No CPF, no days off – but their top career choice is still to be piano teachers
For piano teacher Clarisa Tan, there is no such thing as a day off. With anywhere from 35 to 40 students to see each week – ranging from seven-year-olds to adults – she adheres to a tightly packed class schedule. Her weekdays typically start at 1pm and end between 6pm and 9pm, while Saturdays are filled with lessons from 9.45am to 7pm. She “takes it easy” on Sundays, with two lessons. Her only rest days are when she falls ill. “I try not to teach on my birthday – like a little gift to myself – but I don’t always keep to it,” the 33-year-old said. She left a career in law eight years ago to pursue piano teaching full-time. Despite her heavy workload, Ms Tan said that she remains highly satisfied with her job and sees herself sticking with it for another 20 to 30 years. By comparison, the average job tenure in Singapore was 8.2 years in 2025, data from the Ministry of Manpower showed. In February, job-search website Indeed released its 2026 …
