To my fellow associates (referring to future associates)
Hi, I am Jewel, an intern, or as our mentors like to call it – an associate. On behalf of the other 26 interns, let me introduce us to you.
To date, each of us has spent on average 50 days (& counting) with Unicorn, which translates to 27,000 minutes (working). Not long, perhaps, but enough to open us to countless possibilities we hadn’t considered, forge bonds we didn’t see coming, create memories we never imagined and gain knowledge that changed us for the better.
Here’s how 50 days at Unicorn looks like.
‘Day 1’
11th May marked the start of my Summer at Unicorn. I remember arriving at Kampung Private Club to a room full of people in sharp black suits. Fresh out of A-Levels, in a t-shirt and pleated pants, I did feel that bit intimidated… The welcome session that followed however, quickly lifted up the atmosphere. Everyone was so friendly, chatty, and genuinely welcoming, my nervousness soon gave away to excitement.
I never expected that here, everyday, everyone would have smiles on their faces, and never knew that the warmth between people you meet in the workplace can run deep enough to feel like family.
‘The Exponential Learning’
Each week, we have multiple training sessions covering topics ranging from risk management to insurance planning. We were also each assigned a mentor who guided us, taught us, and answered all our burning questions. In corporate terms, your mentor is actually your “department supervisor” though the word “supervisor” hardly captures the warmth they brought to the role.
The Monday morning training sessions was where almost the whole company came together. As we sat alongside Family Wealth Consultants, absorbing not just what they said, but how they said it, and celebrating the small milestones with them. I also remember the first time the Family Wealth Consultants looked over at us- a cluster of 27 newcomers occupying a corner of the room, with big eyes. But with a warm smirk too. We were new, and we knew it. But we were welcome, and we knew that too.
And after many of these training sessions, I noticed that I was reflecting more deeply. Whether it was about who I was, what I wanted, or the kind of people I hope to become, self-discovery was a natural side effect of being here.
One of the sessions I’ll carry for a long time was by Xiaoqing. She walked us through personality types and how to understand and work with people who think and communicate differently from us. At first, it sounded like the kind of thing I would have brushed off, but today, it has changed how I approached conversations, presentations and disagreements.
Reading is also a consistent part of our experience. From Think and Grow Rich, to The Intelligent Investor and Di Zi Gui. Speaking of which; Di Zi Gui instilled values that were simple, yet reminded us of many small acts of courtesy and discipline that we had unknowingly overlooked. As William constantly reminds us, it is important that in life’s journey, we should never forget to be grateful for our roots. While many lessons came from books, many more came from the people here.
‘Work’
Our work dived into wealth protection and product comparisons, wealth planning for actual investor’s case studies, cashflow analysis, and equities portfolio research, with the idea of financial independence at the core. Tight deadlines and the pressure of proposals and presentations also meant that we were held to the standard of Family Wealth Consultants, not just students.
As a mentee under Xiaoqing, my responsibilities also included article writing, podcast marketing, and property investment research. Each taught me something different; how to communicate ideas and think beyond numbers.
But wait up, during all this work, we had the privilege to hear Ed Sheeren’s Hit ‘Eyes Closed’ play in the background.
‘Beyond’
Just as a family needs its reunion dinner, Unicorn makes sure we come together regularly. There were Johor Bahru get-together trips, monthly reunion dinners, and annual company events like the Annual Growth Celebration and Annual General Meeting (AGM)… and I’ll casually mention that the Annual Growth Celebration was my first ever karaoke experience!
Plus countless other moments, too many to list here.
What I’m Taking With Me
People often ask is a job in finance fast-paced? Yes, I would say – time flies by super fast, but you’ll fall in love with Unicorn even faster and grow with it without even realising. Then one day you’ll look back at who you were on Day 1, just like how I did in the t-shirt and the pleated pants, and realized the distance I had quietly covered.
I came in as an intern. I leave as someone who has had her values tested, her perspective widened, and her sense of purpose sharpened. This experience has not only given me clarity on the path I hope to take, but also the confidence to take it. Finance was the curriculum, Family was something I earned, and Life Experiences were the most memorable lessons I took with me. For my path ahead, I learnt to better appreciate every second with any people I meet, open up myself a lot more, and understand how to treat people like family.
At Unicorn, you don’t just climb your own ladder, you actually build it from scratch too, alongside people who will root for you at every rung.
To you, the future associate reading this: Arrive with an open mind, come serious and I assure that you will leave with more than you ever thought possible. All the best on your journey!
A special shout out to Xiaoqing, William, Adi, Chong Chin, and Carol. Thank you for the warmth, love, and fun you brought to this summer!
Signing off,
Jewel
On behalf of the Interns of Summer 2026
PS: We have Jun Yi and Kai Ze signing on, just got the news yesterday, and more to come too!!
