At the fairly tender age of 29, Ms Lim SC was surprised and flattered to find herself at a career crossroads, not knowing which path to choose.
With just over four years of experience as an account executive at a media firm, Ms Lim was offered a promotion to lead her team, a move that came with a pay bump and the coveted title of manager.
It also meant that she would have more influence in shaping campaigns.
However, the increased responsibility also shifted her focus from building client relationships – an aspect of the job she enjoyed – to managing budgets, mentoring junior employees and juggling team dynamics.
She told CNA TODAY: “I always found it daunting to watch my previous team lead handle these tasks. But I was the second most senior member of the team after her, so my boss chose me as her replacement.”
Feeling inexperienced, she questioned whether becoming a manager was the right step for her career progression, because she did not think she was ready.
“The last thing I want is to end up becoming a bad or incompetent manager, because this would affect many things in the team such as workload and morale.”
In the end, Ms Lim accepted the promotion because she thought that it would be a good learning experience.
IS BECOMING A MANAGER THE RIGHT PATH FOR ME?
Human resource experts said that Ms Lim’s concerns were well-founded, because moving up to management level and shouldering leadership responsibilities come with entirely different challenges from her previous role.
While a specialised role requires technical skills and expertise in a specific field, managers typically focus on building and enabling their teams by overseeing projects, making strategic decisions and fostering growth, they added.
Ms Samantha Tan, a human resource business partner at recruitment firm Seek, said that employees looking towards a managerial role should feel comfortable about having to pick up skills such as conflict resolution, decision making, work delegation, coaching and providing objective feedback.
Some questions they can ask themselves to assess their readiness for management include whether they enjoyed providing direction to, and taking responsibility for, a group of individuals, and if they found it fulfilling to help someone grow through a specific project, she added.
Ms Nadia Alaee, a senior director at human resources firm Deel, said that if employees are offered a managerial role early in their career and does not feel fully ready, the first step is to have an open discussion with their manager.
“They can express their concerns and explore whether there are opportunities for guidance, mentorship or training that can better equip them for the responsibilities ahead,” she added.
Some workers offered a management role may worry about work-life balance.
However, it is a myth to think management “erases” work-life balance, one professional said.
Mr Saumitra Chand, a career expert at recruitment platform Indeed, explained that the balance evolves over time, and managers play a key part in setting the tone for their teams.
“A recent survey we conducted found that more than half of employees in Singapore are contacted after hours, with a third reporting negative health impacts,” he added.
“This shows that boundaries are no longer just nice to have. They are essential for long-term productivity and well-being.
“Good managers model balance themselves. They establish clear priorities, respect downtime and delegate effectively.”
