How I cracked the code to a happy career in tech
It’s a common misconception that people who work in IT and technology like to sit in dark rooms with headphones and a few cans of Red Bull. That’s not who I am and that’s not what the Bupa Technology team is all about.
By Cheung Wong, Head of Technology – Health Services.
I’m a ‘people person’ which is why my professional career started in business consulting. This role was extremely relationship-focused and involved constant two-way communication with clients to understand their pain points and what solutions could be developed to optimise their business performance.
As I followed my interest in technology which led to a role at Bupa, I quickly discovered the key skills required to succeed still lay in the ability to talk to people rather than just high-level programming (though that certainly does help too). That is because Bupa has embedded technology as a core part of the businesses with its tentacles touching every role.
Working in Bupa’s Optical and Hearing space, I have had the opportunity to engage in all areas that make up the business. I’ve been part of projects in Finance and Marketing. I’ve worked in projects related to mitigating risk, all the way to people rostering, retail security, and optometry. Best of all, I have learned from hundreds of different colleagues along the way – it’s been like getting paid to do an MBA.
Some days you will see me in an Optical store chatting with Optometrists, some days you might find me in meetings with innovators discussing new customer solutions and other days on Microsoft Teams for a brainstorming session. Where you won’t find me or my team is in a dark lonely room.
This focus on people and communication is what helps makes Bupa a customer-centric business and a fantastic place to work.
