I began my career in the Mobile Telecommunications (Telco) sector in the year 2000.
That was an era when Telco was the unicorn much like the AI industry is today.
As a fresh Marketing graduate, I felt I ‘arrived’ when I landed my first job with MobileOne (M1).
I became a call centre officer, much to the disappointment of my parents.
They couldn’t understand why their son would find joy in answering customers’ inquiries every day.
My dad would further question..
‘How much longer are you planning to waste your time?’
He wanted me to follow his career path in Finance where he believed smart people should be.
My first job in the call centre lasted 6 years but it was anything but a waste.
It was where I learned everything I knew about team leadership.
The lessons I learned from observing my supervisors were akin to sitting in the front row of an MBA class, every day.
There was one particular lesson that stood out.
‘Tasks will only take up 20% of your time. People will take up the other 80%.
‘BUT your greatest reward is when knowing you have made a positive difference to someone.”.
An advice that guided me throughout my career.
As I progressed, I was privileged to collaborate and lead diverse teams in Southeast Asia in my roles with Singtel International, Telkomsel and Lazada.
Managing teams sharpened my eye for human potential.
Oftentimes, I could see the spark in a person before they could.
Helping individuals recognize their spark was my motivation.
I created a team culture and provided opportunities for my members to find their voice. To share their ideas and career aspirations while being heard, valued and respected.
When they see beyond their current role, they start to believe in their abilities to grow and go further.
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One of the greatest gifts in life is to have someone who believes in our potential.
✳ If you are in the position of giving, support someone.
✳ If you are in a position of receiving, don’t be shy to seek guidance.
I choose to believe it is in our power to make a difference, for others and ourselves.
We can’t go back in time to change our start.
But we can make the decisions today to change our future. 🌟
How about you? What was your most important career advice?
