Jason Wong Chan-lam has had four different jobs during the past 10 years. He graduated from university in 1998 and has worked in the fields of logistics, wine retailing and fashion. On returning from a five-month hiatus in Malaysia, Mr Wong joined United States food giant Campbell Soup, which has a presence in more than 50 countries worldwide. Mr Wong explained how changing jobs had helped him deal with the various tasks he faced as a middle manager at Campbell Soup. The supply chain and customer relationship manager said he had applied his experience working with inbound and outbound services in mainland logistics operations, more hands-on customer service in wine retailing and the fine art of persuasion and strategy making in the fashion industry to his job at Campbell Soup. Mr Wong said: 'If you are young, motivated, have little in the way of family burdens and are contemplating a job change, go for it. 'But don't change [jobs] for the sake of it.' Before changing jobs Mr Wong thought deeply about whether he was still passionate about the brand and company he worked for, whether he was happy with his salary, whether he got on well with his boss, and whether he could do the job. Mr Wong now manages three staff and his work involves balancing the supply and demand side of the business in China, expanding the Shanghai office and ensuring that customers can have the right product and quantity, at the right time and cost. His work as a middle manager often requires effective communication with senior managers, subordinates and fellow line managers. 'You have to convince everyone of your competency and let them see your contribution.' Mr Wong satisfies senior managers with his knowledge of the business, having the right facts and figures on hand at all times and by being as brief as possible. Mr Wong deals with his peers by emphasising competency and professionalism and with his subordinates by getting to know them well. 'Junior executives like to see their workplace as a bit of a playground. So, as a boss, you have to be able to join in with their jokes and talk about personal life,' he said. middle management Five keys to being an effective middle manager Charisma This is the defining quality of your character and your working attitude. It makes you stand out from the crowd Commitment Staying committed to a job requires diligence because you must follow through every task Demanding Whether it is with others or yourself, a demanding work attitude can be a strong motivation for better performance Challenge Perhaps the most important quality of all is always being ready to challenge others and be ready to be challenged Reasonable Seek to execute all tasks with excellence and make sure there is a logical reason for every step you make
