Enterprise Singapore
Feature | Enterprise Singapore

Enterprising Young Minds

To nurture a vibrant economy with globally competitive businesses, Enterprise Singapore helps companies to build capabilities, develop innovative new solutions, and go international.
Energy Market Authority of Singapore

A rapidly changing business landscape and digital disruption have changed the way companies, industries, and businesses work. With Asia as the world’s current growth engine and Singapore at the centre of it all, opportunities may be abundant but competition is increasingly intense. More than ever, businesses find themselves having to plan for the future and be agile.

This is where Enterprise Singapore comes into the picture. Formed to champion enterprise development, the organisation works with businesses from budding startups to SMEs and high-growth companies. Adopting a company-centric approach, the organisation provides programmes and support that are catered to each company’s stage of growth and needs.

It takes employees with a knack for partnerships and collaborations to support enterprise growth across various types of companies. With each company and industry presenting a unique set of challenges, a dedicated and resourceful team is key to Enterprise Singapore’s success.

Opening New Doors

For many bright-eyed 18-year-olds, narrowing down the seemingly endless possibilities to decide on your dream career can be a challenge.

Yueh Yuan Teng

Yueh Yuan Teng 
Development Partner, Trade
Master’s in Management Science and Engineering
– Columbia University
Bachelor’s in Economics – London School of Economics and Political Science

Not so much for Yueh Yuan Teng though. Inspired by the public servants who paved the way for Singapore’s rapid growth since our independence, she was eager to take up the baton and continue the legacy of nation building.

Eight years on, Yuan Teng’s choices have led her to flourish in her current capacity as a Development Partner in Enterprise Singapore’s Trade division. It’s a role which finds her working with local enterprises in the electronics and automotive parts sectors to build capabilities, innovate, and internationalise.

The work exposes her to a broad range of topics and issues, and each company presents its own suite of challenges. By understanding each company’s business needs, she’s able to support their growth in the form of business advice, capability development, and even introducing them to potential partners and customers. As part of her work, the 26-year-old also finds herself leading missions to global trade shows and industry-specific events, where businesses under her purview can connect with other industry players, opening up opportunities for new business partnerships.

When asked about a particularly memorable experience in her work so far, she recounts her experience at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2018. Together with colleagues from Enterprise Singapore’s Los Angeles Overseas Centre, Yuan Teng led a delegation of Singapore start-ups to exhibit at the leading consumer electronics show. “It was a long process of organising logistics and securing approval, funding, and suitable participants to fly Singapore’s flag high. However, it was fulfilling to see everything come to fruition, especially when some of the exhibiting companies were featured in the media.”

It’s not always Yuan Teng rendering help and giving companies advice. In her interactions with different companies, she often finds herself gaining valuable insight, a part of her work that she truly enjoys. “I find it very inspiring to hear company founders and CEOs share their experiences. There’s always something to learn from these industry veterans, some of whom have been in the trade for longer than I’ve been in this world.”

“There’s always something to learn from these industry veterans, some of whom have been in the trade for longer than I’ve been in this world.” Yuan Teng

A Wealth Of Opportunities

Yuan Teng attributes some of her success to the development opportunities that Enterprise Singapore has given her. Under her scholarship, she was able to work alongside peers from diverse cultures, who provided different perspectives and enabled Yuan Teng to think about issues very differently.

Enterprise Singapore has proved supportive of her learning and training needs, even after graduation. Yuan Teng attended a 10-week long Business Chinese course that enabled her to converse more fluently with her Mandarin-speaking counterparts. Special interest groups within the organisation also give officers a platform through which they can develop their hobbies and interests. Yuan Teng says, “As part of the Data Analytics special interest group, I participated in a Tableau workshop, where I learnt to employ data analytic tools to visualise changing global trade flows over time. It was a fulfilling experience for me, because data analytics is an area that I’m excited about.”

Based on her experience, this willingness to nurture new officers is pervasive in Enterprise Singapore. Senior officers are more than happy to guide new employees along and show them the ropes. Helpful colleagues also make the work – which is often collaborative in nature – simpler. The organisation is happy to provide some flexibility in work schedule and job scope; as long as deliverables are met, you can enjoy some leeway in how you prefer to tackle the challenges.

Undertaking A Challenging Career

As part of the Enterprise Singapore team, you’ll find no shortage of opportunities to spur growth in various industries. It’s a job well-suited for those who are in pursuit of a public service career and want to help enterprises grow their businesses. Of course, it isn’t all a bed of roses. Yuan Teng cautions that public service can be hard work – there will be days that you will struggle with. To really get a handle on what you’re signing up for, she advises aspiring scholars to talk to senior Enterprise Singapore staff.

It all boils down to your mindset, she affirms. “While the work that you’re doing today may not result in immediate outcomes, celebrate the small wins, remind yourself of why you signed up for this in the first place, and keep that faith and passion going.”