An officer in the SAF, Kelvin Goh came close to signing on with the army; but a chance encounter with a job had turned his life around. Now, he has thrived in the finance industry for 15 years, a consistent top-performer in control of his own time. 

Kelvin explains how he made the transition below.

“When I was still in NS, I had a thought of signing on as an Army Officer, as it was offered to me as an option,” Kelvin says. “I did not know what to do and had no direction in my life. Therefore, I thought that signing on was a very good way to get started”.

However, Kelvin stumbled across a job advertisement just before he signed on. It was for a management trainee. 

This appealed to him at the time, since one issue with his army career was that it had become routine, and a bit boring. In addition, it stood out from prior jobs he had tried. “Previous jobs were all part-time and usually involved warehouse and back-end labour,” Kelvin says, “This lifestyle was not what I looked for in a career, as it had limited career advancement.”

Kelvin did not expect the job to be in finance and the insurance industry; but he chose to give it a listen anyway. 

Several things about the job immediately stood out to him:

“The unlimited income ceiling really drew my attention,” Kelvin says, “As I’m only a diploma holder, and I don’t intend to further my studies – so I know my income is limited.” This was one of the main factors that convinced him to take a leap of faith.

Channelling discipline, a hunger for success, and focus

While Kelvin did miss some of the camaraderie from the army, he notes there was little challenge in the career transition:

“Some might say, how can I drop my pride and ego to get sales from other people? But to me it’s never about dropping my pride and ego, because I’m doing a meaningful job and I don’t beg for sales. Just do what is right for your clients, and your clients will take care of you.”

In 2019, Kelvin Goh reached the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT), and his other awards include the Pinnacle Agency 2018 – 2021 and all summit Conventions. 

“My current job scope is to nurture new agents to be financially independent, and successful in their own ways. I always want my agent to experience the same path as me, as I think that I have been enjoying my entire career. Using lifestyle prospecting and referrals allows me to connect a lot of people together.”

The rewards of seizing the opportunity

Making a big career change is a bold move, but  Kelvin notes the rewards are significant:

“Once in a while, I have imagined the life I would be in if I signed on as a regular officer,” he says “and I have not regretted my current path.  What I have achieved now would be impossible if I signed on.

This career has given me a lot; I get to change my car every few years, from a Honda in 2007 to BMW to a Porsche now. I have a sufficiently big home to support my three children, wife and parents. I draw a six-figure income every year, I get to go on four overseas holidays annually. Everyone in the family is happy, which is the most important. I get to spend a lot of quality time with my kids and wife.

This is unlikely in a normal corporate or army job.”

So for those contemplating a job change, Kelvin advises this, “time waits for no one. Don’t miss out on an opportunity if it presents itself to you. What’s the worst that can happen? 

Try for two years; if you’re really not cut out for the business, then go back to your regular job. It’s likely you would not have missed much. You only live once, and you don’t want to regret what you haven’t done, and what you can achieve.”