#WhereAreWeeNow

Alex Teh (CS'09)

LEAP OF FAITH: The 2009 economic recession pushed five WKWSCI alumni to set up Little Red Ants Creative Studio after graduation. For co-founder Alex Teh (CS’09) and his WKWSCI batchmates Adeline Ong, Darren Tan, Poh Yan Zhao and Sam Kang Li, the growing uncertainty felt by the class of 2009 emboldened the founding team.

“We felt that we didn’t have as much to lose, as compared to if we were graduating into a ‘normal’ economy. Of course, that meant the first few years were tougher. We really had to do almost everything to survive.”

Today, the team is busy working on producing video content across different formats and platforms for clients ranging from Facebook to the Central Provident Fund Board (CPF).

“I think it’s wise to keep an open mind because almost everything is changing really quickly. The new world might require you to work outside of the comfort zone that you’ve experienced in school and on internships.”

Angeline Leow (CS’09)

BIG NAMES: Like many of her peers then, Angeline Leow (CS’09) had grown increasingly anxious as she approached graduation. The class of 2009 were entering a job market where opportunities were limited, especially for fresh graduates. “I was looking for a role in public relations and communications but many employers weren't offering full-time positions. I remember writing numerous cover letters and sending my resumes to multiple firms and waiting anxiously to hear back from recruiters.”

It was Angeline’s experience at her professional internship that led her to a role in the public sector. “I interned at a PR agency and my former boss had moved on to the Ministry of Manpower shortly after. I considered a career at the Ministry of Manpower because of her and till this day, I'm thankful for the relationships I forged during my six-month internship.”

After more than two years at MOM, Angeline went on to lead communications departments in the Singapore Economic Development Board and Goldman Sachs before starting at Google in 2016. As Head of Singapore Communications, Angeline promotes the tech giant’s efforts across search, YouTube, display advertising, Cloud and all of Google’s consumer products available in Singapore. “My role also includes developing initiatives to strengthen Google’s contribution to Singapore.”

Anisha Baghudana (CS'09)

FOCUS ON FLEXIBILITY: Faced with the 2009 economic crisis then, Anisha Baghudana’s (CS’09) job search in Singapore had proven “rocky” and difficult. “My “dream” job at that time was not offered to me, even after I interviewed successfully. Communication from the employer was slow, which was frustrating and made me doubt myself.”
Anisha then looked beyond our borders and hopped on a flight to West Africa after graduation. “My first job out of college was at a tech incubator in Ghana! It was such an exciting and unique opportunity.”

At Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology, Anisha taught marketing and worked on business plans with entrepreneurs. “I had an incredibly fun time!” After a year in Ghana, Anisha returned to Singapore for a role in business development.

Anisha’s career path has seen her join Procter & Gamble, Mastercard, Crocs, and, most recently, Hasbro. Today, Anisha heads the e-commerce and integrated media teams for five markets — Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong and Taiwan. “I am responsible for growing the e-commerce business profitably and maximising the impact of our media cost-effectively.”

Anisha hopes graduates can focus their energies on what they can do today. “Your twenties are a great time to experiment! Start by being clear about your obligations, like loans, and find ways to do good work.”
“Be open-minded and entrepreneurial about marketing yourself. Don’t get frustrated — in the long run, this will feel like a blip in time.”

Bernadette Yuen (CS'09)

CHANGING COURSE: Although Bernadette Yuen (CS’09) had spent her time in WKWSCI reading journalism modules, the former news editor at campus paper The Nanyang Chronicle chose to enter public relations during a particularly rough period for the economy.

“At that time, many media houses had frozen hiring because of the recession. I went into events management first with an internship at an events company, then stumbled into public relations at a global PR consultancy.”

Bernadette spent five years with the firm before heading to OCBC Bank. Today, she serves as Assistant Vice President of Group Brand & Communications at the multinational corporation.

In her words, Bernadette tries to make her employer “famous”. “I showcase to the media our new banking products, digital and branch banking services, and how to grow and manage money.”

As today’s graduating cohort faces challenges similar to those overcome by the class of 2009, Bernadette reminds the latest batch of WKWSCI graduates to remain optimistic.

Dillon Tan (CS'09)

TOUGH CHOICES: As the 2009 economic recession loomed over the graduating cohort then, Dillon Tan (CS’09) and his batchmates had begun attending job interviews while in their final semester. “I spoke to four or five agencies and realised then that the PR agencies would only hire graduate interns at a fraction of the average salary in the industry.”

“We were forced to be pragmatic. It was a bitter pill to swallow but I joined a boutique PR agency as a graduate intern.”

Now based in Shanghai, China, Dillon is the China Event Marketing Manager for financial software and media giant Bloomberg. “I do not have a very fixed job role and my day-to-day responsibilities can range from live events, speaker acquisition, content curation, digital marketing, planning webinars and virtual events, and partner and budget management.”

Lee Khaiyan (CS’09)

ROOM TO GROW: When Lee Khaiyan (CS’09) graduated from WKWSCI, newsrooms were not hiring due to the economic crisis then. “I looked around for other jobs that would still fit my passion of telling stories in an interesting way.”

