Going back to school to level up
Mr Mohammed Shiddique Mohammed Salleh hits the books again at MDIS to stay competitive in the tech sector
By Jolene Limuco
October 23, 2019
Just as the demand for technology professionals is rising, so are the challenges that come with keeping up with the constantly evolving high-tech landscape.
Realising this led Mr Mohammed Shiddique Mohammed Salleh, a senior reliability engineer at a United States-based company, to take action to beef up his technical knowledge.
“Working in the tech sector has become competitive in recent years,” says the 38-year-old. “This has pushed me to realise that having a degree is a must in order to progress in my career.”
Eight years after graduating from Ngee Ann Polytechnic with a diploma in technology, the plucky engineering professional decided to take the plunge and return to school. He enrolled in the Bachelor of Engineering Technology (Honours) Electrical and Electronic Engineering (Top-Up) degree programme offered by the United Kingdom’s Teesside University and the Management Development Institute of Singapore (MDIS) in 2018. He will be graduating at the end of this year.
The right balance
Returning to school after a long absence is not easy for Mr Shiddique. He needs to get back into study mode, while balancing a full-time job and family.
“Having work-life balance is the most challenging part during my studies since I am a father of three,” he says. “Thankfully, I have the support of my employer and family. I also have to sacrifice my social life and be disciplined about time management.”
As he is exempted from certain modules in the part-time degree programme due to his working experience and diploma qualification, he is able to complete it in one year instead of three.
Learning from others
The fast-track route comes with its unique set of challenges. Mr Shiddique recalls facing difficulties in an advanced module on engineering mathematics, but he managed to pull through with some guidance from his classmates.
Pursuing higher education at MDIS has enabled Mr Shiddique to deepen his understanding of electrical and electronic engineering.
“I can now better understand the technical terms used and the components of each electrical part,” he says.
Apart from the lessons he has learnt, he also values the friends he has made along the way.
“I really enjoy meeting new people and learning from them. It develops my creativity and helps me understand things that I’ve never thought are possible, such as developing a walking robot with my fellow classmates,” he adds.
