My Learning Diaries: Why and how I am going into fintech after dabbling with humanitarian work and startups

The fast-changing nature of work has prompted many Singaporeans to upgrade their skills to stay relevant. TODAY’s Voices section is publishing first-hand accounts of young Singaporeans who have recently done so to give their careers a boost, or even pursue new paths in life.

In this instalment, Ms Amrit Kaur Sukhdev Singh, 33, recounts how she felt lost after realising her dream of being a humanitarian worker was not for her. Exploring different paths led her to discover an interest in technology and later, fintech. However, breaking into the finance industry felt “elusive” at first due to her lack of experience, until an immersion programme under SMU Academy gave her a foot in the door. 

In my twenties, my goal was to be a humanitarian worker and lead an impact-driven life. 

I started doing volunteer work in 2010 and took on various community engagement projects at a non-profit and later, a religious organisation. 

It was during a disaster relief mission to Nepal in 2017 that I realised that doing this as a career would not be sustainable for me, nor did I have the right skills to deliver quality impact. 

I felt compelled to make changes, so I decided to find a job that could help me broaden my skillset. 

This marked the start of my somewhat meandering journey to the finance industry.

I was 27 at the time and employed as a research assistant at the National University of Singapore (NUS).

When I thought about pursuing a different path than what I initially imagined, I felt lost. I became hyperaware that I didn’t really know what was out there.

I resigned from my NUS job in July 2017, without much of a game plan. 

I transitioned to a part-time role at NUS, which I held until December 2018. This allowed me space to explore other opportunities. 

During that time, I stumbled upon the private institute Hyper Island through an event held by one of its students. 

I thought that technological know-how would be a value-add for me, and resonated with their approach. 

So, I decided to take a leap of faith and sign up for a part-time Master’s in Digital Management in 2018. 

The programme helped develop my curiosity around new technologies such as blockchain and artificial intelligence.

I was so fascinated by the possibilities that I co-founded a startup in 2019. We helped other startups and corporations test their ideas in the market with real customers.

After completing the Master’s in 2020, Covid-19 struck. Innovation budgets for corporations dried up and I decided to leave my startup in December that year.

In October that year, I also joined another startup which built software in the pharma-tech space as a project manager. 

Part of my work involved research on streamlining online payments, which in turn sparked an interest in fintech (financial technology). 

I found the developments in that sector exciting, such as digital credit cards which have a unique serial number for every purchase to guard against identity theft. 

I left that startup in January 2022 and did some freelance work while applying for jobs at various fintech startups. 

It was clear that I lacked the experience and industry knowledge to enter fintech. 

I tried to bridge that gap by reading books and chatting with the authors after. I also connected with experts on LinkedIn and chatted with people in the industry. 

Finally, I turned to SMU Academy’s Technology in Finance Immersion Programme (TFIP). 

It started last December with three months of training delivered by experienced financial industry practitioners. 

For the remainder of the year-long programme, we are attached to financial companies as trainees. 

I am now working in a private equity firm, Partners Group. It has been an enriching experience putting into practice project management methodologies, such as scrum, with supportive colleagues. 

In my current role as a “scrum master”, I facilitate scrum “events” for various projects. These revolve around short “sprints” of work to make a project more manageable.

It feels like a tall order when you are starting out but luckily, I have mentors whom I meet regularly for guidance.

Aside from the training, I also made many friends in the programme who are joining the industry with me. 

We come from all walks of life, each of us seeking a better career opportunity. We calculated the average age of participants in my class to be 35.

It took me a year to break into the finance industry. 

I was hungry for the opportunity, but it felt elusive no matter how many books I read or people I met. 

The TFIP programme helped me accelerate the process of gaining experience and industry knowledge.  

Change can be unsettling, but having mentors guiding me through this transition has been vital. 

They have helped to expose my own blind spots, filled in knowledge gaps, and grounded me when things felt overwhelming. 

ABOUT THE WRITER:

Ms Amrit Kaur Sukhdev Singh, 33, is a TFIP trainee with private equity firm, Partners Group. She graduated from NUS with a degree in Sociology in 2013. She is also an oral history enthusiast who volunteers with the National Archives Singapore to capture the oral histories of elderly Singaporeans.

If you have an experience to share 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.