Joanna Sng never thought that she’d end up with a career at EDB; it’s status as a statutory board conveyed images of stuffiness laced with red-tape. She now knows how far she was from the truth…

By Azhar Jalil

Having graduated from NUS Business School in 2006 with a major in Marketing, Joanna Sng wasn’t too aware of careers available in the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB). ”When I was in school, I was interested in the business development and marketing aspects of things, so I also took up courses in finance,” she said. It was only when her résumé was picked up by EDB through her school’s career office that she began to discover that the government agency wasn’t what she thought what it’d be...

“After the first interview with them, I found EDB to be interesting so I talked to people in the know and read up about what a career there truly involves,” recalls Joanna. “I was actually contemplating a career in consulting. The difference with EDB is that you take on a very active role in shaping the development of companies in Singapore,” said Joanna, explaining her decision.

Adding on, she said: “I think it’s very exciting for a fresh grad to get to meet and present to businessmen from everywhere, especially when your ideas are taken seriously.”

Masterminding the economy

EDB’s role in developing Singapore is to plan and execute economic strategies to enhance the country’s position as a global hub for business and investment. A career as a Senior Officer in EDB however, goes beyond just selling Singapore. Besides attracting companies to set up shop here, the agency also has to ensure that products are sound and if necessary, suggest improvements and address gaps. Additionally, the board facilitates the company’s entrance to Singapore and helps to troubleshoot teething problems.

Acting as the conduit between commercial entities and the Singapore Government, EDB naturally enjoys a good overview of both sides and their respective issues. For example, if an R&D firm sets up here, EDB links it to other government agencies that can help in setting up laboratories and provides the contacts for research collaboration.

Today’s economic climate injects another challenging aspect into Joanna’s work. Rising costs like increasing office rentals is currently one of the more pressing issues. To complicate matters, EDB, as a government agency, cannot directly interfere in company-company transactions.

"What we can do however is to prevent the situation from getting out of hand by increasing office supply through flooding the market with office space and developing the Marina Bay area downtown,” she explains.

For Joanna, there’s no such thing as a regular day at work. “Today, we might be brainstorming on strategies to build the industry; tomorrow, dealing with industry issues like limited resources and the next, doing presentations to directors and CEOs,” she quipped. “There are neither typical portfolios nor jobs when dealing with different companies, all with varying issues.”

“It’s a super fun environment!”

While all this might seem daunting to the uninitiated, rest assured that life in EDB isn’t as tough as it seems. New hires are inducted with a formal training program that introduces them to the ‘hard’ aspects of the job through lessons in taxes, basic finance and presentation skills. Each respective division in EDB also conducts its own on-the-job training where fresh officers are paired with a buddy who mentors and guides them with work; other superiors take a hands-on approach for the first few months to ensure that recruits aren’t overwhelmed by the scope of things.

If deemed competent, they are then empowered to shoulder heavier responsibilities. “This independence is a good thing because sometimes, decisions need to be made then and there,” says Joanna. “Of course there’s always the fear of making a poor call,” she admits, “but we never go in alone; our buddies and bosses are always there with us.”

Pleasantly surprisingly for her, Joanna found EDB to be a very vibrant place to work in. “Of course there are certain inescapable things such as paperwork but I wouldn’t say it’s overwhelming,” she says. Staff also have Connexions, a funkily furnished recreation area where they’re able to unwind through foosball or simply soaking up the view of the CBD from the 21st-storey.

“It’s a very young place,” she says. “Almost everyone’s in the same age group and sometimes we even see faces from junior college so we get along very well. We regularly go out together for meals or drinks; it’s hard work here but we play just as hard.”

“It’s a super fun environment and we are not at all stuffy!” she says with a laugh.

Promoting this atmosphere is the relatively flat organisation structure at EDB. Joanna explains: “most of the time, I email straight to my directors with copies made to my bosses.” This efficiency allows the board to react rapidly and effectively to the fluid markets. “Industries don’t stand alone, they survive in an ecosystem of supplier-customer relationships and value chains; that’s how we manage them.”

Joanna’s experience in her line attests to this; when she began two years ago, the consumer industry was only just beginning to take root here. Currently managing the accounts for such household names such as SK-II, Johnson & Johnson, and P&G, Joanna says: “I’m very lucky to have been able to work with the industry from inception up till today.”

Broadening horizons

As part of the rotation at EDB, Joanna will be moving on to the biomedical sciences sector. “This area is relatively new but doing very well,” she notes. It won’t be a totally new ballgame for her however; she aims to translate the knowledge and skills picked up from the consumer business to the biomedical industry and then using these along with her experience to help the scene grow.

To survive and thrive here, EDB officers need to learn to deal with various types of people while working in a dynamic team environment. “We have to think critically and strategically,” says Joanna. “We also need to be well prepared because there is an incredible amount of learning to do here, both specialised and general, covering such a wealth, breadth and depth of information.”

Motivating her in her work is the knowledge that her work has a lasting impact. “I’m making a real difference in the lives of Singaporeans and it’s incredibly exciting to be involved in shaping the industry as well as the company’s future here.”

Still, her greatest satisfaction is to look back and say “Yes, I’ve contributed something significant to the Singapore economy.”

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