SINGAPORE – How can you ace your upcoming job interview? Should you take notes with your laptop, or a pen and paper? Is it safe to delve into cryptocurrency trading?
The answers to questions such as these are within easy reach with a new Headstart microsite.
Headstart, which started out as a e-newsletter in May 2022, is part of a wider effort to engage The Straits Times’ young adult audience on topics that matter to them. The microsite, which can be found at www.straitstimes.com/headstart, pulls youth-centric content from across the newsroom.
News stories, op-eds and special features such as askST Jobs columns and Headstart On Record podcast episodes are categorised under three content pillars: career, money and lifestyle.
ST editor Jaime Ho said: “Whether it’s dealing with that colleague or boss you need to work with, what to wear to a first interview or where to get the best deals to spend your first pay cheques, we want Headstart to help you along in any way we can.”
The career pillar, titled Work Bestie, helps readers navigate the workforce and covers topics ranging from job interviews to working arrangements.
In a recent article, journalist Sherlyn Sim highlights the growing trend of young professionals micro-retiring – taking a break from their job to complete bucket list items such as picking up dancing or travelling.
The money pillar, called Money Mentor, gives readers an idea of how to better manage and grow their finances, from investing and budgeting to preparing a retirement fund.
In a session of Headstart On Record, for instance, business correspondent Sue-Ann Tan sits down with financial experts from banks DBS and OCBC to break down what young people took away from Budget 2025.
For lifestyle topics such as mental health, travel, music and fashion (pairing socks and sneakers!), Life Guide features articles on the latest trends and developments in the younger community.
Examples include journalist Teo Kai Xiang’s trend story on young people’s disillusionment with Singapore’s nightlife, and food and culture journalist Cherie Lok’s experience of letting artificial intelligence(AI)run her life for a week.
Readers will soon be able to ask specific questions relating to careers and work trends when an AI chatbot is launched on the site at the end of March.
For those who prefer watching videos to reading articles, Headstart can also be found on ST’s TikTok channel.
Short explainers – such as one discussing group representation constituencies (GRCs) – and clips of podcast recordings have been uploaded onto the video-sharing platform. Journalists have also taken to the streets for vox pops to canvass views from young members of the public on topics such as pet care leave and workplace attire.
Sign up here for the Headstart newsletter, a curated list of stories e-mailed every Tuesday.
Headstart will also host several engagements for young people in 2025, including those that are part of the year-long ST180 series of events.
“As part of our celebrations for ST’s 180th birthday, where we get hope to get closer to our community, we’re meeting you in person this year. Whether it’s an intimate conversation or a live podcast recording, we hope to see our readers there,” said Mr Ho.
Thanks for sharing!