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#Voicesof…Keika-san: Adaptability in The Unknown

gjc on October 27, 2023

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Japanese-born Keika Aoki, shares about moving and adapting in the unknown environment outside of her homeland.

Japanese version of the podcast transcript

Transcript of Podcast:

[00:00:00] Destiny: You’re listening to GJC’s podcast. I’m your host, Destiny Goh.

Getting out of your comfort zone can be both daunting and exciting. It’s the adrenaline rush and the fear of uncertainty of not knowing what awaits you.

Some might come up with a conclusion to say the grass isn’t always greener on the other side, but despite that conclusion drawn, I think it’s what you’ve experienced, learned, and built through it all that makes it count.

[00:00:26] Destiny: I enjoy listening to the stories of people who’ve been to other corners of the world, whether it’s for education, the start of a new life, or even career.

I believe they have amazing stories to share, especially ones that have to do with adaptability— how they adapt into a new place so well, how they make new friends, how they fit in at their new workplaces, and how they overcome challenges and valuable life lessons that they carry with them.

[00:00:51] Destiny: Joining me on this podcast today is my guest, Keika Aoki. Keika has previously lived in the US, UK and Sweden.

Then after completing her tertiary education in Japan, she decided to move to Singapore to start a career in recruitment.

And it’s been three and a half years since she’s joined GJC and she’s here to share about her experience navigating through Singapore as a foreigner, how she adapted into a new country and career, the challenges and obstacles in and out of work, as well as some valuable life lessons she’s picked up throughout her life living abroad.

[00:01:24] Destiny: Hi, Keika. Thank you for joining me today on this podcast. How are you feeling today?

[00:01:28] Keika: Hi, Destiny. Yeah, I’m feeling great. Thank you.

[00:01:31] Destiny: Can you share with me more about your life back when you were living in the U. S., U.K., and Sweden? How would you describe your life there?

[00:01:41] Keika: Okay, so maybe just for context, before moving to Japan for high school, I grew up overseas, specifically US, UK, Sweden for close to 13 years, and the reason why I was there is due to my dad’s work.

[00:01:58] Keika: He was doing corporate strategy for a Japanese electronics company back then. So, my family and I would follow him wherever he was stationed.

And yeah, I’d say, as hectic as it was having to move maybe every two, three years growing up, it was definitely exciting. And yeah, it was never boring because obviously we were moving around different countries, being exposed to different cultures. It definitely taught me a lot of things growing up.

[00:02:37] Destiny: And out of these three countries, which one was your, by far, your favourite?

[00:02:42] Keika: I’d say UK. I lived in London for five years. Yeah, I have a lot of good memories from when I was there.

[00:02:53] Destiny: Was there anything that you miss most about those countries?

[00:02:57] Keika: Definitely. I miss the aesthetics of London. Everything is really beautiful there. The buildings, the way everything is structured.

And, because personally, I enjoy western food. I do miss the food as much as everyone says that, you know, UK food is not good, I actually enjoyed it.

[00:03:21] Destiny: So, what was your favourite dish back then?

[00:03:23] Keika: See, there’s no dish. I just enjoy western food in general. So, when I moved back to Japan, because everything is mostly Japanese food. Um, it did take some time to get used to it.

[00:03:37] Destiny: And do you experience a culture shock back when you moved to Japan after living abroad for so many years?

So, moving back to your home country, was it exciting? Was it frightening? How was it like for you?

[00:03:50] Keika: Yeah, definitely. When I first, when my parents first told me that we were moving back to Japan, I cried, like I bawled my eyes out because of how much I didn’t want to move back to Japan.

Just because, growing up overseas as a Japanese, but having no experience living in Japan, it was like I was Japanese, but there was nothing in really Japanese about me that I personally resonated with.

[00:04:24] Keika: So, it was definitely frightening to have to move back or, you know, like move to a new place that was supposed to be my home.

And definitely when I moved to Japan, everything was a culture shock.

Like the way people behave, the values, even the lifestyle was very different. It was the first Asian country that I lived in. So, yeah, it was different.

Because I would go to Japan for summer or winter holiday, maybe every two years, but it was very different having to travel there and to live there. So, yeah, everything was different.

[00:05:07] Destiny: How was life like back in Japan for you? How long did it take you to settle down?

[00:05:16] Keika: Definitely the first, maybe two, three years, I’d say I was quite unstable. Maybe because I was a teenager or because I was still getting used to the environment.

But now that I think about it… not that I was lashing out at my parents but just looking back to like the way I was feeling back then and my behaviours, I think I was under a lot of stress.

[00:05:49] Destiny: How do you finally manage to overcome this stressful period and eventually fitting in and then meeting new friends

[00:06:02] Keika: Um, luckily, making friends was never something that I struggled with. I had friends, but really feeling comfortable in Japan took maybe three years for me. And the way I did it was, I think just be humble, like accept that I was in a different place.

And that everything that I knew until that point was going to be different naturally in a different country.

[00:06:33] Keika: And also, to try to see the good in each culture. So, I think in the first maybe two, three, I kept thinking, I kept looking at the bad part of Japan, like, you know, the cultural, there were just some things that I just couldn’t get used to in Japan that I didn’t have to experience back when I was overseas, so…

Yeah, I just kept looking at the bad things, but once I started to notice the good things about Japanese culture, Japanese history, it really helped me to really love the country.

[00:07:14] Destiny: Why do you choose a career in recruitment?

[00:07:16] Keika: Okay, so I chose recruitment as my career right out of university because I wanted to start somewhere that will allow me to have a real general understanding of the corporate world.

And in that sense, recruitment, in my opinion, was the best choice because it allowed me to be exposed to various industries as well as really allow me to have an understanding of how corporate organisations are structured.

[00:07:46] Destiny: And how do you find meaning in your job?

[00:07:48] Keika: Okay, so in my first couple of years, my role was very meaningful to me because it really allowed me to be in connection with so many different people, whether it be the HR of an organisation, top management to C-suite level people.

So, it really gave me opportunity to meet with many new people. And currently, for now, I’m leading a team of four members in the business development team.

So now I find meaning in my job by guiding junior members and yeah, just listening to their struggles, thinking of how to overcome those struggles together.

[00:08:36] Destiny: Mm-hmm. Could you share with us what are some cultural differences you found to be different between Singapore and your home country, Japan?

[00:08:44] Keika: I’d say that my experience relocating to Singapore was much smoother than what other people would typically experience, just because I already had experience living overseas from a young age.

I’d say I’m relatively accustomed to adapting to different communities, but still having experience living in the, say, U.S., U.K., and Sweden was very different from living in Singapore, which was the first Southeast Asian country that I lived in.

And I’d say the main cultural difference between Singapore and Japan is just how friendly and open people in general are.

[00:09:26] Keika: So not saying that people in Japan are not friendly, but usually strangers are just, I mean, like polite or cordial to each other, but in Singapore, I noticed that regardless of whether you personally know each other or not, people are generally warmer and more accepting.

So, one example of this would be just when I, when I just joined this company, my colleagues would invite me over to their houses for holidays and special occasions, which doesn’t usually happen in Japan unless you’re really close to the person.

[00:10:06] Destiny: Well, that’s really, really nice of them. And what are the initial challenges after your relocation to Singapore? And how do you tackle them?

[00:10:14] Keika: Right, so the biggest challenge I faced right after I moved was definitely the COVID situation because I was in Singapore by myself with no relatives, no friends, just starting my career.

And yeah, with COVID, I couldn’t go out, I couldn’t make new friends, no community to help me. So yeah, the first couple of years was definitely lonely. But right after when COVID started to settle, I started to make some new friends.

And the way I did that, I say, is just to take it slow and to make it known that you’re looking for connections.

[00:10:54] Keika: So, what I mean here is you will meet one friend, and then just who will then introduce you to maybe one of their other friends that you just venture out from there.

So, you don’t need to think about it in a way that you need to make many, many new friends in one setting. Just yeah, just get to know each person one by one.

And if you make it known that, oh, I’m actually looking to make new friends, you know, people are generally quite nice here, so they will definitely help you.

[00:11:25] Destiny: And what about the people who are much shyer, uh, who are, you know, maybe they are not really vocal in expressing their needs to make new friends. So, what’s your advice for people who are typically on, you know, the quieter end?

[00:11:43] Keika: I’d say to take it slow because definitely, I myself am not a very extroverted person. I’m the type of person who will have maybe one, two, or three very close friends. And, you know, I won’t have like hundreds of friends

So, what I did also was just to maybe find one or two friends that really resonates with you and build your relationship there and not to rush into making more connection.

[00:12:22] Destiny: I think your idea here is to be very intentional with the kind of people that you mix around with and also, your advice to people who are slightly shyer is to make the first step to make an effort, probably with a little encouragement from others.

And I think it’s also important that to know what they intend to get out of these friendships because I think for people who are slightly shyer, they’re not really vocal with what they want.

[00:12:55] Destiny: But I think perhaps with a little encouragement from the people around them, you know, and also if when they see the blossoming of a fruitful friendship and what it may look like, I think that would greatly affect their decisions to do so as well.

And so, what are the kinds of support you received while working and living in Singapore from, say, your family?

