Left: Lexis Teo | Right: Timothy Tan

By Mabel Tan

Insurance agents hold a tough but rewarding career. They face countless rejections from people who don’t know any better and might face scepticism from their peers who have preconceived notions about their job.

Yet, insurance continues to thrive in Singapore and is now a billion-dollar industry. This pie will only become bigger in the future as the country grows.

Meet two Great Eastern representatives who have managed to thrive in their career and are now reaping the rewards of their hard work and labour.

Energy plays an undeniably instrumental role in every aspect of our daily lives, be it at home, in school or in the industry. We go behind the scenes and speak to two EMA scholars, who possess innovative ideas and a passion to shape the future of Singapore’s energy landscape.

By Farhan Shah

Despite their youthful appearance, 19-year-old Ren Kejia and 21-year-old Eng Zi Guang possess ambitions that would put many of their older peers to shame. With a scholarship from the Energy Market Authority (EMA) in their bags and a spring in their step, these two scholars hope to change the energy landscape in Singapore, one light bulb at a time.

Congratulations on obtaining the scholarship. What are your plans now?
Kejia: I’m majoring in Economics at the University of Chicago. With the university’s penchant for academic diversity and rigour, I hope to be able to better understand the intricate linkages of economics to other fields, such as business and politics.

By Mabel Tan

Established in 1972, DSO National Laboratories is one of Singapore’s premier national defence research and development (R&D) organisations for national defence.
With more than 1,000 research scientists and engineers, its mission is to sharpen the cutting edge of Singapore’s national security via new technologies and out-of-the-box solutions.

Through positive core values that emphasise the spirit of ‘learning by doing’, DSO aims to become a wellspring of technological knowledge, a fountain of innovation, and an inspiration to the R&D community in Singapore.

One of DSO’s innovative initiatives was the X-SAT, Singapore’s first ever indigenous microsatellite. Built in collaboration with Nanyang Technological University (NTU), the satellite was successfully launched on 20 April 2011. Research Engineer Gan Theng Huat reveals how he helped in this momentous project.

Contributed

Micron Technology, Inc. is a leading provider of advanced semiconductor solutions. It manufactures and markets a full range of memory technologies, as well as other packaging solutions and semiconductor systems, for use in consumer, computing, networking, and embedded products.

By Mabel Tan

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of environmentalists? Does an image of green crusaders with a penchant for preaching to anyone who is willing to listen come to mind?

Meet two students who are certainly not the tree-huggers or Armageddon prophets some people perceive them to be.

Both 26-year-old Melvin Tang and 29-year-old Ng Jiawei are pursuing their doctorate in civil and environmental engineering with the help of the Environmental & Water Technologies scholarship administered by the National Research Foundation and PUB’s Environment & Water Industry Programme Office.

Most fresh graduates aspire to have a career that is both challenging and satisfying. Two public officers from the Management Associates Programme tell us about the enriching intensity and fulfilment they have found in their jobs.

By Mabel Tan

By Mabel Tan

Nothing ever stays the same in the Singapore Tourism Board (STB). From travelling the world on the behest of work to interacting with foreign dignitaries, no working day is the same as its employees work towards positioning Singapore into a unique and compelling destination for leisure and business visitors.

26-year-old Sandy Koh and 27-year-old Janice Fong tell us how life is like in STB and share with us the countless opportunities offered to them – both in and out of the country.

Despite having more than 60 years of experience in the machine tools industry, Makino continually strives to be at the forefront of innovation. This is what they call – the Makino Way. We speak to two engineers from Makino as they share with us how Makino plays a role in our lives without us even knowing about it.

By Farhan Shah

One’s a German who came to Singapore after being approached despite having never been to this part of the world before while the other had an innate interest in developing innovative engineering solutions for a better world.

Despite hailing from vastly different backgrounds, the both of them found what they were looking for in Makino – a global engineering company that influences the lives of tons of people, without them even knowing about it.

Set up in 1961, NTUC has come a long way since its humble days operating from homes and holding meetings at public places such as the library and museum. Today, the NTUC has become an all-encompassing organisation with interests all over the country. However, its mission is still the same – to be the voice of the workers. As the organisation celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, we talk to three NTUC officers who share with us what it is like to be working in the Labour Movement.

By Farhan Shah

“One part I like about my job is that I can say no to a CEO. I’ve said no a lot of times to a number of them. There aren’t many jobs with such an opportunity!” David Lim says, his hearty laughs echoing around the cavernous room.

With more than five years of experience in the field, the 37-year-old has had more than his fair share of companies that try to shortchange their employees. That’s when he steps in, acting as a mediator between the disgruntled workers and the company’s management.