Objective and Subjective Career Success The various type of career competencies can be defined with respect to two

types of career successes: objective and subjective career success. By definition, career success refers to "the positive psychological or work-related outcomes or achievements one accumulates as a result of work experiences" (Seibert, Crant, & Kraimer, 1999, p.417). Objective career success could be measured by tangibles such as income, promotions and occupational status; whereas subjective career success could depend on a person's level of satisfaction towards one's job and/or career and also one's continuous learning (Heslin, 2005). It should be noted that the above yardsticks for measuring objective and subjective success are not exhaustive, and as such they can vary from one individual to another.
Peter A.Heslin (2005). Conceptualizing and evaluating career success. Journal of Organizational Behaviour, 26, 113-136. Seibert, S. E., Crant, J. M., & Kraimer, M. L. (1999). Proactive personality and career success. Journal of Applied Psychology, 84, 416427.

The Relationship Between Objective and Subjective Career Success Since Singapore's independence during 1965, Singapore's economic policies have been mainly geared towards GDP growth. Its lack of natural resources meant that it had to depend heavily on its people in order to develop its economy. One could possibly argue that the notion of subjective career success in most Singaporeans' minds then was almost non-existent. Fast-forward to the present, it can be observed that Singapore's economy has grown by leaps and bounds. Its GDP per capita has seen an approximate 130-fold increase from US$394.65 in 1960 to US$51709.45 (World Bank, 2012). Yet a recent Gallup survey on positive emotions conducted in over 100 countries reflected that Singaporeans are the least happy population in the world (Latin Americans Most Positive in the World, 2012). Maslow's hierarchy of needs may provide an insight into why this is so.

(Image courtesy of Wikipedia)

Maslow's theory posits that the motivation for one need requires the satisfaction of other pre-potent needs; in the order from the most to least fundamental, the hierarchy of needs is as such: physiological, safety, love/belonging, esteem, and self-actualization (Maslow, 1943). Given that Singapore's GDP per

capita is now higher than that for most countries (World Bank, 2012), we can assume that Singaporeans in general have fulfilled the need for safety. Yet achieving Singapore's current GDP per capita is not a feat that comes without any costs.

Average Annual Hours Worked Per Employed Person

3200 3000 2800 2600 Hours 2400 2200 2000 1800 1600 1400 1200 1970 1980 1990 Year
(Federal Reserve Economic Data, 2013)

Singapore Germany Japan Korea US Australia UK 2000 2010 2020 France

According to Federal Reserve Economic Data, Singapore has one of the highest average annual hours worked per employed person at 2409 hours in 2011, which is about 46 hours per week. Considering that we are only looking at the average, it is plausible that a significant number of Singaporeans could be working up to 60 hours per week. For people seeking a work-life balance, the prospect of working such long hours will not sit well with them. The above example underscores the rising importance of subjective career success in today's context. Humans are a species that constantly desire for something greater (Maslow, 1943). The physiological and safety needs in Maslow's hierarchy of needs could be described as being related to objective career success; the needs for love/belonging, self-esteem and self-actualization would then belong to the category of subjective career success. Since the motivation for subjective career success rests upon the assumption that objective career success be achieved first as according to Maslow's theory, there exists a relationship between objective and subjective career success. Thus we cannot examine objective career success without the subjective one and vice versa.

(adapted from Hall, 2002, pg. 74)

The above model was proposed in view of the complex nature of today's working environment and as such, the idea that people go through short learning cycles in their career (Hall, 2002). This model postulates that in order for objective success to drive subjective success, a feedback loop involving identity change which entails self-reflection is required so that the cycle can be repeated upon setting of new goals (Hall & Chandler, 2005). An example of this scenario could be a case where an employee gets promoted to a manager (Objective Success) and thus he sees his efforts being recognized within the company (Subjective Success). Due to his promotion, he feels a sense of ownership to the company and sees himself in a better position to make changes to help the company (Identity Change). He starts setting goals for his team (Goals/Effort) and the learning cycle restarts. It is not always the case in which subjective career success is a consequence of objective career success. In fact, the reverse is true when the career becomes a calling (Hall & Chandler, 2005). However, we reject the notion of subjective success being a driving force for objective success due to the following reasons: 1. Hall & Chandler (2005) argues that one's lack of resources could force one to step out of his/her comfort zone and explore different areas of work, thus allowing the search for one's true calling. This is based on the assumption that a system of unemployment benefits exists so that one can still get by temporarily without a job. In Singapore's context, no such system exists (Cheung, 2000). Couple that with the concern of rising standards of living in Singapore, it is difficult to expect one to find one's calling in spite of unemployment. 2. Individuals who found their calling in life tend to be "guided by a broader range of altruistic, subjective success criteria than they had previously held" (Heslin, 2005). Objective career success becomes more of a by-product of subjective career success in this case. An increase in pay for nurses or firefighters does not become a motivation tool for them to do their jobs better simply because they are already driven by a sense of purpose to do their jobs well in the first place. In the following segments of this essay, we will use the above model of subjective success to define the 6 career competencies required for career success.

World Bank (2012). http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.CD/countries/SG?display=default Jon Clifton (2012). Latin Americans Most Positive in the World. http://www.gallup.com/poll/159254/latin-americans-positiveworld.aspx#1 Maslow (1943). A Theory of Human Motivation. Brooklyn College. Federal Reserve Economic Data (2013). http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/graph/?id=SGPAHWEP,# Hall, D. T. (2002). Careers in and out of organizations. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Hall & Chandler (2005). Psychological Success: When The Career Is A Calling. Journal of Organizational Behaviour, 26, 155176 (2005). Cheung Wai-lam (2000). Unemployment-Related Benefits Systems in Singapore. Research and Library Services Division, Legislative Council Secretariat. Peter A.Heslin (2005). Conceptualizing and evaluating career success. Journal of Organizational Behaviour, 26, 113-136.