On a cloudy Thursday, I spoke with a product manager at a Singapore-based tech company called Grab, Southeast Asia’s answer to ride-hailing, food delivery, restaurant reservations, mobile payments, and more, all wrapped up in one tidy app.  I wanted to know how Torlisa decided to move to Singapore, and what questions she uses to determine whether or not a job is right for her.

Having moved to Singapore just six years ago, Torlisa’s decision to make the big move was a confluence of personal and professional aspirations.  She told me that she had always held an interest in living and working abroad, but kept waiting for what felt like the right time to actually give it a shot.  Over a decade into her career, she decided it was time.

A Computer Science and Africana Studies double major at Wellesley, Torlisa initially went into the financial services industry.  After receiving her MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, she moved into consulting, then management roles in a wide range of industries including educational technology and retail technology.

With a successful record in a variety of fields, Torlisa had already built a strong community and a network of support in New York, and was well-positioned for a host of opportunities in the city.  But her interest in moving abroad compelled her to look overseas.

Torlisa was drawn to Grab for its mission: to drive Southeast Asia forward through economic empowerment.  A tech-lover at heart, she wanted to focus on product management with a positive social goal.  Through her work, Torlisa strives to answer the question, “How can we use tech to create opportunities at scale?”

In evaluating her own role, and reflecting on her past roles, she said that a job and the work it entails should be both challenging and fulfilling.  When assessing whether or not to make a career change, Torlisa said she asks herself the following questions:

• Am I learning and growing?
• Do I like who I work with?
• Do I like what I work on?
• Am I valued for the work that I do?

At the end of the day, she told me, a company doesn’t owe their employees anything.  Therefore, it is up to the individual to make and take what they want from any given opportunity.   For Torlisa, the opportunity to work at Grab offered a stimulating and socially-minded challenge, and a chance to fulfill her long-held personal goal of moving abroad.  “Work hard, but also have a life!” Torlisa said, “Burnout is real.”