Thanks to Malcolm Gladwell’s 2011 book Outliers, slogans like “You just need 10,000 hours to master something” are commonly bandied about whenever you start learning a new skill. In fact, this rule has been applied to everything, from learning how to network to computer programming!

When Associate Professor Joshua Gooley, from Duke-NUS’ Neuroscience and Behavioural Disorders Programme, started out with a broad interest in neuroscience, he hadn’t thought that his fascination with the topic of sleep and dreaming would shape his career path.

gradsingapore’s Employer Soundbites aims to share quick thoughts from employers on current industry trends, hiring insights and useful tips for fresh graduates looking to kickstart their career on a high note.

About the interviewee

Kong Yu Ning is the co-founder of Heicoders Academy, a leading tech education provider in Singapore. There, he oversees curriculum development and maintenance, and also establishes career support for students. Concurrently, he’s a Senior Product Manager at OKX.

“Lifelong learning” and “upskilling” are frequently two of the hottest buzzwords on the job market. In the workforce, it goes by “professional development”. That’s not without reason – accelerated digital adoption has resulted in evolving job responsibilities, and even brand-new roles.

gradsingapore’s Employer Soundbites aims to share quick thoughts from employers on current industry trends, hiring insights and useful tips for fresh graduates looking to kickstart their career on a high note.

About the interviewee

When Eric first entered the workforce, he was an operational assistant in the shipping industry. He managed to save enough to buy his first car, a Toyota, only for it to be a bad experience as the car would always break down.