‘Blue collar is the new white collar’: Singapore man retrenched after 10 years in multimedia eyes airport job

SINGAPORE: A Singaporean worker who was retrenched from his assistant manager role at a multimedia company is now looking to trade his corporate career for hands-on work in airport ramp operations.

In a post on the r/singaporejobs subreddit, the man said he lost his job at the end of February 2025 after 10 years in the creative industry.

During the final four years of his career, he said he was responsible for setting up and managing studio operations, as well as leading a team of seven workers producing multimedia content for e-learning. However, he gradually lost interest in the craft from mid-2023 onwards.

Still, he chose to stay in the role until he was retrenched, admitting that he had grown comfortable in the job.

Since his retrenchment, several recruiters have approached him about creative roles, but he has turned them down as he no longer wishes to work in the profession.

“In my 10-year career, I had worked on myself to become a versatile content creator (photography, videography, motion, and graphic design), but I hated (still do) keeping up with social media trends,” he wrote.

“With AI in the picture, all the more reason I don't want to go back to multimedia, as I enjoy the hands-on work and being out and about instead of being behind the screen to key in prompts and generate all day.”

For now, the man has been taking on what he called “sporadic short-term labour-intensive gigs” as he tries to figure out what to pursue for his second career. Despite holding an engineering diploma and a communications degree, he admitted that he was still unsure about which direction to take.

One possibility that has caught his attention is working in airport ramp operations, an area he has long been fascinated by. He enjoys operating equipment and prefers work that allows him to be physically active rather than spending his days behind a screen.

Although he has read online that ramp agents typically start on relatively low pay and work long hours, he said he would be willing to accept those conditions for the next one to two years. He also hopes that gaining first-hand experience in ground operations could eventually help him become a more effective manager.

Seeking advice from others who may have made a similar career switch, the man asked whether such a transition was realistic given his circumstances.

“I'll be 38 in a few months, and I am not expecting to be a manager in five years,” he wrote.

“I am posting this because I am curious if anyone has ever been in the same boat as me, and how have you fared so far? I know there are stories online of how degree holders/corporate high flyers become hawkers, but I like this platform because readers are willing to share their experiences and thoughts.”

‘Blue collar is the new white collar’

In the comments, several users were supportive of his plans to pursue a different career.

A 54-year-old woman said: “I wholeheartedly encourage you. Too late for me, but I have often wondered what I'd turn my hands to if given the opportunity when younger to apprentice to a trade. Looking to (probably) work with my hands for retirement or sooner.”

Another commenter wrote, “Blue collar is the new white collar, if you know what I mean. Now all the white-collar jobs are getting replaced by AI or outsourced. Blue-collar ones, at least, within the next 5-10 years will still be around. The most important thing is to manage your own finances well.”

Others, however, urged the man to consider the physical demands and financial trade-offs before making the switch. They suggested that the realities of manual work might prove more challenging than he expected.

One individual commented, “I think many of the other blue-collar lines will shock you with the physical requirements and hours. Can try it out and see what you think.”

Another cautioned that moving from a white-collar position to a blue-collar job “might not be the most practical decision in Singapore,” given the potential pay cut and the country's competitive cost of living.

A third added, “Ramp operations 6-day workweek rotating shift, life is not worth living like that, sinkie land is race to the bottom wages. I also contemplated these airport roles before, but they are really not worth it when you can work at a cinema or hotel bellboy for the same salary and a better life.”/TISG

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