[00:13:23] Keika: My family, I’d say we would have video calls every couple of months. So, we would just catch up on how each of us are doing.

And because I was just starting off my career back when I came here, I would share some of the struggles I was facing and get some advice from my parents.

[00:13:45] Destiny: Are your parents currently working now?

[00:13:46] Keika: Yes, my dad’s still working, so he will, yeah, give me advice as a senior in the workplace.

[00:13:56] Destiny: So, he’s back in Japan as well?

[00:13:58] Keika: Yes.

[00:13:58] Destiny: And what about your workplace at GJC? What kind of support have you received from your colleagues or even your managers, and your bosses?

[00:14:07] Keika: So, when I joined there were actually two other fresh grads that came with me, so it definitely helped that there were other people at the same level as I was who were going through similar things.

So, we would, yeah, just catch up on a regular basis, share how we were doing and our struggles, and yeah, just give each other advice.

[00:14:32] Destiny: And what about a local community in Singapore where, where it consists mostly of your friends and your social circle?

[00:14:40] Keika: I’d say this part was something that I struggled with in the first maybe one, two years moving to Singapore because I did struggle making new friends when I just came here.

But recently, now that the borders open and I’ve made many new friends compared to back then, my friends will definitely support me in a way that I can just detach myself from work whenever I’m with people who are outside of work.

So, we will just have fun over the weekend, and it’ll give me a nice, like, refresh session.

[00:15:17] Destiny: Could you share with me, like, what do you do with your friends over the weekend? What kind of activities that you guys, you know?

[00:15:26] Keika: Oh, I mean, it depends, but I do like to go out for, like, cafe hopping with my friends, go to nice restaurants. There are a lot of good food places in Singapore, so we will, like, try to go to those locations.

[00:15:43] Destiny: So how do you maintain a connection with your Japanese culture and roots despite being in a foreign country?

[00:15:50] Keika: I’d say that there are some parts of me that is typically set to be Japanese, so for example, typically people say that Japanese are quite modest and they’re polite, and I feel like those are qualities that I have, and I do take pride in that.

So, yeah, it’s something that I try to keep with me. But, of course, if there are other… say, like, different cultures that I resonate with, I will also incorporate that in my life.

[00:16:24] Destiny: And I also realised that before you and our other Japanese colleagues, before they leave the office to have a client visit, there’s a term that you would let everybody know that you’re going out?

[00:16:37] Keika: Oh, itte kimasu.

[00:16:38] Destiny: Yeah. And I feel that that’s really nice to let your colleagues know, like where you’re going and stuff.

So, I feel that that’s you basically still retaining that side of you that’s really Japanese and really courteous and polite.

[00:16:57] Destiny: And can you share with me your experience as a foreigner navigating through the workplace in Singapore? And what are some memorable experiences you’ve had being here?

[00:17:08] Keika: I say one main reason why I enjoy going to different places is because it allows me to travel to locations that I will usually not go.

And in Singapore, I feel like each location has its own unique vibe and atmosphere, which is something that I still to this day enjoy experiencing.

[00:17:31] Destiny: And you know, I think most people, at least from what I heard, you mentioned that Singapore there’s not much to explore, perhaps maybe for locals, but for foreigners like ourselves, do you think the same way?

[00:17:48] Keika: Um, well, definitely it is a small country. So, after maybe a few years, you kind of just get used to all the locations out there, but I am still interested in the difference between Japan and Singapore.

And I’m still amazed at how different, but similar some parts of some cultures are.

[00:18:14] Destiny: And, you know, aside from cafes, maybe there could be one or two places, a place that you would recommend to your friends who are visiting from Japan. Are there places as such?

[00:18:25] Destiny: For me, for example, I love Universal Studios. I know that it’s not the biggest place, but I just find it to be a really exciting getaway.

And because I just, you know, whenever I head over there, I just feel like I kind of forget the stress that’s behind me. And I thoroughly enjoy myself over the really thrilling, exciting rides. And I feel like I just can’t get enough of it.

[00:18:52] Keika: Okay, and in that sense, I always recommend East Coast Park to my friends coming to Singapore because I’m from Tokyo, a lot of my friends are also from Tokyo, which is the city area.

So East Coast Park is just a nice place, like, a place that you can see the ocean, and there’s the greens, and there’s also the hawker centres, which we don’t have in Japan, so it’s a different experience.

[00:19:24] Destiny: There is no hawker centres at all in Japan?

[00:19:25] Keika: No.

[00:19:27] Destiny: And, oh okay, that’s interesting. I didn’t know that.

[00:19:31] Destiny: Okay, so were there life lessons that you’ve learned while working here at GJC that have helped you become a better individual?

[00:19:40] Keika: Um, working in a multicultural environment has definitely taught me to be more open minded and patient with others. Because I say communication in general is a very complex thing, even within the same community.

So, interacting with colleagues and even clients of different backgrounds and nationalities is an even bigger challenge. And even more, for some people, English is their second or even third language, so there’s the language barrier as well.

So, now that I’ve worked here for over three years, it’s, I feel like now I always try to understand the deeper context of what people are trying to tell me, even if it’s not stated clearly in their speech or message.

[00:20:30] Destiny: How do you make out the, the context of what people are saying? I know that, you know, communication is a skill, and it’s easily thrown around by everybody.

But I feel that sometimes all talk and no listen isn’t exactly communication. But maybe for you, it might be different. So, what efforts do you take to initiate to understand people on a on a deeper level?

[00:20:58] Keika: Like whenever I’m communicating with people I always try to think like, oh what is this person trying to tell me, what are their intentions behind their messages? Like I really try to read into the deeper meaning, and sometimes there’s no deep meaning- deeper meaning.

So, I don’t maybe necessarily need to do it all the time, but I’d say definitely it’s helped me to avoid miscommunication on various occasions.

[00:21:30] Destiny: Great. So, do you have any advice? You know, for fellow women who are thinking about or have plans to relocate to Singapore?

[00:21:39] Keika: Yeah. So as a woman living alone in a foreign country, it can definitely seem intimidating, especially if it’s far from your home country. But I can definitely say that Singapore would be one of the best options out there, just because how safe and convenient everything is here.

It is a small country, like for one, you don’t have to worry about traveling for hours just to get somewhere, and also the taxi here is very convenient.

So even if you’re out for dinner or you’re out late, you don’t have to worry about getting home safely, which is one of the most important things living by yourself in a foreign country.

[00:22:27] Destiny: Yeah. I feel like I can totally vouch for this because this is something that I think, especially women, we ourselves will never take this for granted. And I think Singapore is yes, indeed, definitely one of the safest places that I have personally been.

I don’t have to worry if my laptop will be stolen if I leave it on the table for too long. I guess people are generally more honest in being here.

I think I do appreciate the law and especially, you know, when, when laws are stricter, I feel that it also gives people a sense of security, I feel like to really keep the country together.

[00:23:12] Destiny: So, maybe you can share, you know, how do you build this skill of adaptability? Because hearing from what you’ve been telling me that you’ve lived in, I would say, various countries, how do you adapt from one country to another?

How do you fit in into the society and everything else?

[00:23:33] Keika: So, one is to be open minded. You need to understand that you are the one that is in a foreign environment. So just keep an open mind that most likely everything you know will be different.

And another thing will be to take interest in the local community, whether it be their culture, their background, their history. Understanding why some things are the way it is will definitely help you understand the way the modern, you know, the society that you are in at that time is the way it is.

[00:24:11] Destiny: So, I feel that I’ve learned greatly from you today on this podcast, Keika. Thank you so much for joining me.

[00:24:19] Keika: Thank you so much.

[00:24:22] Destiny: Uh, yeah, for joining me and, and, you know, telling me your stories, like what you’ve been doing in the past and how you have blossomed from, you know, from a fresh graduate into a full-blown working adult.

[00:24:32] Destiny: And it’s been three and a half years since you’ve been in Singapore. I hope you have been enjoying your time here.

[00:24:37] Keika: Yeah, definitely!

[00:24:39] Destiny: And I just wish you all the very best in everything that you do. To our audience, I hope that there will be huge takeaways for you through this podcast with Keika. Thank you so much, Keika!

[00:24:52] Keika: Thank you so much!

Podcast written and edited by Destiny Goh
Marketing Communications Executive

Adaptability: A 3-Step Survival Guide You Need

gjc on October 25, 2023

Getting out of your comfort zone can be daunting and exciting; it’s the adrenaline rush and the fear of uncertainty of not knowing what awaits you. Some might come up with a conclusion to say the grass isn’t always greener on the other side, but the idea isn’t in the conclusion drawn. It’s what you have experienced, learned and built that makes it count.

This article is inspired by the real-life experiences of our foreign team members here at GJC.

Transitions are hard but unavoidable in all life stages. It could be high schoolers transitioning into higher education, some moving from their home country to another for work or switching careers for a fresh start and growth.

Moving is the easy, physical aspect, but learning how to adapt yourself in the unknown is a mindset game. Adapting means working without boundaries, to find diverse and accidental solutions to tackle the challenges stacked against you.

There’s many ways you can do this, but we’ve broken it down into just three simple steps so you can recite it like a mantra and keep moving forward.

