Riding A Career Of Adventure

“The best part of my job is when guests come back and say ‘the ride is the best in the park!’” Rachel Tan quipped with a bright smile. Having been in the Attractions Crew at Universal Studios Singapore for over two years, Rachel takes great pride in giving visitors the best ride experience. “Contrary to what many people think, ride operation is not just about pressing some buttons,” Rachel shared. “It is really about creating the right ambience, putting visitors into the right frame of mind to enjoy the ride. To do this everyone in the team has to chip in and play a part.”

Exchanging A Ship For A Theme Park

Rachel certainly knows what it means to be a team player. Before joining the Universal Studios theme park, she was part of the server team on board a leisure cruise liner, attending to the needs of diners in its various restaurants. But after eight years calling at various ports, she wanted a change in her work. “At that time, Resorts World Sentosa was offering positions in Universal Studios Singapore,” Rachel said. “I like the branding of Universal Studios Singapore and said to myself, why not give it a try and see where it goes?”

And give it a try, she definitely did. She gamely took up a position in ride operations which was wholly different from what she used to do in the food and beverage department. Beginning in August 2009, she was one of the pioneering team members at the ‘Revenge of the Mummy’ ride. There, she worked her way up to become the trainer and relief team lead.

Fuelling Up For The Ride Ahead

Along the way, Rachel felt the need to upgrade herself, especially as a greater number of opportunities came her way. In 2010, she took on the challenge of enrolling in the WSQ Diploma in Tourism at the Tourism Management Institute of Singapore while holding on to her fulltime position at the theme park. She added, “I chose the Diploma in Tourism as it’s relevant to the industry I’m in now and the subsidy provided by the government made it all the more attractive to do so.”

Midway through the WSQ Diploma programme, she was promoted to a supervisory position. Today, she is the lead at ‘TRANSFORMERS The Ride’, ensuring the smooth running of the ride operation with the help of her fellow team members.

“The WSQ Diploma equipped me with skills and knowledge I can use on the job. It taught me to be flexible and to make decisions on a case-by-case basis, as not everything has to be handled the exact same way. Most importantly, the Diploma gave me a confidence boost and this helped in the way I deal with situations and manage my team in my day-to-day operations,” Rachel shared.

Challenges Ahead

Having come a long way, Rachel is thankful for the exposure she has had and for the assurance her employer has in her. “In any industry, it’s the people you work with that makes a difference. I want to continue to push ahead and reach for the next level, as I believe ‘To whom much has been given, much will be expected’,” Rachel concluded. “With the training I’ve had and the support I’m given here, I believe this is the place where I can grow.”

 

The Skills Training for Excellence Programme (STEP) is designed for Professionals, Managers, Executives and Technicians (PMETs) to their update skills, knowledge and expertise so that they can remain competitive and employable in today’s fast changing workplace.

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