In this week’s newsletter, instead of an essay, I’ve shared my QnA with a LinkedIn user who is concerned about the usefulness of her humanities degree. If you ask me, a degree should free your mind to infinite possibilities, not constrain your future to limited pathways. As for the weekly recap, I share my current technique in crunching data in Excel with Gen AI, why you should reconsider the use of PDFs with AI, some vibe coding, LinkedIn’s anti-slop button, an open invitation to students, Pinduoduo shopping, and more. It’s also funny how I spent the week receiving my master’s degree while celebrating the 25th anniversary of our bachelor’s graduation with my university mates.
AI Stuff
Here’s how I currently teach people how to use Gen AI to analyse raw data, using the AI extension within Excel (ChatGPT, Claude or M365 Copilot offer such add-ons). It’s a lot more accurate than you think.
Why it’s bad practice to upload a lot of PDFs to your AI app or chatbot.
OpenAI released a new audio transcription model but there’s no app for it. So I built a Python app with ChatGPT.
LinkedIn is rolling out a much-needed “Seems like AI Slop” button. You know I don’t produce slop.
No AI here
An open invitation to students to ask me anything about studying communications.
I have fond memories of old retail stores, but have you tried Pinduoduo? It rocks!
Pay Singaporeans to read books? Hmm, I have other ideas.
Can you not use that “OpenToWork” label?
It was funny how I attended the same 2026 convocation ceremony as my WKWSCI students. I received my master’s degree before they received their bachelor’s. We had a great pre-convocation dinner for the postgrad bunch.
Two days later, my uni mates from WKWSCI celebrated our 25th year of graduation, but we still look pretty much the same as in 2001.
My students and I dodged a typhoon in Hong Kong.
It was great to meet Shulin Lee for the first time, and Georgina Chang for the first time in years at the former’s live podcast session. Not for the non-hungry.
QnA with a LinkedIn user
- What are the possible careers (or pathways) that a Comms degree can venture into?
You can go into any career that you want. More important is that you are able to explain to companies/organisations what are the skills you have that can contribute to their growth or profit. Within each degree, you will approach and solve particular types of problems in unique or universal ways.
For example, in communication, we listen to everyone, organise the data, join the dots, and help solve the problem by clearing the comms channels and making sure everyone is on the same page. It’s not enough to clear the comms channel – you should also act on the problem in the ways you can help.
People often asked me how I transitioned from a journalist to a marketer to a business leader to a lecturer. Well, in every job I did, I drove clear communication while getting the job done. It’s not rocket science to do marketing, but it is not easy to plan and execute great marketing, and that requires you to bring team members together with clarity and precision, which, in turn, requires great communication.
As the years progressed, I kept learning and stacking up skills that allowed me to do more difficult roles. My core skill of writing remains my strongest skill, but most people don’t know that I can build complex Excel dashboards or plan accurate product forecasts for supply chain people.
- In the modern digital era that AI, or even highly competent people can or may take over one’s job, how can a person sustains and elevate himself or herself to be the top in the playing field?
Keep doing things to stretch yourself. We have to improve ourselves at least 1% every day in our areas of expertise, sometimes more. I take on difficult assignments all the time, mainly because I get bored easily. I’ve been training people in AI for over three years and I am constantly learning the more advanced stuff because it’s not enough to teach the fundamentals. The audience is also more demanding now, which is great because I like the pressure to improve.
- Although doctor, law, accountancy (to name a few) are the common routes that many head into, however, I have always loved arts, humanities and the English language, which may seem as the not-so desirable in people’s eyes, also in the workforce. So, what’s your piece of advice for people who dive deep into these arena in the present and in the future?
If you don’t do what you like, and what you can do well in, you will not enjoy your life. See the first answer again. There are billions of jobs out there (literally) and not all of them are STEM, law or biz jobs. The problem is not that the ideal job doesn’t exist, but whether someone can do it well enough to stand out from the crowd. If you are not able to provide unique value and excellence in the work that you do, then you will not be rewarded with opportunities.
Of course, there are certain jobs which society places a low value on. If there is a job that you really want to do but the top earner in this category earns very little, then don’t choose that job if it doesn’t pay enough to foot your household bills. I’m not sure why people go for such jobs if they have other options… but then again, perhaps they didn’t train themselves to have enough skills to have other options.
- What should we take note, or prepare ourselves for now in ensuring that we can be better human beings to ourselves, as well as to the world around us?
The Golden Rule – Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
- Throughout your experiences, what does “service” means to you, Prof? Especially as a lecturer?
My life goal, which I affirmed years ago, is to help others find a better way. That can mean many things, but as long as I’ve helped someone today reduce their suffering in life or work, that’s good enough. It can be as simple as sharing a lifehack or imparting various skills to get a job done faster and better.