Nelly | Singapore

A 20-Year Career Wiped Out by the Pandemic 

Nelly, a mom, had worked in the travel industry for over 20 years before the pandemic. When COVID hit, she suffered a significant pay cut. She worried about how she would support her family. “Somehow, I survived. I mean, it was two years of taking on odd jobs on the side. It was very draining mentally.”

One day, when searching the internet for new ways to earn money, Nelly came across Generation Singapore’s Cloud Support & DevOps program. She knew the program offered a compelling opportunity to shift careers, but taking the leap meant walking away from a full-time job, however unstable it was. 

Nelly’s brother, who had worked for years in the tech world, encouraged her to give it a go, and convinced her that a career in the tech sector would mean a brighter future for her and her daughter. She was thinking, “I’m already in my 40s. The thought of changing a career is quite scary, because I wouldn’t know what’s going to happen. But I won’t let that stop me.” 

Career Switch

Making a midcareer switch is never easy, and for Nelly it was no exception. The program was challenging. The material was brand new and completely unfamiliar coming from the travel industry. But with the encouragement of mentors and personalized help from instructors, she was able to scaffold her learning step by step, slowly developing a robust understanding of the field. “Without Generation Singapore, I think I wouldn’t be here. Because it’s only thanks to their help that I was able to reskill myself.”

New Beginnings

Through Generation, Nelly completed an apprenticeship and later received a full-time job as a DevOps Engineer for one of the world’s leading gaming companies. With room for growth and a renewed sense of stability, Nelly is happy. “I got quite a huge pay jump from my previous job, and I hope to get an even better pay the year after. I love my new job!”