Sometimes life takes us on a journey we never would have expected. Where our “dream lifestyle” and “perfect career” weren’t what we imagined when we were seven years old. So it has been for two high flying Life Planners at Great Eastern, where taking a turn onto the path less travelled led them to the pot of gold that eluded them when they thought they were in the right lane.

A Journey to a Foreign Land

His feet touched Singapore soil for the first time in 1993. Only 11 years old at the time, then-Indian national NK Saravanan couldn’t fathom what this foreign land had in store for him. All he knew was that he was sent here for a brighter future under the care of his uncle, to be educated and raised in what his parents saw as “The land of Opportunity”.

Having a keen interest in Information Technology (IT), Saravanan earned his Diploma in Business and IT in 2003 and later went on to complete his Bachelors degree. He worked in the IT departments of several large firms in Singapore, striving to achieve what he always felt was his “dream”.

Just over two years later, that “dream” wasn’t as glittery or attractive as before. Despite doing well in his job, Saravanan wasn’t achieving what he wanted in his career. He didn’t like being bound behind a desk and computer screen, earning what he felt was below what he deserved. Even more depressing for the young man, he saw his career bottlenecked by a web of red tape and invisible glass ceilings.

He turned to the person he trusted most, the man who brought him up since before he was a teenager – his uncle, Director of Financial Services at Great Eastern, Karikalan.

Karikalan gave his young nephew a shot at regaining his passion for life, at once again dreaming of a career that would be as rewarding as it is challenging, at reigniting his belief that a job well done would bring about an improved income, uninhibited by market rates or his peer’s salaries.

Under his uncle’s tutelage, Saravanan excelled, taking home an income well above what he ever imagined earning at his previous job. In addition, the lively young man got to meet new people and make new friends on a daily basis and finally, he had a career that actually rewarded him for not sitting behind his desk and computer screen!

His zeal for life restored, Saravanan now has big plans for his future. He’s on his way to completing his Masters Degree in Knowledge Management from NTU and intends to build and train his own team of Life Planners, so others may experience the joy he’s found in this career.

The Unlikely Engineer

Looking at Cerlyn, you couldn’t imagine her in any other career besides the one she’s in now. Megawatt smile, gentle eyes, a pleasant, almost bashful personality and a cheery “Hi!” greets everyone she’s introduced to.

Unbelievably, this young lady’s childhood ambition was to stand tall in the predominantly male-dominated world of Engineering. Toiling her way through University, Cerlyn graduated from NTU with a degree in Civil & Environmental Engineering. Immediately upon graduation, she dug her trench boots deep into the world of engineering, working on huge projects, including overseeing the construction of Changi Airport’s proud new addition, Terminal Three.

On her way to building an impressive résumé of grand projects, all of Cerlyn’s friends and family believed she had a bright future ahead of her. Everyone that is, except Cerlyn herself. Constantly ill with fever and throat infections due to her dusty work environment, feeling “stuck” over what she considered miniscule salary increments, a lack of career progression opportunities and an overwhelming feeling of helplessness about her own future weighed heavily on this ambitious girl’s mind.

After persevering in the engineering industry for a year, Cerlyn decided she needed to move on and find the career that would let her live her dream of being respected, earning a high income, and doing something meaningful.

Destiny beckoned when Cerlyn met her ex-NTU classmate, who had been doing exceedingly well as an Agency Manager in Great Eastern. Cerlyn was intrigued by the opportunities her friend had as a Life Planner. A few days later, she turned up at Great Eastern’s office to learn more about the career. That very day, she decided on her future.

The bubbly, former-NTU sports starlet immediately fell in love with her new career and has only looked forward since. As a Life Planner, she’s free to plan her own schedules, choose the way she wants to work, and more importantly, she finally feels that her excellent work performance is being recognised, both in terms of awards and a quickly ballooning income.

A Selfless Profession

Both Saravanan and Cerlyn agree that what got them into the Life Planning profession in the first place was the feeling of belonging, camaraderie, recognition, a fantastic income, and the excellent worklife balance the career provides. But what’s kept them motivated to continue in this line has been the emotional rewards it brings.

Despite their young ages, Saravanan and Cerlyn have witnessed first-hand how families that could have been headed for financial ruin after an untimely accident were rescued by an insurance policy purchased years before. Being gifted the gratitude, friendship and trust of their clients has made the two realise how truly privileged they are to be in this profession.

Diverging Paths Meet

Saravanan and Cerlyn’s stories may sound like uncommon fairytales, but they really aren’t. Great Eastern’s offices are full of living examples of successful Life Planners who’ve come from all walks of life, into a career they’re sticking with for life.

After all, in this career, it doesn’t matter who you are, what you majored in, or where you’ve been. It’s a profession that welcomes anyone who’s keen on learning, and rewards everyone with a passion for achieving.