I am 39, I wish to change to full time retail job next year. But the economy is bad and i only have an 'O' level and ITE cert. So now, I am in a dilemma. I'm thinking if I should upgrade or look for full time job?

Hi Michelle,

Not sure if I got the context of your question right, probably you could correct me or share your thoughts after reading this. Heres my humble opinion for whatever it may be worth.

TLDR: Look out for both opportunities to upgrade yourself or any job openings, weigh the opportunities and decide when you have options on the table.

Current Trends

-Cost of education is increasing along with academic inflation. Generally, the World (SG) population is spending longer years in education with higher number of Poly/University/Masters graduates than ever.

-_Single Certification/Education may no longer be sufficient for our entire career lifespan. _Increasingly individuals no longer stick with an employer/role for their entire career due to various reasons (Role made redundant due to technology disruption in the sector, choice of career change ect...)

-_Competitive/Difficult times for retail. _Seemingly tough times for physical shops with increasing rental costs and strong competition from e-commerce platforms, made worse with Covid influence. However, also understand there are some bright spots (niche areas) in retail which happen to perform really well in the past few months.

In view of the above, would firstly advise to spend more time weighing the cost and benefits of the (upgrading)program you are looking at. We do not want to invest time and money in a program which may have a short lifespan(validity) or may not be well valued by employers.

Secondly, might be worthwhile to lookup more into the retail sector or check out other industries if you are open to it. If you are just looking for a sales and marketing role generally, probably that gives you more options. (Personal opinion on sales related jobs is that more soft skills are involved. So investing time and money in upgrading might not so relevant unless certain certifications are required for the specialised sales roles)

Lastly, do try to keep a lookout or tap into existing government funded programs or helpdesk that can show you list of open job opportunities and/or subsidised training programs.

Hello there! it's very encouraging to see that you wish to upskill yourself. Kudos to you!! Of course it will be desirable if you go back to school to upskill, it will give you a more competitive advantage when applying for roles next year. But you will have to consider a few things.

1. Do you have enough money to pay for your school fees?

2. Will you be able to survive if you study full-time with your savings?

3. If not are there any part-time programs for retail/hospitality related diplomas

I sincerely hope that you will find your way and see you succeed!