CareerSAdvance

On the 16th of November 2022, Dr. Darren Yeo, an assistant professor of Psychology at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) shared about his journey in Educational Psychology and Neuroscience. 

Through his sharing, I learned that psychologists carry out endless numbers of research projects, some of which can take as long as a couple of years to produce a research article, and some, as short as a month. I observed that the careers of those that studied in the field of psychology are driven by their motivation and passion to dig into something new, and their curiosity about human behaviour and thinking. 

I wondered about what kinds of research psychology students do, thus, Dr. Yeo answered that they are allowed to research anything they wish, in either of the 6 key aspects: biopsychology and cognitive neuroscience, developmental, personality, social, cultural, and evolutionary. 

Psychology students, who are logical and critical thinkers, are also expected to be independent, with little to no guidance in their work and they are trained to analyse and synthesise statistics and information to confirm a hypothesis and their research data themselves! They also work closely with reputable organisations such as the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Institute of Mental Health, enabling them to acquire additional skills, like problem-solving and leadership.

Ranging from a mathematics teacher to social media manager to forensic, there is a huge array of jobs a psychology graduate can consider taking on. 

All in all, I believe that psychology studies are applicable in any career, allowing many career pathways to be a viable option, and would definitely be a very meaningful and beautiful subject to major in! 

On the 16th of November 2022, Ms. Ye Junmin, Senior Producer of Arts House Ltd talked about her career as a senior producer with the Singapore International Festival of Arts, and her job previously, as a programmer at the Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay. Some of the organisations that she had collaborated with include National Gallery Singapore, Formula One, and the National Day Parade.

Through her insightful sharing, I learned that an arts manager is the "connector" between the arts, the artists, and the audience. Her main purpose is to ensure that Singaporeans have access to great works of art, from both local and foreign artists, and at the same time, make it a memorable and an enjoyable experience for all. I admire her love and passion for art and creativity, as well as her drive to ensure that there's always a place for the arts in Singapore. In order to produce an event, Ms. Ye and her team consider different aspects and innovative ways to attract people to art and showcase local stories.

One interesting event she mentioned that she had produced, is en route, where artworks were splattered everywhere in 1 location, and participants received messages and clues on their mobile phones as their "tour guide", enabling them to navigate around the exhibition by themselves! As an Art Producer, she believes in the beauty of art and I am truly amazed by her idea of splashing artworks at the most unexpected places in Singapore, such as Kampong Ubi. 

Anyhow, Ms. Ye's sharing has definitely enabled me to appreciate galleries, theatres, and art exhibitions better, and I will make sure to look into the detail of any artwork I might come across in the future! 

On the 17th of November 2022, Isabel Lee, an alumni of my school, co-founder of An Açai Affair, Singapore's largest açai specialty brand with 13 outlets islandwide, and Sweet Cheeks, shared with us her story of becoming the businesswoman she is today.

Initially, I was curious about why Isabel chose to start a business while pursuing her studies, and why did she choose açai and ice cream as a business. Through her sharing, I learned that she was a Singapore Management University (SMU) undergraduate when she started the businesses with her friends. Her main aims were to raise awareness of the health benefits of the Northern Brazillian fruit, as well as make it more affordable for the locals. 

Isabel inspired me to pursue a career that I am keen in, and one that can bring benefits to others. However, I do wonder what it is like to juggle both studies and business at the same time.

On the 17th of November 2022, Ms. Joelle Chen Simin, Sustainability Director of Lendlease Corporation, shared with us about her career journey despite the challenges that she had faced, and the uncertainty of her future. As a geography student and an environmental sustainability enthusiast, her career captivated me the most.

Ms. Chen was the first Asia Pacific Head for the World Green Building Council (World GBC), previously head of the Smart Sustainable Cities team at the Singapore Economic Development Board, driving public-private partnerships through innovation platforms and many more.

Her sharing assured me that no matter what hurdles I may face throughout my journey, I will still be able to achieve wonderful things that will bring good to our society. Her greatest achievement was increasing the number of APAC Green Building Councils that are committed to net zero transformation in their countries by 25% during her time in World GBC. 

Ms. Chen also mentioned that even though she was doing poorly in Mathematics and Science subjects, she could still pull off well her pursuit of a degree as an Architect! I was really surprised to hear that Ms. Chen was trained as an architect, yet she finds her career in sustainability as they are quite contrasting subjects! 

On the 17th of November 2022, Ms. Clara Lock, Travel Correspondent of the Singapore Press Holdings (SPH), shared with us her story of getting her dream job as a journalist. 

Through her job, Ms. Lock travels to different countries all over the world to write fascinating stories about those that many have not seen or heard before. I admire her courage to take on new challenges, such as attempting bungee jumping, to write exciting stories for her audience. She also educates the masses about traveling tips and verifies fake or real reviews posted online about traveling agencies and tourist locations.

Despite the fact that she studied as a newspaper journalist, I am amazed at how she managed to adapt promptly to today's tech-savvy world and pulled off journaling on platforms she was previously unfamiliar with like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and even radio stations! She also said that her job was physically-demanding, and definitely life-changing for her. I am interested in this field as journalists get to see first-hand the actions of the stories they would write about, and have the ability to dig deeper into a story and garner a new perspective of the world we live in. 

Ms. Lock recommended we sign up for online publications for younger writers like us, and to do our own writing even if it is not going to be published! 

Altogether, I would love to become a journalist, document the lives around us, and continuously be able to learn on the job too!