Khaiyan applied to many companies that she had not considered in the past, including management trainee positions and roles in the government. She eventually took on a video producer role at MINDEF, where she produced “many compelling videos of our armed forces”.

Four years later, Khaiyan landed a reporter role with Channel 8. “Even though it took a while, I got there eventually!”

Today, Khaiyan is part of Changi Airport Group’s Corporate and Marketing Communications team, where she handles public communications. “I focus on the Chinese market, and reach out to Chinese travellers through dedicated Chinese platforms to inspire them to travel through Changi Airport.”

Sheere Ng (CS'09)

DETOUR: The post-graduation job search saw Sheere Ng (CS’09) spending a year designing flyers and coding emails for a travel agency, work she had “zero experience and interest in” but accepted in order to repay student loans. In the years that followed, Sheere found work reporting for ICIS and The Business Times. What she really wanted to do, however, was write about food.

“I happened to meet the editor of a food magazine at a media event. She talked about hiring me as a freelancer but didn't reply to my email later.” Sheere then took part in a recipe contest run by the magazine, which she won. “I bumped into the editor again when I was at her office collecting my prize. That afternoon, she wrote to me and offered me assignments.”

Armed with experience in food writing, Sheere then landed a full-time job at local food guide Makansutra, where she stayed for two years before heading to Boston University for a master’s in food studies.

Today, Sheere runs In Plain Words, a creative agency she co-founded with her husband, Justin Zhuang (CS’09). Her self-published book about illegal cooking in prisons and drug rehabilitation centres during the 70s and 80s is set to be released by the end of the year.

“People who enjoy what they do are the minority. If you have to take a detour like I did, remember that longer journeys offer great views too.”

Victoria Ng (CS'09)

MOBILITY IN MARKETING: Looking back at the 2009 economic crisis, Victoria Ng (CS’09) thinks she had been too “idealistic” about the job market then.

“I was rather fixated about looking for a marketing role in a global company. I became one of the last few among my circle of friends to get a job. I know very well the pressures of watching your peers get employed while you are struggling to land interviews.”

Victoria eventually accepted a role in the scholarships promotion team at the Agency for Science, Technology and Research, or A*STAR. “It was far from what I had envisioned myself doing, but it laid some basic marketing foundations and knowledge, such as agency and event management, which became a springboard for me when the opportunity came to join Unilever in 2011.”

Today, Victoria is marketing manager at Zespri, a New Zealand-based kiwifruit company, where she oversees operations in Asia, Middle East, India and Africa. “My work involves developing the marketing strategy for the region, creating marketing assets and executing marketing campaigns in these markets.”

Bambby Cheuk (CS’20)

MAKING WAVES: After returning from last year’s Going Advanced For Overseas Reporting (Go-Far) trip to Okinawa, Bambby Cheuk (CS’20) began piecing together hours of footage for her documentary on whale sharks. 

The finished product, titled “Sea of Fertility”, has been selected for 3 international film festivals: the International Underwater Film Festival Belgrade in Serbia, International Nature Film Festival in Gödöllő, Hungary, and the Shorties Film Festival, which covers the Asia-Pacific region.

The 9-minute short film explores the different relationships that Okinawans have with the environment and features interviews with conservationists and protestors.

 “Using the topic of whale shark captivity, we see how it is difficult to come to a consensus on how to love the environment the ‘right’ way – some love the environment and want to take care of it, some love the environment because they expect the environment to take care of them.”

Bambby also won third place at last year’s Asian Scientist Writing Prize for an accompanying article on how scientists are trying to rescue fragile coral reefs — an essential part of the marine ecosystem — on the Japanese island.

Chew Wen Yie Janelle (CS’20)

VIRAL MARKET: Through NTU’s Work and Study China Programme, Chew Wen Yie Janelle (CS’20) spent a semester in Shanghai as an editorial assistant at Time Out Shanghai. Wen Yie spent her Professional Internship (PI) roaming the metropolitan city, interviewing locals and writing for the travel and lifestyle publication.

“It didn't feel like work most of the time and I gained a lot of insight into the booming consumer market in culturally-rich Shanghai.”

As a fresh graduate, Wen Yie is now working in the partnerships department of TikTok, the Chinese-owned short video sharing platform, where she assists in managing clients and ensuring that ads run smoothly on the application.

“I wanted to apply specifically to a company with links to China. I am intrigued by how Chinese companies are incorporating tech, data analytics and AI to personalise and improve their user experience.”

During her time in WKWSCI, Wen Yie organised the 2018 edition of Perspectives Film Festival, as part of the Film Festival Practicum course. “It let me come up with creative ideas and propose realistic solutions to solve real-world problems.”

Christy Yip (CS'19)

HUMAN INTEREST: At CNA Insider, Christy Yip (CS’19) writes and produces short online documentaries on human interest stories. In February, Christy co-produced a two-part series on hunger and food insecurity among Singaporean households.

“Every newsmaker I meet challenges me to tell their story with heart and accuracy. Plus, I get to wield my camera.”

Christy sharpened her photography skills and “news sense” at WKWSCI. “It helped me to hit the ground running when I started work at CNA Insider,” she said.

