Day 6

The best career advice I received when starting out

I was fresh out of college, April 2008. I was whiling away my time at home waiting for the outcome of my postgraduate and scholarship application to come through.

A nerd that I was, I spent most of my time completing writing assignments from MIT OpenCourseWare’s literature courses while everyone else is at work, and reading newspapers became my favorite pastime.

One day, I remember coming across Tunku Aziz’s writing in the News Straits Time and thought “Hmmm, I have nothing to do, I should write to him!”

So I set out asking how he came to be involved with the United Nations and why he does what he does. I asked what his advice would be for young people like me who are torn between doing something practical and profitable to doing something they are passionate about.

Part of my e-mail went:

“I do not want to live my life simply, and get dragged in the rat race. I want to believe dreams are made to be real, and we can do anything we want to do.

What I need is a little help with direction, and a lot of inspiration.”

(I am glad to realize that 7 years on, this belief still rings true in my heart)

I remember not expecting anything grand when I clicked SEND. But Tunku Aziz’s answer came swiftly a day later, and I was ecstatic.

His advice was simple, common sense but something I needed to hear from someone I look up to.

Looking back now, it wasn’t Tunku Aziz’s tactical advice about getting to work with UN which stuck and made me who I am today, but it was his words on working with integrity no matter what I do or where I work, despite my qualifications, and his advice on recognizing my strengths and never settle for less than I’m worth that stays with me throughout my post-college life.

I sent a short reply to Tunku Aziz thanking his time, and never corresponded with him again since (I wished I had known the art of follow-up then!), but as minute as that blip of an email exchange was, it was life-changing.

It was the best advice a 22-year old me could learn 8 years ago.

October 4, 2015.