Hogan Chan
Why did you choose your program at UBC and what did you enjoy most about it?
I elected Psychology because the concept of the brain trying to understand itself is fascinating to me. Acknowledging that while we are all uniquely different, we are all also fundamentally, emotionally similar. What you do with this information is also one of the important lessons I’ve learned at my time in UBC.
What were some of your most meaningful experiences at UBC?
There are so many to choose from! I came to UBC from Hong Kong, so participating in UBC Frosh week and Greek life, as well as other Arts programs and student-run clubs, was helpful in building a community. I maintained a lot of the relationships I built in order to network and find career opportunities later on.
What choices did you make at UBC that contributed to your career success / journey?
Pick something and commit to it. Even if you don’t know where it’ll take you, the experiences earned will sharpen you as an individual.
What was your first job after graduation and what other jobs did you have before your current position?
First job out of college: Retail, Lululemon
Other roles: Tech Recruiter, Business Development (Legal Tech), Account Executive (Legal Tech)
Is your current career path as you originally intended? What challenges did you face in launching your career?
I fortunately am one of the lucky ones that stumbled into a space where I am able to weave and apply my education in Psychology into an exciting industry.
What do you like about current job and what do you find challenging? How does it relate to your degree?
Every day in Sales / Consulting is different. I need to understand the project, dissect the use case and diagnose accordingly – listen with intention and sometimes answer a question with a question. Emotional intelligence is critical.
From your experience, what has been the value of having an Arts degree?
The spam and ramen diet I was on during my degree told me a lot about myself!
Specifically with my Psychology degree, it laid the groundwork to better understand people, which was especially important coming out of the pandemic. It helped me be cognizant of human behaviour, and gave me the skills to recognize what motivates people—this was so helpful in my career progression.
What advice would you give to students and alumni interested in breaking into your industry?
Industry knowledge can be taught. Business acumen can only be experienced.
What advice would you give to your first-year self?
Stretch.
Hogan Chan
Why did you choose your program at UBC and what did you enjoy most about it?
I elected Psychology because the concept of the brain trying to understand itself is fascinating to me. Acknowledging that while we are all uniquely different, we are all also fundamentally, emotionally similar. What you do with this information is also one of the important lessons I’ve learned at my time in UBC.
What were some of your most meaningful experiences at UBC?
There are so many to choose from! I came to UBC from Hong Kong, so participating in UBC Frosh week and Greek life, as well as other Arts programs and student-run clubs, was helpful in building a community. I maintained a lot of the relationships I built in order to network and find career opportunities later on.
What choices did you make at UBC that contributed to your career success / journey?
Pick something and commit to it. Even if you don’t know where it’ll take you, the experiences earned will sharpen you as an individual.
What was your first job after graduation and what other jobs did you have before your current position?
First job out of college: Retail, Lululemon
Other roles: Tech Recruiter, Business Development (Legal Tech), Account Executive (Legal Tech)
Is your current career path as you originally intended? What challenges did you face in launching your career?
I fortunately am one of the lucky ones that stumbled into a space where I am able to weave and apply my education in Psychology into an exciting industry.
What do you like about current job and what do you find challenging? How does it relate to your degree?
Every day in Sales / Consulting is different. I need to understand the project, dissect the use case and diagnose accordingly – listen with intention and sometimes answer a question with a question. Emotional intelligence is critical.
From your experience, what has been the value of having an Arts degree?
The spam and ramen diet I was on during my degree told me a lot about myself!
Specifically with my Psychology degree, it laid the groundwork to better understand people, which was especially important coming out of the pandemic. It helped me be cognizant of human behaviour, and gave me the skills to recognize what motivates people—this was so helpful in my career progression.
What advice would you give to students and alumni interested in breaking into your industry?
Industry knowledge can be taught. Business acumen can only be experienced.
What advice would you give to your first-year self?
Stretch.
