Top Teachings from Career Professionals

Anis Lalani, Bank Finance Manager

• University provides a foundation, but real growth happens when you push yourself beyond it—keep learning and upskilling.
• When tackling a task, ask yourself:
  • Why am I doing this?
  • What are the benefits?
  • How can I improve efficiency and minimize errors? 

• Everyone can do a job, but true excellence comes from seeing beyond the ordinary and finding ways to stand out.
• Understand how small details contribute to the big picture.

Marjorie He, MBB Business Analyst

• Key Skills for Consulting:
  • Curiosity: Always seek to understand more and ask questions.
  • Adaptability: Be flexible and open to change.
  • Quick Learning: Absorb new information quickly and effectively.
  • Problem-Solving: Develop a creative and solution-oriented mindset.

• Advice to High School Students Choosing a Career:
  • Know Yourself: Take time to understand your strengths and weaknesses.
  • Explore Your Options: Research various career paths to make an informed decision about what suits you best.
• 💡 Pro Tip: Whether in a club, program, or commitment, give it 100%—this is how you truly MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Franco Chiaravalloti, Alstom Program Manager

• Think outside the box to solve problems creatively.
• Management roles come with stress—develop the ability to stay calm under pressure.
• Prioritize work that energizes you and makes you feel accomplished.

Raymond Cheung, Basel Medical Group CEO

• Some people claim to have 20 years of experience, but in reality, they’ve repeated the same year 20 times. This happens when they stop learning and fail to gain new skills. Career advancement follows an S-curve with three key stages, and understanding this pattern can help you avoid stagnation.
  
  • Stage 1 (The Learning Phase): When you start your career, you rely on analytical skills, applying what you learned in school. Growth is slow as you navigate your role, gain knowledge, and build foundational expertise. At this stage, learning is steep but necessary.
  • Stage 2 (The Acceleration Phase): After a few years, as you master your responsibilities, you transition into management. Here, you begin delegating tasks, overseeing projects, and leading teams. This is where growth accelerates rapidly. However, as you become more comfortable in your role, the learning curve starts to flatten. If you're not careful, you may fall into the trap of repeating the same year of experience rather than continuing to develop.
  • Stage 3 (The Plateau – and How to Avoid It): Once your learning slows down, you risk stagnation. The key to continuous growth is starting a new S-curve before your current one levels off. 

• Raymond didn’t let his career plateau. He started as an actuary (a highly technical role), then moved into risk management, transitioned into technology and startup leadership, and ultimately landed in healthcare leadership. He never started from scratch—instead, he leveraged his past experiences to grow both horizontally (exploring new industries) and vertically (taking on higher leadership roles).

• Keep an open mind—explore different industries and experiences instead of staying in one place for too long. This is the difference between having 20 years
• Dedicate yourself to a passion you love so much you’d do it for free—then become so exceptional that people will pay you for it.

Madeleine Marcelino, Intelex Technologies Business Development Representative

• Believe in what you sell. If you don’t have faith in a product, how can you expect customers to?
• Have a passion for impactful work—be driven by a desire to make a difference.
• Adopt a growth mindset and embrace challenges to succeed.
• Follow your heart: No one knows you better than you!