Eric Sim's Journey of Reinvention and Finding Meaningful Fulfillment

Eric Sim's Journey from Banking to Professional Speaking and Executive Coaching

Eric Sim spent over two decades in the banking industry, working across various locations like Singapore, London, Shanghai, and Hong Kong. Despite having no prior knowledge of the field upon graduating in 1994, Sim found banking to be a novel and challenging career path.

His first role was at DBS Bank, where he worked in corporate foreign exchange sales. Despite his engineering background, Sim felt less experienced compared to his business administration colleagues. After two years, he pursued a master's degree in finance at Lancaster University but was unable to secure a job in London. He returned to Singapore during the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis.

With limited job opportunities, Sim took on a role in risk management at Standard Chartered. He credits his good boss for believing in him and providing opportunities for secondments in London and Hong Kong, which kickstarted his international career.

In 2001, Sim moved to Citibank and worked in global markets. Recognizing China's financial sector liberalization in 2005, he requested a transfer and spent two years there. He found the experience eye-opening, encountering diverse industries like mining and shipping compared to Singapore's smaller economy.

He then relocated to Hong Kong and shifted his focus to investment banking and Asia-centric transactions. This paved the way for his role as a managing director at UBS.

Despite his success, Sim always considered leaving banking. In 2005, he contemplated studying architecture but ultimately decided against it due to the financial implications. He recognized that while he could excel in banking, he didn't find it fulfilling.

After over 20 years in the industry, Sim left UBS in 2017. With good health and sufficient savings, he pursued a new career in professional speaking and executive coaching. This new phase allowed him to focus on satisfaction, meaning, and fulfillment, sharing his expertise in banking and career planning with a wider audience.

Sim emphasizes that banking is essentially a sales job, requiring an understanding of client needs and relationship building. However, he acknowledges that succeeding in the field has become more challenging due to increased competition and regulation.

Despite the challenges, Sim believes banking remains an excellent industry for self-development. He encourages young professionals to seek opportunities that facilitate learning, a principle that has served him well throughout his career.