Looking to make a career switch and don’t know what to expect? It can be scary, but people take the plunge all the time anyway in the hopes of making more money or pursuing better career prospects. Or both
Naomi Chua, Executive Senior Manager at Great Eastern Financial Advisers, was one of those who made a career switch – and quite successfully. Before she became a financial planner, she was an SIA stewardess for three years.
She said, “There were a few factors that influenced my change in career but I will start with the most practical one—I came from a lower-income family and witnessed first-hand the kind of hardship the lack of money and living space can cause. This made me determined to become financially independent and buy my own place by the age of 30.”
She adds that she also made a career switch because she saw that the “financial industry offers a lot of potential for growth and progression” and that her role is “never boring”.
But that’s not to say she didn’t have her fair share of struggles in the beginning, particularly when things got difficult. It’s just that she chose to bite the bullet.
“Instead of being discouraged, I chose to work even harder to prove myself. To me, long-term gains were more important than any short-term loss, and I eventually became very comfortable with the concept of delayed gratification.”
Naomi now manages a team of associates and curates training programmes for her agency so, suffice it to say, has found great success in a career switch. She shares five tips on how you can find yours.
