Why I Left My Job at Its Peak To Become an Actress Ft. Xenia Tan | TEA TALKS

When is the right time to leave your job? How do you know if you’re making the right choice? This episode, we speak to former The Smart Local talent Xenia Tan and ex-teacher turned OGS Producer to gain wisdom on making career switches.
══ Content ══
0:00 Hook
0:23 Intro
0:33 Becoming an intern at 30
1:07 Xenia's life as a host in TSL
2:13 Why she left TSL to become an actress
3:27 Going to New York to pursue acting
4:37 Getting her acting dream 'bubble' dashed
5:47 How TV acting was so different from digital media
6:28 Starting from scratch and acting as 'someone's friend'
6:55 Thoughts of returning to being an influencer
7:45 Did she regret making the career switch?
8:17 Bella leaving her career as a teacher at its peak
9:40 Doing voluntary farming in New Zealand for a year
10:05 Giving up income to do a career switch
10:45 When is the right time to quit your job?
11:24 How to know if the career switch is the right choice?
12:34 Biggest takeaway from making the career switch
13:58 Closing
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[@OGS.Official]

What's the best piece of career advice you've received? Share some gems with us! :)

[@toixcchicken4019]

if u cannot make it in life then do OF OnlyFans

[@xyzeee05]

I was also a Geography teacher like Bella and quit after approximately 5 years when I was 27 years old to purse a life working in Japan. I taught as an Assistant (English) Language Teacher for those first two years but returned to Singapore cos my mum wasn't well. Ended up being back in sg for around 6 months floating between doing freelance photography (which paid poorly but was super fun) and a part time job at MOE. Then in 2010, with the blessings of my mum, I returned to Japan and started teaching in elementary school. So here I am now, in Japan for about 14 years (altogether) and still an elementary school teacher and loving every moment of it. Would definitely encourage everyone to purse the things that give you joy and drive in life. All the best to Bella and Xenia!!!

[@absyx]

yay, fellow geog teacher! thanks for sharing and love how you made a living out of adventure! all the best too!

[@tantong9516]

going through a bit of a quarter life crisis now - glad to know that it's okay to switch careers even in my late twenties!!! will learn to go at my own pace!!

[@SchismSphinx]

I feel like I've always wanted to go on a long sabbatical to kind of get away from the grind and get a new perspective on life, but always wasn't sure how to begin. So thanks Xenia and Bella for sharing your insights on how to make that step!

[@sophiaisabelle0227]

This is an insightful interview. Xenia Tan seems like an intellectual and down to earth individual. May God bless this channel for all their hard work and effort

[@maxitan2798]

Go Jurong jc

[@OGS.Official]

was great having her on! :')

[@Howardggoh]

This episode is so interesting! Bella asked very insightful questions, love to see her on tea talks more!

[@leothebear4842]

I feel like for me, once I start an adventure, the growth felt like an addiction, in a good way. In 2018, I decided to quit my dead end admin job to work in Australia as a hotel staff on a working holiday visa. Though financially it did not serve me much, I came back to Singapore eventually with absolutely no regrets. Though here I am working in a corporate job again since 2019, I am already saving up and planning on the next big adventure 🙈. Exploring and immersing in different cultures is such a passion for me. Xenia is right, fortunately as many Singaporeans, money is something we always could earn back. But not our youth and limited time on this planet to serve our innate desires. When I look back of the many mundane years living here, it’s only the trips and the sabbaticals I’ve taken overseas that outshines the story of my life. So I’d say go for it!

[@OGS.Official]

aww thank you for watching and sharing! I love your second last paragraph, it reminds me of an IG account I follow where the family regularly brings their kids out for snowboarding adventures. When someone commented "you guys must be rich", the dad replied "we're just rich in experiences". Producing this episode was a nice reminder to not get caught up in the daily grind, and be a bit more courageous in taking steps to enjoy all the adventures in the world :) All the best! - Jia Ling (producer)

[@RON-xp7wr]

I'm currently going through a quarter life crisis/sabbatical and this video really spoke to me. Thank you OGS for sparking conversations & sharing perspectives, so as to make our experiences not as alone as we think. Let's all find our own version of happiness :)

[@Prankzterstarr]

wow 14 mins just whizzed by like that. this is an interview that i am fated to listen to. really alot of reminder about personal growth, personal sacrifice and where we ultimately wanna be in our journey. kudos ladies.

[@OGS.Official]

thanks for the support. wishing you all the best! :)

[@zzzzzz-wb6sj]

really like what bella has to provide to the conversation!!! could yall feature her more!

[@russ237]

Shoutout to Bella, got to know her at her previous production company when I was an intern. She is as genuine and inspiring in person as she is on camera. So happy to see her appear in front of the camera asking great questions and sharing deep insights!!! 😊

[@OGS.Official]

Aww we love hearing her gems of wisdom too 😜

[@tayjinghui6944]

love this episode! the conversation was really insightful and felt really comforting :"

[@zulkamuradin7790]

very insightful!!! another great ep as always :) keep it up OGS and Tea Talks team!!!

