My Personal Stories - New Year 2024

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This year caps 30 years of my career in professional world.

?I have 3 personal stories I’d like to share:

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In 1994, I had just finished my masters in National University of Singapore. The next step was naturally to look for job in SG. Over a period of 6 months, I sent more than 150 CVs. Mind you that at that time, there was limited internet and email, no LinkedIn or JobStreet, JobsDB and the like. So the job-seeking process??involved flipping the Straits Times Saturday papers and scouring for suitable vacancies, printing the application letter and a pre-written CV, sending the letter with snail mail in an envelope and stamp.

I eventually got my first job offer from the now-defunct Digital Equipment Corporation through a process involving a friend, mailing list and the Almighty’s intervention. The job was in Batam, a small island in Indonesia about an hour by ferry from Singapore. It was not in Singapore as per what I aspired, especially when I was already in the country. The joke at that time was BATAM stands for Begitu Anda Tiba Anda Menyesal (the moment you arrive, you regret it). So the job was the least ideal and I was in fact reluctant to accept it. My Mom helped me to decide with a simple sentence: “if that’s the company that offers you a job, just take it”.

This first job, that I wasn’t so eager to take, however, turns out to be the greatest foundation which shapen up my skillset, knowledge, career path and much of who I am today.?

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In 1999, I quit my first job and co-founded a trading company in Batam with an ex colleague. We did (or at least tried to) 2 things:

We supplied production consumables such as gloves, ESD straps, etc.

The second thing, and this is the interesting part, was second-hand toys. Yes, you read it right, I sold second-hand toys before! ??

We collected second-hand toys from Singapore, brought it to Batam and sold it retail in a rented shop.

After about 3 months, reality hit hard. My eldest son was just born. The income from the business was very little. My savings depleted quickly. Would I be able to buy milk powder for my son?

I was forced to look for a job quite desperately. I got information from my sister about a possible vacancy in a company. The role was advertised a few months prior. So I was reluctant to apply because the vacancy should have been filled up, or so I thought.

Long story short, my wife persuaded me to apply. I got an offer from that company. I started reluctantly and thought that it was a temporary job and I would go back to my business. I ended up working in that company for a total of 14 years, went through various exciting experiences, grew in my career, gained valuable knowledge, and had the opportunity to work in the Philippines before settling down in Singapore.

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In 2010, I did an MBO (management buyout) with my colleagues and 3 investors. We basically acquired the company division I was working for. The aim was to grow the company and sell it or get public listed in 5 years time. It was an exciting endeavor!

My personal dream back then was to retire before 50 and do things I have not had time to do.

But God has different plan for me.

Instead of growing the company, we got into trouble when market rapidly changed and we had to wind up 5 years later. I had to fire myself and went back to work for multinational companies.

I lost my investment of 6-digit figure. It was a heart-breaking experience.

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The least desired path we are taking is not the end of us. Vice versa, the seemingly most promising path we have ahead of us is not a guarantee that it will be a path leading to success.

With grit, perseverance, integrity and faith, whatever the situation is, the path we are taking is simply the start of our life journey towards something great we are yet to discover.

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