Opinion—Your first job

Lucas Chow is the former CEO of Far East Orchard Singapore, Mediacorp Pte Ltd and Singtel Mobile. He now serves as the Director of the Thirst Collective, which includes Christian websites Salt&Light and Thir.st. He worships at Wesley MC and is a member of the MCS Council on Communications.

Your first job:

Advice from a former CEO

Like many fresh graduates, I was eager to dive into the workforce after I left university. My urgency was driven by the attraction of being financially independent and climbing the corporate ladder—and also because I didn’t want to be left behind by my peers. But with hindsight, I now know that a career lasts for many years; I would have made fewer mistakes if I had spent some time planning my career before setting out.

I hope this sharing of my personal experiences in selecting and hiring potential candidates will be useful especially to those who have just graduated and are looking for their first jobs.

Preparing a career plan

Know yourself

1. What are your: skills, values and interests?

• Skills: What are you good at? We often learn from our past experiences how we can apply the skills that we have acquired. When we were still in university, one of my schoolmates asked me to help him plan his wedding and banquet. The couple were on a tight budget and had to feed many hungry youths. An event of that scale required: detailed planning; organisation; problem solving; budgeting; creativity; resourcefulness; and communication skills. Although this happened many years ago, I still consider it as one of my major accomplishments. These skills are “transferable” and can be applied at work or under many different circumstances.

You can identify your skills and build skill inventories by reflecting on your life experiences (especially from major achievements). This is particularly useful for fresh graduates with no or limited working experience. I find it useful to keep a skill inventories list, and to review and add to it periodically as I gain more experience and exposure in life.

• Values: What is most important to you? Our values are shaped by our backgrounds, beliefs and experiences.

It is important to know what values that you will not compromise, such as family, integrity and religion.

For example, how you would like to spend your time, energy and resources? How willing are you to miss a family member’s birthday dinner because you have to finish an important assignment? How important it is for you to work in a company that promotes responsibility towards the environment? Is it a must that the company you work for conducts its business with integrity?

Knowing your values will help to set your priorities. This will come in handy when you consider career-life integration and choose a company to work for.

• Interests: What are your passions? This may be what you enjoy but are not necessarily expert at, such as playing a musical instrument, art, cooking, etc.

I have a keen interest in food and enjoy watching skilful chefs at work. Whenever I dine at a Japanese restaurant and if the counter seats are available, I like to watch the chef preparing the dishes. While I don’t have the talent to replicate such dishes at home, I am inspired to learn more about the ingredients used, and the chef’s creativity in the food’s taste, texture and presentation. This interest and knowledge in food helped me when I was managing a food and beverage business.

When your interests are aligned with your career, it can motivate you to develop the knowledge and skills in helping you to succeed.

My late father chuckled when I told him I was joining MediaCorp. He said that finally someone was paying me to do what I like!

2. What are your career goals? What would you like to be in five, 10 or 15 years?

When I was in school, my favourite composition topic was “What do you want to be when you grow up?” While all of us have aspirations, a reality check is necessary to avoid disappointment. Knowing yourself will help you to set appropriate and realistic career goals.

You might highly value spending time with family and friends. But some careers might require you to work long hours in order to be successful. If you are not prepared to make such a sacrifice or compromise, then it may not be the right career path. When you first graduate, you may not have all the necessary skills and experience to be successful in your career. You need to identify the gaps and make realistic plans to bridge them. While some people may be naturally talented, most need long hours of practice and endurance to achieve excellence in sports, arts and music. The same can be said about one’s career. There aren’t, I am afraid, any shortcuts.

It is thus useful to set career goals for the next five, 10 and 15 years, and to make practical plans. Here are some things you might want to consider:

• your age in five, 10 and 15 years’ time • your marital status • your financial status and desired financial needs • your desired level of position, e.g. director, manager, senior executive, etc. • your hobbies and leisure activities: how much time do you need to pursue them?

As we move into different seasons of our lives, our priorities, needs and financial responsibilities change, such as from being single and living at home to being married and with children. Different people have different definitions of career success. For me, it is simple: if you are happy, then you are successful.

How do I know what job and company are suitable for me?

Know the environment and available opportunities

In looking for a suitable industry and vocation, I suggest that paying attention to the following:

• global industry and market trends (short- and longterm) • factors that will influence the future • opportunities that best align with your skills, values, interests and career plans

The global pandemic has had a major impact on many businesses and industries. For example, the demand for the travel and hospitality industries has plummeted. However, the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries have seen an increase in job opportunities. But how

long will this trend last? Governments around the world are already planning to move from treating COVID-19 as pandemic to endemic. Countries cannot shut their borders forever. With the pent-up demand, air travel cost is predicted to increase by 30 per cent when countries open up later this year.

At the early days of the pandemic, the demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) and masks skyrocketed. We saw companies rushing to cash in on the opportunity. But with the oversupply of such products and the incidence of the virus decreasing in many countries, prices of such items are expected to fall.

Thus, when looking for a job in such volatile situation, the key is to remain flexible and have a view of the long term.

Know the company

Before you apply to a company, it may be worthwhile to find out more about it. Most companies’ or organisations’ webpages provide information about what they do, their vision and values. Better still, if you know someone who has worked for or is still working for the company or organisation, have a talk with them about the company culture.

Know the boss

While it may not be easy, it will be helpful if you can find out more about the character of the company’s leadership. As key decision makers, they influence the company’s direction and working culture. Gathering information about the reputation of the leadership and management style of the company can go a long way in helping you decide if this company is suitable for you.

How do I prepare for a job interview?

The interview is a good opportunity for you to observe the company’s culture and management style. From my experience of interviewing potential candidates, here are some pointers that may help you to improve your chances of being offered a job:

Before the interview

• Do research and arm yourself with information about the company and the job you are interviewing for.

This will increase your confidence and also show the interviewer that you are keen and have done your homework. Rehearse your answers if possible. • Be punctual and arrive slightly ahead of time to give yourself time to calm your nerves. Few hiring managers like to see their candidates rushing to the appointment. • Dress appropriately for job you are hoping to get, but be yourself. • Have all your necessary documents such as educational certificates and referral letters well-organised.

During the interview

• Pay attention to the questions and ask for clarification if you don’t understand. • Answer questions clearly in a succinct manner and to the point. Use your knowledge wisely but humbly. • It’s better to admit that you don’t know the answer to a question than to make up an inappropriate or incorrect one.

After the interview

Regardless of the outcome, immediately follow up with a thank-you email to the interviewers. If it is appropriate, recap what was discussed and reiterate why you should be considered for the opportunity. This is a small gesture that will go a long way.

Hiring managers look for candidates who are keen, are competent and have the potential to learn and grow in the company.

Most importantly, seek God’s guidance and go M.A.D.

God has graciously given all of us different kinds of gifts, and I believe work is God-enabled. Without Him, we can do nothing. Whether we are looking for a job or preparing for an interview, let’s not forget to pray and seek His guidance so that whatever we do is aligned with His will.

As Christians, we must be the salt and the light in the marketplace and prepare to go M.A.D. (make a difference).

May God bless you abundantly and guide you to the career path He has chosen for you.