Kelvin Wong, Ph.D
I met Kelvin Wong in 2013, and I curiously asked him, "what Dr. (PhD) are you?" That curious question led to a coffee chat, and I learned more about his passion in fashion and tailoring. Many years later, as I started writing my Jobhunting book, he was among the first person that I interviewed.
​
You can connect with him on LinkedIn.
Kelvin Wong's Story
Switching from academia to becoming a bespoke tailor
At university, Kelvin Wong was inspired by his professor of molecular and cell biology to become a molecular geneticist. He decided to pursue a PhD in the field of cytokinesis (stem cell division). Upon completing his PhD, he returned to Singapore to join the Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) as a postdoctoral researcher. GIS is part of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), a statutory board in Singapore.
Three years later, he had the opportunity to move to a management role by joining A*STAR Graduate Academy (A*GA), which manages the A*STAR scholarships. This was Kelvin’s first significant career change, as he didn’t feel that pursuing an academic route was the right direction for him. He managed the talent marketplace for returning scholars by placing them in the right institutes based on their academic achievement, personality, gender, and age.
Two years into the management role, his uncle, who runs a tailoring shop, approached him to help him transition the brick-and-mortar business to the digital age. Kelvin has always been interested in fashion, and he enjoys dressing smartly. He saw it as an excellent opportunity to make another switch and took the leap.
Kelvin started learning the ropes of the tailoring business by doing front-line sales and serving customers. Later, thanks to his prior training, he went into a research process, which led him to study the fabric and the tailoring process. He was involved in upgrading the production process by investing in high-end machines, which require precise calibration. He could perform the calibration tasks well because the required skills are similar to using the instruments in a lab. He also introduced Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software to the business, which helped capture customer data, manage inventory, balance workload, and schedule collection.
His original plan was to set up a branch that he could manage independently. Unfortunately, the plan didn’t materialize. After working with his uncle for 6 years and completing most of the major projects, including the ERP, he decided to take a break to figure out his next step.
After a two-month break, he came across the opportunity to join a private university as a Head of School. This management role required him to hire lecturers and staff, negotiate partnerships, perform strategic planning, and develop the school's capacity and infrastructure. He felt that the job was a good fit for him as he has a scientific background and understands how to run a business. After five years with the university, Kelvin took the plunge again and set up his own bespoke tailoring shop with a partner.
While Kelvin's transformation process has taken many years, he is now the proud owner of a bespoke tailoring shop (Artorial)!