Follow new career possibilities with NTU SGUnited Skills Programme

By Janis Zhang

Many people have had their lives affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and Nanyang Business School alumna Michelle Chong (Class of 2013) is no exception. Michelle was pursuing a career in the airline industry when the pandemic hit, forcing airlines to suspend their flights. Undeterred, she took the opportunity to learn new skills in UX design and product management, fields that she has been interested in for a long time.

She signed up for the SGUnited Skills Programme in UX Design and Product Management offered by PaCE@NTU. After months of training, Michelle is now confident in conducting user research, wire-framing, prototyping and visual communication. 

Prior to joining the programme, Michelle had no professional background in UX design and was concerned about the steep learning curve. Now she has acquired the principles of design and has the enhanced technical skills that help her to create more visually appealing work on a professional level. 

The programme also equipped her with knowledge in design thinking and helped her develop greater empathy for customers. “Having worked in customer-centric roles throughout my career, becoming a UX Designer has given me a new perspective on the customer experience.”

Upon completing the programme, Michelle was offered the position of a Product Design Manager at Lendor, an online rental marketplace platform that allows consumers to rent items from partner businesses or share their items with others for short-term use. This promotes a form of “collaborative consumption” that results in less wastage. “I am very thankful to be able to utilise my newly acquired skill set to work on something meaningful,” she said.