Temasek Polytechnic (TP) Mechatronics graduate Tan Yong Heng, 26, had spent six months on a fruitless hunt for a job.
He had started looking for a job in December 2019, while he was still in National Service (NS). Unfortunately, the job market was starting to take a turn for the worse owing to the developing COVID-19 situation around the world.
“I needed a job badly as I was low on savings,” he said. “I was willing to take up any full-time job, regardless of whether it was related to what I studied in polytechnic or not.”
Then came a lifeline from his alma mater.
Saved by the bell
In June 2020, Yong Heng came across an email from TP. It was about a new initiative called the TP Graduate Career Kick-Starter Programme.
The programme was rolled out because of the economic slowdown caused by the pandemic, and was targeted at TP’s 2020 graduating cohort as well as recent graduates, like Yong Heng.
The programme has three components: job listings and matching services; courses for skills upgrading; and career coaching services, which include training from TP’s Education & Career Guidance Centre.
Thanks to this programme, Yong Heng worked with TP to update his CV, which was sent to the school’s various partners who were looking to hire new workers. Subsequently, he was shortlisted by a leading semiconductor company in Singapore, and was eventually offered a permanent, full-time position as an equipment technologist in July.
In the five months that he has been working at his new job, Yong Heng says that he has learnt a lot, including being certified to operate various kinds of equipment used in the manufacturing process of semiconductors.
He has also been able to put knowledge from his course to practical use. “In school, it was more theoretical. But here I get hands-on experience and learn about the various standard operating procedures (SOPs) of the machinery.”
Feeling thankful
Yong Heng said he deeply appreciates the support he received from his course manager, Ms Chan Choy Peng.
After replying to the email about the Kick-Starter programme, he began to communicate regularly with Ms Chan about the status of his applications.
“She helped me to make changes to my resume to better showcase my skills and qualifications, and she sent it to various companies to try and get me interviews,” recalled Yong Heng.
Looking ahead
With this experience, Yong Heng hopes in future to be part of a team that creates new products involving research and development.
“I think I would most likely take up a job in the front end of manufacturing, as I’m more interested in understanding the process of how companies come out with products to meet their clients’ needs.”
Asked if he had any advice for others who are looking for work in this pandemic climate, Yong Heng said it was important to know when you need help.
“Always accept new challenges and don’t be afraid to ask for help,” he added. “Opportunities open up to those who ask.”
