These Malaysians Prove It’s Never Too Late To Change Careers

A Fine Artist, Financial Advisor and Police Inspector share how they changed professions – and why it’s never too late to discover your calling.

By Aqilah Naqlis on 2023-11-27 at 7:11 AM

Updated on 2023-11-27 at 7:11 AM

What does a Fine Artist, a Financial Advisor and a Police Inspector have in common?

They all left their previous jobs in pursuit of their current career! We ask the three to share their motivations for their huge career change and how they prepared themselves for it.

Lisa Teo, Lawyer to Fine Artist

1. What did you do before becoming a fine artist?

I was a lawyer in Kuala Lumpur for 5 years before leaving the profession to open and manage a restaurant for 2 years. I then stopped working to bring up two children before starting my art career around 10 years ago.

2. Why did you decide to change your career?

I’ve always wanted to pursue Fine Art at university but my parents preferred a profession with a more stable income so I chose Law. I am grateful I had an opportunity later in life to pursue my passion for art.

3. How did you prepare yourself for the change?

I studied watercolour, oil, acrylic and charcoal techniques from different specialists in Kuala Lumpur. They taught me different techniques like Realism, Impressionism, Cubism, portraits, landscape and still life.

I got to know more local artists and participated in group art exhibitions to gain experience and exposure.

4. What were some of the challenges you faced while transitioning to a new career?

My struggle was the self-doubt I had about my abilities as an artist because I didn’t graduate from art school. But I realised that practice and experience make a big difference.

So I continued to enhance my skills with further learning via classes and workshops and learning from more senior artists.

5. Knowing what you know now, would you have done things differently, and why?

No, I wouldn’t. Having a legal background gave me a solid base to transition to art.

My corporate experience helped me be a professional artist. It helped me a lot with time and workload management, networking and customer service.

I definitely have the best of both worlds!

Check out Lisa Teo’s art website at LisaTeoArt.com.

Creative jobs on Hiredly:

See more jobs on Hiredly.

Nor Zakiah, Chemistry Teacher to Financial Advisor

1. What did you do before becoming a Financial Advisor?

I taught Chemistry in secondary schools for 14 years before pursuing a career as a Financial Advisor.

2. Why did you decide to change your career?

I made the decision for financial freedom and to spend more time with my family. My current career also helps me build my family’s legacy.

3. How did you prepare yourself for the change?

I learned a lot on my own and worked as a Financial Advisor for 6 months while I was still teaching. After achieving 80% of the salary I was making as a teacher, I knew I was ready to pursue it full-time.

4. What were some of the challenges you faced while transitioning to a new career?

I believe that all careers bring out challenges in different forms. It just depends on what you get paid for the same degree of challenges.
The challenge I faced while preparing for the Financial Advisor role was accessing the system for theory and practical training. Sure, they were available but they only covered the basics.

To become a professional financial advisor I needed to get further qualifications even after practising for 3 years. Then I had to complete a Shariah Registered Financial Planning course, project paper and exam.

5. Knowing what you know now, would you have done things differently and why?

Given the chance, I would have started this career earlier because of the financial growth it has given me. But I understand that growth takes time.

The experience I gained as a teacher and the lessons I learned while transitioning into this career was invaluable. I use what I learned in my previous profession to guide agents to achieve their goals twice faster than I.

It’s what my old and new careers have in common. At the end of the day, I still educate and empower people with knowledge – whether it’s Chemistry or Financial Planning. It has been a very fulfilling career.

Check out Nor Zakiah’s team at Metamorph Group.

Financial planning jobs on Hiredly:

See more jobs on Hiredly.

Bukhari Aziz, TV Alhijrah Journalist to Police Inspector of Social Extremist Threat

1. What did you do before becoming a Police Inspector?

I was a journalist for TV Alhijrah for 4 years. I made my way from an internship in 2010 to a permanent placement within 2 years.

2. Why did you decide to change your career?

I have always loved challenges. At some point, I felt that my career in journalism was growing stagnant. So when I was approached to join the police force, I knew it was the new challenge I was craving.

Apart from the dynamic job scope, the salary and job security also attracted me to the new role.

3. How did you prepare yourself for the change?

After making my decision, I furthered my studies in Psychological Warfare and Perception Management for my Master’s. I also had to shift my mindset and open myself up to a different way of working.

4. What were some of the challenges you faced while transitioning to a new career?

The challenge came when I had to adapt from a civilian to a recruit in the police force. It was difficult in the beginning because I had to change my usually ‘rebellious’ attitude to follow strict rules and codes.

I had to assimilate to an entirely different work culture than what I was used to. Like many government bodies, there was a lot of bureaucracy to follow that tended to slow down our work.

But, I can see the younger generation entering the force influencing a positive change in the work culture. It is my goal to be part of that change.

5. Knowing what you know now, would you have done things differently and why?

Knowing what I know now, I honestly would have made the career change sooner.

Being in the force changed my life. It affected how I viewed and assessed any situation and made me more disciplined. I also discovered the extent of my capabilities.

However, my previous experience as a journalist greatly helped my work for PDRM, so I believe it all worked out well!

Itching for a career change yourself? Check out our 9 essential steps to making a successful career switch here.

Take the leap and discover your new job on Hiredly.

The Hiredly team would like to thank Lisa Teo, Nor Zakiah, and Bukhari Aziz for sharing their incredible career journey and inspiring others who are looking to take the leap!

Want to share your own career story? Reach out to us at hello@hiredly.com.

By Aqilah Naqlis on 2023-11-27 at 7:11 AM