Pursuing life goals through lifelong learning and advancing expertise in project management

 

Maung Hla Thein

Project Control Manager at HSL Constructor Pte Ltd
Completed FlexiMasters in Project Management, Master of Science in Project Management, and currently pursuing a PhD

Please share with us your professional life’s journey and at which point in your career did you aspire to pursue this FlexiMasters?

I started my career as a general worker in Singapore with high school certification earned from my home country, Myanmar. I upgraded myself by working full-time and taking part-time courses concurrently. I was promoted to senior project manager when I was pursuing a diploma from Ngee Ann Polytechnic and a degree from SUSS. After the promotion, I realised the need to equip myself with managerial skills to be a successful manager. Thus I searched for suitable courses and found PaCE@NTU offering FlexiMasters in Project Management that is stackable to Master of Science in Project Management. I decided to pursue courses from this FlexiMasters to stack the credits earned to the Master’s degree.


Describe the factors that led you to choose PaCE@NTU.

Although it was challenging for me to set aside budget for my upskilling due to the financial constraints I have as a family man with two kids and supporting my parents at the same time, I was eager to upgrade myself to stay competitive for the worst. I found PaCE@NTU offering management courses with SkillsFuture Mid-Career Enhanced Subsidy (MCES) of 90% of the course fees. I decided to fulfill my dream and upskill with PaCE@NTU.


Has this FlexiMasters benefitted you in your career development?

This FlexiMasters has benefitted me both directly and indirectly. Directly, I gain advantageous position compare to my competitors for new job applications. Indirectly, I equip myself with more knowledge to perform better on my roles and responsibilities that I hold in my organisation. Not only do I acquire the knowledge from these courses but also I can share them with my colleagues and student interns.


How did you find studying in NTU?

I have a wonderful experience studying in NTU. Their programmes are tailored to suit working adults and course materials are relatively applicable to real life. The professors are experienced in both education and industry, and can provide us industrial relevant examples during the lectures. Facilities such as library and online resources are also very convenient for us in our learning.


What are the challenges you faced when trying to complete this FlexiMasters?

My biggest challenge is time management. Time is limited for me as a family man with full-time job. It is very difficult but proper planning and commitment make it possible. I fix a few hours on weekends for my studies and assignments to meet the deadline. I also spend time to study after office hours on weekdays whenever available.


How do you juggle family and working life with your studies?

Planning plays a key role to juggle my family, working life and studies. I always look ahead for workload prior to enrollment and enrol in reasonable number of courses to avoid overloading myself. On top of time management, I also set milestones to complete my assignments before the submission deadline to avoid last minute rush.