'The Apprentice Asia's' Andrea Loh on switching careers and being Asian in the workplace
"Age and experience are no substitutes for drive, hunger and passion."
If there’s a character we will never forget in season one of "The Apprentice Asia," it’s Andrea Loh — the feisty, smart and outspoken Singaporean who placed as runner-up. She was one of the candidates I bonded well with.
For this issue of From Grit to Great, I discuss with Andrea the pressing issues of today’s corporate world: the challenge of shifting careers, the pains of working in a different country, the rise of Generation Y in the workplace, and more.
"The Apprentice Asia" took place almost a year ago now. What’s the best thing you’ve missed about…me? Kidding! Seriously, how have you been?
Of course I miss you a lot, Jonathan! To summarize, since the show finished airing, I left my lawyering job, spent four months travelling, and moved to India in January this year to start working with a mobile technology start-up in Hyderabad.
I’m curious. You are now working as a commercial manager for a mobile technology company. What made you shift from practicing law to becoming a "commercial" person?
I want to be pushed beyond what I know, because there are so many other skills out there to learn — so moving out of law was always guaranteed! I’m thankful "The Apprentice Asia" made me confident and brave enough to make my career switch!
What advice can you give to folks out there who are in the same situation of wanting to shift gears to a different industry or profession? Don’t you think this is a very risky move?
I definitely agree that it’s risky! My advice would be to first know the area you want to work in. Then, ask yourself whether what you’re doing matches or complements where you want to be (having a vision is important!). If they don’t match, make that switch ASAP!
For me, I knew I wanted to work in a commercial space, and because law wasn’t giving me relevant skills anymore, I knew had to go elsewhere to learn.
Gen X-ers think that Gen Y (a.k.a. millenials) like us are fickle-minded, get easily bored, have short interest span for projects, and jump from one company to another. In your opinion, is this a good or bad thing for one’s career?
It's not just about job-hopping, but more of the desire to try new things and the uninhibited attitude towards discovery and learning. Those are great traits for anyone’s career! Being able to adapt with boldness and enthusiasm will help anyone confront workplace challenges better.
A classic contrast to this is workers who get left behind because they are unwilling or unable to retrain and upgrade their skills. In our dynamic knowledge-based society filled with technology, anyone who can’t keep up is just going to get left behind.
Aside from shifting professions, you’ve also moved to a new country. Today’s youth aspires to work abroad not just for better opportunities but for immersion in a different culture. How did you adjust to your new environment?
I think the biggest factor to adjust well is having a deep sense of respect for the foreign culture. When you start off by acknowledging that you are in someone else’s home, it usually results in deference to their customs and way of life.
Next, move beyond recognizing the differences to truly embracing them! Make sure you get to know the local food (biriyani, dosa, etc), local customs (taking auto-rickshaws) and, most importantly, the locals! This brings me to my final tip…
Learn the local language. This has worked for me in Spain, Italy and, of course, India. It may seem daunting to learn a new language (and Hindi isn’t easy!), but that is the ultimate way to penetrate society. When you can communicate with the locals, or even show your effort by trying, you’ll be amazed at their responses! I have people smiling at me, surprised that a foreigner is trying to speak the local language.
Did any romance blossom between you and another contestant on "The Apprentice Asia"? Spill the beans, please. Because I'm the one interviewing you, you cannot include me in this answer (hahaha!).
Are we restricting this to contestants only? Just kidding. I’m sure your readers are no longer curious about such matters…and I trust you not to let any cats out of the bag! Let’s just say we definitely had some great men and great times on the show!
Okay, I will pretend that you avoided that last question (rolls eyes). You and Nik were the youngest applicants in the show (25 years old), yet you reached the Final 2. What do you think you proved about the value of age in the workplace, or life in general?
Age and experience are no substitutes for drive, hunger and passion. Quote me.
