Dominic Chan

“With my ongoing career, what I do really feel is personally I’m moving forward. Everything I do is new to me.
What I really learned was that in life, sometimes it’s necessary to take even two steps back in order to
move forward. I can’t take control over everything in my life, but I can definitely try my best.”

Q: How did you find out about myBurgerLab?

I was a fresh grad, looking for a start in the industry. I had lost my mum recently, and my family wanted me to stay close to home in Sarawak, but I thought it was even more reason for me to pursue my dreams and take that leap of faith in West Malaysia. Literally moving over seas was initially a bitter experience, with me being unemployed for 2 months. But then I stumbled until Warp.com, and there I applied for the Management Trainee program at myBurgerLab. Call it fate, or call it finally catching my break, but I got the job, and I couldn’t be happier. Being a Management Trainee, I worked very closely not just with my fellow Geeks, but also the management team, and because of this, I learned so many things even my time in culinary school didn’t teach me. I didn’t just improve myself in the kitchen, but also on the business side of things.

Now I’ve graduated from the program, and have moved on to my next great adventure. And this is truly when I realized how much my time at myBurgerLab has taught me.

Q: What is the one thing you treasure the most?

There’s this watch that I treasure greatly. I’m not that kind of person who cares about physical looks and materialistic items. But this watch is something very special to me because my father was the one who gave it to me. My father gave me this watch to me when I left home for my university education. The story of this watch started from my father’s 25 years of working with the government in the education department. To me, it symbolizes the hard work he’d put in throughout the decades and every time I feel like times are tough, I’d put on this watch and remind myself that hard work really pays off. I believe that somewhere down the line, my hard work will pay off. There are some days you work so hard, you expect the rewards right away but things like this remind me that it doesn’t have to be immediate. Just be who you are and don’t try to always use the shortcuts.

Q: Where do you see yourself 5/10 years down the road?

I don’t know what is going to happen few years from now, however, I am practical about it and I still see myself working with a company, continuing to learn and improve myself. Technically, what I’ve been doing has been a huge preparation for myself 10 years down the road. And when that time comes, I’ll have ready my business framework, my long acquired skill sets and experiences and I would love to either have my own dessert shop, or a farm based on a vanilla plantation. Until that times comes, I’ll be working and trying my best to keep everything fulfilled.

Side Note: Aside from Dominic’s busy schedule as the manager of MADE by Lily, Dominic prefers to spend his time with his family, travelling from PJ to Kuala Selangor to meet his sister. He normally takes his days off to rest and recuperate by trying and cooking new recipes. He also loves conversations with his friends, and catching up with them over a cup of tea. One of the best things to him is to be one with nature, breathe in some fresh air and take on adversity with a refreshed pair of eyes.