Si Jia Wen, BCom’18

Si Jia Wen, BCom’18

Si Jia resides in London, UK, where she works for Revolut in strategic finance. Learn how she navigated the changes involved in relocating to a new country for work.

What three words of wisdom, would you like to share with other alumni as they navigate their career?

Learn to fail.

Unless you're one of the lucky few who grew up knowing exactly what their passion was, the best way to figure out whether something is right for you is to try. Take risks early. Fail fast and often. Try as many things as possible until you land on something you love.

Describe a situation where you have had to navigate change in your career

One year ago, I took the leap and moved to London for a new job. Not only was I making a career change, I was moving to a new country in a new continent and experiencing a new culture. Even the simplest things were confusing and difficult. Upon arriving, I immediately reached out to UBC alumni for advice to learn from their experiences. I also focused my energy on adapting and creating a community for myself. Having the excitement of integrating into a new place helped me embrace change.

What did you learn about yourself from that experience?

After moving to London, I learned to be adaptable when navigating new experiences. I became more open-minded through working with people from diverse backgrounds and ways of thinking. I became more cognitive of cultural differences in a professional working environment. I also leveraged my resources by connecting with alumni and mutual friends. Most importantly, I learned to be comfortable with making mistakes and rolling with the punches when things don’t go as planned.

Do you have any advice for someone who is experiencing change in their career?

Take the risk! It’s normal to worry about the what-ifs and overestimate the risk of a career switch. Someone once told me that “there is no such thing as the right time.” In fact, the best time is now. If you want to change your career, you have to make it happen for yourself: Apply for your dream job, network with people currently at your dream company, and pick up the skills to bridge that gap between where you are now and where you want to be.

What opportunities arose from navigating change?

Two of the coolest things happened to me. I moved to one of the most international cities in the world and am now working for one of the world’s fastest growing fintech companies. Through this experience, I got the opportunity to work on numerous high-impact projects, ranging from the Covid pandemic response to global expansion initiatives, where I was advising on strategic business decisions within months of being on the job.