Rewarding Progress and Persistence

By Ahmed Wafi

At OCBC Bank Malaysia, talent can look forward to meaningful careers that will see them make strides, developing professionally and personally. We checked in with OCBC bankers KC and CJ on how the journey has been so far.

“From personal financial consultant to client advisor, I have been given the opportunity to serve clients from mass affluent, emerging affluent and high net worth,” said KC Tan about his career progression in an exclusive interview with GRADUAN.

KC began his career with OCBC after graduating with a degree in Business Administration over 15 years ago. Since then, he has seen his career flourish. His colleague Wong Chor Jaur (CJ Wong) followed a similar career path. After graduating with a degree in Communications, CJ joined OCBC fresh out of university and 12 years on, he has found career contentment and happiness.

“I was an intern with a creative agency and realised that it wasn’t the career for me. By chance, my aunt who is an OCBC staff member, suggested I try my hand in the banking industry since I’ve always enjoyed counting money since I was a little boy,” CJ recalled what would be the beginning of an illustrious career.

For KC and CJ, a career at OCBC is more than just about banking and is far more than just a job. Likewise for you, when you join OCBC, you can expect meaningful work, career progression and have your current skillset polished while picking up new ones. The OCBC Graduate Talent Programme is a perfect example of this, providing fresh graduates with holistic job rotations over the course of their 24-month intensive development stint with the company.

Our duo of seasoned OCBC Client Advisors attributed their development to the community that surrounds them at the Bank. Living and working by the motto ‘If you want to run fast, run alone but if you want to run far, run together’, KC pointed out that teamwork and respect regardless of department are two unspoken core values at OCBC.

“We treat our colleagues like family, and we respect each other regardless of departments. Being part of the family, I am fortunate to receive advice and support from my superiors and colleagues whenever I face challenges at work or in my personal life,” he exclaimed.

CJ expressed gratitude to the Bank leaders who helped pave the way to success for him. “They never fail to motivate me. Especially when things were not favourable because the banking life is never a bed of roses. They also emphasised the importance of gratitude and appreciation towards colleagues of different departments because ultimately, we are all under one roof, OCBC Bank. I was also surrounded by helpful and friendly seniors who were always willing to spend after banking hours to guide me on the processes. Most importantly, they helped me develop cross-selling skills, which is the bread and butter of my role,” CJ said.

WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS
Being ahead of the curve, the Bank has made online banking accessible years ago and has now taken it one step further with OCBC Velocity, its new and improved business platform that allows users to manage payments, collections and trade activities online.

OCBC also offers online account opening, loan queries and even an online FX platform for patrons from all walks of life.

Noticing the importance of digitalisation in the years to come, the Bank has also stepped up on hiring tech and IT talent. You can check out more information on available positions by watching this video!

Traditional banking is still very much in play though as they acknowledge a responsibility to serve clients who aren’t as digitally savvy. Many measures to ensure that the same people are educated on the safety, security and user-friendly system are employed by the Bank.

What’s next for KC and CJ?

KC feels he has a lot to learn still as a client advisor and isn’t ready to move on to a higher role just yet. “This role is challenging yet fun because I truly enjoy the excitement of meeting clients from different backgrounds with various success stories,” he said.

CJ isn’t getting ahead of himself either as he looks to continue improving and striving to reach for more spectacular heights and achievements. He admits that knowing his work is valued acts as motivation to provide nothing but the best to his clients, inside and outside of banking.

“The compliments and acknowledgements I receive from my valued clients are also the source of motivation to drive me to be a better client advisor. My clients not only consult me on banking related matters but they also come to me whenever they need constructive advice on non-banking matters. This again proves their level of confidence and trust in me as their client advisor,” CJ continued.

Click here if you’re interested to build your own success story at OCBC!

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