[@niadegushi]

Thank you, OGS, for the amazing stories you shared. This episode is so heart-warming and encouraging to hear. It sure takes hard work and courage to commit to your choices. I can only speak for myself as a person who has been bored with her current job for quite a while now but couldn't get herself together and take the leap. The scariest part is while you are struggling to find what drives you or things you really want to do with your life, your classmates and friends from work constantly share glorious stories about how they fulfill their lives. But as long as I keep trying and keep myself busy, I guess there is still a chance for me to grow.

[@OGS.Official]

hello! thank you for taking time to share this, you are not alone in feeling the stagnancy and lagging behind your peers. i think it's also great that you've reflected on how there's still chance to grow, i think that self-awareness is really important as well! i also think meeting new people through interest groups and trying to build new hobbies is a great way to find out more about your personality and what you excel at -- which can sometimes translate to potential career paths too! wishing you all the best, and hopefully you'll find some spark of courage to pursue what you've always wanted to :-) -Jia Ling (producer)

[@yangchuyou2356]

I understand Xenia and where she’s coming from. I feel her acting is better and more natural than some local actors/actresses I’ve seen on Mediacorp, if she wishes to go international, she has to learn the accent and stay there, you’re fighting with asians who are from America/Australia/UK who are already fluent and trained. But i admire her courage for sure

[@duckseatingbread]

Loved loved loved this, so cute to see the dynamics between the three. Also came at such an apt time as I’m pondering my career and future, esp love the ending part about whether they regret changing career paths!

[@shnizzlsmashizzls]

Agree!

[@summeronmymind]

I relate to Xenia so much as I just did a career switch from a secure and stable job that I had to something that I thought I wanted. Now I’m just trying to figure my way out in life.

[@dearlifeyt]

What an authentic and beautiful video. Needed this thank you ♥️

[@OGS.Official]

thank you for watching :') all the best in whatever you're figuring out!

[@murderofcrowsss]

xenia wanting to study in new york because of friends makes me feel better about wanting to study in the uk because of sherlock

[@nicoleh.5240]

I really resonate with you, Bella. I used to be a teacher for 10 years and just recently changed my career this year. Absolutely privilege to be able to make a switch in a career and actually find a position as an intern as well. "If not now then when?"

[@MISSpiggiie]

so i guess i'm not the only one going through an existential crisis.....

[@mh31296]

Uwahhhh did not expect a former teacher of mine to end up here haha. I was wondering where she went after awhile until I asked her cousin, who was a PEteacher at the same school, that she left the education sector. Cant recall much of her lessons, but definitely nice to see her after awhile haha

[@piggyloser94]

I’m always having this thought of leaving my current job. It is my first job and have been in my 5th year now.. is so hard to let go but knowing if you stay even longer, you won’t leave. What should I do?? 😅

[@shnizzlsmashizzls]

Love this episode! Need more of Bella's advice!

[@OGS.Official]

haha what other topics do you want to hear us discuss?

[@zihuilim2030]

@@OGS.Official Bella's experience working on a farm in New Zealand 😄

[@sleepy_dobe]

I feel that it's mostly the millenials who have resources available to them who tend to talk about chasing their dreams, leaving their current jobs to pursue their passion. I'd like to see the channel go out and find the more matured workers, who don't have the resources, who have responsibilities to their family, who have mortgages to pay, and ask if any of them can go make a career switch now, at this stage of their lives to pursue their passions or to try something that they've also wanted to. Chasing your dreams is only possible if you're still young and have the resources, or you're just starting out after school and already know what you want for a career. Most people don't get there. By the time they know what they're passionate about and figure out how to make that into a career, they've already got so many responsibilities they can't afford to make a career switch and take a significant pay cut to start at or near entry level. And that's before you take into account the disruption that so many industries have experienced in recent years. I'd rather you guys do a video teaching people who find themselves stuck in a "passionless" job for whatever reason, how to look for the positives in their situation, how to develop a new mindset that will help them to find(or regain) joy in the work that they have to stay in because of their various commitments etc etc. Help this group of workers, arguably a way larger group than those who can afford to make a career move to chase dreams, feel good and find happiness in their jobs so we don't have such a big group of unhappy, unmotivated workers who're just going through the motions because the job pays the bills and feeds the family, while their dream job can only feed their soul.

[@OGS.Official]

Hello! Thank you for sharing your perspective on this, we agree (and Bella also acknowledges in the video) that pursuing your passion and chasing dreams is definitely privilege not everyone has. The struggles and advice in this episode would probably be more relatable/comforting to a separate set of audience from whom you've mentioned, which was the intention of this episode as well. However, we are also currently working on another video about finding success/meaning in our work, and are already planning to portray a range of profiles from different backgrounds. Will keep some of the questions you have in mind, do look out for that when it's out :) - Jia Ling (producer)

[@hazelaa1061]

Thank you for sharing.. i really have this kinda talk inside myself, somehow I feel reassure to make a change for growth ❤

[@shawnhow4163]

Hope Xenia does well in her current job and whatever she is doing now, understand she went through some ups and downs, do pursue your passion and be happy always. Cheers and best wishes

[@tingblubblub6106]

DAMNMMIT! At 5.43, someone had to cut Xenia ! I felt the podcast could have elevated even more if not for that cut!

