The Degree That Propels Shahira’s Career _ PSB Academy
- 2. 12/8/2015 The Degree That Propels Shahira’s Career | PSB Academy
http://www.psbacademy.edu.sg/newseventscolumn/thedegreethatpropelsshahirascareer/ 2/6
Shahira graduated from a local Polytechnic with a Diploma
in Business Computing. She thought it was natural for her
to pursue her degree in Business Computing. But halfway
through her IT Programme at UniSim, she lost interest and
did miserably. Strange enough, it was in her Business
modules that she excelled.
"I did not complete my degree there. A lot of my hard
earned money was wasted. As it is important to have a
degree in Singapore, I couldn’t just give up my dream completely. A year later, I took a leap of
faith to further my studies at PSB Academy by undertaking a course that I have always been
interested. Learning communications, media and the arts is something I like since I was young.
Maybe it's in my personality to be attracted to this industry, which is more fun.”
Shahira took up a study loan to enrol in the programme offered by the University of Western
Australia in PSB Academy, thinking that she could spend her final semester in Perth. She was
curious to know how it was like to live in another country. But when the time came, her plan was
derailed due to work commitment and her company would not approve nopay leave. She was
also worried about leaving behind her mother, a single parent, who would get a little emotional
about her daughter going away for too long.
As a parttime student, Shahira tried to be
disciplined as she had a job to juggle.
“At work, I tried to finish as much as possible so
that I could spend more time on school
assignments, which were endless! One of my
nicknames is ‘Energizer Bunny’, possibly because
I tend to give people the impression that I never
run out of energy.”
Despite her effort to be disciplined, she nearly failed two of her modules.
“There was one assignment that I was told to redo, or else I had to repeat the whole module. For
another module, a phone call came to say that the lecturer had not received my final report. So I
quickly emailed and submitted the final report. Phew!”
She could not be happier when she finally completed her programme without any remodule at
all. Back at her job in the civil service, Shahira is involved in the running of an academy.
“We run courses almost every other week; targeting the young, the designers, the enterprises,
as well as the public. Being the only support staff, I have many tasks on my plate to keep me
busy. It is the toughest job that I have done so far. The challenge keeps me on my toes and
motivates me to strive on. I am never bored at work. I have a supportive team of coworkers and
friends who make my work bearable even in the most demanding situations.”
- 3. 12/8/2015 The Degree That Propels Shahira’s Career | PSB Academy
http://www.psbacademy.edu.sg/newseventscolumn/thedegreethatpropelsshahirascareer/ 3/6
When her supervisor knew that she had graduated, he gave her more
roles in handling people and public speaking. Shahira was up to the
task and delivered them confidently.
“It is what I love to do, and it comes out more naturally for me than
having to handle the paperwork. As I am a peopleoriented person, I
am glad to be given an opportunity to shine. I have gained more
confidence in public speaking, emceeing, and presentations. My
communication and handling of public enquiries are definitely much
better than before. My boss and coworkers are very impressed with
me, and it is a great feeling. Yes, I did get a promotion!
Many people did not know that, outside of office hours, Shahira was a
freelance makeup artist who had taken part in various competitions.
“I wanted to learn to do makeup on people, and so I signed up for a short makeup class. I didn't
know that the organiser had submitted my portfolio for a competition. The next thing I knew, I
received a phone call and told that I was in the competition. That was in March 2013. I was also
a finalist in other makeup competitions. Doing makeup is something I enjoy, and it feels more
like a hobby than a job. Currently, I do mostly for local TV productions, bridal and personal
makeup. It’s always nice to meet celebrities and people from all walks of life. Being a graduate
in Communication Studies has given me greater recognition as I now get more freelance
assignments.”
Article by Jeffrey Yap (Student Affairs & Industry Engagement)
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