Step 1: Improvise

Improvisation encourages a mindset with the willingness to say ‘yes’, and to explore with ideas rather than denying the possibilities when things go south or need solving.

Think about a time when you ran out of a particular ingredient while cooking a meal, and you’re not keen to go grocery shopping for just one item, so you get creative and replace it with a similar ingredient.

Or that big meeting you had with many important people, and suddenly the projector stops working, do you call it off or spontaneously grab a whiteboard, get some printouts and keep the meeting going?

The improvisation rules start with acceptance, receptivity, agreement, working with what you have and experimenting with divergent ways to make it work. Your spontaneity jolts a shift in mindset and yields new thinking that empowers you to try something new. The aim is to develop a creative mindset that expands how you view and understand problems.

Ozgun Atasoy, the science writer of ‘Your thoughts can release abilities beyond normal limits’ wrote: ‘If mindsets can change us, maybe we can deliberately choose our mindsets to improve our abilities.’

The first simple step to bring out the improviser in you is through observation and imitation. While you watch the pros handle a situation that usually calls for panic, observe how they tackle and conquer, then build or adjust your tactics and practice.

Step 2: Adapt

Exercising regularly builds muscle strength, memory, and stamina–improving endurance for everyday activities. Cognitive fitness is exercising your brain to better reason, remember, plan, learn, generate, experiment, and adapt.

Cognitively fit people make better decision-makers, problem solvers, and stress conquerors. Contrary to popular belief that a person’s adaptability skills can only be built through experience, you can also gain such skills through observation and indirect experience, made possible by mirror neurons.

Identified by neuroscientist Giacomo Rizzolatti and team, these neurons help explain how and why you ‘read’ other people’s minds and empathise with them—that watching an action and performing the action evoke the same feelings in people.

For context, when you watch a certain leadership style fail from the sidelines, our brains pick up the mistakes and emotions of disappointment and come up with things you’d do differently, adapting so you’ll do it better.

Adaptability is a skill sewn together through the brain’s ability to scan through the surroundings, determine a structure, and create meaning from collected data to take accurate action.

How to build Adaptability, illustration by author

Having moved over four countries now, Business Development Team Leader Keika Aoki shared that keeping an open mind, acceptance and taking charge helped her build on adaptability. She recalled making the effort to study the foreign culture, history and values had allowed her to see things through a different lens, appreciate the beauty of it and ease into change.

Step 3: Overcome

‘Nana korobi ya oki, is a Japanese proverb that literally means ‘fall down seven, stand up eight’. To overcome means to prevail, defeat anything that causes any form of struggle and emerge victorious.

Challenges can either make or break us and wholly depend on our reaction, choice of handling and the mindset you choose to adopt. A fighting, relentless spirit builds character and strengthens tenacity; label your struggles and never give them the satisfaction of bringing you down.

Keika also shared how she overcame the challenge of making friends when she moved to Singapore. She made her intentions known that she intended to grow her circle and build connections. When you become intentional about solving a challenge, you’ll be driven to make it work.

Everyone’s built differently; there’s no one-size-fits-all solution on how to overcome the various challenges and problems you face, but here are your starting points:

How do you overcome anything, illustration by author

Adaptability is a survival skill built through rigorously exercising your mind’s resilience, filling your conceptual storehouse with knowledge, and intentionally creating learning opportunities. Make life in the unknown an adventure for you.

Written by Destiny Goh
Marketing Communications Executive

Emotional Intelligence: It Starts From Within

gjc on September 14, 2023

Most would say emotional intelligence is being in tune with their emotions—recognising their strengths and weaknesses, what makes them tick—or think it’s simply being ‘nice’ to others.

Though not entirely wrong, what’s missing is the relationships with others and their social environment. In any working institution, emotional intelligence is the foundation of all relationships, and it ripples into our emotional expression and interactions with others.

See the four aspects of your Emotional Intelligence you can improve on.

What is Emotional Intelligence, and why is there a need for it?

Psychologist and best-selling author Daniel Goleman says it’s the ability to recognise and manage our emotions with the capacity to understand and influence the feelings of others.

It stimulates compassion for others, effectively communicating with different types of people in various situations and being both self and socially aware of your response towards others.

Four attributes that make up Emotional Intelligence:

An excerpt taken from Emotional Intelligence by author, Daniel Goleman

How can I improve my Emotional Intelligence ?

1. Self-awareness:

Rash decisions are made if we allow emotions to influence our judgement, whether stressed or even when we feel good. Yes, even feeling elated won’t keep you from making a wrong decision. A relatable scenario would be the exorbitant spending in the guise of ‘treating yourself’, but regret follows when the bills come in later for that fleeting ‘feel good’ moment.

Consultant Gabriel Tan shared that we’re all emotional beings, and all kinds of emotions easily sway us. Taking hold of your emotions will not make you a more controlled person but a wise decision-maker.

Pro tip: make an effort to be emotionally present bytaking a step back to consider the consequences of your actions and how they will impact you and those around you.

Pause to pinpoint your thoughts and emotions, ask for help if needed, and take heart that it isn’t a sign of weakness but rather your commitment and action taken to improve.

2. Self-management:

Self-management is what we do with the information gathered from being self-aware, and there are several key areas to build it on, such as:

Authenticity
Adaptability
Optimism

Be authentic about your emotions and stay true to your values—though it doesn’t mean sharing anything and everything—but being consciously transparent about your beliefs, priorities and boundaries in your decision-making allows people to see your motives or intentions in plain sight.

Adaptability means working without boundaries and finding diverse and accidental solutions to tackle challenges. Observe, learn, or ask for guidance from those who exhibit this quality; reset and reframe your focus to objectively view things or practice self-talk like, ‘Just because I’m in a bad mood doesn’t mean I’ll have a bad day.’

Optimism doesn’t mean closing a blind eye toward negativity, but reframing your mindset to filter out the good that comes from the situation—could be a valuable lesson or experience. Putting your thoughts into perspective helps form realistic interpretations that give you a positive outlook toward situations and people.

3. Social awareness:

Ever been told to ‘read the room?’

As we get better at managing our feelings and emotions, we’ll need to know how to read the emotions of others, as this will significantly increase the effectiveness of our interpersonal relationships.

The simplest example of being socially aware is to pay attention to a person’s body language then plan our responses accordingly. Be slow to make assumptions and listen to understand.

Gabriel gathered from his experience that like-minded people often create a healthy social environment, and companies with a great working culture don’t happen overnight. To make that happen, it’s important to be socially aware of our surroundings; making small initiatives through understanding, observing and respecting one another’s differences is a great start.

4. Relationship management:

In any healthy relationship, what we want to get out of it is self-development and the opportunity to develop others. Developing others is an emotionally intelligent skill we can cultivate through asking and giving constructive feedback—this allows us to exchange and learn from others’ ideas, strengths, and knowledge.

Offering your expertise creates opportunities to collaborate with people who fill the gaps they seek to bridge.

Next, create better conversations.

Radio journalist and public speaker Celeste Headlee, shares in a podcast that talking and conversing are two different things. The goal isn’t constantly proving you’re better than everyone else but getting people to be good talkers.

If you desire better conversations, learn to ask questions that spark your curiosity and refrain from equating your experience with whom you’re speaking to because there’s a chance you’d turn the focus back to yourself, morphing into conversational narcissism.

Cultivating emotional intelligence encourages you to constantly reflect, manage, and process your emotions. Then, include others and make them feel important as you embark on your journey to success.

Written by Destiny Goh
Marketing Communications Executive

Illustrations made with Canva

#VoicesOf… Gabriel Tan: Emotional Intelligence in the Marketplace

gjc on September 12, 2023

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An ex-banker turn Consultant, Tan Gabriel, shares the importance of Emotional Intelligence (EI) and why it matters in a people-first industry.

Destiny Goh: Welcome back to episode six of #VoicesOf. My name is Destiny, and joining me today is consultant Gabriel Tan, whose portfolio is in banking and finance. Hi Gabriel, please tell us about yourself and what it’s like being in a recruitment industry today.

Gabriel Tan: Hi Destiny. For me, I used to work in a bank, and of course, with being in the bank, I get to communicate with lots and lots of people.

Gabriel Tan: So, since joining Good Job Creations as a recruitment consultant, I still get to fulfil what I love to do, which is to communicate and have conversations with clients or even with candidates. Because to me I think the way for me to my happiness is to communicate with people.

Destiny Goh: Oh, that’s great. So, could you tell me about your previous career working in a bank? How would you describe yourself and your working style? And ever since joining Good Job Creations and still handling a similar portfolio as before, were there any significant changes that you’ve noticed about yourself?

Gabriel Tan: I think the main difference while working in a bank and working over here in Good Job Creations, I think the most important thing to take note is the corporate life, the difference, because the bank is all about numbers, and the working style that you have to bring to the bank, you need to crunch numbers and really perform well.

Gabriel Tan: Over here, I realise in Good Job Creations, yes, there is still expectations to be met, but I think for my working style, I think more on improvements to work much more smarter in terms of waking up early. You know, people say, the early bird catches the worm. I know it’s a very old-fashioned way of saying things.

Gabriel Tan: I believe, you know, the working style is still always having conversations with candidates or even with clients because I love to always have a conversation with someone to find out about their life, not only just what they want in their career.