[@viewinglifechannel]

I've always wondered why Xenia left TSL when she was a hot favourite talent. I really liked all her videos very much. Thanks for sharing her story. Hope to see her more often on this channel too.

[@mamemo359]

Appreciate xenia's honesty in this interview. Didn't expect I would resonate with her so much on her thoughts and decisions! Also appreciate how Bella acknowledged that to be able to do what they do (quitting their job to pursue their dream / to find themselves) is a privilege.

[@Me0_0w]

You know Xenia is a talented host when the actual host barely spoke anything 🤣 well, being a good listener is also a virtue at least she respected the guests and not cut in between conversations.. Good Job!

[@mediasg3678]

Nah, she starts her sentence with "I think like"... intonation is totally off & sounds so amateur.

[@dontan246]

Xenia is humble and talented

[@jhax_]

why er xenia no eye contact with adeline one… Like, only when she ask qn sia

[@toixcchicken4019]

is she arrogant?

[@jhax_]

@@toixcchicken4019 er she ain’t that successful yet tho

[@toixcchicken4019]

@@jhax_ actually who is she huh?

[@jhax_]

@@toixcchicken4019 u would know her from tsl

[@Nobodyknowsmetoo]

most of the talking is done by Xenia and Bella. You don’t usually look at someone else when another person is talking? Or do you? 🤔

[@embershen364]

I never been to NY, but I went to another rural state in US, I also thought I can find a job there. I only come back after running out of money lolol

[@Drummer8nimation]

I wonder what that different pace of life feels like

[@lynx792]

what is the chinese phrase at 1:44 ?

[@melodychia5461]

人是犯贱的

[@pooiyian]

Eh I thought Xenia was going to talk about her fiancé. Not sure where I got the idea from. Did they get together before or after filming Algorithm?

[@OGS.Official]

hello, we did do a separate AMA with her to be posted on our other socials channel, you probably saw that on our IGS haha. To ans ur qn, they got together after the show 😜 but do look out for that on our tea talks tiktok (www.tiktok.com/@teatalksbyogs?lang=en)! we'll be posting extended cuts there soon :)

[@xihengtan8699]

NICE

[@jimmyoh1982]

Right choice!!! There really got the “right choice” there???

[@seanlingham5254]

I came to listen to the geography teacher. Ex.

[@sdqsdq6274]

right or wrong choice, if you turn back the clock , you end up making the same choice , of course not talking about travelling back in time crap .

[@badboi888]

I must be a caveman, never heard of Xenia before.

[@yinlianhe3298]

I have a feedback for the host / co-host to work on their presentation to reduce “like” and “just like” as filler words. I understand you can’t demand that from your guest. But I’m sure you can work on yourselves. It’s rather annoying to listen to poorly formed sentences throughout the video.

[@gh8066]

SUPER LENG LUI

[@viviankate7240]

Most people choose their careers based on so called passion. Let's be honest here, doesnt mean you like something, you can make it as a career. Etc.. Singing, dancing. And also dont expect your parents to fund your dead end courses in college. Think realistically. Whether you can sustain and find a job with the course you chosen. I got friends that taken courses such as social science, psychology but cant find a job (actually just want to save face because they think by having a degree, they deserve a high paying job).. Look, not all Industry are equal. You need to know the supply and demand. Honestly, Malaysia is not in that stage where psychology etc. Is in demand. Many people chose the wrong course during college. And blame the society/industry for not providing more vacancies. In a one in a million chance, maybe you have *that* talent to rise up to be singer or successful KZbinr. You can choose a sustainable career while having your passion on the side as a hobby while slowly make your way up. But dont EVER ever relying on your parents to fund your "passion" career that you expect it to succeed. Once you graduated, make it on your own. It irks me some people choose potato courses and expects their parents to fund it. Ya, im looking at you... Graphic design, artisty courses.. Just saying. Reality vs passion. I know people that dont have a clue why they can't get the job they want (high expectations or seriously clueless).

[@elvinyeo7230]

English teacher with so many "like" in her sentences?

[@toixcchicken4019]

who is the botak dude on the left?, xenia dont even bother to look at dude

[@JayJay-st1jj]

She's a girl and she has a condition called alopecia. Rude much?

[@toixcchicken4019]

@@JayJay-st1jj agree at least have eye contact it is so Rude

[@ok-kb6ss]

@@toixcchicken4019 they saying u rude la cb

[@toixcchicken4019]

@@ok-kb6ss yes i say it is rude la but why cb?