A couple of weeks ago, I met up with Andrea to chat over coffee and tea. Andrea graduated from Wellesley in 2009 as a math and economics double major. Below are some highlights of our conversation! 

Career Path

During her time at Wellesley, Andrea participated in the Wellesley in Washington program. This experience made her excited about pursuing a career in public policy. After exploring the field a bit more, she became particularly excited about the civil service sector. 

Andrea began by working at the Ministry of Finance immediately after graduating from Wellesley. After 4 years at the MoF, she was interested in pivoting to try working in the private sector. This led her to become a data scientist at Grab. However, after 2 years, she decided to go back to the public sector because she found the work to be more meaningful. Andrea worked at the Ministry of National Development for a few years before transferring to the Prime Minister’s Office, which is where she currently works. 

Something that I found particularly interesting is the Singapore government’s strong support for career exploration within its departments. Andrea discussed how the government actively helps rotate civil servants through different ministries of their choice. This system provides a fantastic opportunity to explore diverse career paths within the government without the need for constant, intensive applications. 

Favorite Ministry

Andrea’s favorite ministry to work at was the Ministry of Finance. Because the MoF manages the government’s funding, she got to work across a variety of fields. Specifically, she worked on social programs, trying to solve issues related to social mobility. This work required an interdisciplinary approach where she liaised with several agencies. 

Current Work

Andrea’s work at the Prime Minister’s Office is more removed than her work at other ministries. Her day-to-day tasks include examining data, forming projections, and team meetings (both within the Prime Minister’s Office and across agencies). After analyzing datasets and generating predictions, she hands her findings off to other ministries. These ministries then use the evidence gathered by Andrea and her team to inform policy decisions. The Prime Minister’s Office is essential in enabling other ministries to function properly. 

Singapore Government Data

The Singapore government collects significantly more data than the US. This was clear to me the moment I stepped foot in Singapore, being greeted by several 360° surveillance cameras. While the US conducts a census every 10 years to understand the nation’s make-up, Singapore is constantly collecting data. Andrea explained that everyone in Singapore has a unique ID number that allows the government to track all of their movements. From a person’s salary raises to their last time traveling internationally, the Singapore government has information on everything. 

While this intensive data collection may feel invasive or unnecessary, it allows for a comprehensive dataset with great analysis opportunities. For example, Andrea explained that the Singapore government’s dataset could be used to understand how household formations have changed by demographic group over the past few decades. She is currently working on a project trying to predict when people will give birth based on their date of marriage, income, education level, and more. 

Wellesley Impact

Andrea believes that Wellesley had a lasting impact on her in two main ways. First, the experience shaped her into a more liberal person, not just politically but also in terms of celebrating the diversity across communities. Second, she became a more confident person at Wellesley. This was particularly important at the beginning of her career when she would give presentations and share ideas in group meetings. While she may not have appreciated it as a student, Andrea credits Wellesley economics professors’ habit of cold-calling students as a key catalyst for her confidence today.