The first time Ms Nicole Low (Business ’18) visited London was during an undergraduate exchange programme in Belgium. At the time, she had no idea what her future would entail or that one day she would be residing in that very city. Fast forward to today, and Ms Low has worked in London for six years, growing to enjoy the life she has built for herself.
As an executive project lead at Apple, Ms Low’s work is largely focused on ensuring clear and consistent communication between executives and teams around the world. On a day-to-day basis, she liaises with global teams to market major campaigns and launches to US stakeholders.
Before moving to London, Ms Low carefully weighed the decision. Leaving behind the familiarity of Singapore — including the presence of her loved ones and the environment she grew up in — was difficult. She also wondered whether the move would be beneficial for her career in the long run and worried whether she would be able to adapt to the atmosphere and working culture of London.
A GLOBAL MELTING POT DESTINATION
Ms Low is no stranger to the multinational corporate world. Before landing a role in the United Kingdom, she worked at an MNC in Singapore and was exposed to diverse working environments early in her career. Yet, she feels that London has offered even more opportunities to meet people from all corners of the world, from Latin America to Asia. Further attesting to the idea that London is a global melting pot, she mentioned that the city has a vibrant food scene which boasts a variety of cuisines, making local flavours from Singapore and Malaysia not difficult to find.
LONDON LIFESTYLE TIPS
While the city has provided rich experiences and a fresh new lifestyle, Ms Low admits there are aspects that still take getting used to.
Be prepared for unpredictable weather. In stark contrast to sunny Singapore, London is cold most of the year. “People were telling me ‘Oh, you know, you might feel depressed.’ I didn’t think it would be so bad, but I really took the sun in Singapore for granted,” she joked. She misses Singapore’s predictable weather and dreads the short hours of sunshine during winter.
Be flexible with your food options. Despite the plethora of good restaurants, Ms Low minimises eating out, as nothing is as cheap and convenient as hawker centres. She suggests using YouTube as a source for recipes, which has allowed her to indulge in her favourite local foods while staying in.
Parks and museums are your best friends. Ms Low shared that another plus point of living in the UK is the emphasis on work-life balance. She has learned to maximise the good days by spending them at London’s many parks, where she likes to “chill in the sun”, something she rarely does back in Singapore. She recommends visiting Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, and Battersea Park.
She also thoroughly enjoys visiting the city’s museums. Entry is usually free, and she likes how suitable and flexible they are for a spontaneous day out, especially since she can pop out to have lunch, and pop back in later.
LOOKING BACK AND BEYOND
Six years after making the move, Ms Low is glad she took the chance, even though many parts of her life and career could not have been planned. The experience has shaped how she thinks about career success and the pressures students often place on themselves.
If Ms Low could tell her undergraduate self one thing, it would be to take it easy – don’t worry so much about grades or getting a job. “I think a lot of times people can get quite caught up with what they are going to get out of NUS,” she remarked. She advises current students to enjoy university life more, utilise their freedom to explore what they want to learn, try out different internships and spend more time with friends, since there isn’t much luxury of that once they step into the working world.
