Financial literacy equips us with the knowledge and skills we need to manage money effectively. For quite some time now, Lenn Borja advocates financial literacy among Filipino families in the UAE through her work as a financial advisor. She prepares them to be financially equipped to thrive under uncertainty.
Before helping her fellow Filipinos in the country with financial concerns, Lenn has gone through ups and downs, much like other expatriates. When she arrived in the UAE seven years ago, she traveled with baggage filled with hope—hope to succeed in her chosen career.
A mechanical engineering graduate, inexperienced and 20 years old at that time, the Filipina whose visa at that time was about to expire, accepted a cashiering job in Ajman. Since it was not her dream job, she resigned to do her internship at an engineering consultancy firm.
Lenn continued dreaming and exploring all the employment opportunities in the country until she applied to a flooring company as a marketing executive. In just three months, she was promoted to marketing manager while consistently bringing business to the company until her supervisors recognized her work and their rivals.
When she joined another flooring company as a business development manager, she continued closing big projects in Abu Dhabi. As the company met with financial problems that resulted in bankruptcy, Lenn turned to online selling, a skill she learned at a young age.
As she sold things online, the vice president of Orient Insurance found her and offered her a job. It took a year for her to say yes because she was accumulating ‘good’ amount of money in online selling. After a year, she was once again invited to join the company, this time, she gave them a nod.
“I am enjoying the work since speaking with people is my forte,” she said.
Her love for work paved the way for her to earn the top advisor title. Lenn is also considered one of the youngest successful financial advisors in the UAE at the age of 28.
When asked about her plans in life, she said one of her goals is to be the boss of her own. She also aspires to accumulate more assets in the Philippines and help more Filipinos to be financially literate.
“My advice to my fellow Filipinos abroad is always to be motivated. Don’t ever be shaken by struggles; instead, face them confidently and pray. I believe that the secret to success is failure because you learn and become stronger from failure,” she concluded.