Braving the storm: Covid-19 crisis pushed these workers onto unexpected job paths
Ms Sandra Goh Shu Ann (left) and two fellow cabin crew members who worked for the Singapore Airlines have now joined Khoo Teck Puat Hospital as full-time patient care executive and patient care officers.
- A flight attendant picked up new skills and has now found a new job as a patient care worker
- An unemployed man found work as a dormitory operator with help from WSG
- Government’s drive to focus on domestic tourism can encourage tour guides to get creative, association says
SINGAPORE — Former flight attendant Sandra Goh Shu Ann had a turbulent few months when the coronavirus outbreak struck early this year. Like many workers in the airline industry, her livelihood was deeply impacted by the pandemic along with the travel restrictions imposed worldwide.
In April though, the 39-year-old was given the opportunity to work as a care ambassador in Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH), where she supported hospital workers in administering patient care and attended to patients’ emotional needs.
She has since chosen to make the switch to the healthcare sector full-time, taking on the role of a patient care executive in KTPH in August.
Then there is Mr Jeff Lim.
The 38-year-old had submitted about 200 job applications since April last year when his business in the beauty and wellness line folded. Despite his best efforts, he was not able to secure even one job interview.
It was only after he sought help from the Careers Connect unit of government agency Workforce Singapore (WSG) in March that Mr Lim finally landed a job as a dormitory operator with infrastructure company Surbana Jurong.
In a ministerial statement on Monday (Aug 17), Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat outlined how the Government will continue to support workers and businesses during the ongoing Covid-19 crisis.
Among other things, he announced that the Government will extend its wage subsidy scheme for Singaporeans until the first quarter of next year — though coverage will be reduced and adjusted based on the projected recovery of different sectors.
‘THEY MADE US FEEL USEFUL’
Knowing that the aviation industry was not going to recover anytime soon, Ms Goh said that the decision to become a care ambassador at the hospital was daunting at first, but she felt relieved to be given the chance to get back on her feet again.
“Everyone (at the hospital) welcomed us with open arms. They were thankful we are here. They made us feel useful and they were very patient when they were teaching us the things we needed to learn,” she said.
During her four-month stint at KTPH, Ms Goh found her true calling to serve in the public healthcare sector.
“Because of (the pandemic), I dared to try something different. If not for this, I would have never left the airline industry,” the flight attendant who has been with Singapore Airlines for 15 years said.
She declined to disclose if she had to take a pay cut now that she is going into the healthcare sector full-time.
During her time as a care ambassador in the hospital’s geriatric ward, she was interacting with patients who expressed how touched they were by her services.
“Quite a few times, I had patients who were crying when they were leaving. Some of them didn’t even want to change wards (when we told them they were moving to another ward),” she said.
CAREER COUNSELLING OPENED NEW DOORS
For Mr Lim, when months of job-hunting came to naught, he decided to be a private-hire driver with Grab to occupy his time and earn some income.
“It was very demoralising (being jobless)… I thought perhaps I was being left behind like many other Singaporeans,” he said.
Then in March, he saw an online advertisement for WSG’s career guidance service and with nothing to lose, he decided to approach the agency and give it a shot.
He was referred to a career coach named Grace, who helped him to refine his resume, gave him advice and also referred him to the job opportunities that were available.
Two months later, an opening to be a dormitory operator at Surbana Jurong caught Mr Lim’s eye and he felt that he could leverage his past experience as a project manager in the construction industry.
Though the contract was supposed to be for a month, Mr Lim’s good performance landed him a permanent role as an executive project manager in the company in May.
He also received job offers from other organisations during this period, something he was not expecting.
“I was pretty fortunate in that way… things were not always smooth-sailing but I got to where I wanted to get,” he said.
“(Grace) gave me the extra push, fine-tuned my resume and consistently showed me all these job opportunities. She never gave up (on me).”
EXPLORING NEW CHALLENGES
The pandemic has also hit the tourism industry badly but it could make room for alternative gigs and new ideas.
Ms Jean Wang, chairperson of the Society of Tourist Guides Singapore, said that the opportunity for tour guides to be redeployed as safe distancing ambassadors has been helpful to those who have taken it up. The society represents tour guides and works together with the Singapore Tourism Board and other organisations on projects.
She said: “Those who have taken up the assignment have gained a lot from it.” The new role has also given some of the guides the opportunity to network and give each other support, she added.
With the Government encouraging domestic tourism through a S$320 million voucher programme, Ms Wang said that tour guides may use this to redesign their tours and make them more exciting to appeal to Singaporeans and residents here.
“In the past, we could not go so deep (into Singapore’s history) because tourists were here for only a few hours, so we just touched on the surface. But for Singaporeans, we have to give them something extra,” she said.
The added benefit is that more experiential tours may be spun off from these to appeal to foreign travellers, Ms Wang said, and tour guides will be in a position to provide more in-depth tours once the Covid-19 pandemic blows over.
