The nightlife industry is often associated with fabulous partying on the job, but these three young women reveal it’s not glitz and glamour all the time and tell us what it takes to be a rising success in the scene
The nightlife industry is often associated with fabulous partying on the job, but these three young women reveal it’s not glitz and glamour all the time and tell us what it takes to be a rising success in the scene
Sofie Chandra, 32
Head of Marketing and Events at Zouk Singapore
“The first party I ever went to was a Mambo Jambo night at Zouk when I turned 18. It became a weekly thing – I went for Mambo Jambo every Wednesday while on weekends, I’d be at Phuture. I would bid for classes that didn’t fall on Thursdays so I could party the night before. My friends and I even kept alcohol in our lockers so we could pre-drink before going to the club! When I graduated, I was offered two jobs – one at a bank and the other at Zouk. I chose Zouk because the pay was the same then and I figured I’d spend around two years in the nightlife industry before moving on from there. I could always join a bank after and since I’m only young once, I might as well try it out. Two years became three, then four, and it’s now my 10th year at Zouk.
The team is great. We party together but we also work very hard. This job is not just about partying. We have events every other week and a lot of effort is involved, be it brainstorming, working on campaigns, or even packing goodie bags. One of the things I tell new team members when they first join is to remember who they are, where they came from and to remain grounded. The industry we are in is generally perceived as [involving] constant partying, meeting guest DJs, hanging out and drinking champagne, and it’s easy to lose yourself in all that. Staying grounded is key because it’s really easy to get swept away by the glitz and glamour of it all.”
Amanda Keisha Ang, 30
DJ and Co-founder of DJ collective ATTAGIRL!
“I’ve been exposed to all kinds of music through my hippie dad and alternative music-loving brother since I was a child. When hip hop and electronic music came into my life around 2000, it seemed natural to want to be part of the industry as well. I did a short DJ course but didn’t feel I could afford continuing the interest until I joined the FFF Girl DJ Bootcamp in 2013. It all kicked off from there. I formed ATTAGIRL! with two others from the camp and we started getting gigs about a year later. Being a DJ has its ups and downs. It requires one to be able to manage time well and that’s something I still struggle with. It’s a matter of knowing your priorities, and just going for what you know is important. Sometimes, I don’t sleep much, but I try to make up for it as much and as soon as I can.
Juggling so many things at once also means you need to be responsible for your well-being. Music is a big part of my life and I regularly go for gigs and meet like-minded people. Even after I settle down and have kids, they’d probably grow up being surrounded by the music I like to listen to, and having little kiddie disco parties! I used to worry that I would be too old to do certain things, but this year, I told myself to change my mindset, get stuff going and not bother about my age. I used to think certain things are more suited for younger people, but that doesn’t really matter to me anymore. I think you should do what you want, whenever you want. You never know, you may find yourself super rejuvenated with the whole experience of doing new things.”
Hilda Tan, 20
Independent Bar Consultant and Bartender
“When I was 18, I enrolled in a two-year mobile applications course. I went through the entire syllabus by myself in six months, but I couldn’t complete the course early because my teacher refused to let me take the final exam. So when I finally graduated, I felt really frustrated. Then I thought to myself, ‘Hold on, if I think I’m such a genius, why don’t I do something I have no clue about?’ So I dove right into bartending. During the first three months of training, I would always be holding a notebook and writing down all the tasting notes and information about spirits like gin. Six months later, I became head bartender at a bar called The Spiffy Dapper.
The strangest request I’ve gotten from a customer was, ‘Can you make me a drink with mooncake?’ I laughed it off and promised to make it if she brought me some mooncakes. The runner-up goes to a rather inebriated guest who punched the copper bar top several times, yelled for a custom drink that was ‘fit for a king before he goes to war’. I love this sort of weirdness on quiet nights because I get to enjoy the creative process with minimum pressure. For anyone who asks about succeeding in this career, the advice I would give is to always be ready. If someone tells you they’re going to give you a job and you want it but you don’t know how to do it, just say yes. You’ll eventually get there.”
