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On the road to success

Ms Oh is excited about the prospects of working in the GIC.
PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG

MS Sharmaine Oh knew that a routine nine-to-five office job in a predictable environment was not for her. Instead, the 19-year-old wanted a dynamic career that would hone her leadership and decision-making skills while constantly challenging her to take on and explore new responsibilities.

When she received her A-level results, Ms Oh made a life-changing decision, with blessings from her parents and friends.

She accepted a scholarship from the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC), a global investment management company established in 1981 to manage the country's foreign reserves.

The teenager was first exposed to GIC’s work environment during her junior college days. She participated in an orientation camp organised by the company and experienced first-hand what a job there entails.

Ms Oh recalls: "First, the event organiser divided us into teams and gave us a project to work on. We were given some funds to manage and it was up to us to decide how it would be handled. At the end, we had to put together a proposal and give a presentation to the board of directors."

"It was the only scholarship I applied for. I was won over by the nature of the job. I think it's one of the few organisations where you are working for public interests but exposed to the dynamic private sector at the same time."

"I really appreciate that I was given free rein when selecting my university. I only had to keep the company informed of which schools I was considering, and they didn't insist on my enrolling in a particular institution or course."

She is reading international relations at Tufts University in the United States, which she considers an excellent choice.

Drawn to the broad-based education offered by American universities, Ms Oh says she was eager to explore a wide variety of subjects outside of her major. And the first-year undergraduate was not disappointed as she was able to sign up for a variety of modules ranging from comparative politics, international film and even Arabic.

However, studying overseas means being away from her family, resulting in homesickness. She admits: "I really missed all the convenient comforts of home."

"But it's also a decision that I don’t think I'll regret. I’ve been lucky to meet lots of great people, some of whom have been extremely hospitable and welcoming."

Some of her memorable experiences included joining her room-mate for a Thanksgiving family dinner and travelling to New York City from her Boston university.

Ms Oh will start working at GIC upon completing her studies three years from now. But preparations to ease her into her future role at the company will begin in her second year when she returns to Singapore during her holidays. She will spend two weeks in the office to get to know her future colleagues and peers.

"I'm actually looking forward to these sessions. I really want to meet some of my seniors, as well as other scholars who will graduate at the same time as I do. There's only a very small group of us, and I think it will be useful to make friends so we can help each other out along the way."

On her future career with GIC, she says: "I look forward to doing my part and making decisions that take into account global situations and not relying on just statistics and figures. That, I believe will be my biggest challenge.”