Destiny Goh: So as most of your initial interviews are done through phone calls, what aspects do you look for in a candidate other than the qualifications stated on their resume? And what are your opinions of soft skills and transferable skills?

Gabriel Tan: So, Destiny, to answer your first question, what do I look for in a candidate? I think the most important thing I always see in a candidate is whether can this candidate communicate with me properly. What do I mean by communicate properly?

Gabriel Tan: Given a scenario, let’s say today I call you Destiny. So I ask you a question and ask Destiny, what do you like to do?

Destiny Goh: I think at the top of my head right now I, can think is, I like to eat. But that’s not really appropriate to say in an interview.

Gabriel Tan: So, of course, then again, if let’s say you just said, mentioned, I like to eat.

Destiny Goh: Yeah.

Gabriel Tan: Then the conversation ends. Because, you know, there’s nothing that I can add upon or at least act upon to drive the conversation. If given in my scenario, what I’ll do is, you know, I’ll maybe share with you destiny. Oh, I love to eat. I like to go down to McDonald’s to have a burger. And my favourite burger is cheeseburger. So, this allows communication threads. When you leave threads for people, this is how you actually can latch upon these threads and engage them.

Gabriel Tan: So, Destiny, if you feel that you like cheeseburgers, and then that is where you can communicate with someone and tell them, “Hey, my favourite is also cheeseburger. I love the pickles a lot”. Yeah, this is something that I feel is very important in a candidate when you even bring it towards the interview selection as well.

Destiny Goh: So, and your opinions of soft skills? What do you think about them? Is it applicable to jobs? How does it come into play, especially transferable skills, from one job to another?

Gabriel Tan: A lot of interviewers or hiring managers, they not only want someone to, of course, do their job, but to also think on the spot, or put you in a tough situation.

Gabriel Tan: So sometimes when I share with my candidates, let’s say, for example, given a scenario, what I do is, if a hiring manager offers you not the job, but another job within the role, how would you, if I throw this question back to you, how would you react? Would you want to take up the other job or the current job that you’re interviewing for?

Destiny Goh: I think for me, I’ll be quite taken aback, to be really honest, but I think I would take the initiative to ask the hiring manager. What does this other job entail? And what can I potentially bring to the table, and how can I use my skill sets?

Destiny Goh: And why does the hiring manager think I’m more suitable for this role?

Gabriel Tan: So, just to bring back to the example, when I hire for relationship managers, and of course, if the hiring manager does ask this question, the candidate has to be put on the spot, but you see the problem is you cannot say no, yet, if you say yes, it’s wrong.

Gabriel Tan: Why? Because they are looking for someone who is only interested in this role and no other role. So, if you give it a scenario. Because as relationship managers, you realise you can never say no to a client in a certain way. But you need to know how to answer it politically right. So, of course, what I share with my candidates is always to tell them to thank them for the offer.

Gabriel Tan: And of course, say that maybe after I do well in my current role, which I applied for as a relationship manager, in the next two to three years, then I can actually explore this different role. So, what I’m doing is I’m not rejecting you, yet at the same time, I’m motivated to do this current role.

Destiny Goh: I think that’s a very good perspective from what you’ve shared earlier.

Destiny Goh: So, having been an experienced relationship manager yourself, can you share with us what being a relationship manager in the banking and finance industry was like? And what are some crucial skills we can adopt into our respective careers?

Gabriel Tan: So, you know, Destiny, what I do as a relationship manager is to manage people’s wealth and, of course, try to make sure that they hit their financial objectives in life, you know, be it to earn a million dollars in retirement by the age of 65 and things like that. But I think what I have learned as a financial advisor and relationship manager is about asking questions sparking curiosity with the client itself.

Gabriel Tan: Because once the client is curious about the product and then, you know, or at least curious about something, they want to actually find out more. So given the scenario, you know, Destiny, in a networking session, what would you do if, let’s say, for example, you know, you are supposed to network with someone? How would you introduce yourself?

Destiny Goh: I feel like I would go up to them and try to make a conversation about the other person instead. Because I realised if I were given the time to talk about myself, I probably would never put a full stop to it. But, in this previous podcast that I heard from Celeste Headlee, she spoke about how to talk and how to listen.

Destiny Goh: So, practising active listening is a good way to start where we actually don’t only listen for the sake of listening, but listen to understand. By active listening, I’m able to understand more from their perspective and also formulate questions that revolve around what they do and try to make the conversation about them and not steer the conversation away and make it all about me.

Gabriel Tan: Yes. That is what I would answer as well. Because you see, if I give you an example, if I come up to you in a networking session, I would say, “Hi Destiny, how are you”? Full stop. Whereas, what I can do to, you know, to add on to your point is to share something interesting about yourself.

Gabriel Tan: This allows communication threads to be created so that I can tap upon. I think that’s very important in terms of skill sets that you can potentially adopt. But at the same time, to tap on your point, listening is also very important. Good communication skills also come with a good hearing ear.

Gabriel Tan: So what I mean is to actually listen and listen to understand the person’s feelings. Because once you understand the person’s emotions and feelings, you are able to address his needs. And once you address his needs, the person is more susceptible to listening to you as well.

Destiny Goh: That’s a really great approach that you’ve just shared.

Gabriel Tan: Oh, there’s this famous video advertisement that I always remember at the top of my head, and most Singaporeans always listen, or at least have seen this interview. [00:09:00] It’s with Go90FM. This is where only listen to the good stuff. But of course, you pick up because why? This is where you learn where is his main concerns.

Gabriel Tan: And then, you really address the situation because sometimes, in a conversation, you need to pick up what is his pain point rather than all the fillers. Sometimes, that is, in a way, a deflection or a defence wall that they put up as well.

Destiny Goh: So, earlier this year, you won a Top Contributor award. Congratulations once again for exhibiting the core values of Good Job Creations. Teamwork, lighting up the environment, the working environment especially, and going out of your comfort zone to offer help to your colleagues. And effectively practising social awareness. So, what is your purpose in doing so? And what did you want to achieve out of doing all these things?

Gabriel Tan: For me personally, I think, of course, no one wants to work in a toxic environment. [00:10:00] Correct. Yes. So, of course, I think work harmony is something that I always strive to achieve because happy people mean happy results. So, when I first joined Good Job Creations, they shared with me one of their key cultures: fun and enjoyment, practising teamwork and work harmony.

Gabriel Tan: And I realised while helping others, it may seem, you know, to me, I always love to help someone. Yeah, of course. I’m not any Gandhi or something, you know, I always want to help everybody, but I think with good work environment will allow you to be much happier.

Gabriel Tan: Here’s a little secret: For the past eight years, Monday is my most dreadful day to come to work.

Destiny Goh: Monday blues.

Gabriel Tan: Yes, but you know, after joining Good Job Creations, Monday is my most exciting day to start. I always look forward to Mondays, so I realised this is something that, for me, it’s not out of my comfort zone. But it’s more of my way, as mentioned in you know earlier, that I love to drive conversations, I love to always engage with people. So maybe that is why I feel what I always want to achieve in a company is to have a good environment to work with well-minded people like me.

Destiny Goh: Earlier, you mentioned about why Monday is your favourite day. Could you like, elaborate further on why, you know, how is your Monday different than every other one?

Gabriel Tan: Well, because firstly, if you realise Monday, I always, you know, whether it be in the bank, this is where your numbers come out. And it’s the most dreadful day of Monday. I will have to face not only myself, if I don’t do well, then second of all, I have to face my managers.

Gabriel Tan: And that is something that I never liked. You know, whether I’m doing well or I’m not doing well is something that, you know, nobody likes to be faced with this kind of situation. And of course, I think even in Good Job Creations, yes, we, we also still face these kinds of numbers. But it’s very [00:12:00] different because for me like I mentioned, if the work harmony is there, there’s fun in the work. And I love to do what I’m doing, which is to speak with people, speak with candidates. I actually thoroughly enjoy myself here. So, I think that is the main difference compared to the past.

Destiny Goh: That’s amazing, actually. So the next question will be, here at Good Job Creations, being emotionally intelligent is constantly emphasised because we aim to always put people first. So how, what are your takes, and how do you interpret this particular skill, and how do you incorporate it into your daily tasks?

Gabriel Tan: So, I think the most important thing when we say we put people first, I think the best word to use is empathy.

Gabriel Tan: I think empathy is something that, of course, it’s not sympathy, yeah, it’s empathy. So, of course, when I speak to a certain candidate or any candidates along the line, I always want to find out from the candidate. How are they feeling? Why do they want to leave their job?

Gabriel Tan: Considering that they have been in the job for maybe, there’s been five to six years. What has made the decision for them to leave their job? Because once you understand how they feel, it is so much easier to match them with a job that can provide them that.

Destiny Goh: So because most of your interviews are done via phone calls, so it’s impossible for a recruiter like yourself to read, let’s say, eye contact or even body language. So the best way of ‘reading’ these people is to actually ask, to literally ask them how they’re feeling, instead of playing the guessing game with them?

Gabriel Tan: I think the number one thing I always try to do; I know it’s not easy, but we always try to establish trust with someone. And, how you establish trust with someone is to put them first instead of yourself. Because, you know, in recruitment, it’s still a sales number. I need to close for the client, but I think when we put our candidates first and understand their problems.

