Her job is your job

Sasiporn “May” Mewongukote, is a former fashion marketer who lived a glamorous life surrounded by luxury products. She gave it all up when she realised the world would benefit more from a person who helps “lost” students find the right path. May set up CareerVisa, a social enterprise that guides undecided students to discover their potential (and perhaps their dream jobs).

What inspired you to start CareerVisa?

It was based directly on my experience. I was one of those Thai students stuck in a "follow my friends" culture when deciding what to study in college. So I attended business school and majored in finance, not even thinking about what I really liked. But during an exchange programme in France, I had the chance to meet a Thai brand manager of a reputable fashion house at Paris Fashion Week, and I asked her for an internship back in Thailand. She agreed, and my career in fashion began. I never went back to finance. Unfortunately, not every student gets the chance to realise their passion in certain careers and chase their dreams.

What do you think is an educational pattern in Thailand?

Thai students have long been in a "feed me" system, which doesn't allow students to come up with original ideas, but instructs them to be strictly obedient. It's not surprising that Thai students usually follow a pattern — top students should go to medical school, not art school, for example.

Were you scared when you decided to leave your job?

It's a leap of faith; you just need to close your eyes and jump. It was scary as hell, but it's been totally worth it. Now I can be committed to what I believe in and help it grow. 

How has CareerVisa so far helped students?

We held a workshop, called "Passion Decode", that provided students with an opportunity to immerse themselves in different careers. By inviting people from various industries to guide them, our students had the chance to chat and gain insight into what it is really like to be in those jobs. In our latest workshop, for marketing enthusiasts, we invited several successful marketers, including a chief marketing officer at one of the largest beauty brands in Thailand, who actually has an engineering degree. Some of our attendees were offered internship opportunities from our invited career coaches.

How was the feedback from the latest workshop?

It was very well received. We successfully debunked myths surrounding many careers and injected our attendees with different viewpoints. Some of the attendees said they will return to all of our workshop sessions to discover what type of career will best fit them.

How does the application process work?

Just register on our website (www.careervisathailand.com) and fill in a screening questionnaire. Students from every university and school are welcome. You don't have to be a top — there is no minimum GPA or any special requirements. And it's free of charge.