Editor’s note: This interview is part of our Humans of GradSimple “Check-In” series, where we revisit past guests to see how their careers and lives have evolved since their first feature.
Read Tyler’s original story here →.
Disclaimer: The views expressed by our interviewees are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of GradSimple. We only edit these responses for clarity. All opinions remain those of the interviewee.
- Year Of Graduation: 2021
- College/University: University of British Columbia
- Major: Finance
What do you do for a living, or how are you supporting yourself right now?
I work as a Customer Success Manager (CSM) at a no-code email creation company.
For those who aren’t familiar, CSMs are in charge of building lasting relationships with customers, driving adoption, and owning retention. I get to do everything I enjoy, like helping people achieve their goals, presenting business cases, and negotiating contracts.
It’s a career path I stumbled upon in 2022 and it just so happens to be a great fit for me!
How does your role now compare with your first role after graduation? Are you happy with where your journey has led you so far?
My role now is the polar opposite of my first job out of school, in the best way possible.
To really appreciate how much better things are, let me give you a quick snapshot of how it all started.
My first role was as an “Operations Analyst.” I’ve since learned that this is basically a catchall title startups give people who do all the day-to-day grunt work. I was basically a glorified recruiter at a recruiting “tech” company that didn’t actually have any tech.
I was fully in office in 2021 when most companies were remote or at least hybrid. The culture was rough. We worked long hours (often 9am to 9pm, 6 days a week) with no extra pay and Sunday felt like pre-Monday.
But it wasn’t all bad. I met great people, made close friends, and learned what kind of work energizes me. I also figured out my non-negotiables for any future job. That role played a huge part in helping me get to where I am now.
Today, I work fully remote in an industry I’m excited about. I get to learn from people I respect, solve problems I find interesting, and still have a healthy work life balance. Most importantly, I have the time and money to build things that matter to me, like GradSimple.
I remind myself often how lucky I am to be in this position.
What does purpose mean to you? Do you think you’re living a purpose-driven life?
I don’t have a grand purpose, nor do I see the need for one.
There are things I prefer, such exploring my curiosities, doing fulfilling things, and being a positive influence to the world around me.
I appreciate the little things – like people watching while sipping an iced americano on a lazy Sunday afternoon, binge watching Chainsaw Man (again) because I can, or hanging out with loved ones.
As long as the average of my decisions and actions are in line with these things, I’m happy!
If one day, I have a eureka moment and realize I have a “calling,” then great. If not, that’s completely fine with me.
It’s actually quite liberating to be the master of my own destiny and not be bogged down by some life-defining purpose.
I don’t think I need a reason to have a happy existence.
How do you define being a successful person?
I used to think success meant being financially successful. Then I thought it was having a purpose. Both ideas were probably shaped by the world around me more than anything else.
Once you have enough to cover your basic needs, money becomes a multiplier. If you’re already in a good place, wealth can give you more room to focus on relationships, curiosity, and growth. If you’re miserable or leaning toward destructive habits, wealth just makes everything louder.
I saw this up close through a best friend whose dad is a billionaire. No amount of material comfort fixed the things their family was dealing with. Their home felt like an episode of Succession. The envy, the deceit, the distance. At some point I realized I would rather have wealth feel out of reach than live with the truth that it doesn’t fix as much as we hope it will.
Chasing a life-defining purpose is the other extreme. I have seen people get trapped by the idea of purpose because the label becomes bigger than the life they want to live. There are also plenty of people who feel stressed because they think they need a purpose to be happy. Not everyone has the luxury of shaping their entire life around a mission.
So, for me, being successful is living in a way that feels honest. Choosing the life that fits you instead of the one you think you are supposed to chase. If you can wake up most days feeling like your life makes sense to you, that is success.
If we traveled three years into the future of your life, what do you want to achieve? What would you hope has changed?
My priorities, goals, and circumstances are bound to change as I grow older. Whatever happens, I hope I’m still living a life true to me. I hope I never lose appreciation for the little things and remain grateful.
What’s the biggest lesson or piece of advice you can offer new graduates?
Mistakes are a good thing. It means you’re experimenting, putting yourself out there, and learning. It’s the foolproof way to figure out what you want in a career and life.
Connect With Tyler
- LinkedIn: @TylerYip
P.S. Wanna see more personal interviews? Subscribe to GradSimple and get the good stuff delivered straight to your inbox, once a week!
