Ronald Tay - Career Conversations: 20 Leading Professionals Share the Secrets to Their Success

What I love about Career Conversations is that while the book has a clear question-and-answer format and highlights useful ideas about how to succeed in your career, each conversation is unique. Ronald Tay has interviewed interesting, successful people for the book, and any reader deciding on a career, or looking to switch careers, will find these conversations to be a very helpful, very stimulating guide.

ALISON LESTER

Communication Skills Coach,

Author of Present for Success and Restroom Reflections: How Communication Changes Everything

Career Conversations by Ronald Tay is an enthralling and insightful book that distills the hard-won experience of a diverse set of fascinating role models to focus on the critical factors they learned the difference that makes the difference. Its a resourceful book that will inspire you to take the next leap in your career.

STEVEN DSOUZA

Associate Professor, IE Business School,

Author of Made in Britain, Brilliant Networking and Not Knowing

Career Conversations is an interesting and lively read that offers rare insights into the different professions relevant to the Singapore context. As one of our distinguished alumni, Ronald Tay has done a great job in bringing together role models from all walks of life to provide inspiration and a reality check to the next generation.

CORRINE ONG

Director (NUS Career Centre), Office of Student Affairs, National University of Singapore

Finally someone has put together an amazing book of real insights into the lives of top professionals. I wish I had this resource when I was younger I could have gotten to where I wanted to be much faster and with much more certainty. If you wish to cut down the amount of time figuring out what you really want to do with your career and life, read this book!

SOON LOO

Executive Coach and Entrepreneur,

Voted one of 2013s Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World by Junior Chamber International (JCI)

A brilliant resource and rare opportunity to tap into the life journeys and career lessons of 20 achievers from various fields, up close and personal! Ronald makes it evident that the right job fit matched with passion and diligence will unlock individual talents for a rewarding career. Heart-warming and a delightful must-read, this gem inspires and sheds light on crucial career decisions for all stages of work life.

CHRISTINA ONG

Founder, Imageworks

The ideas shared by Ronald and the distinguished leaders not only gave me clarity on how to take my career to the next level but also gave me valuable insights to living life to the fullest. Its the next best thing after sliced bread!

ERIC FENG

Presentation Coach,

Founder, Charisma Academy

The common threads within the books conversations resonate with SMUs desires for the young minds under our charge the key actions one must own and undertake with tenacity so as to achieve ones career success. SMU is privileged to have Ronald as a member of our Finishing Touch team, tasked with leading SMU students through a preparatory programme that is both rigorous and relevant to the work world.

SIM CHER YOUNG

Director, Office of Career Services,

Singapore Management University

2014 Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Pte Ltd

Published in 2014 by Marshall Cavendish Editions

An imprint of Marshall Cavendish International
1 New Industrial Road, Singapore 536196

All rights reserved

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. Requests for permission should be addressed to the Publisher, Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited, 1 New Industrial Road, Singapore 536196. Tel: (65)6213 9300, Fax: (65)6285 4871. Email:

The publisher makes no representation or warranties with respect to the contents of this book, and specifically disclaims any implied warranties or merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose, and shall in no events be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damage, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

Other Marshall Cavendish Offices: Marshall Cavendish Corporation. 99 White Plains Road, Tarrytown NY 10591-9001, USA Marshall Cavendish International (Thailand) Co Ltd. 253 Asoke, 12th Flr, Sukhumvit 21 Road, Klongtoey Nua, Wattana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand Marshall Cavendish (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Times Subang, Lot 46, Subang Hi-Tech Industrial Park, Batu Tiga, 40000 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.

Marshall Cavendish is a trademark of Times Publishing Limited

National Library Board, Singapore Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

Tay, Ronald, author.

Career conversations : 20 leading professionals share the secrets of their success. -- Singapore : Marshall Cavendish Editions, 2014.

pages cm

eISBN : 978 981 4516 84 6

1. Success in business. 2. Career development. 3. Vocational guidance.

I. Title.

HF5549.5.C35

650.1 -- dc23 OCN862111334

Printed in Singapore by Markono Print Media Pte Ltd

Looking back at my life so far, I am usually content with what I have, and that has kept me happy and satisfied. As I said usually, you would understand there are moments I question myself about making the most out of life. Questions I ponder over: Have I achieved my fullest potential? Could I have reached higher? Am I really happy? Finally, I would answer these questions myself with a simple answer: I am indeed happy and satisfied, because I followed my heart, managed my expectations, and get to do what Ive always wanted.

Really, I could not ask for more. Coming from a humble background, where my father was a labourer and my mum a seamstress, my childhood ambition was to be a bus conductor. In the neighbourhood where I used to lived, many children would quit school before Secondary 4. Amongst my kampong friends, I considered myself very lucky to be able to finish university and get a job. Honestly, I didnt expect to be able to get this far, looking at my childhood friends around me. But I was clear about what I wanted then: to study as much as I could, to get a job that could support my parents, and earn enough to buy an HDB flat.

I have worked in mostly multi-national companies and helped start several new businesses. Very early in my career, my job took me away from Singapore. I spent a lot of time living and working in Hong Kong, China, Thailand, India. This offered me a view of how business was done in different parts of the world and what cross-cultural management was about. Among many other experiences, I recall having to cold-call potential customers, operate a forklift when staff didnt turn up for work, handle gangsters, and endure getting sabotaged by suppliers in a totally new environment overseas. It toughened me up, but more importantly, I got a life experience no one could take away from me. It was an experience that school could never prepare you enough for.

We never know how life will treat us. School results do not determine your future; your values and beliefs can always bring you to greater heights. It is about following your heart and it is also about what you want. My own ambitions have evolved over time. Now it is about making a difference, so that when I step out of public life, I will leave behind a system that sustains itself, and by then I can be forgotten.