Gabriel Tan: It will be much easier for them to know what they want in life or at least a job that can really fulfil their needs. And if you always hear me, it’s always about someone’s needs that need to be fulfilled before we put them in a role itself.

Destiny Goh: So, as a recruiter who has to deal with different people and their different personalities and even expectations, how can you adapt self-management strategies when faced with unexpected communication challenges to always ensure that it’s a pleasant experience for both parties, especially when you’re done when most of your interviews are done over a phone call?

Gabriel Tan: I think, firstly, thinking on the perspective of a candidate. For me… staying calm and composed is something that you need to always do—maintaining your composure when facing with unexpected challenges. You know, the number one thing I always do if I face a problem is to take a deep breath, three-second silence, before I answer.

Gabriel Tan: I think that is one strategy I always take. Be it dealing with people of all walks of life. Second of all is adapting your communication style. What I learned in my first ever job, before as a bank relationship manager, I was in a sales role, and I realised it’s all about mirroring someone’s style.

Gabriel Tan: Because once you know how to mirror someone’s style, you are on the same wavelength with the person. So, given a scenario, if you can sense that someone, this person is much more concise, he prefers short to one-word answers. I know, yes, of course, as mentioned in the previous conversation, it’s not to have that, but, at the same time, you need to reflect on what the person is doing, in order to, to feel that you’re on the same wavelength.

Destiny Goh: Have you ever encountered a person who was extremely rude over a phone call? Or perhaps not giving you the answers that you need because it’s quite difficult to proceed with this particular candidate if they do not give you enough information about their past experience, their skills, and so on and so forth.

Destiny Goh: So how, how do you manage? Because not many people can remember to count from one to three like you do. Personally, for me, I think I will need to step away from a bit of a conflict and then cool my head before I come back. So, how’s it for you?

Gabriel Tan: Okay, so I mean, I have definitely engaged difficult clients or difficult customers in the bank as well. So, for me, the number one thing is always first, like I mentioned to you, keep calm and composed on your end, because we can get easily triggered by this kind of situation for most people. But second of all is to always mention it to them in a very professional tone or even in a much more lighter tone.

Gabriel Tan: Because if you fight fire with fire, you only get fire. Okay. So for me, as much as, of course, you must learn how to manage his expectations and tell him that, you know, if he doesn’t like, for example, he doesn’t share things, then it is actually very difficult for us to bring to the hiring manager, unless, he mentioned he’s uncomfortable with sharing with us, but then that comes to another can of worms because that means there was no trust that was built between you and the candidate itself.

Gabriel Tan: So, I think, of course, there will always be one out of a hundred people that will, you know, react to this kind of situation. But the most important thing I always realise is as long as we do not get triggered, we keep calm and composed and, of course, manage his expectations.

Gabriel Tan: I think we should not shortchange someone just because maybe that day he was having a bad day. And that’s why he’s reacting that way.

Destiny Goh: Alright, yeah. So, last question. What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone struggling to navigate challenging situations? With someone whose emotional state is slightly different than theirs?

Gabriel Tan: This is something I feel, of course, not everyone does it. It’s actually to validate their emotions. What I mean by validating their emotions is to acknowledge and understand, even if I don’t share the same feelings with that person. So, try to always understand what they’re going through.

Gabriel Tan: But I realised that validation can help diffuse tension. And once tension is down, that is when the person is more open to listening from your own perspective, because you realise that, that means you’re actually allowing them to agree with them to a certain extent, even though if you don’t.

Destiny Goh: Alright, so what about this? If the person still rejects to see things through your approach, then how else will you diffuse the situation?

Gabriel Tan: I think, for me, it’s always to remain 100 percent first professional, even though, of course, people have certain perspectives that they would like to put in front.

Gabriel Tan: I believe the individual also has his own perspective as well. So, the most important thing is if we can’t achieve what we want to do, sometimes we need to learn how to step away from the situation and acknowledge that maybe this is a foregone matter altogether.

Gabriel Tan: You know, the saying of you can’t change a leopard’s spots—same thing.

Destiny Goh: Thank you very much for your sharing, Gabriel. I really appreciate it. And I also hope the audience will have huge key takeaways from this piece of interview with you, to hopefully apply it in their careers as well.

Destiny Goh: So, thank you for your time, Gabriel.

Gabriel Tan: Thank you, Destiny.

Podcast written and edited by Destiny Goh
Marketing Communications Executive

#Voicesof…Elaine Lim: Redefining Sales & Managing People

gjc on August 8, 2023

Despite a thriving decade-long career at the bank, Elaine Lim made a bold career switch into Recruitment with a passion for helping people find meaning in their jobs. Seventeen years later, now in a Managerial post handling three different portfolios, she’s still actively impacting the lives of those she encounters.

1. Why did you leave your career in Banking (non-sales role) for recruitment (sales role)? For context, some people have formulated negative impressions of salespeople: they’re only focused on closing a sale regardless of the method. As a sales-experienced individual, how can you help them see a recruiter differently?

When I left Banking to join the Recruitment industry, I thought the role was about helping people find jobs, without knowing it was a sales job—to say it took me by surprise was an understatement. However, salespeople are viewed negatively because they’re perceived as aggressive and pushy, trying to sell products or services people don’t need or want. Some might even resort to unethical means, even if it involves stretching the truth or outright lying about a product or service, further fuelling ill perceptions towards them.

Recruitment revolves around more than just sales. What’s crucial here is to understand the needs of our clients and candidates, whether it is finding the ‘right’ talent that potentially aligns with what clients are looking for and jobs for candidates they can find meaning and growth in. Being authentic in all my conversations with both parties builds trust and fosters respect that results in lasting connections. The goal of making a sale should ultimately be a transformation you create in the buyer’s life.

"The goal of making a sale should ultimately be a transformation you create in the buyer's life

2. Can you elaborate on ‘finding the right talent that potentially aligns with what clients are looking for’? What is this significance, and does it give people better lives and opportunities?

Every company that desires growth has a vision, mission, and goals. Our role as recruiters is to find talents willing to align with a company’s directions and values and those who desire to contribute to the company’s success and expansion. But this can only be done when talents understand what is expected of them; knowing and understanding makes it easier to contribute through their skills and experience with the right mindset.

Recruitment is essential as it ensures a proper fit; it contributes to societal well-being and economic growth by creating job opportunities and enhancing people’s lives. Recruiters are driven by the impact of their role in shaping individuals’ careers and companies’ success, making recruitment a rewarding profession.

3. How do you manage your client relationships and team members over the phone and face-to-face to provide exceptional recruitment service?

I take pride in effectively communicating and facilitating productive interactions between my team, clients, and candidates. My role involves connecting with clients and candidates and keeping them updated on the progress of recruitment or interview. Understanding the needs of each stakeholder and fostering positive relationships for each required me to build a strong foundation through mutual understanding, showing interest and responding appropriately without unnecessary jargon or lengthy explanations.

I cannot stress how important it is to harness and build on people skills; it has helped me positively interact with stakeholders, promote more robust relationships, and significantly improve its dynamics. People skills involve interpersonal and social aspects, cultural and emotional intelligence; respecting and understanding that we all have differences in character and values and seeing and doing things differently, but ultimately honouring every relationship that comes my way.

4. Statements like ‘people are now pickier with the kind of work they do now’ seem to be louder since the pandemic, especially when more people are about work-life balance, and some prefer to work remotely. What are your thoughts on this?

The pandemic has indefinitely rewired the traditional work model, and working remotely is time, energy, and even cost-saving. It allowed people to structure their day-to-day life, be more productive and supposedly enjoy a better work-life balance, but such an arrangement has drawbacks.

Some might encounter more considerable interruptions: missing lunch hours, never-ending work piles and meeting calls, and longer hours of working compared to office hours. The lack of discipline could also result in poor time management and efficacy. Personally, I prefer to work in the office as it provides a better environment for face-to-face communication, collaboration, and overall productivity and efficiency, whereas working remotely lacks the personal touch most of us need as colleagues. Of course, this can’t be the same for all; some might find it a blessing, and some might think otherwise.

5. As the manager handling three portfolios, how do you approach and manage your team’s key performance indicators (KPI), target achievements and mentorship?

Firstly, to manage my teams’ KPI and target achievements, I set clear expectations and directions that make sure we’re always on the same page. Throughout my leadership journey, I emphasise and prioritise essentially on open communication—communicating what’s expected and required of my team gets them one step closer to their goals. Next, I encourage my team to manage their time effectively by completing important and urgent tasks to make time for productive work.

I firmly believe in leading by example by demonstrating to my team how to resolve an issue and making helpful suggestions to cultivate confidence and independence within everyone while also listening to their needs and concerns. This creates trust, respect, and accountability within our team.

Photo by krakenimages on Unsplash

6. What traits should people learn and adapt to keep up with the evolving cultural and business landscape?

The constantly evolving culture and business landscape is a cry for continuous self-improvement and professional development. Technological changes, globalisation, societal norms, and market dynamics should be enough to drive people to stay curious and be updated with the times.

