Meet Vik Zeng — a former SAF intelligence officer who walked away from a stable, structured system to reinvent his entire career from scratch.

From military intelligence to consulting, leadership development, and the private sector, Vik’s story is one of courage, identity loss, resilience, and the messy reality of a mid-career switch in Singapore.

In this episode of On My Own Terms, host John Lim sits down with Vik to unpack the emotional and practical truth behind a military-to-corporate transition. No glamorised story. No quick wins. Just an honest look at rejection, uncertainty, self-doubt, and the mindset needed to find clarity when your old identity no longer fits.

💬 In this episode, we talk about:

👉How leaving the military triggered an identity crisis — and why many mid-career professionals feel the same

👉The emotional journey of starting over and facing rejection during a career pivot

👉The most transferable skills ex-military and PMETs already have (but often overlook)

👉Why “the problems you solve determine your paycheck”

👉How to evaluate job offers without falling into fear-based decisions

👉The mental frameworks Vik used to navigate a career transition in Singapore’s competitive job market

👉Why taking action creates clarity — and overthinking doesn’t

👉How millennials can build resilience, adaptability, and relevance in a fast-changing work landscape

👉What Singapore professionals need to know about switching industries in 2025 and beyond

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Chapters:

00:00 Why This Conversation Matters

02:30 Introduction

03:37 The Pivot That Changed Everything

10:07 What Leadership Really Looks Like

16:34 Leaving the Military? Hear This First.

30:56 When Your Career Hits a Crossroads

32:31 Where Opportunities Really Come From

35:23 Small Choices, Big Shifts

45:26 How AI Is Shaping Modern Careers

51:49 What It Means to Live Authentically

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Where to find Vik:

LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/4pt036F

Instagram: https://bit.ly/3KkhTtB

🎯Find practical tools and resources to guide your journey:

Check out: https://bit.ly/3CTMZRW

📩 Follow us on:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onmyowntermspodcast

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/on-my-own-terms-podcast/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OnMyOwnTermsPodcast

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4UoZFflZDdk03KfafgTwQg
Email: johnlimcy@gmail.com

Support the podcast here: https://buymeacoffee.com/onmyownterms

📌 References, Recommendations & Resources:

✅ Tony Robbins Seminars: Mentioned by John as leadership and performance programs used in his previous startup. 🔗 https://www.tonyrobbins.com/events / https://bit.ly/4odSgZg

✅ Rie Park Institute – OD Theories Map: Referenced for explaining the wide range of OD and leadership theories used in development work. 🔗 https://www.riepark.org / https://bit.ly/486ySc9

✅ WSG – Workforce Singapore: Co-runs free career exploration workshops for mid-career and senior workers learning new skills. 🔗 https://www.wsg.gov.sg / https://bit.ly/4oZxtKn 

✅ What’s Next: Reimagine Your Career Using Design AI by SUTD and WSG 🔗https://www.sutd.edu.sg/course/whats-next-reimagine-your-career-using-design-ai/ / https://bit.ly/4a8li9i

About the host John Lim:

Born and bred in Singapore, John is a husband, father and a curious business and tech enthusiast. John began his career in banking, co-founded Singapore’s largest indoor laser tag events company, led regional business development for a tech startup, and took a leap into e-commerce just before the Covid pandemic hit. Just when he thought he was crushing it at his dream company, he got laid off in the tech winter. In his journey, he's embraced uncertainty, growth, and reinvention—and he’s on a mission to help others do the same.

Note:

Some links may be affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission if you purchase through them — at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the podcast!

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