LTC (Ret) Colin Chiok

Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) (Ret) Colin Chiok shares how he navigated unfamiliar waters and came out strong, and the three key qualities that helped buoy him up during his career transition.

"Having gone through my own military career transition, if a serviceman were to ask me for advice on his or her transition, I would say – be humble, learn how to listen, and have a positive mindset. These qualities, as ordinary as they seem, made all the difference for me when I joined the corporate world in 2018 as Senior Assistant Director of Operations Development at the Ministry of Health.

It was a challenging time for me because I didn’t have industry knowledge of the healthcare sector, having spent 28 years in the Navy. To smoothen my transition, I did a lot of reading on my own. I also believed that asking for help was a sign of strength, and it would help bring me to where I wanted to be. So, when I didn’t understand what I read, I proactively clarified matters with my reporting officer, peers and staff. I was fortunate to have great coworkers who supported me along the way, and I like to say that they have helped me gain my sea legs in my new job! As my team helped me, I was excited to contribute in my own way whenever I could. I’m glad to say that the Navy’s core values, as well as skills like leadership, problem-solving, project management and auditing came in very handy.

Of course, I didn’t just dive into my new job, which I found through CTRC. There was a lot of preparation work involved, much of it made possible with CTRC’s resources. Before my military retirement, I attended courses and received certificates in occupational health & safety assessment, training & assessment, business continuity auditing and more – certifications which have turned out to be instrumental in helping me add value to my current duties. The skills I have acquired from these courses have helped me immensely in my work today, where I am responsible for operational readiness and control in areas such as civil emergencies and disease outbreak, border health operations, quarantine operations and medical-related operations.

One of the most gratifying moments of my post-military career was when my senior management recognised my efforts and promoted me within a year of me joining the ministry. I couldn’t have achieved everything I have without the skills and values the Navy instilled in me, my team’s support and CTRC’s resources. So thank you for making my voyage a great one.”