Yap Hock Seng | Learning is a lifelong journey

They call me the IT Guy, and it’s been that way for almost 40 years. I’m now 60 years old, and things have certainly changed as IT processes are no longer as simple and straightforward as they used to be.

Not too long ago, I struggled for months as I was in-between jobs and seriously contemplating my future. It seems just having a diploma in IT was no longer sufficient and I was constantly being passed over by companies due to my age. An engineer from a large Cloud provider encouraged me to further explore cloud systems by learning how to scale infrastructure using automation skills and cloud.

Adamant that I was still relevant in the industry and determined to reach my goals, I found out that there is now an endless number of online courses and certifications. This discovery led me to take the Google Career Certificates in both IT Professional and Project Management offered through MDEC and Trainocate at no charge.

Not only did I manage to upskill myself with new knowledge towards Cloud related technologies, it was key in helping me secure a new role in an organisation that aligns with my current ambitions. After completing the Google IT Certificate, I can now make better assesments on which cloud service is right for organisations depending on their needs, use cloud infrastructure to manage resources and debug cloud deployment activities.

Learning the “whys” have given me a much deeper insight into the IT world while validating and affirming my previous knowledge. It has also helped me align better with industry standards and brought me up to speed on global best practices, including what documentations need to be prepared for proper conduct.

One of the most useful skills I’ve picked up was on risk management from the Project Management course. I learnt the importance of risk assessment before beginning a project, as well as its value throughout the project. This allowed me to create better guidelines that resulted in improved productivity and efficiency. Knowing what to do in advance, learning how to prioritise problems based on severity, and what to look out for enabled me to be more aware of how to better manage any issues that may arise, and how to resolve them.

I believe that as long as we choose to improve ourselves, we can continue to remain relevant and unlock a world of possibilities no matter our age. I want to continue for as long as I can in order to contribute to society through community work that helps the underprivileged achieve digital transformation. I also hope to mentor the younger workforce on best practices for better success in their projects.

Ready to elevate your career with a new skill? Sign up for a Google Professional Certificate today! Discover more courses at LINK.