InteraCTES

Commercial World

June 29, 2023

Commercial World

How Skills Picked Up in NS Can Apply to the Commercial World

In all the years that we have been providing career counselling and coaching services, we have noticed and heard firsthand from our candidates that the skills they picked up in National Service (NS) have been extremely relevant to their professional lives.
Often deemed a rite of passage where boys become men, NS is the mandatory conscription and duty that every male citizen and Permanent Resident (PR) has to undergo upon turning 18 years old.
Even though some men recall their NS experiences as less than fond, NS undeniably does inculcate certain lifelong skills. These skills prepare men for commercial and professional aspects of their future, regardless of whether they decide to sign on as a regular or pursue other professions.
Here are some of the skills picked up from NS that we have seen to be transferable to an individual’s transition to the commercial world:

People Skills

When given tasks or projects to implement during NS, coordination with multiple stakeholders is necessary. “Be it improvement projects or planning for outfield exercise, many of these projects are large in scale and involves several people. As such, you need to take into consideration a diverse group of attitudes, opinions, sensitivities, and needs. That way, these projects teach one to work collaboratively in teams to overcome obstacles.” NSman Melvin shares. Melvin’s sharing is a clear example of how qualities such as showing empathy and having good people skills serve as a strong foundation for good communication and teamwork.
Communication is an extremely vital soft skill in the professional world. Beyond just talking, it encompasses active listening, keen observation, and sincere interaction. It requires individuals to be willing to give and take to come to a compromise. Good communication also includes being sensitive to social cues and learning how to best respond to them. This has the potential to influence your relationships with coworkers and supervisors, in turn impacting your career advancement and learning.

Problem-Solving Skills

Employees are hired to solve problems and being in the military trains you to do just that. We spoke to Clifford, who mentioned, “Whether you’re a combat engineer who provides engineering solutions on the battlefield or a tank operator, you learn to adopt systematic and critical approaches to performing your tasks." When our NS men are placed in situations, especially time sensitive ones, where their problem-solving skills are challenged, their critical thinking abilities are pushed and developed. These abilities are not confined to just NS-related scenarios but can be further applied in the workplace. It allows them to remain level-headed and develop effective solutions within stipulated timeframes. Furthermore, NS men are often faced with challenges that test them mentally and physically. These experiences build their perseverance and resilience so that they have the tenacity to continue working on the problem and completing it, no matter how tough.

Adaptability

Being adaptable is a valuable trait. In the workplace context, it is about being willing to adjust to company-specific culture, processes, and protocols. This involves behaviour moderation. Behaviour moderation means playing up certain aspects of your personality to suit an organisation’s culture. For instance, if communication and teamwork are highly valued, then you will need to be more collaborative and sociable.
Adaptability also means having the flexibility embrace varying perspectives. In NS, men of different walks of life and cultures are placed together in the same platoons and units. Despite this, they learn to respect each other and work together for common goals. This is similar to a workplace, where such skills are equally important.

Leadership Skills

One of Singapore Armed Forces’ core values is leadership. Through NS, every soldier develops leadership skills in one way or another when they are tasked with any duty such as looking out for their platoon mates. Beyond those duties, they are also taught to recognise their responsibility for serving and protecting the nation. This sense of responsibility that is inculcated in NS is key in leadership and highly transferrable to the workplace.

Project Management Skills

Project management skills picked up in NS such as planning, scheduling, resource management, and communicating with various stakeholders are important in any workplace setting. Some NS men are tasked with collaborating with internal stakeholders from other units, while others have to liaise with external stakeholders such as support crews who deal with logistics or inventory management. In NS, men are often taught to anticipate and react promptly in the face of changes and challenges as well as manage expectations. All of these skills are important in project management within any industry as well.

Topic(s): Learning & Development

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