Estelle Ang Yi Jia

National University of Singapore, NUS Business School

“A very strong-willed, positive, petite individual who never gives up when faced with setbacks.”

Hometown: Singapore

Fun Fact About Yourself: YOLO – you only live once. I have no room in life for regrets. I am an extrovert. However, I believe in spending time to acknowledge myself and seek inner peace. Pre-COVID, I’d travel at least once a year on a solo holiday anywhere around the world to reset myself.

Undergraduate School and Major: National University of Singapore (NUS), Bachelor of Electrical Engineering

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Rohde & Schwarz Asia Pte Ltd, Technical Sales Manager

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of the MBA curriculum or activities that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? Experiential learning!

What quality best describes your MBA classmates and why? Encouraging. My classmates are always ready to walk me out of my comfort zone, exploring new sports and joining unexplored activities. Their support makes learning conducive. It creates a positive atmosphere for me to look forward to new learning in every possible opportunity. Knowledge and skills are shared freely, without being judgmental.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: From a fresh graduate, I grew to become my company’s top salesperson three years into the job. I’ve maintained the top sales position since then.

Describe your biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far? Firstly, being able to acknowledge and work on my fears of returning to school, to study modules I am not familiar with is a big accomplishment for me. Keeping a full-time job, and juggling an MBA part time, is demanding. To manage this better, I try to stay focused on identifying my problems, and remain disciplined in addressing them. The encouragement from my MBA classmates keeps me going!

What has been the biggest surprise in your first months of business school? Cultural acceptance and openness. The NUS MBA program is like a melting pot of diversity. It is amazing how diversity works so well here!

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? Having been in the work force for many years, I have reached a saturation point. I would like to continue creating more value to the corporate world as I grow. Young age and lack of experience are identified as my stumbling block. To overcome this challenge, I considered doing an MBA, but it did not happen for a while due to intense work commitment. The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way my work is conducted today. Business travels are now put to a pause, leaving me with more time for personal growth. This is exactly the moment that I have been waiting for.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? None.

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