I feel very strongly about this, and I’ve also said it in the boardroom and on social media. Tony himself said that it was our passion and drive that brought us to the final two, not the experience that other candidates had. People can always learn new skills, but the determination to learn those skills well and quickly is what really counts at work and in life.
There are still times I feel I am discriminated at work because I’m young (or I look young). Do you think that the corporate world still discriminates by age up to this day?
It really depends on your industry. Based on my time in the hierarchical legal world, age matters because seniority rules. As a contrast, I’m now in the fast-paced technology industry where age takes a considerable backseat to smarts and guts — just look at all your Silicon Valley twenty-something honchos! Just know what you’re in for.
In many of the tasks in "The Apprentice Asia," you had to manage people like Dee (34 years old) and Sam (39 years old) who disagreed with some of your decisions. In real life, what tips can you give to young executives who have to manage people older than their age?
I’ve learned the hard way that it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it. Remember that time on the show when I ordered Sam to listen to me? People still tease me about that until today!
My top tips to young executives would be to always:
1) Provide context for your idea
2) Provide the rationale for your suggestion
3) Always ask for their opinion
4) End with a smile!
This template will guarantee that your “seniors” at least consider what you have to say. So instead of “We need to change the logo,” you can try, “I’ve noticed that our logo feels out of sync with the new direction this product has taken. I think we should consider a redesign. What do you think?”
How about women in the workplace? Do you feel we’re still far from breaking the glass ceiling? I personally feel that more women deserve to leadership roles both in the public and private sector.
You’re asking difficult questions, Jonathan! As the last girl standing on the show, it felt good that women were represented. The statistics about the corporate world, however, show that the glass ceiling is far from broken. And maybe we’ll never get there…but we’re moving in the right direction and I think that’s good enough.
Ladies, it’s just as important that we ask for what we want, like respect, equal salaries and time off!
We have always talked about wanting to elevate the image of the young, Asian corporate worker as someone who is world-class. What traits of Asian yuppies do you think still need to be sorted out even up to this day (and what should we do about them)?
As much of a cliché as it is, a big point for me (and you too, I know) is that Asians need to improve on our soft skills. I’ll highlight a couple:
1) First, be more outspoken in the workplace. I have met too many Asian executives who are “shy” or “afraid to offend others” and end up swallowing their otherwise valuable opinions. On "Apprentice," I think we demonstrated that if you do not voice your views out of politeness, you’re actually hurting yourself and your team.
2) Second, prioritize a balanced lifestyle. Many Asians pride themselves on their diligence and hard work, and inadvertently end up placing work above all else. When that happens, you lose out in the workplace because you’ve got no street smarts, no street cred, and have nothing to discuss with colleagues! Being in a start-up like Mxit where we value work-life balance, I now realize how much happier I am and how much more effective I am at work!
Season 2 of "The Apprentice Asia" may be coming up soon. Mind if you share with our readers three tips on how to make it to the Final 12?
1) Your audition video will make or break you — so keep things interesting rather than formal, and be yourself! Unless being yourself means being formal, in which case it’s totally acceptable.
2) In your application form, highlight what’s interesting, because they’re scanning literally tens of thousands of applications! The moment you’re boring, they won’t bother reading on.
3) Be on time. A deadline is there for a reason! Special tip for our overseas friends: the applications are usually sent to Singapore (please check!), so give yourself plenty of buffer time for your package to reach Singapore…via registered mail, please.
Need motivation at work? Read more insights from Jonathan:
Jonathan Yabut is the season one winner of the hit business reality TV show, "The Apprentice Asia." He currently serves as the Chief of Staff reporting directly to Malaysian business mogul and Group CEO of AirAsia, Tony Fernandes. Jonathan actively engages in motivational and leadership talks within Southeast Asia and is soon to launch a book about leadership and “making it big.” Visit Jonathan’s website, www.JonathanYabut.com for more updates or follow him via AAJonathanYabut (Facebook) and @jonathanyabut (Twitter).
