More possibilities or no go?
While a legal career remains an option, Devangi says the virtual session with e-commerce product manager Joanne Tan, 29, was “very captivating”.
Says Devangi: “The session allowed me to understand what a tech product manager does, its responsibilities and requirements, and how good an occupation it is when considering future job options.
“Ms Tan helped me to discover a newfound interest in the tech industry, and I will certainly keep my choices open.”
What she found most relatable was Ms Tan’s sharing of her own journey, starting from primary school to where she is today. It was a lesson in being adaptable and embracing opportunities as they come.
“In the case of Ms Tan, she didn’t think of joining the profession,” she explains. “That’s like me, in a way. For quite a long time, I’d thought only of becoming a lawyer. I never thought of working in tech. But now, it’s an option.”
Fellow Kranji Secondary student Choo Zi Xuan, 15, also gained new insights from the Career Human Library.
Before the program, her perception of an operations role was to oversee that work processes and protocols were managed seamlessly and “make sure that people do their job well”.
Operations manager Daniel Liew, 48, provided him with a more realistic perspective on the job responsibilities.
“They have to plan a lot, such as daily schedules to make sure people complete their tasks on time. And they have to manage people all the time, and face complex issues,” says Zi Xuan. “It sounds very challenging to me.”
Through Mr Liew’s sharing, Zi Xuan has developed a better understanding of the aspects to consider, should she decide to pursue such a career.
Sparking interest
While engaging and enlightening, the Day X program was also designed with a deeper purpose: To guide school-going youth towards careers of their interests.
“The youth can use the career insights gained to inform their decisions and choices in subsequent education pathways, such as which Institute of Technical Education, polytechnic or university courses to pursue,” says TAC’s Mr Wong.
He added that the Day X program was met with a positive response from the students. During their post-programme reflections, 90 per cent of the students at Kranji Secondary felt they had more career options to consider after the program.
Additionally, two-thirds recognized the importance of contributing to society or serving the community in their chosen career paths, up from less than half before the program.