KUALA LUMPUR: Talent Corporation Malaysia Berhad, the national agency under the Ministry of Human Resources, onboards Forest Interactive as one of the partners for Women Industry Network (WIN): Girls in Tech Mentorship Program, from March 29, 2022 until July 31, 2022.
Aligning the focus with Malaysia’s Shared Prosperity Vision 2030 and the Twelfth Malaysian Plan to develop future-ready digital talents, the three-month mentorship program aims to reach a 59% female labor force participation rate (FLFPR) by 2025. Consequently, it seeks to empower Malaysian female talents with digital skills, expand connection with industry experts, and increase employability in the tech-based and digital industry.
Through this partnership, two of Forest Interactive talents volunteered to be mentors for this program: Angela Esmita and Wennie Chung.
An expert in agile framework, Angela specializes in analytical reasoning and data-driven decision-making in her role as a Product Owner at elfo, an AdTech and MarTech company, operating under the Forest group of companies.
Meanwhile, Wennie is the Deputy Head of Project Management Office, previously the Creative Project Manager at Forest Interactive. She oversees and spearheads User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) development projects and is also responsible for ensuring project execution aligns with the business standards.
“It is a privilege to be one of the mentors for such a career-turning-point program for these young women. I believe the structured mentoring approach outlined by TalentCorp will create a chain of support system for them to participate in high-technology related fields, which consequently boosts their confidence to advance their careers in the digital tech labor market,” said Angela.
“Having a mentor who believed in my potential and personal capability to run forward in this fast-paced field encouraged me to become a mentor for these young women. With this opportunity to give back, I hope to give them a shot of confidence to set their own path in their chosen career,” shared Wennie.
Sharing an impressive moment born out of her mentorship sessions with her fresh graduate mentee, Wennie said,
“She (the mentee) managed to secure a job as a project manager at a tech startup company! Even though she politely declines it, I am genuinely happy knowing that my advice helped to organize her thought process to explore new career opportunities.”
“TalentCorp has actively advocated for women returning to work. We hope through this structured mentoring program curated for women from various backgrounds, it manifests our testament to elevate women in the digital tech labour market,” said Natasha Azreen, Senior Executive of TalentCorp’s Women Program. “It’s a great pleasure knowing that Forest Interactive’s sustainability pillars align with our testament to break through the gender barriers in the workforce,” Natasha expressed her insights into onboarding Forest Interactive as one of the partners for this mentorship program.
As part of Forest Interactive’s commitment to create an inclusive and supportive career environment for women, the company’s talents also spoke at the executive seminars held during the mentorship program.
Sheena Pimentel, Head of Corporate PR at Forest Interactive, spoke on her decade of experience as a leader in multiple industries, in a session titled “Being a Conscious and Intentional Leader”, while Laxus Chin, Talent Acquisition Specialist at Forest Interactive, focused on sharing the dos and don’ts of building LinkedIn profiles and resumes in his session, titled “LinkedIn and CV Training”.
Through emoticons, Sheena narrated to TalentCorp mentors and mentees on her insights into leadership roles; particularly on required soft skills to lead a team. She signified the remarkable unspoken rules to read between the lines whenever employees express their emotions as it might signal compassion fatigue.
“Shared experiences encourage us to become more aware, more mindful of ourselves and our regard to our careers. Helping lift each other through stories of hope and best practices create paths for more opportunities and confidence building especially for women in male-dominated industries,” said Sheena.
“Forest Interactive Group of Companies is always happy to collaborate with organizations that practice Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in the workplace as well as promoting employability and equal opportunity for all, and TalentCorp has been championing that area through their awards and programs.”
Laxus shared his expertise by using LinkedIn as a professional platform to build personal branding, where he accentuated creating an impressive profile that could attract recruiters and connections.
Additionally, he stressed keeping the profile active by posting articles and commenting to prompt interaction and demonstrate credibility in one’s opinion. He also suggests requesting a recommendation from colleagues or supervisors that could give quality testimonials, which adds credibility to recruiters’ perspectives.
Throughout this mentorship program, mentees gained immersive experience in tech-related skills such as programming, online content creating, web designing, and digital marketing and advertising, as well as soft skills such as project management, communication, and problem-solving. Mentees also engaged in a minimum of five mentoring sessions with their mentors.
For more information on TalentCorp’s latest programs and activities tailored for professionals, students, employers, and academic partners, click here.
Forest Interactive Foundation is currently running the #seKODlah program and has open registrations for the Bayu Hackathon in Sabah. Those interested may click here or follow Forest Interactive Foundation on Instagram and LinkedIn.
About Forest Interactive
Founded in 2006, Forest Interactive develops scalable mobile platforms to connect mobile operators, content providers, and game publishers with their subscribers. With over 15 years of industry experience, Forest Interactive has expanded to include a diverse workforce of 20+ nationalities in 16 regional offices.
Delivering content subscription services, digital voucher and e-commerce platforms, and mobile apps for all ages, Forest Interactive operates in more than 30 countries, servicing 90+ mobile operators and 100+ content partners with the capacity to reach over one billion subscribers worldwide. To learn more, visit forest-interactive.com.
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