Looking back on my 9 months of professional training, it feels almost like a scene from a movie—a flashback to a time filled with a mixture of pain, stress, fun, and achievement. There were moments of physical exhaustion from long hours of standing, walking, and stocking goods. There was stress as I raced to meet project deadlines and prepare important documents. There were also fun and engaging experiences throughout my various rotations. And then there were those moments of real accomplishment, like when my team won the project presentation and I successfully delivered it in front of an audience for the first time.
Now, almost a year after I graduated and began working, the transition has been stark. The work feels different from the training period—it's like the weight of a boulder has been lifted off my shoulders, even though new challenges are still thrown my way. The learning journey is now entirely in my hands; there’s no one pushing me from behind anymore. Work has become routine, though there are days when I’m scheduled for overtime at locations outside my usual workplace. It’s not too bad, even with the extra travel. I’m quite contented with my current benefits and pay, and I can see myself staying on (at least through the 2.5-year bond) while looking for opportunities to grow within the company.
While my work scope may not align perfectly with my passions, I’m learning to appreciate it from a different perspective.
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Update a few years later...
I began exploring the financial world after learning about the concept of economics and investment from a university module. I wanted to escape the rat race and achieve financial independence, inspired by the many financial books and blogs I came across.
2010 was a challenging period for the markets, coming in the aftermath of the Lehman crisis, and recovery was slow. In hindsight, it was the perfect time to pick up multi-bagger stocks—if only I had been more experienced or at least had a basic understanding of how to find those "gems." The learning curve was steep for me, as I had no friends or family who could offer guidance in investing. Looking back at my early posts on stock investing, I can see that my progress was very slow.
The first stock I bought was ComfortDelgro on SGX. I eventually sold it with regret—it truly was a gem, but I missed its big climb between 2014 and 2015. There was also Oceanus, which sank into the abyss before I could cut my losses in time.
Self-taught financial literacy is absolutely possible. My advice to young people, especially those with time on their side, is to experiment with different investment instruments in the market. But of course, read up on them first, understand what you’re investing in, and never put all your eggs in one basket. Reading is a way of borrowing wisdom from others, but to truly make that wisdom your own, you need to practice, take action, and learn from experience.
I hope that my blog will one day leave behind a wisdom legacy.
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"Playing the market is like playing the rubik's cube - some do it systematically, some do it intuitively, some keep searching for the right moves and never get anywhere. "
"A thousand-mile journey starts with a single step. Thereafter, you take one step at a time."
Thanks for starting this journey with me.
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