I’m a former BlackRock VP and to this day, most people will ask why I quit.

How could I leave such a huge name?

So here are my 5 truth bombs.

1️⃣ Institutional names carry weight but…

It’s easy to wrap your identity around another brand name without building one just for yourself.

The longer you stay, the more impossible you find it to extract yourself.

So don’t fall into that trap!

2️⃣ Remember that your story doesn’t have to end there

A big name doesn’t fully encompass who you are

You 100% don’t have to be there forever.

Personally, I enjoyed many parts of my 7 years at BlackRock: The 6-figure pay in my early 20s, the opportunity to work in Hong Kong, New York & London & the fancy corporate perks.

But I couldn’t see a future there, so I left

The big name was already on my CV.

No one can ever take it from me.

Now, I would leverage on my “prestigious” background to explore what else was out there (and so can you!).

3️⃣ Figure out who you are (without the brand name!)

After a fancy name like BlackRock, it was hard for me to shake off the need to go to another “prestigious” place.

I even tried to launch a VC-backed startup because that felt far more prestigious than the prospect of running a small coaching business!

I know how hard it is to shake external validation.

But the best way to overcome it?

By knowing who you are.

You’ll never ask someone else what your favorite color is (or care if they disagree).

Why should you when it comes to your career?

4️⃣ Build your personal brand

It’s ok to not have an ironclad plan when you leave your big name institution.

I made so many “mistakes” that turned out to be valuable lessons, e.g. attempting (and failing!) to build a fashion blog and line of corporate workwear which ended up being the platform to get into Style Theory - a Singapore-based fashion startup.

But I made them a part of my story, aka brand, and people knew me for what I was capable of and had experienced.

5️⃣ Share share share and ye shall receive

My pivot into career coaching came because I started the Ctrl Alt Career podcast.

I started it because I wanted to share the stories of people who had made major pivots in their careers and help listeners along the way.

As it turns out, those listeners wanted a lot more help from me, i.e. how they too could make the pivot!

And that’s how I landed my first coaching client.

Then another.

And another.

Until finally, I decided to take the plunge and become a full-time career coach.

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It’s been 3 years since I started on this journey and let me tell you: It’s been quite the rollercoaster!

Lots of ups and downs, anxieties and excitement but above all: Joy.

Because I’m doing what I truly love.

And this was all made possible because I focused on building a brand for myself, and not someone else’s company.

P/S: If you’d like to make a career pivot to find your dream career, do DM me JOY. I’d love to help!