'I prefer my life with no career hustle': This Singaporean has no regrets about decision to live in Sweden

Life is more than your work and career.

This is one of the many lessons Magdalene Huang, or Mag, learnt after relocating from Singapore to Stockholm over two-and-a-half years ago.

In her experiences living abroad, topics such as salaries, promotions, cryptocurrencies and investment portfolios hardly enter into conversations she would have with people.

And this suited Mag just fine.

While some Singaporeans her age might be caught up with the rat race back home, the 30-year-old has taken a more uncommon approach to finding fulfillment in life.

Upon completing her studies in the National University of Singapore in 2018, Mag entered the working world, specifically in the field of user experience design.

She told AsiaOne in an interview that her work environment allowed for opportunities to constantly interact with expats.

"It made me realise 'Oh, how would it be like on the other side?'" she said.

Wanting to live abroad

Even after getting her first full-time job in Singapore, Mag continued on a "relentless" spree applying for overseas jobs.

But it wasn't as if life in Singapore required a change, she said.

The Singaporean was simply curious about experiences that could potentially come with living abroad for a prolonged period of time.

But where would be best?

Factors beyond her control—like job opportunities, economic forces and tightening of immigration laws—have to be taken into consideration.

With that in mind, Mag opted for practicality by taking the "easiest" option.

She told AsiaOne that Stockholm isn't a city that's completely foreign to her, having lived there briefly during her student days.

"I'd [already] be more familiar [with daily necessities like] where to get groceries or how the public transport system works," Mag said.

As a new graduate and designer still finding her feet in Singapore, she received rejection after rejection.

Companies abroad were not willing to sponsor her visa and, in hindsight, Mag realised that their reluctance to hire her was "normal" and to be expected.

"But I did give myself a deadline," she said, adding that if she didn't get an offer to work overseas by the time she was 29, she'd put this dream to rest, for the time being at least.

Eventually, an offer to relocate to Sweden came her way and Mag had a decision to make.

Moving abroad was still a dream she held dearly but she admitted to feeling frightened of the unknown, leading to many sleepless nights as she weighed the pros and cons of the options available to her.

Mag was not afraid to seek advice from loved ones, who encouraged her to give Stockholm a go.

"If it doesn't work out, it's okay. At least I gave it a try," she said.

Aiming for a job at a "big Swedish fintech" company was her plan from the start.

Mag explained that she wanted more relocation support and accepting this role from a big company meant that assistance was provided when it came to issues such as visas, flights, bank accounts and even temporary accommodations.

Life in Stockholm 

Despite having lived in the Swedish capital, Mag mentioned it still took some getting used to her new surroundings.

Right off the bat, she mentioned the severe weather conditions and having to deal with limited sunlight, with the sun setting between 3pm and 4pm during the winter season.

Having to rely on yourself was also quite a challenge at the start, Mag said.

In Singapore, she could always check in with her friends on whether she's doing things right.

But when you're living alone abroad, that's not always an option.

So whether it was taking a trip to the embassy or fixing home appliances, Mag learnt to navigate these experiences on her own.

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As for her job and career as a whole, she sounds fully satisfied with where she's at.

"I prefer my life with no career hustle, no ladder to climb, no side projects," Mag said.

The flexible working hours she experiences in Sweden is a system "based on trust" and Mag shared that the level of flexibility of working in Singapore can differ.

This may take a toll on the individual, whether its the hours spent in office or the daily travel to and from the office.

"By the time you get home, you're so tired," she said.

In Sweden, her post-work hours aren't quite so dreary.

What definitely helps is that work tends to end on the dot in the summer.

Once it hits 5pm, laptops are down and post-work activities can begin.

On her TikTok page, we see numerous posts of her heading to the gym, beach or just enjoying a picnic after a full day of work.

The post-work activities continue during the winter months as she's picked up snowboarding, a new hobby she's "obsessed" with.

"Work-life balance is not a myth," she said.

New friends in a new environment

Mag chuckles as she tries her best to explain the difficulties of making friends abroad.

She admits that the office isn't the most ideal space to form such bonds, and this might be rather surprising given her perfect grasp of English.

One would think that it would put her in good stead at her company, which is a setting with numerous nationalities.

Instead of the office, her close connections tend to be formed at church.

"For me, I [attend] a church in Sweden and it's easier [to] form friendships there," Mag said.

She admitted that her friends took awhile to fully understand her accent and when she would speak Singlish.

But over time, they were on the same wavelength, with some of them even picking it up.

With an improved work life and fulfilling social life, Mag shared that her overall mental state is also "significantly better" than when she was living in Singapore.

As for fellow Singaporeans pondering if moving abroad would be right for them, her advice is simple.

"I always felt like Singapore will always be a very good safety net. So it's good to try it out, take the risk, explore and see if you like it," she said.

ALSO READ: 'I'd grown complacent': 23-year-old Singaporean shares difficulties of living abroad in China alone

amierul@asiaone.com

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