Fu

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

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/9ijX

Spotify: https://str.sg/cd2P

YouTube: https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

---

Follow more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

---

Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:

The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB

Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX

--

#tup #tuptrf

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We explore the cost of carrying it all - and how to lighten the load.

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

For many mothers, every day is a balancing act: work emails, school messages, and trying to be fully present with their children while an endless mental checklist runs in the background.

In this episode, we unpack the feeling of never being enough at work or at home, the invisible mental load of being the “default parent”, and why some things in life are rubber balls that bounce back when they are dropped.

We also talk about burnout, sharing the load with your partner, and how becoming a mother reshapes what ambition and success looks like.

Host Vanessa Chelvan is joined by Jacinth Liew, parenting coach and founder of Our Little Play Nest.

Highlights (click/tap above):

2:40 “It seems like I have it all, but I don’t”

7:25 Guilt is the only constant

10:45 What gets sacrificed when the juggle gets too much?

12:50 Juggling rubber balls and glass balls

14:55 Should working mums feel they have to do everything?

16:30 Being the “default parent”

18:25 The art of delegation and equal partnerships

25:42 Dads can take career detours too

31:25 Reframing personal ambitions as a working mum

33:35 Their ‘worth it’ moments: Jacinth and Vanessa share

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

—

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

Channel: https://str.sg/oMofY

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

Spotify: https://str.sg/DELD

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

—

Follow more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Watch Headstart On Record Podcast on YouTube: https://str.sg/3psqrx

---

Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:

The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB

Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX

#themotherload

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Can the Lions unleash the roar in World Cup 2034?

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

With the World Cup frenzy gripping nations, the performances of Asian powerhouses and small-population underdogs have sparked a familiar question: What will it take for Singapore to get there?

For the first time in a long time, the conversation around Singapore football feels less about what we lack, and more about what we might yet achieve. Following a historic qualification for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup Finals, the Lions have given a football-crazed nation a renewed sense of optimism. But is this a genuine turning point, or are expectations running ahead of reality?

In this episode, deputy opinion editor Mubin Saadat sits down with Lions’ head coach Gavin Lee. They kick off by extracting lessons from the global stage, analysing how countries with tiny populations are making World Cup history, and what that means for Singapore’s Goal 2034 ambitions.

They also discuss Gavin’s rapid career rise, balancing brand-new fatherhood with national expectations, and his immediate priorities for the upcoming ASEAN Championship. Finally, Gavin dismantles the ultimate Singaporean dilemma, proving exactly why our youth do not have to choose between academic success and a career in professional sports.

Highlights (click/tap above):

00:19 World Cup 2026: What Singapore can learn from South Korea & Brazil vs Japan

10:38 Coach Gavin Lee on fatherhood & national team duties

17:44 Should parents let their children pick football as a career in Singapore?

19:45 With DSA, is football still a social leveller in Singapore?

26:18 Gavin’s immediate priorities for Asean Championship on 24 Jul 2026

30:44 The goal for Singapore to qualify for 2034 World Cup

32:07 At 35, has Gavin reached the peak of his coaching career?

33:58 Do local football coaches need overseas exposure?

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

Host: Mubin Saadat (mubin@sph.com.sg)

Produced and edited by: Eden Soh & Natasha Liew

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

---

Follow more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

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

---

Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:

The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB

Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX

---

#inyouropinion

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.