PUBLISHED ONJuly 30, 2024 3:40 AMByEugene LeowBack when he was still a practising lawyer, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong once contemplated quitting his legal career.
That was three years into his career, and he said he decided that he should take a break because it was just too intense.
"I spoke to my boss about it, and he said, ‘No. What, are you, crazy? Nothing that you want to achieve ever comes easy.’ He convinced me to stay, and that decision made all the difference,” said Tong during a fireside chat with DBS Singapore CEO Han Kwee Juan at the DBS FutureForward Week on Monday (July 29).
This is the bank's annual learning event for employees and it is into its fifth edition.
From law to politics
Tong shared his career journey at the talk, emphasising resilience and adaptability.
Graduating from law school in 1994 and qualifying as a lawyer in 1995, Tong spent the early years of his career immersed in intense work.
“I forgot how my parents looked like; I was working a lot,” he reflected.
Despite the challenges, he persevered and eventually transitioned from law to politics.
Appointed as Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Second Minister for Law in 2020, Tong has played a pivotal role in promoting cultural and community initiatives in Singapore.
He highlighted the importance of pushing personal boundaries, saying, "Never be afraid to do something different."
Reflecting on his career, Tong recounted, “There’s no free lunch and no shortcut, even today. Much as we have progressed with technology and AI, the path to building a career is still going to be peppered with a lot of hard work, tough experiences, and failures. Overcoming these will make you much stronger.”
Building on this theme of resilience and adaptability, DBS's Han also discussed the bank’s initiatives to support its employees in building resilient and purposeful careers.
He underscored the importance of collaboration, both at corporate and personal levels.
"Collaboration at a personal level means not being afraid to work with others, even if it’s something new," Han said.
Bringing Taylor Swift to Singapore
The conversation took a lighter turn when Tong recounted his efforts to bring Taylor Swift to perform in Singapore, a move that created significant excitement among her fans here in Singapore and abroad.
“My daughter, a huge Swift fan, made me listen to her music. I wasn’t a fan at first, but it grew on me,” he shared.
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eugene.leow@asiaone.com