Career FOMO in Singapore: How to Stop Comparing and Start Defining Success on Your Own Terms
The High-Achiever’s Guide to Overcoming Career Comparison Culture
Why Career FOMO Is So Common in Singapore
In hyper-competitive cities like Singapore, where LinkedIn reads like a brag sheet and parents still size up your careers at every reunion, career comparison feels almost inevitable.
Between LinkedIn success stories, friends making partners, or peers pivoting into trending industries, it’s easy to feel like you’re falling behind.
As career coaches in Singapore, we see this all the time. Clients come to us feeling:
Stuck on a path that looks good on paper but feels empty
Anxious that everyone else has it figured out
Pressured to make “strategic moves” based on what’s trending
This isn’t a personal flaw. It’s Career FOMO.
What Is Career FOMO (And Why It Leads to Unfulfilling Careers)?
Career FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) is the anxious feeling that you should be doing what everyone else is doing.
In Singapore, where societal expectations and high-achiever mindsets dominate, that fear can push you toward decisions based on external validation, not internal alignment.
Examples we often hear from clients:
“My parents are right, this is the most stable field.”
“Everyone’s moving into this industry, it must be the best move.”
“If the market’s hot, I’d be foolish not to follow.”
But chasing a career based on fear of missing out means you’re building a life that’s reactive, not intentional.
You’re shaping your path around what the market demands, what your peers celebrate, what your family can proudly mention to their friends and not what actually excites you.
That’s how so many high-achieving professionals in Singapore end up in careers that look impressive, yet feel empty.
How Career FOMO Can Point You Toward What You Actually Want
Here’s something to consider: FOMO isn’t always something to dismiss. Sometimes, it’s your subconscious waving a flag, pointing to desires you haven’t fully acknowledged.
Notice who you’re secretly envious of. Maybe it’s a friend who left banking to start a social enterprise, or someone who traded a higher salary for meaningful work in sustainability. Perhaps it’s an old colleague who took the risk to retrain as a therapist.
Often, that pang of envy is less about wanting their exact life and more about recognising a part of you that craves the same freedom, impact, or creativity. Instead of brushing it off, get curious.
Jealousy can be a surprisingly honest compass—it shows you what you might want if fear, expectations, or sunk costs weren’t in the way.
Instead of brushing off those feelings, sit with them. Ask:
Who am I secretly envious of?
What do they have that I’m craving?
What fear or belief is stopping me from exploring that path?
These reflections often lead to powerful insights during career coaching sessions.
How to Overcome Career Comparison and Define Success on Your Own Terms
So how do you stop letting FOMO run your career? Here’s how to start:
1. Redefine What Success Means to You
Not your 25-year-old self. Not your family. Not LinkedIn.
What does success now look like in your life? Is it more…
Freedom?
Creative expression?
Impact?
Work-life balance?
2. Audit Your Current Path
Ask yourself:
Am I here because I want to be?
Is this path still aligned with my values?
What would I choose if I wasn’t trying to impress anyone?
3. Separate Shoulds from Wants
We inherit career goals from society, schools, parents, even mentors. Sometimes those goals are outdated. Career coaching helps you untangle this.
4. Let Go of the Fear of Wasted Time
Many high achievers in Singapore worry they’re “wasting” their degree or experience. But what if everything you’ve done so far has prepared you for something better?
5. Get Support and Clarity
You don’t need to navigate this alone. A career coach can help you sort through the noise, clarify what you want, and map out practical next steps.
What to Do When You’ve Outgrown a Six-Figure Job or Old Career Dream
Many of our clients eventually reach this crossroads. They see that the dream they worked so hard to build isn’t actually what they want anymore. It’s a confronting place to be. Letting go of a former ambition can feel like betrayal or failure, as though you’re wasting years of effort and sacrifice.
But changing your mind isn’t failure—it’s growth.
There was a time when my own highest ambition was to climb the corporate ladder on Wall Street, earn big, and make my parents proud. Over time, though, my values shifted. I began to crave creativity, impact, and a different kind of freedom. Letting go of that old identity was hard—I had to grieve it before I could fully embrace who I was becoming. But it was also the start of building a career that felt meaningful on my own terms.
Now, through Ctrl Alt Career, I help other professionals in Singapore redefine success on their terms.
Read more: How to Leave a Six-Figure Job (Even If It Once Meant Everything to You)
Key Career Coaching Questions to Break Free From FOMO
If you’ve been feeling unsettled, envious, or left behind, resist the urge to shove it aside. Instead, try sitting with it and exploring questions like:
What goals are truly yours, and which were inherited?
Who are you secretly jealous of, and why?
If there were zero expectations—no family pressures, no societal standards—what would you be curious to explore next?
What does the next version of success look like for you?
This is the kind of clarity work we do every day through career coaching in Singapore. Because when you strip away the “shoulds,” what’s left is often a far more honest vision of success — one that’s actually worth pursuing.
Ready to Figure Out What You Actually Want?
It’s easy to build a career that ticks all the external boxes.
It’s much harder — and more rewarding — to build one that feels right from the inside.
If you’re ready to move past FOMO and start defining success on your own terms, that’s exactly the kind of support the Ctrl Alt Career team provides.
Book a free clarity call with our team of career coaches, and let’s explore what’s really next for you.
Whether you're exploring a career change, looking for personal career growth, or simply feeling stuck, Ctrl Alt Career is here to help.
FAQs About Career Coaching and Career FOMO in Singapore
1. What is career coaching and how can it help with Career FOMO?
Career coaching helps you gain clarity, confidence, and direction—especially when you feel stuck or constantly compare yourself to others. The Ctrl Alt Career team supports professionals in Singapore to make intentional career decisions instead of reactive ones driven by fear of missing out.
2. How do I know if I need a career coach?
If you’re questioning your career path, feeling restless in your job, or wondering if you’re chasing someone else’s idea of success, it may be time to work with a career coach. Ctrl Alt Career helps clients navigate these moments to define what truly matters and take action.
3. Is it too late to switch careers in my 30s or 40s?
Not at all. The Ctrl Alt Career team has worked with many professionals in their 30s, 40s, and beyond who are ready to explore a more aligned, purpose-driven path. Career transitions later in life are more common—and more possible—than you think.
4. How can I work with Ctrl Alt Career?
You can start by booking a free clarity call with the Ctrl Alt Career team here. The session is a no-pressure way to explore your goals, ask questions, and see if career coaching is a good fit for your current stage.
5. What does Ctrl Alt Career do?
We’re a career coaching company in Singapore helping high achievers find aligned, fulfilling work. Whether you’re stuck, pivoting, or redefining success, we’re here to guide you.
6. Is it normal to want more even if my job is great on paper?
Absolutely. Many high achievers feel this way. Feeling restless doesn’t mean something is wrong — it means something is ready to evolve.