Haikel Fahim,
Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Public Relations 2012
The Industry Highlights series feature fellow alumni on a journey of their careers in various industries, sectors, and stories behind the scene. Find out more about our growing domestic and international community of over 70,000 Alumni through unique stories and experiences.
Murdoch Singapore alumnus Haikel Fahim shares his experience on the digitalisation of the media industry in Singapore…
What did you study at Murdoch? What do you do now?
I studied and graduated with a Bachelor of Communications at Murdoch, majoring in Public Relations.
Currently, I am the Head of Southeast Asia at Telum Media, a fast-growing, entrepreneurial, PR technology company – passionate about media and journalism.
What do you think is Murdoch’s point of difference compared with other universities?
For me personally it was providing the option of part-time learning as I was already working back then. I also appreciated that modules were conducted in a trimester format which allowed me to cover a lot more in a year.
What drew you to working in the media sector? Any particular intriguing experiences you would like to share?
Working in the media had been my goal for the longest time. However, the realisation of what career path in the media and PR only came as I progressed in the industry. I’ve always enjoyed the networking aspect of being in the media sector. Your network is gold in this field, and it can take you places, and I appreciate all the connections I’ve made in my career thus far.
I can’t quite point out an ‘intriguing’ experience, but the current COVID-19 pandemic has put me in a very unique situation. It meant accelerating plans that would have previously taken 6 months to execute, in just weeks. Recent months had seen me and the rest of the Telum Media team organise regional webinars with more than 1,000 people attending each time. I’ve been moderating these sessions, speaking to some of the most brilliant journalists and communications professionals in Southeast Asia, and it’s been really great so far.
What have been some of the big changes in your line of work in recent years? How do you foresee the role of media and journalism in the future?
Although digitalisation of the media and communications field had begun over a decade ago, it’s still happening and is the most significant change since I started out in the industry.
The role of media and journalism will only become more significant in the future. It will become more diverse with even more channels and platforms coming into the mix. With technology such as 5G, AI, AR, and others rising, we can expect that media will bring news and information in many exciting shapes and forms.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve received?
I’m lucky to have great seniors and mentors in my past roles. One great piece of advice I received from one of them when I just started out working was to never burn bridges. That’s once advice that I hold on to till now and I’ve been able to build great connections and network as a result.
Who inspires you?
I hate to be cliché here, but I’d have to say that it’d be my father. He did not get a chance to have proper education but helped me understand the importance of it. A blue-collar worker all his life, his physical hard work, honesty, perseverance, and street intelligence gave him the tools he needed to provide for his family. I really look up to him for all he’s done, and he inspires me to never give up and reminds me to do what I do, for my family.
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