(Photo: Eltian Chen)

The silence of unemployment can be deafening. For Eltian, that silence stretched into a “wilderness year” – a period where carefully constructed professional identities crumbled, leaving him face-to-face with fundamental questions of value and purpose. Each morning in Singapore began with the same dispiriting ritual: tea in hand, the endless scroll through job listings, each rejection blurring into the next.

It was during one of these quiet mornings, in the sanctuary-turned-prison of his room, that a pattern emerged. Across diverse industries and seemingly unrelated roles, one qualification kept appearing: Lean Six Sigma. Initially, it was a tactical decision, another credential to desperately add to a wilting CV. But as Eltian delved deeper, a profound realisation dawned. He wasn’t just seeking another certificate; he was yearning for a fundamental reset in his approach to professional challenges.

Having already experienced the transformative power of the Design Innovation SkillsFuture Career Transition Programme (SCTP) from Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), Eltian had gained invaluable frameworks for creative problem-solving and a deep understanding of user-centred design, all underpinned by analytical rigour. The Lean Six Sigma Champion and Operational Excellence Manager SCTP offered by SITLEARN represented a natural and exciting expansion of his professional toolkit. These weren't about filling gaps; they were about building a robust and versatile foundation.

“Perhaps most unexpectedly, the programmes created bridges between my seemingly disconnected experiences.”– Eltian Chen

The Power of Community and Connection

"These programmes," Eltian reflects, "are more than technical certifications – they're fundamental operating systems for professional effectiveness." He emphasises the power of structured approaches to problem-solving, the clarity brought by analytical frameworks for decision-making, and the crucial discipline of implementation that these programmes cultivate. These are not skills confined to a specific industry; they are universally applicable, valuable regardless of career trajectory.

Eltian also discovered an unexpected benefit: community. “During unemployment, professional isolation had been among the most painful aspects – the loss of daily exchanges with colleagues who shared common challenges,” he shares. The SITLEARN programmes provided a space to connect with other professionals, share experiences, and build a supportive network. “Breaks became mini-mentoring sessions as unemployed and employed shared personal job-seeking journeys and work implementation war stories and offered insights from their own experiences,” Eltian recalls.

A Unified Professional Narrative

Eltian’s journey underscores the power of proactively investing in oneself, especially during times of uncertainty. Instead of succumbing to the inertia of unemployment, he chose to arm himself with in-demand skills and methodologies. The complementary nature of Design Innovation and Lean Six Sigma proved to be a game-changer. "The intersections between different approaches create unique insights that distinguish you professionally," he explains. The ability to seamlessly transition between creative exploration and rigorous analysis – knowing when each approach is most effective – is a versatility increasingly prized in today's complex organisational landscapes.

Moreover, the programmes helped Eltian weave together the seemingly disparate threads of his professional past. “Perhaps most unexpectedly, the programmes created bridges between my seemingly disconnected experiences,” he says. Skills honed in the controlled chaos of hawker operations gained structure and terminology, while the disciplined approach to procedures from his police service found new expression in process documentation techniques.