Over 29 million Canadians depend on Interac solutions every day to move their money safely and securely. We’re a small but mighty team of 350+ employees and each of us plays a critical role in ensuring we deliver our best for Canadians.
The Interac Up Close series gives you an inside look into what working at Interac is like. Whether you’re interested in learning more about the talented people that work at Interac, or you’re considering working at Interac yourself, we hope you enjoy reading our staff stories.
What is your name and job?
My name is Augustine Lim and I am a Senior Manager on our Product team where I manage Cash and International Transfers.
What is some of the work you do on a day-to-day basis?
I provide daily insight on our products, navigate through questions or concerns regarding business requirements in a project, and figure out if I should fix my hair for the video conference.
What is your favourite part of your job?
My favourite part of my job is solving problems, whether it is to address client concerns, issues with a product or building out a solution to address the market problems. It is the opportunity to come up with ideas that gets me out of bed. I would have said to come to work…but home is work right now, so the bed is where I would need to move from.
What is an interesting fact about you?
I am an avid motorcyclist and dodgeball player. I don’t do both at the same time, obviously, but they are great hobbies that keep me grounded. Riding is a great way for me to focus and just take in the open road, and dodgeball is just a fun sport that can help relieve any tension. Where else can you say that you can throw a ball at someone without needing to feel bad about doing it?
What comes to mind when you think about your journey at Interac?
Growth. There are always opportunities for us to grow and it really is great when you are looking to develop your career.
What has your experience been like growing up as part of the LGBT2Q+ community?
It wasn’t easy. Growing up, I had to mask a certain persona so that people wouldn’t be able to tell that I was part of the community. I use the word ‘mask’ because it’s a face that I had to put on that wasn’t my true self. I would be a different person than who I was when I am in the village.
I hid my true self because I needed to get the jobs and work done for my career. To do that, I needed to showcase a certain level of masculinity and show interest and knowledge in topics and hobbies such as sports. I felt like I had to do this to build a rapport with my coworkers, since some of my past jobs were predominantly conservative, white, and male environments.
What advice would you give to a member of the LGBT2Q+ community looking to start a career in FinTech?
Never put a mask on. Be who you are and be proud. If the company doesn’t accept you, they don’t deserve you. It’s simple as that. You are better than that, and you have a whole community to support you. You have me.
Do you have any resources/ words of advice you want to share with people who are looking to be better allies?
Listen. As allies, it’s not your opinions or suggestions we’re looking for. We want you to listen. Listen to our stories, listen to what we are trying to say, listen to who we are.
Sexual orientation is one of the 8 dimensions of demographic and cognitive diversity recognized through the Interac Diversity and Inclusion Program.
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