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Kwa Wei Lam
Bachelor of Business (1999)
What is your most unforgettable memory in UTS?
I
will always remember and cherish the memories of living on
your own in a foreign country, but nothing sears the memory
like the experience of flunking subjects. Excruciating
experiences I’ll never forget.
How long you have lived in Singapore?
I’ve been living and working in Singapore for the past six
years.
Do you keep in touch with other UTS Alumni in Singapore?
I
am good friends with an alumnus here who I meet regularly. I
rarely meet or am not aware of other alumni residing in
Singapore.
Briefly describe your career journey since graduation. How
did you end up in your current position?
I
got my first and current job through the advice and help of
close friends who felt that I could get a better career in
Singapore. I’ve learned plenty from my job, which also gave
me opportunities to travel. Some of the business trips that
I was on took me to places like Germany, Shanghai and the
Netherlands.
Briefly describe your current career. What is your typical
day like?
Work in the Business Development division is often on a
project-to-project basis. I could be involved in a project
as simple as developing a product brochure to large-scale
endeavours that require extensive research work and field
work.
What are the most challenging and rewarding parts of your
job?
My job teaches me that nothing is ever straightforward in
the marketing and management fields. You must stick to your
objectives while trying to adapt to situations and obstacles
that come your way.
Given the stressful and imbalanced hours of your job, how do
you relax and unwind?
I
adopt my alter ego, The Big Movie Freak, and rant about
movies on my website, BigMovieFreak.com.
Do you think you have achieved work-life balance?
It’s difficult to do that in a Singapore working
environment, where work excellence is not an initiative, but
compulsory. Despite all that, I still managed to maintain
some friends, sustain a relationship, and keep my website
alive.
What was the best advice you’ve been given?
“Try not. Do! Or do not. There is no try.” – Master Yoda,
Star Wars Episode 5: The Empire Strikes Back.
How would you describe yourself?
Private but opinionated; imaginative while irreverent.
What would surprise people once they get to know you?
People don’t expect that I’m actually quite a talkative guy,
especially if you hit on the right topics.
What was your childhood ambition?
Who doesn’t dream of high-paying professional jobs like
doctors and lawyers when they were little? It’s only as you
get older that your dreams and ambitions start to refine
itself, and you realise Success isn’t always about dollars
and cents. Wait, I’m just kidding. Of course it is!
Who inspires you?
Golf champ Vijay Singh, who owns hundreds of DVDs because he
can.
If you had 1 million dollars, what would you do with it?
Ringgit, US or Singapore dollar? Invest the money so that I
can live off on the returns and never work again. Uh,
wouldn’t you? Anyway, I would then have more time dedicated
to my other interests.
Any particular reasons why you are not in the alumni till
today?
It’s hard to keep up with the alumni when you’re living and
working overseas, although I now thoroughly regret not
trying a little harder to keep in touch with my mates
before.
Your message to other alumni members and UTS grads?
Don’t succumb to parental or societal norms and
expectations. They are only guidelines, not absolutes.
Explore your interests and passions while you’re still young
and energized and have lesser to lose, because you’ll surely
regret it later on if you didn’t.
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