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Jobseekers’ Diaries: I picked up new skills at age 55 to land myself a job after an anxious search

In this instalment of Jobseekers’ Diaries, Ms Choa Wai Sim describes her anxiety searching for a job amid the pandemic and how she finally clinched one that required her to pick up new digital skills in a six-month programme.

The writer says she takes heart that the pandemic has pushed her to bridge her digital skills gap.

The writer says she takes heart that the pandemic has pushed her to bridge her digital skills gap.

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Choa Wai Sim

As jobs are a top concern for Singaporeans in the Covid-19 crisis, TODAY’s Voices section is publishing first-hand accounts from jobseekers in which they reflect on their experiences and what keeps them going. 

In this instalment of Jobseekers’ Diaries, Ms Choa Wai Sim describes her anxiety searching for a job amid the pandemic and how she finally clinched one that required her to pick up new digital skills in a six-month programme.  

 

I was previously in a sales role at an ingredient supply company, performing tasks such as quality control and preparing quotations.

But I decided to leave in December 2019 due to a change in its business strategy.

It was the onset of Covid-19 cases in China, and it never occurred to me that it would have such a domino effect globally and on me.

I have been working for the past 30 years but I have not seen anything like this before.

I was apprehensive about securing a new job given that I was reaching 55 years old.

The worsening pandemic made me feel more uncertain, as I pictured the worst-case scenarios: What if I remained unemployed for a prolonged period?

Anxiety struck me every morning when I woke up.

I dipped into my personal savings and took on ad-hoc jobs, such as a temperature screening, to supplement my husband’s income.  

I applied for over 100 jobs, mostly in sales and customer service. I got several interviews but nothing materialised as more companies began to freeze hiring.

It soon dawned on me that there was no point in feeling negative and defeated. I was better off using the energy to make things go right.

I found positivity and encouragement from my church members and my husband, who provided me with much needed emotional support.

He even learnt how to cook simple meals, which brought us and our two children closer together. This helped me to press on with my job search.

I learnt to take things step by step.

After four months, I found a job opportunity at fresh food importer Aries Fresh, which got my details through Workforce Singapore’s MyCareersFuture job portal.

However, the role required me to participate in the Professional Conversion Programme (PCP) as the chosen candidate has to reach out to prospective customers through new digital methods such as Facebook and Google advertisements, a skillset which I did not have. 

Six months on, I do not regret accepting the job offer in late April 2020. 

I have completed the six-month PCP and learnt content marketing and to look for sales leads through LinkedIn and Facebook.  I also improved on my presentation skills to customers via video platforms or face-to-face interactions.

I am confident that my new knowledge would come in handy in helping the company ride through during these uncertain times.

Being pushed into starting a new career is actually empowering.

As Socrates said: “The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.”

Covid-19 has disrupted the lives of many. For me, I now take heart that the pandemic has pushed me to bridge my digital skills gap.

I am now no longer lost as the world moves deeper into the digital age. It has given me a new lease of life, something unthinkable just a year ago.

 

ABOUT THE WRITER:

Choa Wai Sim, 55, resigned from her previous sales job in December 2019 and took four months to find a new role as a digital sales staff at fresh food importer Aries Fresh. She completed the Professional Conversion Programme to gain digital skills and plans to continue upgrading herself by going for digital marketing courses.

If you are a jobseeker with a compelling story or know someone who wishes to contribute to this series, write to voices [at] mediacorp.com.sg with your full name, address and phone number.

Related topics

career Professional Conversion Programme Technology digitalisation training skills

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