When I was 45, I suddenly found myself out of a job. I’d worked as a marketing professional for 19 years, but the Singapore economy is competitive, and employers want to do everything the cheapest and fastest way. I was outcompeted by younger blood who could work longer than me and for less pay.
I sent out 1,500 resumes all over Singapore.
You read that right. One thousand, five hundred resumes. And not a single one received even a “Thank you for applying” reply.
So I started looking outside of Singapore, and got a job offer in Thailand at 50 percent of my previous pay, with a 35 percent income tax rate. At that point, I was just grateful for a job. I accepted it gladly.
But even that didn’t work out, and I had to part ways with my boss. Around the same time, I got divorced after being separated from my wife for two years.
Now, I’m no stranger to failure – I had to repeat a year in secondary school, and then a few years in polytechnic before dropping out. I know the sting that comes with it, and I’ve learned to take it in my stride over the years. But this time, with the combination of everything – the old job, the 1,500 resumes, the new job, the wife – I took it pretty hard. I was ready to give up.
I had savings, but my savings couldn’t save me. I was completely dependent on them, and became depressed watching the funds in my bank account decrease every month. I started thinking that if only I could put some of my savings into a fund and receive a fixed return from it every month, it would help me a lot.
That’s how I came up with the idea of a ‘Pension Fund for the World’. I don’t want anyone to go through what I went through then. After trading part-time for 27 years, I decided to take the leap and trade full-time, with the dream of building up a fund that could give fixed income to pensioners all around the world.
Failing at something is never fun. It’s not something I would wish on anyone. But when it happens – and it always does – it can also be an opportunity. In my case, it awakened more tenacity than I thought I had, and it gave me a fresh empathy for people all over the world worried about their finances.
Today, I’m no longer where I was five years ago. I have an impressive portfolio after a fairly short time of full-time trading and it gives me a comfortable salary. The setback didn’t crush me, and while I might have said I was successful before, I don’t know, because there’s something bigger I’m living for and working towards. I won’t call myself successful until I achieve my dream. That is what’s driving me every day, and this time, I’m ready for the setbacks.
Authored by Kenneth Kam
Produced by Callio Media