In this interview, we speak with Kow Zi Shan, a former science communications #SGUnited Trainee with the College of Science. An alumna of the Asian School of the Environment, she has been creating content for the CoS blog and social media these last couple months, helping to make the nuances of scientific research more accessible to a general audience.
Now embarking on a new journey as a Transmedia Science Writer with the Singapore Science Centre, she recounts her experience during her short but meaningful time as part of the communications team in CoS.
How would you describe your experience as an #SGUnited Trainee?
Without any internship experience, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but overall I found it to be quite enjoyable. I joined CoS as a Trainee because I wanted to experience a different aspect of science apart from research and explore science communications as a career path. Although my traineeship duration was short, I believe I managed to accomplish my goal and found working in this field thoroughly exciting. I especially appreciated that we were given a great deal of freedom in sourcing for stories and engaging with researchers, which was refreshing.
Working in NTU after having just graduated felt a little strange, but the traineeship gave me a sense of routine and greater confidence in my job search and abilities. In general, I’m extremely grateful for the traineeship, having allowed me to continue developing new skills while searching for a job during this period.
What are some things you’ve learnt in the last couple of months on the job?
I’ve picked up some skills in using a mirrorless camera (in manual mode), editing, copywriting social media posts and using Canva – a graphic design platform which I’ve had a lot of fun experimenting with.
Beyond this, there are many other soft skills and learning points I’ve taken away from the work experience. I can better recognise how to navigate the work environment and the importance of having colleagues who are an absolute joy to work with, and I’m thankful to my fellow trainee Xin Yi and supervisor Hidayah who have made my time here so pleasant.
Any memorable experiences you’d like to share?
For the past month I’ve been busy learning about and working on WordPress to build a more visually aesthetic website. To include new elements like social media links, I picked up a little CSS, which was self taught and basically involved a lot of Google searches. It was a terribly tedious process, but the final product was definitely rewarding. This month, we gave the CoS Blog a makeover – and I really hope our readers like it!
What are your plans for the future?
It sounds really cheesy, but I actually have a dream about working in a tropical forest and being able to share the wonders of life on earth with others.
In reality though, I don’t exactly have a plan, and I’m sure many of us feel that way as well. Right now, I’m just focusing on figuring out a new work lifestyle during a pandemic and trying to not think too much about the future. I might still choose to pursue further studies in the future if I have a clearer picture of a field I am drawn to, but meanwhile I hope to continue listening and sharing about science and the people who work in science.
I’m looking forward to becoming a better science communicator and I couldn’t have asked for a better position to do so at the Science Centre!