Empowering Girls in Tech: GovTech's Summer Mentorship
Since 2021, GovTech has organised a Girls in Tech Summer Mentorship programme to inspire and encourage young female talents to explore and pursue careers in technology.
Organised by our Women in (Gov)Tech (WiG) Employee Resource Group (ERG), this is part of our efforts to cultivate and nurture/empower female talent within the tech industry and in the Singapore Government.
The three-month mentorship programme offers young women studying at universities, polytechnics, or junior colleges a unique opportunity to work on personal projects that enhance their technical skills under the guidance of experienced GovTechies.
Last year, one of our participants, Ong Yong En, had the opportunity to be mentored by Michael Cheng, a Principal Software Engineer at GDS-ACE (Meteor), and a second-time mentor at the programme.
We spoke to Yong En – who eventually joined us as an intern in December 2023 – to find out more about her experience during the programme as a mentee.
Tell us how you got interested in the tech industry!
My interest in the tech industry started after I did a data analytics-related internship at a transport mobility startup in Singapore. There, I picked up Python to help with my data cleaning and processing tasks.
It is exciting and interesting to me that I can use code to automate tedious processes and make my life easier! I like the challenge that comes with coding-related tasks, and the collaborative aspect of working together with my team members, to figure out the cleanest and most optimal solution to a task.
How has the programme motivated you to pursue a future career in tech?
I got to learn more about possible career paths in the tech industry and what skills I needed to work on, to pursue my intended career path - as a software engineer or data engineer.
Working together with Michael on my project also made me realise how little I know about tech, and how much more there is to learn. The prospect of learning more about different tech domains, be it in DevOps or data engineering, excites me to continue self-learning in my free time, to prepare for my future career in tech.
What is your best takeaway from the programme?
Self-initiative is really important in picking up tech stacks, skills and frameworks! This is opposed to solely relying on a single person to provide me with the answer. It also entails seeking out opportunities to connect with people working in the industry via developer meetups, which Michael has generously invited me to.
Through the mentorship sessions, Michael has always encouraged me to explore multiple approaches and pick up new tools and tech stacks in my free time. This encourages me to continue learning and staying up to date with the relevant technology trends, even till today.
What was your most memorable experience during the internship?
Michael noticed that I was into GeoCaching, so he introduced me to a friend who was also into GeoCaching.
During one of the weekends, we went GeoCaching together and discovered some interesting historical and cultural sites in the city centre.
Interestingly, it also was Michael’s first time, so I really appreciate him for going out of his way to accompany me, and being open to new experiences outside his comfort zone!
What else did you appreciate about your mentor, Michael?
I appreciate his sincerity and kindness in helping me along the way, providing guidance and words of wisdom every week during our mentoring sessions, and on an ad-hoc basis as well.
He was very enthusiastic and earnest in imparting to me what he knows about DevOps. He always provides good advice and insights for my technical and non-technical questions.
After these mentoring sessions, I had a clearer idea of how my career could pan out, and what steps I needed, to kick-start my career in tech. The time and effort Michael has invested into providing me with such an insightful and meaningful mentorship experience has inspired me and helped me to grow my technical and non-technical skill sets.
Any words of encouragement for girls to pursue their interest in tech?
For me, imposter syndrome is something I struggled a lot with.
Sometimes, I feel that I am inherently not good enough, as I am not the most technically or algorithmically inclined person.
However, don’t let these self-doubts hold you back from pursuing a career in tech. Seek out mentorship opportunities actively and believe in your own abilities. I also advise you to continually learn and pick up new skills along the way, as the tech industry is constantly changing.
Most importantly, avoid boxing yourselves into gender stereotypes (i.e., “girls can’t code”), but rather, pursue your interests fully and boldly, try not to let imposter syndrome affect you, and seek out each and every opportunity to learn and connect with others in the industry.
If you’re interested in finding out more about how GovTech empowers women both in and outside our organisation, check out the Women In GovTech (WiG) Employee Resource Group.
