TIME OUT with Elaine Heng,
Ms Singapore International World 2008

Elaine Heng is the founder and Style Consultant/Image Trainer of Elaine Heng Image Consultancy. Elaine also has a 2nd Upper Honours Bachelor Degree in Building & Real Estate from National University of Singapore. JobsDB Campus chats with Elaine to find out more about her success and aspirations.

Elaine, what it’s like to win Ms Singapore International World 2008?

I’m happy to be crowned Ms Singapore International World 2008! The beauty pageant was essentially targeted to successful young women who were 26 years old and over, and it’s great that all that hard work during the rehearsals and having to master the many choreography moves has paid off.

Overall, it has been a really enriching experience for me, although it was challenging to walk in 4 and a half inch high heels, and this made us more conscious and careful in how we walked around on stage.

Being a beauty queen has not changed me, and I’m still pretty much the same person inside. I don’t feel like I’m one step ahead of others. More than anything else, the title is just a confirmation and gives credibility to my image consultancy.

Do you enjoy being your own boss?

The best part about having my own business is the freedom that it provides, for me to organise my own daily schedule. I also get to set my own set of rules too. However, you definitely need to be disciplined when you are working for yourself.

I get my drive to work hard, and derive a strong sense of satisfaction when my clients give me good feedback that they have really learnt valuable dressing, grooming and etiquette advice after attending my training talks and seminars.

Why is image and personal grooming so important for jobseekers?

During my image consultancy trainings conducted at both educational institutions and corporate companies, I’ve found that many undergraduates and polytechnic students are not very sure how to dress for the corporate world, and how to best present themselves to prospective employers. Furthermore, it is a very competitive job market these days, and virtually everyone has a degree, which makes it even harder for prospective employers to differentiate job candidates and choose the right one.

Therefore, this is where one’s dressing, grooming, confidence and communication skills can make the important difference. Ultimately, it is people who represent a company, and employers will definitely prefer someone who has good social, business, dining etiquette, and takes care of their appearance and pride in their dressing.

As a busy entrepreneur organizing trainings for corporate clients, how do you de-stress from your work schedule?

I love eating good food, and my favourite is fusion food, which is like a combination of East and West cuisine.

Also, Enzo, my yorkshire terrier, brings me lots of joy and laughter! I’ve had Enzo since he was a puppy and he has really become a part of my family after all these years.

Enzo’s a happy little dog; he’s also well behaved and doesn’t bite my stuff. As I work from home, it’s great to have him for company and he helps me to take a break from my work when things get stressful.

What are your plans for the future?

I would like to start a full fledged training academy and also explore more business opportunities overseas in places like Hong Kong and Vietnam. I also want to be involved in charity projects for children.

www.elaineheng.com