Money is no longer the sole driving force for many a young Malaysian entering the workforce today.  In fact, in a recent Forbes survey, it was stated that remuneration ranks sixth with new job seekers.  Flexibility, opportunities to develop skills, and positive social impact rank high in their hierarchy of  needs in the workplace.

Sonia Vanessa Chong, Rockwills Million Dollar Group 2023 (RWGC qualifier) 

Take Gen Z, Sonia Chong, for instance. She embarked on the unconventional career of an estate  planner in her early 20s. It was her first job. Eight years down the road, she is one of her organisation’s  top estate planners. 

To Sonia, her passion for her unconventional career stems from the fact it gives her a sense of purpose.  More than just a nine-to-five job, she is helping others to plan and leave a legacy.  

“Passion is very important if one wants to build a successful career. And, to sustain that passion, I  believe that work must be meaningful as well. We must know why and for what we are working. There  is more to life and work than just making money,” said Sonia. 

The fact that she is a second-generation estate planner and is building the business with her parents makes a difference. It is a family enterprise. “I used to follow my parents to the office during school  holidays. I helped at roadshows, giving out flyers. I was exposed at an early age and saw first-hand  how my parents’ customers benefited from estate planning,” commented Sonia. 

On a more personal side, her chosen carrier enables her to see and explore the world as she gets  rewarded with incentive trips. “I started joining incentive trips when I was in my mother’s stomach!”  she joked. “I’ve been to more places than many of my peers and, for that, I am grateful.”

Kam Wen Chao, Rockwills Rising Star 2023 (RWGC qualifier) 

Similarly, millennial Kam Wen Chao has been identified as a rising star within the same organisation.  Ambitious and driven, his objective is to provide his clients with an integrated financial service without  having to fork out too much of his own money in terms of capital investment. 

“My vision is to build my business by offering my clients a comprehensive and integrated financial  service. I wanted to be more than just an insurance agent,” commented Kam. 

Kam’s desire stemmed from a case he encountered. One of his critically-ill clients needed to put in  place a Will before the inevitable. Kam was able to help the customer who passed away shortly after  finalising his Will. The whole episode made Kam realised the fragility of life and fuelled his passion to  educate more people about the importance of estate planning as part of one’s overall financial  planning and not to procrastinate. 

“What happened made me realised that as an estate planner I can help my customers to protect their  legacies and finances while at the same time secure their children’s future beyond just one  generation,” explained Kam. 

More importantly, the flexibility allows Kam to spend time with his growing young family, giving him  the work-life balance that is elusive to many. Financially, he too is building a legacy for his children’s  future. 

Indeed, today, he is achieving his business objectives and personal goals of being an entrepreneur. He  revels in the fact that he is being coached by his team leader while he coaches others within his group.  “I like it that we are not bosses but coaches. Nobody likes to be bossed around. It’s all teamwork – very different from a strictly corporate environment.” 

Sonia and Kam are just two examples of how much atitudes towards careers have evolved. Gone are  the days of career security in the form of doctors, lawyers, or engineers. Instead, what is hot are  unconventional options such as estate planners, gig workers, influencers, and content creators – jobs  that offer flexibility, independence, and a sense of higher purpose. 

“Perception and atitude are changing. If previously job seekers see estate planning as an undesirable  career choice, now they are looking at it as a flexible, multi-generational enterprise with a purpose. 

“The nature of the ‘job’ also ticks all the right boxes for today’s millennials and Gen-Zs particularly in  a post-pandemic scenario. Most important of all, they are acknowledged and recognised for their  success. This is very important for the new breed of job seekers,” said Tan Mei Yin, CEO of Rockwills Corporation Sdn Bhd. 

Rockwills, Malaysia’s leading estate planning specialist, currently has over 6,500 estate planners aged  between 24 to 70 among its rank.  

Rockwills revealed that over and above product training, registered estate planners are also given soft  skills training such as inter-personal interaction, and communications. To assist them with their  business, planners are also exposed to the business skills such as business plans and proposals  development, financial projection, and marketing and promotions. 

“We adopt a 360-approach so that at the end of the day, we have not just another estate planner but  a knowledgeable financial advisor as well,” added Tan. 

With the shift in needs and atitudes, perhaps it is time for Malaysia’s employers to re-evaluate their  work demands and structures. When corporate and individual expectations find a common point,  productivity and growth will thrive and so will the economy.

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