According to Tan, certificates from short courses are what truly impress recruiters.
"I'm not saying a university degree is unnecessary, but it's not everything. Your social experiences and entrepreneurial spirit are also crucial," the 47-year-old Tan said in a late July interview.
She joined Meta in 2021, overseeing the social media giant's client portfolio across Asia-Pacific. Prior to Meta, Tan served as the regional advertising director at BBC News and global vice president of retail at TripAdvisor.
"Traditional education for a degree is now just a basic requirement," she said. "The real opportunities lie in micro-programs." She cited her own experience participating in a short course on generative AI through a Singapore government initiative to bolster her knowledge.
"I work for Meta, a company pioneering AI. Yet, there's still so much I can learn," Tan shared.
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Cindy Tan, managing director of Meta for the Asia-Pacific region. Photo: Cindy Tan |
Cindy Tan, managing director of Meta for the Asia-Pacific region. Photo: Cindy Tan
She compared learning to use AI to learning to bake during the Covid-19 pandemic. "You can watch YouTube videos and read recipes, but you won't progress quickly without actually doing it."
"The same applies to AI, with its countless tools and applications. The only way to learn is to experiment and experience it yourself," she added.
Tan suggested that those looking to upskill can enroll in courses, many of which are free, on massive open online course (MOOC) platforms like Coursera.
According to her, these courses help candidates differentiate themselves and "equip them for success". Continuously honing new skills after graduation demonstrates a person's curiosity, thirst for knowledge, and passion for learning.
Tan said she uses AI in both her professional and personal life. Her daughters also use AI as a personal tutor and for creating comics.
"At work, AI is like a partner," she said, explaining that she often uses it to summarize long videos or research information. "In my personal life, I use it for travel planning. Last year, for a two-week trip to the US, I simply asked AI to create an itinerary from the East Coast to the West Coast."
Tan is not alone in her view. Many other business leaders also value candidates with a passion for learning.
Julie Sweet, CEO of Accenture, always asks candidates about the latest thing they have learned. According to her, this question is a quick and practical way to gauge a person's learning enthusiasm.
"We ask: 'What have you learned in the past 6 months?'" Sweet shared on the "In Good Company" podcast in January.
"If someone can't answer, even if it's just 'I learned to bake,' we know they aren't passionate learners."
Minh Phuong (Insider)
