APAC
Culture

Meet a ºÚÁÏÊÓƵer: Jessica Chan

12/08/21   |  
ºÚÁÏÊÓƵ Education

We recently sat down with Jessica Chan, our newest Admissions Manager in Malaysia, to learn more about her experience as the first ºÚÁÏÊÓƵer on the ground in Asia.

What is your role at ºÚÁÏÊÓƵ, and what does a day in your life here at work look like?

I am the Admissions Manager for Sunway University, our first partnership in Asia - which is exciting in itself! My primary role focuses on student recruitment. The student is our utmost priority, as their success is our success.

My team ensures we’re always giving the best advice to enquiring students, ensuring the programme allows them to gain the mandatory skillsets and knowledge required to excel in their chosen industry.Ìý

Constant communication with our university partner is essential to ensure that student eligibility is checked in time and returned within the stipulated time frame.Ìý

You're one of our first employees in Asia. How did you find out about ºÚÁÏÊÓƵ, how was the onboarding process, and what are you most excited about for ºÚÁÏÊÓƵ in Asia?

ºÚÁÏÊÓƵ was relatively new to me and I first heard about it when I was searching online for careers. Once I visited the ºÚÁÏÊÓƵ website, I was able to get a better understanding of the great things that ºÚÁÏÊÓƵ stands for.

I loved the idea of joining a team where the goal is to ensure great engagement in a student's learning journey.

The onboarding was extremely well organised. Besides knowing the system and processes, it included the opportunity to meet the leaders from various functions, which helped further build my understanding of the company's structure and each leader and team's role in making the company succeed.

What is the most crucial skill someone in your job needs?

I would say that excellent listening skills are imperative. This ultimately allows us to understand the needs of the students while simultaneously providing the proper guidance in achieving their future goals. We see education as more than receiving a certificate, it is about preparing our students to gain the knowledge and skills to become set up for success in their careers and life.

How does your role help our students succeed?

The Admissions team is the first point of contact from enquiry to enrolment. The role of our Student Enrolment Advisors varies; essentially, our overall objective is to provide our students with knowledge about our programmes and empower them to choose to study at a postgraduate level. We are the point of contact for application enquiries, questions about how to manage the work/life/study balance and which programme is most suitable in addressing their professional goals.Ìý

Out of ºÚÁÏÊÓƵ's four core values, which resonates with you most and why?Ìý

I see the four core values as interrelated, actually. As a leader, we act differently in every situation. I sometimes need to be inventive, with creative ideas to bring the business to a new breakthrough. Collaboration within our business functions is crucial as our people are the key drivers in ºÚÁÏÊÓƵ. People make the difference and make every plan become a reality.

Continuous learning helps me grow both personally and professionally, enabling me to perform my job more effectively and be committed to the work that gives me the sense of satisfaction to ensure that I contribute to achieving the company goals and objectives.

How has ºÚÁÏÊÓƵ aided your professional development or growth as a person?

Being in a fast-paced working environment, learning and performing simultaneously requires me to challenge myself in absorbing as much information as possible.Ìý

The journey with ºÚÁÏÊÓƵ has presented me with insights on the importance of learning while managing a diverse team from across borders.

I have come to appreciate the importance of staying ahead and upskilling to increase my relevance and to remain competitive. While soft skills are essential in people management, technical skills are equally crucial to adopting new technology.Ìý

Even though having a team from diverse backgrounds and cultures posed challenges, I have learned that these differences can be bridged effectively by building a common goal amongst the team.

The experience gained has built my skills and confidence in communication and team management from remote locations. Despite being with ºÚÁÏÊÓƵ for only a few months, much has been attained, and I look forward to furthering self-improvement as this journey progresses.

As the saying goes, "Be a better version of yourself today than you were yesterday, aspire to be a better you tomorrow than you are today" – Amy Lee Reynolds.

What's your favourite thing about working at ºÚÁÏÊÓƵ?

The people here are the critical component of this answer.Ìý

When beginning with ºÚÁÏÊÓƵ, I found that my peers, managers, and directors are very supportive and always available to lend their helping hands. The culture always encourages collaboration and teamwork and, more importantly, provides a safe environment to learn and try new initiatives without the fear of being reprimanded if it becomes a lesson.Ìý

Malaysia is the first destination for ºÚÁÏÊÓƵ in Asia, and I look forward to seeing the growth in partnership opportunities to come. I can't wait to see the student's we can help excel in their current or future roles through online education!

ÌýIf you're interested in joining ourÌýteam, you can review our open rolesÌýhere.