Aug 20, 2019
[NOC] Life as a fresh grad — Ashley Moey
In this series, we talk to three NUS Overseas Colleges (NOC) alumni on their first jobs fresh out of uni, including how they got there, what do they do, and how NOC has impacted their careers. #NOCBeyond #NOCAlumni #3000StrongCommunity.
NOC alumni Ashley Moey spent a year on NOC New York when he was in Year 3 of uni. He graduated from NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (Communication and New Media). Having fallen in love with the start-up life at NOC, Ashley took on the role of digital marketing in real estate tech start-up, 99.co — started by fellow NOC alumni and serial entrepreneur, Darius Cheung.
Why did you decide to join 99.co?
I think I went through the typical thought process that most NOC alumni will have when they graduate, which usually involves deciding between three options: starting my own venture, working at a big organisation, or working at a start-up. My NOC experience in New York gotten me in love with the start-up life, and that made it easy to cut the choice down to either starting a venture, or working in a start-up.
I started out at 99.co as a part-time intern during my last semester at NUS and eventually made the decision to start my post-grad career at 99.co because they fulfilled two very specific criteria I had: mentorship and portfolio.
During my internship, I was very fortunate to have an amazing mentor (shoutout to Jesslyn) who celebrated my wins and helped me learn from my losses. She taught me the right way to think and act to maximise my potential. I realised that even if I wasn’t ready to start out on my own, being in a great culture would help me grow and develop the maturity necessary for entrepreneurship in the future.
The other reason why I chose to join 99.co was the scale of opportunities present in the portfolio offered to me — I felt like I could make a big impact. Another NOC alumni once shared that the greatest impact of NOC on him wasn’t his eventually successes, but the change in mindset — that he was “infected” to think big the rest of his life. Working at start-ups provides the opportunities for creating a big impact, even as an employee, if you just take up the challenge.
What have you achieved in 99.co so far?
I wouldn’t say that I achieved any one great thing in 99.co so far, but one of my personal barometers for success is whether or not I’m helping the company to generate revenue and grow. I’m a digital marketer, so I get the rare benefit of seeing the direct impact of my work on user growth and revenue. I’ve built charts to monitor my progress, and the number has definitely grown in my time. That brings me a lot of satisfaction, but there’s a lot more to do!
How has being on NOC made an impact on your career?
NOC has impacted my career on many different levels. The most obvious impact is that it helped accelerate my professional trajectory. My NOC internship in New York was with a start-up digital marketing agency, and the year there gave me the confidence for any entry-level job in digital marketing.
Other than that, the one thing that NOC has taught me that has really affected how I work is the concept of scalability. As consumers, we are typically focused on the quality of service in our encounter with businesses, resulting in a sort of artisanal mindset. NOC showed me that the ability to build things fast and big was just as important, if not more important than quality alone. Example, if I was creating an advertisement, spending the time to make ten 8/10 ads rather than one perfect ad would result in more gains and greater learning.
What excites you about going to work every day?
Working with great people!
What is your proudest moment at 99.co?
Winning a minor prizes for a 99.co internal hackathon. I’ve not participate in any before, and I was proud that I tried!
Any advice for your juniors keen on joining 99.co?
Free free to apply! I know it sounds like a cliché, but it is true that people who are self-starters will do great here. Being able to initiate projects is key, especially in a start-up like 99.co where opportunities are only limited by how much energy you bring.
Career opportunities with 99.co
99.co is a powerful map-based property search engine that utilises smart algorithms to provide housing renters, buyers, and property agents alike a fast, transparent, and efficient property search experience. Their mission is to make the entire experience of finding, moving into and living in a new place seamless and hassle-free, while keeping living in a new city what it should be — fun and enriching.
Find out more at https://www.99.co/team/
NOC recruitment now on!
NUS Overseas Colleges (NOC) offers students the chance to work in the hottest start-up industries and study at renowned partner universities. Applications for the Jan 2020 intake will close on 30 Aug — Apply now at http://bit.ly/NOCApplyInfo
Interested to find out more? Come join us on 21 Aug at NOCfest for an exciting day of talks and internship fair, and opportunities to mingle and chat with NOC alumni who has gone on the programme! Register now at http://bit.ly/NOCfest2019