Dewey Sim (CS'19)

FIRST IN HIS FIELD: Just months after his graduation, Dewey Sim (CS’19) became the first and only Singapore-based reporter working full-time for the South China Morning Post.

In September, Dewey covered the Hong Kong protests for one weekend. He recalls interviewing people when police fired tear gas. “The protesters told me ‘you have to run into the shopping mall now because the tear gas is coming’.”

As a young reporter, Dewey looks forward to learning from experienced journalists.

 “I think the thing about journalism is that you pick up skills while you're at it,” he said. “Time and experience help hone your skills and make you a better journalist.”

Feline Lim (CS'18)

VISUAL STORYTELLING: In her first year as a freelance visual journalist, Feline Lim (CS’18) covered the Trump-Kim summit and the 2018 Asian Games.

Her most memorable opportunity, however, was an exclusive interview with Malaysian Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad last year, which she shot for Reuters.

“I went to shoot a portrait of him at an air show in Langkawi. It was stressful because we had to wait outside his room for hours. But when I went in I had only a couple of minutes to set up my lights and shoot, because my colleagues were given limited time for their interview.”

Feline’s passion for photojournalism deepened after her internship at The Straits Times photo desk and a school trip to South Korea on the Going Overseas For Advanced Reporting module. “There really isn’t anything else that makes me as happy as using photos to tell stories,” she said.

Germaine Tan (CS’19)

RADIO GA GA: From a young age, Germaine Tan (CS’19) dreamt of using her voice for good. Today, she co-hosts a weekday show on English hit music station 987FM.

As a kid, she would pretend to make announcements on toy microphones. Two decades later, she’s doing the same thing, but on national radio.

Germaine’s first step into radio was a decision made “for fun”. In 2015, she took part in 987FM’s Radio Star competition and emerged as second runner-up.

Following the competition, the radio personality joined Class 95 FM and co-produced content on “Muttons In The Morning”, alongside radio veterans Justin Ang and Vernon A.

Aside from her weekday show, Germaine is also a professional host with eight years of experience.

Jolene Ang (CS’18)

REMOTE REPORTING: As a Straits Times journalist, Jolene Ang (CS’18) is used to fast-paced work days and managing multiple interviewees. To cover the Covid-19 situation, the education reporter is working around circuit breaker measures by conducting video and phone interviews.

Her most recent stories include how universities deter cheating in online exams and parents’ response to the shift in school holidays. “A big part of today’s education news involves home-based learning and I’m speaking to parents and students, which, thankfully, can be done remotely.”

The former intern at The New Paper sports desk counts her Professional Internship (PI) and Final-Year Project (FYP) as the highlights of her time at WKWSCI. “PI gave me a taste of life as a journalist and FYP gave us a chance to hone our skills in terms of hunting for stories, doing really in-depth interviews and putting everything together.”

Kong Tin Jun (CS'18)

THE MULTITASKER: During his four years in WKWSCI, Kong Tin Jun (CS’18) dabbled in multiple specialisation tracks. He shot a documentary that was selected for multiple film festivals and worked in Shanghai as an editorial intern at Time Out Shanghai.

“When I started, I wanted to be a film director, so I took many modules related to filmmaking,” said Tin Jun. “But in my second year I ventured out and decided to do a research FYP.”

In 2018, Tin Jun was crowned champion in YES 93.3’s Hey DJ Talent Search Competition. Following a period of job shadowing at the Chinese language radio station, he is now a part-time DJ.

Today, Tin Jun is Assistant Manager at the Communications and Engagement Office of the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore. His job involves planning initiatives to raise awareness and encourage the adoption of good cyber hygiene habits.

“WKWSCI has taught me how to think out of the box, embrace challenges and be a good problem solver.”

Lim Jia Yao (CS’20)

THE CORPORATE WORLD: Following his graduation, Lim Jia Yao (CS’20) will join Visa as a technical writer under its technology graduate programme. “My job is to manage documentation that helps banks understand Visa’s products, so they can move money around securely and efficiently.”

This marks his return to the company after spending a semester there, as part of his Professional Internship (PI). “My experiences with Visa have opened my eyes to the many fascinating roles out there that are open to comms graduates, if you just set your mind to it.”

For Jia Yao, the International Strategic Communication Management (ISCM) course — and its accompanying trip to North Carolina — formed the highlight of his academic life in WKWSCI. With his chosen topic of automated journalism, Jia Yao and his team pitched the prototype to experts, the press and even to the public.

Lynn Chan (CS'20)

SOCIAL STORYTELLING: A passion for non-profit work led Lynn Chan (CS'20) to join Our Better World, the digital storytelling initiative of the Singapore International Foundation. As community executive, Lynn assists in managing the organisation's online community.

Lynn first got a glimpse into the world of public relations through the Public Relations Writing and Communication Campaigns modules, which helped her from her internship at NParks last year to her role at Our Better World today. “My fresh knowledge on research allows me to give input to the team on how we can better measure the impact we are driving.”

"In WKWSCI, everyone's trying out new things together. The school culture provides a lot of freedom for exploration, and everyone's super encouraging and passionate."