#14 Pretzel, ybp in ratios: 70% now, 30% future
Editor: @nwangerd
We’ve always been rather proud of our magazine’s name: ybp; young broqué professionals. So far, we’ve shared about fifteen articles, and while “young” and “broqué” have repeatedly appeared as central themes, we haven’t had as many opportunities to explore the third word in our title—professional.
So for this piece, I sat down with my friend from university and now a colleague in Singapore—someone who’s been quietly and confidently building a meaningful professional life. Over the course of an hour, we spoke about the past, present, and future of her career. And as always, sharing that time in conversation was a pleasure of its own.
Let’s begin our conversation with Pretzel.
Q. Pretzel, Could you start by introducing yourself?
A. Hello! I’m Pretzel, and I’ve been living in Singapore for five years now. I work in sales for SMB clients at a big tech company. I like running, visiting museums, watching performances, the color emerald, and listening to Singaporean indie music. Recently, I went to a concert by Linying, a local indie artist who I honestly believe is Singapore’s next IU.
Also—this feels important to mention—I’m a loyal reader of ybp. I even went to Olafur Eliasson’s exhibition after reading the piece you published on it :)
Q. Thank you for the introduction. For this article, we’d love to focus on the “professional” dimension of your journey.
A. Ah, so I suppose I should talk about some well-planned, impressive career trajectory now?
Q. Not at all. Our magazine comes with the built-in assumption that everyone’s a bit young and a bit broqué. What we really hope to do is share your honest experience of growing and navigating your path.
A. Good 🙂
Q. You've been working in sales at global companies for a while now. How did you end up starting your career in sales at a multinational company?
A. Sales at a foreign company wasn’t what I initially aimed for. In the beginning, I wanted to work in finance or consulting, but things didn’t go as planned. Through that process, I realized I might be better suited for communication than for crunching numbers, which led me to start considering sales roles.
IT especially felt interesting because it requires both knowledge and expertise. That’s how I ended up beginning my career at SAP. At the time, the fact that SAP was a top player in the industry and offered global programs and overseas experience made the decision feel right.
Q. So it’s been about seven years now in foreign IT sales. For someone just starting out—maybe reading this article—would you recommend beginning their career in this kind of environment?
A. If you’re aiming for a long-term career in global companies, then yes. Starting out as a new grad in a multinational company can seem chaotic and unstructured, and in some ways, it is. But I also think there’s value in that chaos. It builds problem-solving skills and a proactive attitude early on, which I believe really helps when continuing in international roles later.
Q. What prompted your move to the current company?
A. After finishing SAP’s global onboarding program and returning to Korea, it honestly felt like waking up from a dream. Being exposed to the way my international colleagues worked made me want to stay in a global environment—not just in Korea. That motivation played a big role in my decision to move.
Coincidentally, a friend was already working at my current company, and I felt that the skills and experiences I had built at SAP could carry over. That gave me the push I needed.
Q. What are some of the skills you feel you’ve developed since joining your current company?
A. A lot, actually. Aside from communication skills—which I had always seen as a strength—I’ve improved my adaptability, analytical thinking, strategic mindset, and collaboration with teammates.
Q. Adaptability is an interesting one. I heard you recently moved from the team covering Korean market to a team covering AU/NZ market. Did that transition require some of that adaptability?
A. Definitely. But it’s not a new skill that just popped up—I think the industry itself forced me to become adaptable. My role changed in my second year, and then the pandemic transformed everything again. Adapting became a necessity. So when I moved teams, it didn’t feel as jarring as it might’ve otherwise.
But honestly, the biggest reason for the move was that I simply wanted it. I wanted to work in a different language, in a different culture. Australians take small talk seriously—before any business, they want to know about your weekend, how your day started. At first, I was so resistant. But over time, I learned to meet them halfway without being disingenuous, and eventually, I just blended in. It wasn’t so much adapting as it was choosing to embrace their way of being.
Living in Singapore as a Korean, and working with AU/NZ clients—it’s a strange intersection, but I think it’s helped me expand my own sense of possibility.
Q. It feels like you’re always thinking deeply about your career. When did you start thinking about your next step?
A. I don’t think it’s just about my career—I’m someone who’s always wondering what comes next. I live about 70% in the present, 30% in the future. There was a time when I tried to live 100% in the present. It lasted… maybe six months.
Q. That’s an intriguing ratio. What was life like when you were at 100% present?
A. I applied to top schools in the US with the goal of pursuing master's degree. It was a year and a half of hard work, and while there were many uncertainties, I wanted to finish it on a high note. Seeing the rejection letters keep coming in, I spent the next six months focusing solely on things I enjoyed. I became immersed in the local Singaporean indie music scene, took up photography, and visited exhibitions. After about six months, I wanted to study again, and I realized I wasn't good at math, so I started studying. That's how I prepared, and that's how I applied to NUS and ended up studying there. What I've learned from this process is that there's no such thing as a bad timing. If it feels like an opportunity, or something seems promising, then I think I should just give it a shot.
*NUS: National University of Singapore
Q. What drew you to graduate school in the first place?
A. I’ve wanted to do it since my third year of university. It was one of those “someday” goals. Searching for the right program was in itself a process of self-discovery.
Now, I’m doing a Master’s in Business Analytics. It may seem unrelated to my sales role, but there’s overlap. I didn’t want to give up a career I enjoy—so I gave up some evenings and weekends instead. In return, I got to learn something new and build a community of grad students here in Singapore. It’s made my life here feel bigger, fuller.
Q. Who would you recommend grad school to?
A. People who enjoy growing through struggle (laughs). There are so many types of programs—it can be a strategic tool if you know what you want and what you value. But if you enjoy learning, exchanging ideas, and being in a space where those things matter, you’ll probably get a lot out of it.
Q. Is it manageable to work full-time and study at the same time?
A. If you do it full-time, it’s a year. Part-time master program takes two. I gave myself four years max. I go to school three times a week, travel for work, keep up with my role, and try to stay healthy too. It’s not easy, but it’s possible.
Q. What kinds of roles might open up after your degree?
A. I’ve decided not to think about that right now. I once heard about a Singaporean track athlete who won a gold medal. When asked what her next goal was, she said:
“I’m gonna lie down on my bed, watching my gold medal—and that’s it.”
I found that really moving. We’re so quick to ask, “What’s next?” But the more I study, the more I realize this takes real time and effort. For now, I’m happy just to be exposed to this field, to learn alongside my classmates and professors.
To put it simply, this degree gives me two things: 1) a deeper connection to Singapore’s society and lifestyle, and 2) the joy of learning something new. Right now, I just want to finish well.
Q. Last question—do you ever think about doing a PhD?
A. I used to think you had to go straight from a master’s to a PhD. Now, I think maybe someday. I recently met someone who did her master’s at Harvard, worked for the U.S. government for eight years, then came to Singapore to do her PhD at NUS—her husband got a job here.
She’s married, raising kids, and pursuing a doctorate. It made me think: maybe a PhD could be a way to stay close to my family and continue my career at the same time. And the idea of diving deep into a subject also sounds exciting.
Through this conversation with Pretzel, we caught a glimpse of what it means to live in alignment with one’s values—and the quiet strength that comes from putting them into action. Her sense of calm, seemingly effortless now, feels like something patiently cultivated through years of thoughtful questioning. To the fellow ybps out there facing similar uncertainties: may this be a reminder of the quiet power of persistence.