Chong said she first wanted to be an acrobat when she went to a circus. Then she wanted to be a teacher, accountant, nurse and doctor. She also toyed with the idea of being a cabin attendant but was told she was too short and not good looking enough. Her dream of being a pilot was also shattered when a friend told her she was too short as well.

And so she studied “something appropriate” and became an engineering student at Singapore Polytechnic.

Chong said that at different stages of life, one comes in contact with changes. What was important is the ability to adapt and adjust.

As she has done.

At 54, she switched industries. She was president and CEO of Singapore Precision Industries and the Singapore Mint for 16 years as well as chief executive of Safe Enterprises Group. In March 2006, she joined Jetstar Asia, perhaps figuring that if she couldn’t be a pilot, she might as well run an airline.

Her last stint with a group in which she managed close to 30 businesses gave her the strong management skills that she could bring to another industry, she said.

“I joined Jetstar when I was 54. Now I am 58. If there is a need for change, I will be able to progress with further changes even at this age,” she added.

She said youths today had a lot more choices and were better-informed than her generation. However there’s also a lot more competition “because everyone is a graduate”.

“Today’s challenge is everyone else is as good as well. How do you lead a team that is equally as good as u are.”

You must therefore ensure you are always a few steps ahead of the rest, she said.

Having a degree is only a start, she noted. What’s needed is street smarts – the ability to adapt to the environment and the ability to manage a situation.

She said the travel and tourism industry was also changing in terms of job scope. In the past, few graduates wanted to join the industry compared to engineering which tended to attract a higher percentage of graduates.

But now a lot of back-end work in airlines, for instance, is done by highly-skilled IT professionals and the job scope had expanded.

Chong’s attitude is also not to look back with regret but look forward. Know your own shortcomings, never say die, overcome it and find solutions, she said.

Growing up in a small town in Malaysia and born into a Hakka family – “I lost two brothers and girls weren’t that important” – she learnt to find her own way and paid for her own studies in Singapore, UK and Scotland. And because she had to help her mother, “I have to make sure I progress”.

She said she was very fortunate to work for bosses who were kind and gave her the opportunities. “I am not a top scholar, I am not so smart but if you know your own shortcomings and you lack certain skills, you make up the difference.”

Once working as a part-time waitress, her task was to carry eight places at once, but she couldn’t do it. So she decided to carry four plates each and walked at twice the speed.

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