Interview by Tampines Junior College Link

In conversation with TPJC Link:


TPJC Link: Mr Pillai, you highlighted in your speech that success is mainly a matter of attitude. Could you please elaborate?

Mr Pillai: Yes, surely good attitude goes a long way in paving your success but the other important attribute of success, along with attitude is aptitude. I'm more inclined to use the word competencies instead of aptitude. Aptitude seems to suggest that one has the innate ability to achieve a skill, whereas competencies seems to suggest that skills can be acquired through education and training.

If my experience is anything to go by, I'd say that success is rather illusive; like beauty, it's in the eyes of the beholder. So you need to have your own definition of success and make sure that you set your sights on something that is achievable in a reasonable period of time. Sometimes, I find that having incremental successes (or minor milestones) helps in achieving your overall goals and objectives.

Success is a commitment you make - You need to declare your love for success before success loves you back in return!


TPJC Link: What advice would you offer to TPJCians who wish to succeed not just academically but also in life in general?

Mr Pillai: I need to live another 40 years to talk about life in general. Nevertheless, what is important to me is the means rather than the end. There were instances in my life to make an awesome lot of money. But, I knew that there are no shortcuts in life and the law would certainly catch up when one goes down the wrong path. So I deliberately avoided such trappings and focused on developing my skills further, nurturing the relationships that matter most to me and to conduct my business ethically. As it turns out, these good traits paid off and I have earned the trust and confidence of my clients, investors and the community. There is nothing more to life than this, actually.


TPJC Link: What values do you feel attributed to your success?

Mr Pillai: Freedom of mind and the power to influence / change the mindsets of my constituents. Life as it turns out, is not a one man show. My success depends on the people around me – so I focus on the successes of the individuals around me who in turn make me very successful at what I do.

Questions

1. What kind of challenges did you face in College or in your career while working towards your goals and trying to realize your dream? How did your values and attitude enable you to overcome these challenges?

My first business collapsed during the 2001 recession. I found myself broke, depressed and unemployed. If I ever had a dream, it was shattered the day I put the shutters down on that business. Conversely, I also found myself enriched with more knowledge about business operations, profitability and had a deeper understanding of what contributed to my initial failures. I used these as lessons in life and moved on to achieve even more successes in my career and business. I realised that when one fails in a task, it is a message from the world around you that the job done is sub-optimal.

A lot of the values that I hold today are a culmination of my successes and failures. I graduated with flying colours from the school of hard knocks and I often wished that there was an easier way to learn all this or if I had paid more attention in school, I could have avoided these hardships.


2. Given the fierce competition that students today face in terms of gaining admission to the local universities, what is your advice for students, especially the JC2s, who intend to vie for a place in courses where there is high demand?

The last time I checked, your competitors have the same amount of grey matter as any one of you. So you don't have to sweat about the fierce competition. There is something sexy about the underdogs beating the top dogs in their own game. So, go for it!

The question that you need to ask yourself is whether these courses are the best option for you for the careers that you intend to pursue in the future. You may want to consider careers in areas where there is a severe talent shortage in Singapore, for instance. Above all, choose a course that interests you and one that'll give you the best skills to succeed in your intended careers.

Life is pretty strange, so you will really need to learn how to ride it as it comes to you with all its awe and wonder. I wish all TPJCians all the success in their studies and future endeavours.