Singapore's yuppies couldn't care less about marketing themselves

78% of employees from Generation X are prepared to spend their own money on training to upgrade their skills as opposed to 70% of Generation Y yuppies and 68% of baby boomers, according to the latest Kelly Global Workforce Index.

The survey noted, however, that a growing number of Singapore’s employees are developing their own personal “brands” as part of a trend toward taking greater control over their careers, including steps to help differentiate themselves in a fast-changing workplace.

Personal marketing, or branding, has become a feature of the modern workplace, with respondents identifying the elements they regard as most important in building their identities - verbal communication skills (66%), résumés (60%), technical knowledge (60%), written communications (55%), personal attire (52%), and use of social media (35%).

“As many individuals are moving out of the typical employment relationship, they are thinking about how to promote themselves and stand-out in the crowded workforce,” said Mark Sparrow, Managing Director, Kelly Services Singapore. “There is also a high degree of awareness about the pace of change in the workplace and the ability to manage this change.”

Results of the survey in Singapore show that:

• 78 percent of Gen X are prepared to spend their own money on training to upgrade their skills, higher than for Gen Y (70 percent) and baby boomers (68 percent). _. 70 percent of Gen X cite verbal communication skills among the most important elements in personal branding, compared with Gen Y (65 percent) and baby boomers (59 percent).
•  63 percent of baby boomers are “very optimistic” about their ability to keep pace with technological and other change in the workplace, higher than for Gen X (58 percent) and Gen Y (51 percent).
• 73 percent of respondents expect to change their careers at some stage in the future, with Gen X (76 percent) more likely than Gen Y (72 percent) and baby boomers (70 percent).
• 22 percent of respondents describe themselves as “very active” in their use of social media for personal marketing, while another 42 percent say they are “somewhat active”.

The research also shows almost three-quarters of respondents are prepared to spend their own money on upgrading their skills - not waiting on their employer to do it for them - while a similar number believe they will change their career and re-invent themselves in the future.

Those industries where employees are most willing to spend their own money to upgrade their skills are Utilities, Manufacturing, Engineering, and Travel/Leisure. 

“The survey results reflect an understanding that the days of a job-for-life, and even a career-for-life, are gone. Increasingly, many people will have several careers and, in all likelihood, will have to take greater personal responsibility for managing their careers and developing new skills,” Sparrow said.