I want to stress how important it is to nurture the ability and willingness to adapt and demonstrate flexibility in learning new processes, knowledge, and skills, use tools and resources and improvise methodologies to keep up with these changes. Take every opportunity to share and exchange ideas, insights, and knowledge; collaborate and build on relationships that spur and encourage continuous growth.

7. As a recruiting expert, what is your definition of a ‘top talent’, and what strategies and methods do you utilise to attract and identify them?

Recognising top talent during a candidate search involves assessing a combination of factors. This includes candidates’ skills and experiences, the presentation and content of their resumes, and their personality traits. Talents as such are identified through their interview performance, problem-solving abilities, cultural fit within the company, commitment to ongoing learning and potential for leadership. However, the emphasis on each factor varies depending on the specific role and organisation.

Some of my strategies and methods to attract talent includes (but are not limited to):

Building a strong employer branding strategy helps to create awareness and stand out from the competition.
Employee referral program that allows employees/candidates to refer their friends or connections and at the same time be rewarded. This motivates them to refer qualified candidates.
Using social media platforms to attract talent and crafting targeted job posts.
Sharing about the benefits or perks of companies: unlimited GP consultation, shorter core working hours, culture, and team environment; elaborate on the opportunity for career growth, progression, and incentives.

Interview by Destiny Goh

Marketing Communications Executive

#Voicesof… Liu San Li: An Ex-Private Banker & Investment Specialist’ Perspective

gjc on July 4, 2023

Previously a banker of 10 years, San Li has held positions such as a private banker, investment advisor and stockbroker at Coutts, Citibank, DBS and more. He left banking in 2005 and pursued a career as a specialist recruiter for the Banking and Finance sector. Having direct banking and recruitment experiences allowed him to see and analyse both worlds from a vantage point of view.

Recently in March 2023, he joined Good Job Creations as the Banking and Finance Team Lead.

1. Your colleagues have known you to be passionate about your job, and every career has ups and downs. What keeps you going, especially in the face of challenges?

I was fortunate to have turned my passion into my career. At a young age, my relatives exposed me to topics and discussions about the financial market and stocks— I was intrigued and curious about its complexity. I joined the Banking and Finance industry in my early 20’s, stayed for about ten years, ventured into the recruitment industry, and still took on the Banking and Finance portfolio, and the rest is history.

Even the best careers have ups and downs; I understand that the Banking and Finance industry is ever-changing, yet it still piques my interest. I make it a point to stay on track and keep myself updated with the latest trends, educating myself with new knowledge and information about the industry. My passion is the foundation of why I love doing what I’m doing, but I’ve also invested a consistent effort and time, it makes what I do worthwhile, and it’s been a rewarding learning journey for me.

2. If someone decides to do a mid-career switch into Banking and Finance, with its stringent acceptance rate, is it possible? Some may argue that they have transferable skillsets as their advantage.

It is possible, but it’s extremely rare; let me explain. The Banking and Finance industry requires candidates to have had a certain level of exposure in the sector. It is also the most regulated sector in Singapore by Monetary Authority Singapore (MAS). Most key players in the industry find it challenging to train an individual from scratch if the individual doesn’t have the required hard skills. They need plug-and-play candidates with at least 70% Banking and Finance knowledge and hands-on experience.

However, for individuals already in financial institutions such as insurance and securities firms, there’s a slight chance that banks might consider them. Although some might argue that skillsets are transferable, the skills all banks require are hard skills such as head knowledge, hands-on experience, and technical skills.

I can’t guarantee you’ll like the loophole I’m about to give but look at the interviews that feature some of the biggest, most successful bankers. Most of them rose from humble beginnings, whether it was a sales role, admin, etc. They all made their way up through years of hard work, which they all claimed was worth it. So, if you do desire a mid-career switch, you must be willing to start from ground zero.

3.What trends and changes in the Banking and Finance industry should professionals be aware of?What can they do to prevent it?

Professionals should be aware of changes such as Fintech (financial technology), Robo platforms and Artificial Intelligence. Times are changing. With the introduction of highly advanced tech and equipment, what once required the hands of many is replaced with automation. Before Covid-19, the banks were bustling with people who worked at the front desks and booths, and two years later, you realise there’s an increase of more advanced technology; plenty of banking services are now automated.

I advise joining the game because these machines will still require human expertise to improve their technology. Pick up Fintech, Robo and AI and learn to evolve with them, get certified. There’s new knowledge to be learned every day, but don’t be left behind thinking you know everything just because you got certified by a piece of paper.

“There’s new knowledge to be learned every day, but don’t be left behind thinking you know everything just because you got certified by a piece of paper.”

4.As an experienced recruiter, what’s the procedure like for fresh graduates and what’s your advice for those seeking a career in Banking and Finance?

Fresh graduates looking to do so can apply for the Management Associate programs launched by most banks. The new graduates hired are groomed to specialise in a specific area. In the first two years, they will be rotated around the departments, learning about the specialisations of each and getting a ‘taste’ of what each role entails. And after two years, these candidates will be evaluated on their suitability and interest, and from there, they will get a clearer picture of what they will pursue.

My advice is simple: constantly develop yourself, whether it’s your character, knowledge tank, or even your skillset and make sure you’re progressing as you go. Build a strong network with your peers, colleagues, managers, and bosses and get to know them. If you genuinely desire a fulfilling career, you’ve got to grow as you go. Don’t assume you know it all, be humble and teachable.

5.Why did you leave your career in Banking and Finance, and what have you learned after you made a career switch into the recruitment industry?

There was a time when I thought my banking career couldn’t provide me with the organic growth I wanted, and I’m not implying I was right about my perspective then. Nevertheless, I have grown tremendously in the recruitment industry and don’t regret switching careers.

Since joining recruitment, I’ve developed a strong network of professionals from junior to C-level in the Banking and Finance sector. This sparked the development of deep knowledge with my analytical capability beyond private wealth management, such as corporate banking, investment banking, private equity and asset management. I’ve also developed a knowledge of the intertwined dynamics and relationships among all the sub-sectors mentioned above.

6.What are the three most crucial soft skills a Banking and Finance professional should harness?

The first soft skill to adopt is effectively managing your internal stakeholders, from juniors to seniors; this skill helps you communicate and listen effectively to understand the needs and concerns of your team, creates room for mentoring, coaching and builds trust to ensure the result is a job well done.

Next, cultural intelligence and acceptance. It’s essential to learn and respect the culture of others; it breaks the habit of stereotyping when you try to observe their mannerisms, patterns, and how they react to a situation and be flexible around it. Remember this, what we consider normal might be alien to others.

Effective communication is critical, it means being clear and concise and making your intentions known. Avoid beating around the bush or expect people to read your thoughts. By doing so, you can avoid unnecessary conflicts and misunderstandings, increase teamwork and productivity among members.

Photo by Towfiqu on Unsplash

7.Why is it so important to be financially literate, and how can we learn more about it?

It’s essential to know the basics of managing your finances, apportion how much funds you’ll need from short, mid, and long-term, and setting aside a portion for emergency funds.

With such knowledge, you’ll understand the risk and return of investments better, and you’d be able to discern the motives of bankers and advisors, whether they have your best interest at heart or are merely pushing products that make you fork out money unnecessarily.

Learn from friends who work in the financial and investment advisory field or acquainted professionals. I recommend Stock Investing & Stock Market Research to learn more about investments and then supplement it with Motley Fool’s competitors.

As for financial planning, I would recommend the Singaporean website Money Sense, as I feel its information isn’t attuned to the agenda of product selling, then, I would supplement it with advice from other financial institutions.

Do exercise discernment on every piece of information you receive or absorb.

Interview by Destiny Goh

Marketing Communications Executive

#Voicesof.. Joshua Woo: Leading With Passion

gjc on June 1, 2023

My name is Joshua, General Manager for Oriental Aviation International & Good Job Creations Staffing Team. Presently, I oversee four teams across GJC and OAI. I joined this company in 2018 as a Team Leader. I make it my daily priority to maintain good communication with our stakeholders, building new relationships and garnering new ones.

1.How would you describe your leadership style, and why have you chosen it as such?

I will describe my style as leading through serving others; this creates a culture built on trust, transparency, an unselfish mindset, and fostering leadership within my team.

2.You are known to be a very passionate leader, but only a few know the reason behind that passion. Can you describe what motivates you and why?

I always strive and thrive to serve our colleagues, clients and candidates better. The 3 ‘C’s have always stuck with me since I started my recruitment career. I’m constantly motivated by my colleagues’ feedback when they let me know they feel happy and satisfied with our work environment and being in a culture that not only attracts but retains its talent; I’m also motivated by our client satisfaction with our services and the solutions we offer—where candidates are given a better livelihood that improves their living standards.

3.What industry trends impact your role as a manager, and how do you get your team to be on the same page?

One of the industry trends is working from home, which was first implemented when Covid-19 broke out. However, our line of work requires us to be present when we meet prospective and existing candidates, some of our staff have on-site client and face-to-face meetings within and across the teams, and some members work long hours. Hence, we have introduced flexible working hours that allow our team members to recharge before another day of work.

I have witnessed working in the office and having flexible timing has dramatically increased our productivity and promoted a healthy work-life balance culture.

