Job tips

Would you change your name for your career?

In a world where assumptions based on ethnicity can often hamper job opportunities for minorities, Terrence King feels like he got a raw deal.

He was born with a Chinese name, Wang Lai Ming, and has what he calls a South Asian appearance. But, he says, many employers in his native Singapore all but told him they wouldn’t hire him for certain jobs because he didn’t look Chinese and those in New Zealand, where he has been living and working since 2000, often overlooked him because of his Chinese name, he believes.

Hard work won't make you successful

The magic ingredient to success is not the good fortune to come from a wealthy family, and it isn’t a great education, either, as plenty of underemployed but highly-educated people can attest. The magic ingredient for career success and satisfaction is self-determination. When you are the captain of the ship, you get to decide which way to sail. That’s the only way to be successful in your career.