Sea x IMDA Company-Led Training Programme
The Sea x Infocomm Media Development Authority Company-Led Training (CLT) is a structured development programme for Singaporeans. It serves as an additional training programme for our full-time employees to accelerate their professional development through highly-skilled, technical roles at Sea and Shopee.
We caught up with two of our Shopee CLT associates: June, a Project Management Associate, and Shang, a Regional Operations Associate, to have a chat on their tech journeys, work experiences and motivations in joining the CLT programme.
Tell us more about your decision behind joining the CLT programme with Shopee.
Shang (S): I first developed an interest in the CLT programme when I heard of its unique combination of on-the-job training and technical courses.
As an engineering graduate, I didn’t have a lot of experience in coding outside of school and personal projects. However, the CLT programme allowed me to receive the necessary training required to work on complicated coding projects using real-world data, as a full-time employee — something I always had an interest in, but had no idea where to start.
June (J): Similar to Shang, I was very interested in the programme due its emphasis on a more hands-on curriculum. The opportunities I’ve received to actively contribute to projects that bring about real impact to users in the region, is something I believe could only be achieved at a place like Shopee, given e-commerce’s increasing significance.
Being in the programme has allowed me to gain in-depth technical knowledge and skills in a surprisingly short span of time! This helped to speed up my transition into the tech industry despite not having much experience.
What has been the highlight of your CLT journey at Shopee thus far?
J: Being able to meet and connect with so many like-minded people! Before joining, I had no idea that I would be able to find other individuals like me — people who are truly passionate about using technology to impact the lives of others.
I’ve especially enjoyed my interactions with other full-time CLT associates and my team members as I value the exchange of knowledge and enriching experiences.
S: For me, it would be the complexity, as well as the fulfillment I get from my work. I was able to integrate the data collected from a new product feature with existing data sets to enhance our local teams’ productivity and performance.
Given the amount and nature of the data collected, designing a robust logic that will work for various edge cases was complex and challenging, but ultimately very rewarding.
What do you think was unique about your experience as a CLT associate at Shopee?
J: While technical upskilling is definitely something that the CLT programme has helped us with, I think I can speak for the both of us when I say that it’s the culture in Shopee that has made a meaningful difference to our experiences as full-time associates in the programme.
At Shopee, we are taught to always keep an open mind and be on the lookout for new ideas and ways to solve a problem. Sometimes, having a solution that is simple and functional is better than coming up with a complex one.
S: Agreed! I believe we should always tackle new problems with an open mind. Just because there is a known solution to a similar problem doesn’t mean that it is the best solution to the current problem.
What advice would you give to other graduates who are planning to join the CLT programme, or who are facing difficulties in their careers?
S: Don’t be intimidated by the industry before you try it out!
Especially with technical skills like coding, it’s easy to get fazed before you even begin. However, languages like Python and SQL are especially intuitive, and there are many online resources for beginners to build a foundation in coding.
Everyone runs into obstacles at the beginning, but getting past the initial learning curve is a matter of being willing to be exposed to new challenges, trying your best to adapt and grow, exploring the unfamiliar and learning from mistakes.
J: Take the leap! Starting a new pursuit can feel daunting, especially when you have no prior experience.
Be flexible and open-minded. Treat this as an opportunity to explore new terrain, and accelerate your personal growth. Just like me, you might end up finding something you love and surprising yourself with what you can do!
Photos were taken in compliance with local COVID-19 safety measures or before the COVID-19 pandemic.
