Tips + Advice

Few children aspire to work in Human Resource. So how did Ms Arina Koh, HR Director at the Ministry of Manpower find her way into this unique career path? Here are her tips for forging your own career path that she’s gleaned from her career journey.

Heard that the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) fields are male-dominated? Boring? Laboratory-based? A place with limited progression? Mostof these stereotypes are false except that the STEM industry by and large remains male dominated, says Ms Evangeline Chua, Chief People Officer at GovTech.

A job interview is the time for you to showcase your strengths, tell your story and win over your potential employers. But beyond dressing well and showing up on time, how else can you make a good impression? Deputy Director of Human Resources (HR) and Organisation Development at the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC), Ms Julie Melwani, gives us an insight on how to score at the next interview.

Knowing what industry or type of job you wouldn’t want to work in is still a form of direction, Mr Liew Hean Wah, Senior Director at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, declares. This, he says, is the beauty of internships – the learning goes beyond skills, portfolios and networking to allow for valuable growth and self-discovery.

“Before we discuss what Growth Mindset is, we must first understand what mindset means. It’s how we perceive the world and our attitude towards it,” explained Spencer, Director of Human Resource at the Civil Service College. “How we think is how we feel, and how we feel determines how we act.”

Technology will take the front seat in the future of work, revolutionising the way organisations operate. Public agencies have been equally quick to jump on the digital bandwagon and the Home Team agencies under MHA are no exception Senior HR Director at MHA, Ms Shirlyn Ng, about the steps officers can take to thrive in this new environment.

When pondering what career path to take upon graduation, Ms. Dawn Lee, Director of EDB’s human resources division, settled on two things: she wanted a job that would create an impact on people and she wanted to understand how businesses work.

Being able to grow continuously helps to keep us on our toes and prevents us from hitting plateaus in our careers. Mr Goh Mui Pong, Deputy Director and Head of the MAS Academy, has been in the Public Service for about ten years, and he shares from his own experience on how to spice things up in our careers and push ourselves out of our comfort zones to keep growing. 

What will the workplace be like in 2019 and beyond? The Public Service’s Chief Human Resources Officer Ms Low Peck Kem shares three trends to look out for.

With over eight hours a day spent in the office, we see our colleagues more than our family members – work truly consumes a huge portion of our lives, Dr Noraslinda Zuber, Director Human Capital at Majlis Ugama Islam, Singapura (MUIS), notes.

With over two decades of service and multiple stints across different government agencies under his belt, Mr Patrick Yee, now People Management and Development Director at the National Library Board (NLB), is a true Public Service veteran. These are his tips to navigating a successful Public Service career.

Currently on secondment with the Public Service Division (PSD), from the Ministry of Education (MOE), here’s how Kitson Tan continues to pursue change and growth in the workplace and in his own career.

“Purpose is important to me because we have one life to live and I want to make my life count,” said Mr Goh Mui Pong, Deputy Director and Head of the MAS Academy under the Monetary Authority of Singapore. His purpose? To help others find their purpose. “I want to be the pen to help people write their stories,” he quipped.