This Female Vinyl Car Wrapper On How She Found Her Calling | On The Red Dot

Key Concepts

• Communication Design Degree: A formal education in design principles, often leading to careers in graphic design, advertising, or related fields.
• Imaging Design: A specialized area of design that bridges graphic and advertising design, focusing on visual representation and branding.
• Marketing Campaigns: Coordinated efforts to promote a product or service, often involving social media, content creation, and target audience engagement.
• Entrepreneurship: The act of starting and running a business, involving risk-taking and innovation.
• Vinyl Wrapping: The process of applying a large sheet of vinyl film to a vehicle's exterior to change its color or appearance.
• Paint Protection Film (PPF): A transparent film applied to a vehicle's paintwork to protect it from scratches, chips, and other damage.
• Squeegee: A tool with a rubber blade used to spread and smooth vinyl film during application.
• Male-Dominated Industry: A profession or sector where the majority of workers are men.
• DIY (Do It Yourself): Performing tasks or projects oneself without professional assistance.

Career Transition and Entrepreneurship

The speaker initially pursued a degree in Communication Design, influenced by her mother to choose a more stable career path than fine arts. Her specialization was imaging design, a field that blends graphic and advertising design. However, during her studies, she realized her passion for design might not be as strong as she initially thought.

Following graduation, she embarked on a career in marketing for approximately four years. In this role, she was responsible for developing and managing marketing campaigns and social media accounts for other companies, which involved creating content to meet specific targets. She took this job through a friend's introduction, prioritizing convenience and financial stability over personal enjoyment. The corporate environment, with its inherent office politics and lack of control over career progression, led her to question her daily commute and job satisfaction. This dissatisfaction culminated in her quitting her full-time job without a concrete plan.

Freelancing and the Shift to Automotive Business

After leaving her corporate role, the speaker faced financial uncertainty, with her income dropping significantly. She supplemented her earnings through freelance marketing and design projects, primarily to cover immediate living expenses. Her freelance income was roughly 50% less than her previous corporate salary.

Her partner, an established entrepreneur with multiple ongoing projects, expressed concern about her lack of stable income. He saw an opportunity in the automotive business, a field he had been interested in since childhood. This led to a joint venture where he invested in the business, leveraging his confidence and business acumen, while she trusted his judgment and sought to grow her own capital.

Learning the Craft of Vinyl Wrapping

Initially, the speaker managed the marketing aspects of their new automotive business, drawing on her expertise. However, out of curiosity and a desire to support her staff, she began observing and learning the technical skills involved in vinyl wrapping and paint protection film (PPF) application. She would ask her staff detailed questions about techniques, such as how to hold a squeegee and where to make cuts.

Her learning process was largely on-the-job, as formal training opportunities in Singapore were limited. She supplemented this by researching online. The first solo project she undertook was wrapping the roof of a car. Despite the usual need for assistance when starting out, she felt confident enough after a month of observation to attempt it independently. This experience, which surprised her staff, provided a significant sense of accomplishment and opened her eyes to the possibility of pursuing this as a career.

Challenges and Rewards in a Male-Dominated Industry

The automotive wrapping industry is described as male-dominated. When the speaker began posting her work on TikTok, she encountered negative comments, such as "I will never let a girl touch my car." She acknowledges that there are fewer women in this field, potentially due to the physically demanding nature of the work, the potential for messiness in workshops, and the general health and labor intensity involved.

She manages muscle aches through sheer perseverance. Accidents are common, with minor injuries like accidental cuts from pen knives or burns from heat guns being considered part of the daily routine. She recounts a more serious incident where a snapped razor blade cut two of her knuckles.

Despite these challenges, the speaker finds the work fulfilling. She highlights the freedom it offers, the ability to witness tangible improvements in her skills, and the immense satisfaction derived from customers' positive reactions and happiness with the car makeovers. She contrasts this with her previous corporate job, stating that while the wrapping work can be tiring, it is significantly more rewarding and better suited to her preferences.

Customer Perspective and Future Outlook

One customer, who found her through TikTok and Instagram research for car wrapping services, was attracted to her as one of the few female wrappers in Singapore. They expressed satisfaction with the "superb and very nice" full makeover of their car.

The speaker reflects on her Communication Design degree, acknowledging it as an "expensive piece of paper" but not entirely useless. She believes it provides a fallback qualification should she need to seek employment elsewhere. Ultimately, she finds her current career path, despite its physical demands and inherent risks, to be far more enjoyable and fulfilling than her previous corporate role.