4.Have you ever had to execute a project with a small budget or a need for more resources? Can you share with us how did you manage it?

This brings me back to 2 April 2018, when I first heard these words from our Managing Director (MD), Kimiya Shibazaki, “Justice without force is powerless; force without justice is oppression. Never stop growing, and never stop believing in our possibilities.”

The biggest project was to create a Staffing Team that same year. We had zero clients, candidates, and colleagues; we didn’t have a single recruitment tool or technology to help us with our process. This seemed like an impossible project; nevertheless, we were determined to make it work.

I made good use of my existing tools to keep track of all my candidate and client base and made endless cold calls from leads I generated from newspapers and online job portals. I wrote countless emails to prospective clients to introduce our services and the solutions we offered and leverage the Permanent Staffing Team’s existing clientele base. I also participated in plenty of HR events. I participated in networking sessions to grow our contacts and reconnect with past clients that previously engaged me.

With those encouraging words spoken by our MD, through grit and determination, we continued building everything from the ground up, from setting the rules and regulations to recruiting members to join our team. We then moved on to implementing a payroll system. We hired individuals with an entrepreneurial mindset, willing to take risks and exhibit humility in all aspects. Through this, we created a culture that adhered to the statement ‘All for One, One for All.’

Today, I am happy to share that we have over 20 dedicated consultants and 800 contractors under our payroll.

5.Employees often seek to be mentored by inspiring leaders. Describe how they were performing initially and what they are doing now.

Two years ago, I noticed a member had performed exceptionally well in her role. Early last year, the management was planning an expansion project, and we needed all the support we could garner. Hence, after taking note of the spirit of excellence this individual has exhibited, I decided to mentor her to smoothen the transition into her role of supporting the business project. Today, she is happily contributing to the team working on payroll.

I’ve always made it a point to mentor and share my experience with members regardless of their title or position, and in return, I learned so much from them. The newly joined consultants I mentored years ago are now Team Leads of their respective teams.

6.What goals have you set for your team this new financial year, and how do they align with your company’s core goals?

Things run differently in the recruitment industry, and some of our goals are sales driven. Some internal goals that were set were identifying and promoting the generation of our current members and hiring more fresh graduates that majored in HR consulting to join the staffing and recruitment industry team to unearth different portfolios of our business. In this process, we are determined to raise experienced leaders in our industry to continue the legacy—of providing jobs for people and improving their quality of life.

“We are determined to raise experienced leaders in our industry to continue the legacy—of providing jobs for people and improving their quality of life.”

7.If there is one advice you’d give to your younger self, what would it be and why?

In the earlier years, I behaved selfishly, had unrealistic expectations and was even stubborn sometimes. All those actions resulted in me making some rash decisions and having unnecessary confrontations in the early days of my career.

Some advice I would give my younger self is to exercise more patience, take time out to think things through before I speak and act, and practice putting myself in the shoes of others. By doing so, I could have avoided those mistakes.

Interview by Destiny Goh

Marketing Communications Executive

#Voicesof… Ayumu Matsuki: An Effective Leaders’ Guide

gjc on May 4, 2023

My name is Ayumu, and I joined this company three years ago as a fresh graduate. I’m currently a Business Development Team Lead handling the Manufacturing portfolio. I am responsible for client handling and making sure my team performs to their utmost excellence. I have been with the company for three years, and I hope my insights and experience on the job will help you see things from a new perspective.

1.What strategies will you implement as a newly appointed Team Leader to build a cohesive and productive team?

It’s crucial to remind the team members to set individual goals and goals to be achieved as a team. I encourage open discussions between team members to let them know I’m always ready to listen and help.

Being transparent with them about our performance and letting them know where we stand is essential too. With that information made known, it’s easier for us to work together to achieve a unified, clear goal.

2.What tools and resources do you use to make your work more effective?

I have been using these three tools and resources to help me produce great work and productivity.

a. Journal: I keep a journal where I write down everything, from thoughts, ideas, and emotions into it. Daily self-reflection helps me be aware and intentional: to improve in areas I’ve not done so well and to celebrate little victories of that day.

b. E-hailing services: I acknowledge I am not a morning person and value my sleep more than anything, and being stuck in traffic is not a good start to anyone’s I used Grab or Gojek to minimise the hassle of travelling so that I can concentrate on myself without being bothered by others and have a moment of silence before I start a long day.

c. Miro: This is a fantastic tool I use daily to help me sort out information using flowcharts to improve my daily workflow and formulate my mid to long-term planning.

3.How do you plan to track the productivity of your team members? And what will you do to support them if they underperform?

Being engaged and involved in their tasks is something significant to me. I prefer to be kept in a loop to know what is being done daily, but I trust my team enough not to micromanage them. It’s essential to give them feedback on what they have done well and to let them know the areas they lack that can be improved.

When a team member underperforms, I will set aside time with them and have them discuss things with me. Understanding the challenges and difficulties (the root cause) is vital, and we can both develop a solution that improves the situation.

4.Give us an example of a skill you have acquired on the job and which areas of work it has been helpful in.

As time went by, I picked up people skills after working with so many individuals. I learned the importance of teamwork and getting everyone involved, making each other feel important.

As a Business Development personnel two years ago, I wanted to do everything on my own—from finding my clients to candidates and having to follow up with either of them took a tow on me. Hence, working together has also improved my communication skills and emotional intelligence.

5.What advice, lessons or insights have you gotten earlier in your career that has guided or inspired you?

My mentor constantly reminded me of the value of staying humble. This is especially important in a work setting. Our company’s average age group is relatively younger than other companies, and promotions are often handed out to people with excellent qualities and performance.

Often, some people think it’s okay to be arrogant just because they are handed out a new title and elevated to a new position. They think it’s solely due to their hard work and begin to treat others differently. Learn as much as you can from others with a good attitude.

‘The key to growing is to stay humble, regardless of your position.’

6.What would you like to impart to those who aspire to follow the same path as you did?

Results come first. In our industry, it’s somewhat competitive due to respective sales targets. We all know that hard work and perseverance are necessary, but the outcome is your results. If you want to advance the corporate ladder, you must be able to show and prove what you can do and do it well. Wherever you are, whatever designation you’re in, it’s essential to keep track of your progress and account for it. Based on my experience, many people demand a promotion or benefits before showing they can contribute to the entity or even their team first.

Next, being able to garner the support of others would help you advance further. Often, achieving something significant is done through the support of others. The ones that believe in you will naturally encourage and journey with you.

7.What are your preferred methods of communication with your team members to ensure all of you are on the same page?

I prefer the utilise tools that increase productivity and efficiency. At the office, all our communications are done via Microsoft Teams; it’s also where every individual can get the latest updates, reply to chats, schedule and attend meetings and use various productivity tools on the platform.

I do my best to share all the information within our group chat to allow them to grasp the rough idea of my plan first, and then it will be followed by a short face-to-face chat to ensure we’re all on the same page.

Interview by Destiny Goh

Marketing Communications Executive

#Voicesof… Kimiya Shibazaki: Going Above & Beyond

gjc on April 4, 2023

1. Can you describe your typical week on the job?

In a typical work week, I attend about 15-20 internal meetings back and forth between two companies under my leadership and Will Group Japan. On top of that, I also have regular meetings with our external parties consisting of vendors, suppliers and clients. Next are approval matters such as payments and hirings, report preparations for Will Group Asia Pacific (this group oversees Will Group Japan’s overseas operations), the occasional mid-term business planning and setting aside time to catch up with my colleagues regularly.

Aside from the heavy work schedule, I made it a point to plan my exercise sessions at the beginning of each week. Sports are great stress relievers, but it also helps keep my mind sharp throughout the day. This is one of my many small efforts to maintain a work-life balance.

2. Only a few individuals have the ability and capacity to lead two companies at once, and you are one of them. Give us an example of one of the many challenges you face managing them, from maintaining corporate culture to strategising business directions, and what you did to overcome it.

One of my many challenges is managing three different business emails, three TEAMS accounts (our designated communication channel), three calendars, and shared files between OAI, GJC and Will Group. I use both application and web versions for most tasks as I check multiple accounts.

Communication with colleagues regarding different matters is another challenge. But I make it a point to engage in multiple levels of communication within the workplace to set an example of our culture and openly share our company’s direction with all members. I believe a relationship between corporate culture and communication will be solidified when there’s a good communication network within the workplace.

I would also like to acknowledge my fellow committed General Managers: Gabriel, Joshua and Terence. Over time, I’ve developed a sense of trust in them to lead each business unit, steering our members in the right direction with our unique culture.

3. In your opinion, what do you think makes up a good leader and why?

Hands-on skills, knowledge, speed, and proactiveness make up a good leader. A leader should also know what the ground situation is like, as his ultimate task lies in decision-making. When equipped with sufficient information, their decision-making would be fast and accurate in every way possible.

To put things into perspective, a good leader must possess hands-on skills to make swift decisions. If you aren’t proactive in ensuring you have full knowledge of what’s happening on the ground, your choices will likely be impractical and have an adverse effect. The trust of others diminishes in a leader if they can’t present practical and feasible solutions.

4. What values do you hold firmly, and how does that affect how you carry yourself in and outside work?

One value I firmly hold is to ‘always strive to be above average, no matter what.’

