Participants in action as they pitch during Fish Tank. (Photo: @tommyweirens)

The latest season of *SCAPE Career Studio 2.0 concluded in March with Fish Tank (inspired by Shark Tank), a pitching competition where participants of *SCAPE Career Studio 2.0 could pitch their creative career ideas and receive financial and resource support from *SCAPE, worth up to $1,000. 

To be selected for Fish Tank, participants had to submit a video sharing why, what and how they intended to use the $1,000. Participants were selected based on their compelling Why, having a clear business plan of action, and evidence of their interest and commitment to see the project through.  

For this latest season, a total of four participants from different walks of life were selected to pitch. They were

• Mune pitching for a release show for her EP, TULPA:REDUX. 
• Vanessa pitching for a merch line, podcast, and website for her music club, WeeJam!
• Angel pitching to produce semi-DIY art kits 
• Watson pitching to organise exciting social events for youths 

All four participants shared enthusiastically what inspired them to want to launch their personal creative career ideas, how they planned to inspire and benefit others through their work and a strategic business plan of action. It was an afternoon of being wowed by a slew of compelling ideas worth supporting.

Our three judges –  Andrew Tan, the Country Manager at Wantedly Singapore, Julaina Jaffar, *SCAPE’s Community Builder, and Jael Chng, Co-Founder and Chief Possibilities Generator of My Working Title – also offered valuable advice to our participants. 

The panel of judges for Fish Tank, from left to right, Jael Chng of My Working Title, Julaina Jaffar of *SCAPE and Andrew Tan of Wantedly Singapore. (Photo: @tommyweirens)

Andrew emphasized the importance of being a great storyteller, stating that having a great story and telling it well is crucial. He also advised participants to listen to feedback when running events and optimize along the way and to ensure every event has a post-event feedback system in place to help determine future steps. 

Julaina highlighted the importance of the “why” and ensuring it stands out to the community being served. She also stressed the significance of the key message, which can be amplified through community members, and the value of the participant’s work.

Our previous Fish Tank winners Esther, Haziq and Yeow An (clockwise) returned to share their tips and advice.  (Photo: @tommyweirens)

The three previous winners of Fish Tank also made a special appearance to talk about their career journeys after winning Fish Tank and share valuable tips and advice in terms of seeking out a creative career. Esther (@esthersunday.official) brought along her animal-themed merchandise that she still sells at pop-ups and her online shop, Yeow An (@yeow_an) serenaded the crowd with her debut song and Haziq (@nuhhaziq) played a snippet of his podcast, Teenage HOOHAA!! .  

Career Studio 2.0 ended on a high note as all four participants were selected to receive $1,000 each to make their creative ideas a reality with the support of *SCAPE. These four talented youths showcased their creativity and passion throughout the programme, and seeing them bring their ideas to life was inspiring.

Final Thoughts

Don’t let the fear of the unknown hold you back from pursuing your career dreams. Take the first step by joining Fish Tank (via *SCAPE Career Studio) and launch your very own passion project. With this opportunity, you’ll have the freedom to explore your interests, discover more about yourself, and gain the confidence to pursue your career aspirations. Don’t miss out on this chance to uncover your true potential – sign up for *SCAPE Career Studio the next time it opens.

Group picture of 2022 and 2023 Fish Tank winners with our Fish Tank judges. (Photo: @tommyweirens)

*SCAPE Career Studio is brought to you by *SCAPE and My Working Title. Wantedly is proud to be the marketing partner in sharing stories and updates for this programme.