M Syamil Bin Shahul Hamid

As a child, Syamil would watch in fascination as airplanes took off into the night sky. Fuelled by this passion to discover the intricacies of an aircraft’s functions, Syamil began his career in aviation as an intern. His quest to deepen his knowledge of the industry eventually led him to take up a part-time aviation degree at SIM-RMIT. The degree served as a catalyst for greater achievements as he emerged as the top student of his cohort and gained career progression.

09 Sep 2019

3 min read

Aviation Dreams Take Flight

Fill in the blank with an adjective that describes yourself best: I am motivated

Please do elaborate on why you chose the adjective above.

I have a strong desire to gain indispensable knowledge to be better equipped in my profession to further progress in my career.

What sparked your interest to take up an aviation programme?

Ever since I was a kid, I have always been fascinated with airplanes. Hence, it was only natural for me to pursue an education in aviation. I first enrolled in an aerospace engineering programme in Republic Polytechnic. In my final year, I obtained an internship placement in ST Engineering’s electronics sector. Upon completion of the internship, I was offered a full-time position as an associate engineer in training and simulation systems. My interest in aircrafts grew stronger from there and I eventually went on to pursue an aviation degree programme.

Tell us more about your role at work.

I am currently a training and simulation systems engineer who operates on flight simulators. I conduct both hardware and software maintenance to ensure these flight simulators function closely to the real aircraft.

What made you pursue the SIM-RMIT Aviation programme in SIM?

I was employed full-time in ST Engineering upon completion of my national service and at the same time, I was considering the option of taking up a part-time degree. While researching, I came across the aviation programme offered by SIM-RMIT. I felt that the modules covered in the course were extensive and the degree would enable me to further progress in my career.

What challenges did you face while studying for the programme?

Working full-time and attending 7pm classes can be very exhausting and demanding. After work, I had to travel from Seletar Airport to school in peak hour traffic. The tight deadlines were also something that I had to get used to as I juggled between work and school.

How did you overcome these challenges?

I had to be disciplined to complete tasks or goals I had set for myself. For instance, from the very first lesson of each module, assignment deadlines were made known. I made sure to plan ahead to stay on track with my goals. This was the same approach that I took in preparation for my examinations.

I am extremely happy to say that I graduated with distinction and became the overall top student in the cohort. I am thankful and fortunate for the tremendous support I received from my superiors at work, my lecturers and family members.

How have you benefitted from the programme that you studied?

I believe the knowledge that I have gained, coupled with hard work, paved the way for me to be promoted from an associate engineer in training and simulation systems to a senior associate engineer in 2017, and subsequently, to a training and simulation systems engineer in 2018.

The programme equipped me with a solid framework and a practical understanding of global aviation subjects. I have also learned many industry terms and jargons that enable me to communicate with my co-workers effectively.

What was your most memorable experience in SIM?

The experienced lecturers made learning fun by conducting some of the lessons through games and competitions. One memorable experience was when Mr Edwin, one of our lecturers, caught us by surprise after we returned from our semester break by conducting an open discussion lesson in Starbucks. He reminded me that learning can be enjoyable. Not to mention, he treated each one of us to a drink!

What are your goals for the near future?

I hope to continue bringing value to my organisation by expanding my knowledge of the aviation industry, especially in the area of digital technology in the world of aviation. I also hope to pursue a specialised master’s degree in aviation.

#IChoseTheSIMPathway #ThisIsMyStory #GlobalHero

Click here to learn more about the programmes awarded by RMIT University.

Posted online, 09 Sep 2019