Meryl Joan Lee enrolled in NUS Business School in 2007 where she studied accounting. Upon graduation in 2012, she had a few stints with Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and even as a professional jazz singer before landing her current role at UBS as a capital market investment specialist.
Q: Could you share about your journey to get to your role in UBS?
Truth be told, my story would probably be quite different from the other interviewees. I enrolled in NUS Business School (Accounting) in 2007 but was getting B’s and C’s in my first year. I was ready to switch courses due to my grades, but decided to take a LOA to do an accounting internship at CapitaLand to give myself a chance to learn through experience. True enough, experiential learning suited me better. My grades improved dramatically after the internship, even becoming a straight A student on the dean’s list for 2 semesters. I was already actively leading some NUS student organisations and projects, but the academic confirmation opened doors for professors to offer me a chance to represent NUS in Case Competitions internationally. I was blessed to have won a few, together with very capable teammates.
Despite having only accounting related internships in my first 3 years, the varied experiences in my CV opened doors to a summer internship with the Private Wealth Management division in Goldman Sachs (GS). They offered me a full time role in the Financial Analyst program once my internship ended and I joined GS upon graduation. I was thoroughly fulfilled by the intellectual rigour of the role, but cornered by the demands of an exacting superior who had a harsher than usual managerial style. After much deliberation, I left to pursue my passion in jazz singing to explore if that could be a more emotionally satisfying yet viable career path.
Contrary to popular belief, being a professional musician is a viable career that relied on the individual being self-directed, resourceful and entrepreneurial. I enjoyed it but after about 2 years, I missed the intellectual rigour of finance and decided to return. I joined Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management and opted to begin again in the risk function, a cost center, to ease myself back into the finance industry while I continued to take on music engagements on the side. I was blessed that this time I had a superior who was nurturing, trusting, and who was invested in developing my career. I thoroughly enjoyed my day job, and had renewed confidence that I could focus on my love for financial markets. I stayed at Morgan Stanley for 3 years before moving to UBS, where I currently am now, as a capital market investment specialist focused on Equity, Fixed Income and Structured Product sales.
Q: What gave you the courage to leave the high-paying job in Goldman to pursue singing?
I was initially already doing ad-hoc wedding singing gigs while I was in school, and as such I already had contacts. At that point in time, “chasing your passion” was trending so that might have spurred me on. In retrospect, I felt that the two years was really important for my personal growth and emotional health.
Q: Would you advise people to take time off to chase their passion?
For me, both push and pull factors contributed to my decision, and I eventually developed entrepreneurial and problem solving skillsets that are valuable in any workplace. In my opinion, employers will not penalise you for taking time off to pursue your passion as long as you can articulate your thought process of sizing the risk vs opportunity and eventually enhance transferable skills through the experience.
In fact, a key reason why I landed the internship at Goldman Sachs was because the employers found it interesting that I had pursued a side career of wedding singing while juggling other varied leadership experiences while I was still in university. As such, I recommend that those with a passion should try to seriously pursue it during the undergraduate years when you have more time. Not only does it adds colour to your CV, it also allows you to evaluate if you could actually succeed or if monetising your passion is what you really want.
Q: What are some key things students should look out for when selecting their first career?
Firstly, prioritise choosing a good boss and office culture instead of the higher paying job. Your boss is the one that will groom and develop you. Your co-workers are the ones you will spend 8-12 hrs a day with. Some organisations are more supportive of employee career development through internal moves. Secondly, even while studying, you should actively look for a mentor. Someone who has more than a few years of experience and some seniority in the job will be good, as they can tell you about their experience and also let you understand the pros and cons of the role. I regret not having a mentor who might have helped me navigate the challenges of my first role I first started out, which explains my unorthodox career route. Thirdly, try to stick with your job for 2 years or more, regardless of you like it or not. It helps to build your character and also teaches you about the kind of worker you want to be. Lastly, do not let a career define who you are. It is important to not lose yourself in the pursuit of climbing up the corporate ladder.
Q: What are some skills that are invaluable in banking and how to cultivate in retrospect?
An important trait to have is tenacity. Unlike your internship stints, the real world requires real results and the expectations will be higher. You need to be able to cope with stress and deal with difficult superiors or clients. Being resourceful and independent helps too as employers are always looking for someone who can add value. This differentiates you from those who are reliant on being spoon-fed. Having strong soft-skills will also help you build a network of peers, friends and mentors in the finance industry who can aid you in navigating challenges. Always be humble to learn and genuine in order to build long-term supportive relationships.
Q: Any last pieces of advice you have for students in NUS Business?
Do not be afraid to take risks but choose your career based on risk vs opportunity assessment. Consider looking for roles that allow your natural aptitude and attitude to shine, instead of roles that have the highest remuneration.