Singtel Group
Feature | Organisation

People to Empower Technology

Singtel Group
Two Singtel scholars share how the organisation has groomed them to make a difference in the world of technology.

Serving mobile customers in 22 countries and connecting more than 640 million mobile customers across the globe, Singtel has earned its reputation for being one of Asia’s leading communications groups. To constantly remain at the forefront of technological innovation, the organisation has gone beyond just telecommunications. It has expanded its reach and has gained a firm foothold in digital technology areas like mobile advertising, digital content, cyber security, data analytics and cloud computing.

This realm of digital technology is a fast-paced one and Singtel relies on dedicated and passionate employees to help the company continue to break new grounds. As such, development programmes such as the Singtel Group Undergraduate Scholarship and the Singtel Engineering Cadet Scholarship have been launched with a goal of investing and developing young talent.

Singtel Group Undergraduate Scholar, Sim Jia Qing and Singtel Engineering Cadet Scholar, Arielyte Tsen Chung Ming, share the reasons they chose the Singtel scholarships and explain how their time with the organisation has benefited them thus far.

Arielyte Tsen Chung Ming

Arielyte Tsen Chung Ming 
Singtel Engineering Cadet Scholar

Student

Diploma in Computer Engineering
Singapore Polytechnic

“Instead of being a consumer of technology, why not be a developer of technology?”

Developing Dreams

Arielyte has always been passionate about technology and the ways in which it has been used to impact lives. When considering his options for the future, he thought to himself, “Instead of being a consumer of technology, why not be a developer of technology?”

He admits that his first impression of Singtel was that it was just a telecommunications company. Upon conducting proper research, he was amazed at the depth and scope of Singtel’s work and felt strongly that his interests were well-aligned with the organisation’s goals.

“The global outlook and diversity of business meant that there will be ample opportunities for me to contribute within the company. That sparked my interest,” he recalls.

These were the same qualities that drew Jia Qing to Singtel. Although Jia Qing’s passion lay in business and finance, he too, was taken by the scale of Singtel’s work. The chance to contribute to one of the largest and most recognised companies in Singapore, he says, was an exciting one, and something he felt could not be missed.

Sim Jia Qing

Sim Jia Qing 
Singtel Group Undergraduate Scholar

Student

Bachelor of Business Administration
(Accountancy)
National University of Singapore

"The most beneficial aspect would be the people skills that I have learnt from my supervisor and colleagues."

Investing in Training

Since taking their respective scholarships, both Arielyte and Jia Qing have found avenues in Singtel that have helped them further develop their passions and interests.

As a Singtel Cadet Scholar, Arielyte was given a chance to undergo SHINE, a structured internship that gave him the opportunity to work on real-world assignments and receive mentorship by experienced professionals.

He completed his first internship with the product management team at NCS’s Smart and Safe City, Centre of Excellence. Besides attending product launches and networking with diverse teams from data analytics, engineering, the Internet-of-Things (IoT) and sales, he was also tasked to conduct market and product analysis.

Together, this enhanced his understanding on how IoT sensors, data analytics and machine learning can be put together to solve real-world problems, automate tasks, and help people make more informed decisions.

Jia Qing had an equally enriching experience. He was posted to Innov8, Singtel’s venture capital, where he researched on two areas integral to Singapore’s growth in the future – the start-up ecosystem and robotics. This led him to many notable start-ups related events like InnovFest Unbound 2016, Echelon 2016, and SPH Plug N Play 2016, for him to uncover the start-up scene and scout for potential investments.

Jia Qing believes this experience gave him in-depth knowledge of the start-up scene in Singapore, and has empowered him with confidence as he moves into the future.

Despite this, “The most beneficial aspect would be the people skills that I have learnt from my supervisor and colleagues. The way they act and how they treat others with respect and sincerity is something that I will always keep in mind and try to emulate,” he adds.

Arielyte echoes this sentiment and adds that a valuable takeaway for him, too, was learning how to work with different people and understand their technical jargon.

“I learnt that not everything can be taught or learnt in school,” he exclaims. He explains that this is especially so for the field of technology, as the pace of change means what is taught in school can sometimes be outdated.

The Singtel DNA

Arielyte shares that the rapidly changing industry is partly why stellar academic results are not enough for someone to excel at Singtel. Rather, he says, the importance of Singtel’s work in the global sphere makes it crucial that each staff also possesses values – like teamwork, integrity and a customer-focused mind-set – that align with the organisation.

He advises aspiring scholars to integrate these core values into their daily life and to do proper research on Singtel’s work before applying for the scholarship.

Jia Qing agrees, and adds that his experience has taught him that it is key to be willing to work hard, to believe in lifelong learning and to wield both confidence and humility.

Ultimately, to all the potential scholars, he advises, “Just do it! It offers you so much more than just a career.”