This value has been engraved in me, and it always pushes me to work harder when I’m surrounded by people of calibre, whether in or outside of work. It also factors into everything I do in and for my career, my role as a son, husband and father to my two children, and even my hobbies and sports.

There’s an unspoken beauty about consistently investing your best efforts into what you care about and what is important to you. You reap what you sow.

‘Always strive to be above average, no matter what.’

5. As the leader of both firms, there are difficult decisions for the company’s good, but you know that the outcome can’t please everyone. So, how do you deal with criticism?

This takes me a quick trip down memory lane when I first took up the leadership role in 2014 as an Assistant Manager at GJC. Perhaps I was too soft-hearted and hesitated to give direct or harsh feedback to my members. But I was persistent in bringing up the morale through my hard work and having meals with my fellow colleagues to get to know all of them better.

However, there came a time when some of my members could not perform, and the criticism fell back on me. Harsh comments were spoken, such as myself being unsupportive; some even went as far as to claim that I was showing favouritism to certain members and that I was not doing much at work.

As a leader, I clearly understand that my role is to expand the OAI & GJC business capacity and possibility while ensuring its operations’ stability. Every decision I made aimed toward that particular goal. To make it happen, I’ve always been ready to make painful decisions, bearing in mind that I can’t always please everybody, but as long as it’s for the company’s good.

On the other hand, as an experienced recruiter and in business development, I know that ‘answers are always on the ground‘; in other words, to every problem, there’s a solution, and you must look for it. In a way, constructive criticism taught me to reflect on areas I can improve, thus enabling me to be and do better.

6. What was one of the most challenging moments you’ve experienced throughout your career? Was there a breakthrough moment?

I remember a time in my career all too well, and I think it’s a story worth re-telling. Three years ago, when Covid-19 was rampant across the globe, I was assigned to take over OAI as the Managing Director. The economy’s stability was not looking great; truthfully, it was a nightmare for every working individual, especially those who ran businesses. I knew there was much to be done and absolutely no time to lose to keep the company afloat at a time like this. I needed to get to work immediately.

My immediate action was to list all the problems and challenges that would take place, and some were already happening. One by one, we worked as a team to tackle every single one for a year. Throughout that arduous journey, I worked with some of the most persevering, receptive and flexible colleagues. They all played a role in keeping the company’s operations running seamlessly. When I look back at it, yes, it was one of the most challenging moments in my career, but it was also a season I will always cherish.

To wrap things up, I believe there’s still much work to be done during my tenure as Managing Director for GJC and OAI. There are still areas in my leadership I want to improve, plenty of business ideas to be explored, and growth and development to be continued. After all, the path to long-term success is an endless journey.

My advice is to make every challenge and defeat a learning curve, to acknowledge but not succumb to them. Make it a point to improve at what you do every day, learn and sharpen a skill, accumulate knowledge and practice; perseverance and consistency is your best friend.

In all you do, never give up and strive to be above average, no matter the cost.

Interview by Destiny Goh

Marketing Communications Executive

6 Tips For Smarter Negotiation Of Salary & Fair Compensation

gjc on March 20, 2023

The complexities of the Singapore job market today should never intimidate you from negotiating a fair salary and compensation. Anyone who contributes valuable work that increases a business’s revenue should be fairly compensated and it can be done through careful evaluation of the company you choose to be in and understanding who you’re dealing with. Be flexible with the terms offered, negotiate requests with justifiable reasons and work for the rewards you desire.

Here’s what everyone knows but chooses to ignore: the modus operandi for each business differs and they don’t all play by the same rules. Some have constraints in areas that aren’t revealed to the public, and some are seemingly more generous than others. Though distinct, they work to compensate their employees the best way they know how. But there’s a different breed of people who want more than what’s offered and will take a different route than others through smart negotiation.

There’s a difference between negotiating to get the things that you want and the things that you deserve. Complexity creates opportunities for the shrewd whose skilful negotiations seep through the cracks of the terms and conditions of an employment contract for they shall reap the benefits that come with it.

1. You don’t get two shots at first impressions.

You don’t get a second chance at first impressions. It matters because that’s how the hiring committee will see you from here and now. If they like what they hear and see, they will fight for you. Henceforth, whatever approach you take from here determines your leverage between the prospective hirers and yourself. Carry yourself with humility and confidence as you negotiate to seek common ground in an offer you disagree with. Negotiate, not demand, lest make you sound arrogant and entitled. You can avoid such negotiations by practising with experienced colleagues in return for constructive feedback.

2. Be intentional, not play hard to get.

There’s no hard and fast rule against having multiple job offers and simultaneous interviews, after all, you’re looking for the one that best fits you. It’s best to make your intentions known from the beginning because no interviewer wants to break their backs negotiating with the higher-ups just to get what you asked only to receive a “Sorry, I’m not interested.” Refrain from rubbing it in their faces though you may have multiple offers under your belt. Initially, it may seem like leverage but overdoing it might send them a message that they might not get you and might retract the offer altogether. If you are interested, make it known. State what sort of benefits or conditions you can agree on, enough to forgo the other offers you have.

3. It’s not always about you.

Everything about you might look and feel good but it doesn’t dictate that they’ll give you what you want. Consider this: every company has budget constraints that are non-negotiable, but tactful negotiators take note that though one component is inflexible, they begin searching for ones that are, through a little probing. As you understand the other party’s constraints, you will be able to propose options that work to solve the problem between you and your prospective employer.

4. Ask anything, everything, all at once.

Most times in the midst of negotiating a fair offer, having tunnel vision when it comes to getting what you want puts you at disadvantage. You’re better off thinking thoughtfully about everything you want before an offer is finalised. Remember this: prior to stating any request during the negotiation stage, list out things that you require and state the relative importance of each to you. Set aside time to list them all at once instead of coming up with new ones every time changes have been made. This not only robs someone of their giving but turns off those who seek to be understanding of you. The ones making the offer don’t have time to figure out what you want and probably will pick the ones that are pretty easy to give you. You’ll end up with an offer that’s no better than the initial.

5. Think beyond the money.

Never allow money to cloud your judgement, especially in any decision-making. Think of the job prospects—what it offers, the room for growth and development, job flexibility, location and work hours, perks, and certification courses that upskill and increase your market value. Consider not only what but when you want to be rewarded. Perhaps the beginning of your career journey might seem less than glamorous but working strategically towards it gives you the leverage to reap the exquisite rewards later. Think ahead and beyond as you map out your career course.

6. Calculated Persistency with Consistency.

Nothing’s ever set in stone. What’s non-negotiable today may be negotiable tomorrow; give it time. Direction changes and constraints loosen—learn to wait it out. Suppose you suggest to your bosses that it’s time for a pay raise, considering the amount of time you’ve been with them and the kind of tasks you take on. Bear in mind that a decision as such means the answer is never immediate, sometimes, it’s an irrefutable ‘no‘. Have the patience to put off hasty judgement before making any rash decisions. Prove to your bosses why you deserve what you requested. Be bold to revisit the conversation that was left unresolved, because some time down the road, the person may be able to do something they couldn’t do before. But beware of incessant persistency that puts off the decision-maker, you want the scales to tip in your favour, not the opposite.

Written & Illustrated by Destiny Goh
Marketing Communications Executive

#Voicesof…Keika-san: Adaptability in The Unknown

Catch a sneak peek here:

Adaptability: A 3-Step Survival Guide You Need

Step 1: Improvise

Step 2: Adapt

Step 3: Overcome

Emotional Intelligence: It Starts From Within

What is Emotional Intelligence, and why is there a need for it?

Four attributes that make up Emotional Intelligence:

How can I improve my Emotional Intelligence ?

1. Self-awareness:

2. Self-management:

3. Social awareness:

4. Relationship management:

#VoicesOf… Gabriel Tan: Emotional Intelligence in the Marketplace

Catch a sneak peek here:

or stream the full episode on:

#Voicesof…Elaine Lim: Redefining Sales & Managing People

"The goal of making a sale should ultimately be a transformation you create in the buyer's life

#Voicesof… Liu San Li: An Ex-Private Banker & Investment Specialist’ Perspective

“There’s new knowledge to be learned every day, but don’t be left behind thinking you know everything just because you got certified by a piece of paper.”

#Voicesof.. Joshua Woo: Leading With Passion

This brings me back to 2 April 2018, when I first heard these words from our Managing Director (MD), Kimiya Shibazaki, “Justice without force is powerless; force without justice is oppression. Never stop growing, and never stop believing in our possibilities.”

“We are determined to raise experienced leaders in our industry to continue the legacy—of providing jobs for people and improving their quality of life.”

#Voicesof… Ayumu Matsuki: An Effective Leaders’ Guide

‘The key to growing is to stay humble, regardless of your position.’

#Voicesof… Kimiya Shibazaki: Going Above & Beyond

‘Always strive to be above average, no matter what.’

6 Tips For Smarter Negotiation Of Salary & Fair Compensation

1. You don’t get two shots at first impressions.

2. Be intentional, not play hard to get.

3. It’s not always about you.

4. Ask anything, everything, all at once.

5. Think beyond the money.

6. Calculated Persistency with Consistency.

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