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Swooning over artistes might not be part of her job but Melissa Lam sure as hell enjoys managing them...

As an artiste manager cum publicist, Melissa is responsible when it comes to taking "bookings for productions, one-off projects, events and endorsements for them from countries like Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines and locally as well".

This vivacious woman also ensures that the artistes under her care get as much publicity in the news as possible. She also entertains "the requests of the clients with the artistes' schedules and determine if the rates or time required would be the best for the artiste".

Suffice to say, this seems akin to a dream job. For Melissa, she muses that "too many unexpected twists [has] led me to where I am today". She had wanted to be a news anchor initially and has a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Journalism from Marquette University at Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Already three years on the job, Melissa still exudes as much energy as when she first started out. What keeps her going?

"The satisfaction when the artistes I assist are well taken to by the media, the fans and clients alike. I also feel a strong sense of pride in the completion of every project we undertake together", says Melissa. Honestly, who wouldn't want a job that allows you to rub shoulders with some of the hottest or even famous celebrities? Girls, prepare to eat your heart out because Melissa manages MTV VJ Utt, an artiste who's very easy on the eye.

So does Melissa ever get star-strucked you wonder? She says, "I don't really get star struck with many artistes when I'm on the job... as an artiste manager I try my best to look past the pretty face and see within." Of course Melissa is not unlike all of us and admits that she does go weak in the knees when it comes to Korean artistes especially Bae Yong Jung.

Melissa finds artiste management a fulfilling job but also comments that it is "not necessarily one that is available often in the small entertainment circle in Singapore". She recommends applying "with the big boys like MediaCorp, SPH MediaWorks, FLY entertainment etc. first."

A piece of advice for those who are all for minding celebrities and calling the shots - you need to have "passion for the job, the people and the industry, patience in waiting for the right opportunities to surface and in managing expectations and lastly, tact when dealing with people in general".

"Passion is the only thing that separates a career from a job. Be passionate in what you do and I'm sure you'll reap the results you want", quips Melissa.