INTHEBLACK September/October 2025 - Magazine - Page 60
DEVELOP
A GLOBAL
MINDSET
WORK SMART
An increasing number of Gen Z and Millennials are pursuing career
opportunities overseas. How is a global mindset key to success — at any age?
WORDS NICOLA HEATH
A
ccording to a 2025 digital nomad forecast,
39 per cent of Gen Z and Millennials intend
to live and work overseas in the coming year.
In Singapore, nearly two in three workers
are willing to relocate abroad for work, according
to Jobstreet, 72 per cent of whom are young
professionals under 30.
There are many benefits to building a global career,
says Dominic Ong ASA, CFO at Endowus, a digital
wealth platform based in Singapore. Ong’s career has
taken him to Taiwan, China and Australia.
“A global career shapes your perspective and
sharpens your adaptability,” he says. “It forces you
to operate outside your comfort zone — navigating
different market dynamics, cultural nuances and
communication styles. It teaches you to listen better,
build alignment across diverse teams and lead with
empathy. These are foundational traits for any senior
executive today.”
WHAT IS A GLOBAL MINDSET?
A global mindset is critical to accounting and
financial professionals’ hopes for success when
pursuing career opportunities abroad. It’s an outlook
defined by the ability to adapt to new cultural norms,
60 INTHEBLACK Sep/Oct 2025 SPECIAL EDITION
accept uncertainty, display a willingness to listen,
build relationships and embrace different ways
of doing things.
Ong says adopting the right mindset is just as
important, if not more, than technical skills.
“Consulting early in my career taught me to be
comfortable with ambiguity, but, more importantly,
it taught me to embrace roles that might not look
like an obvious ‘step up’ on paper. Some of my
pivotal career moves — especially the international
ones — felt lateral at the time, but each unlocked
broader opportunities down the line.
“I’ve learnt that opportunity rarely announces
itself in a straight line. You need to be in the arena,
building relationships and capabilities, and be ready
when the right doors open.”
RESILIENCE IS KEY
Resilience is an asset when adjusting to a new
environment, says career coach Kate Richardson.
“It’s important to recognise that there are going
to be periods of discomfort. It’s not going to be easy.
You have to have a level of resilience and the ability
to overcome the small challenges that will happen every
day when you make that level of change,” she says.
