As SJB’s newest member, Terence has now been at SJB for a full month. We had a brief session with him to learn more about his experience: the highs, the challenges, and the surprises. We hope you enjoy hearing what it’s like to work with us.
Hello Terence! Welcome to SJB Global. You’ve been here for a month now. How are you finding your new job?
Hi! Thank you. It’s going great! I feel like I’ve learned loads this past month.
What are some highlights of the job so far?
What I’ve enjoyed the most is getting to know the entire team better on a more personal level. There’s always a good friendly atmosphere in the office which helps keep up the positive vibes. Having said that, everyone is very professional when it comes to work, which I enjoy. The willingness of everyone to help has definitely been a highlight. A lot of the team have been in similar situations to the ones I’m going through now, and everyone is always offering their insights to me. The team is really open and there’s no such thing as a stupid question. So, I guess I am lucky they haven’t got tired of all my questions yet!
What motivates you to come to work?
What we do at SJB is really important. You can have a huge positive impact on people’s lives by giving them the right advice. I have found that there is a knowledge gap as many expats are not aware of what their retirement options are, let alone how to decide which option is best for them. I see our job as helping to fill that knowledge gap and to educate people to make the best decisions they can for them and their retirement. That is what motivates me to get up every morning.
What has surprised you about the job in the first 30 days?
What has surprised me the most is how SJB Global is aligning its interests so closely with its clients. They are completely on the same track as their clients in every facet of the company, so what’s good for the clients is good for the company. From their pricing model and business model to the way they treat their staff, everything revolves around their clients.
What challenges have you come across so far?
There is a ton of information to take in. Retirement planning is very important but it can also be quite complicated and different for each client. There is a lot of jargon, but it has been insightful and invaluable going into detail on everything, plus seeing it all illustrated with graphs. The primary challenge for me is to process all of this information and communicate it in a clear and simple way. We’re talking about life-changing decisions here that could make the difference to give someone a comfortable retirement. It’s a huge undertaking but I am embracing that pressure and want to do the best I can to help people achieve their retirement goals.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
I’ve always been an active person. I love running and cycling. I try to get in about 50km of running per week. In theory, it’s to prepare for some races, but none of us know whether events will go ahead this year. It’s good to stay active anyway!
