10 Facts from My First 30 Days at Work

In this previous post, I put a little note at the end,

PS:Day 14 as an Engineer, start picking things up slowly and trying to love both my job and work. Knowing the fact that I won't go far as an engineer, I'll endure it for the time being (I've explained the difference between enjoying your job and work, here). Meanwhile, I'm keeping my other dreams alive at the back of my mind and start making action plans to realize them. がんばってください！！

That day was my 14th day at work, nothing much, not much responsibility, I was supposed to learn as much as I can. And then today is my 30th day (counted ONLY the weekdays). I was expected to know all the basics by now. Despite the fact that I have bagged a B.Eng title written on the piece of A4 paper, I'm still not used to calling myself an Engineer.

Frankly, I've never even seen myself working as a professional engineer, either because:
a. I'm not as competent -- this can be fixed with time and change of attitude
b. I have no interest -- this I'm not quite sure now
c. I don't like thinking too much -- this can be fixed with a change in paradigm
d. I don't like to work, why do people need to work? -- this is inevitable:(
e. I get bored easily -- this can also be fixed with a change in paradigm
f. Engineering job is boring -- depends on how you view it
g. All of the above

Anyway, here are the 10 FACTS I've noticed so far (while working):

1. Jeans, polo tee and shoes are perfectly acceptable --> no formal suit, high heels or make-up, you can wake up, brush teeth and go. Great huh? (don't ask me if I shower or not:P)

2. Real engineers always want to know the reason why and curious about everything. While on the contrary, I believe that as a human-being we can't always know all the reasons behind everything that happens. If I question everything, it'll be a never-ending list. Maybe at work, this belief doesn't apply?

3. We don't pay super-expensive college fee for nothing. It's technical and not everyone can do our job. I got the job 'coz I have the hard-to-obtain engineering degree, but not necessarily the real working experience. Getting the job and working on the job is a completely different game!

4. Entering the corporate world is like entering a jungle and it will take zillion years to work your way up to the highest tree. Politics and bureaucracy will always be there. So people will come and go, whether you like it or not.

5. There are four languages (dialects) used in office with Mandarin being the most often used, followed by Singlish, English and Malay. This situation is inevitable 'coz as long as you still live and work in this tiny red dot, everyone will speak multiple languages anywhere you go. Luckily, I understand what they say most of the time.

6. As a product engineer (process related), it's my responsibility to take care of one/multiple new product(s) assigned to me, from start to finish (transfer to mass production), address and monitor all the process issues that arise along the way.

7. If you work as an Engineer, USUALLY you'll have more free time (compare to a conference producer or bankers or other stressful jobs) and you can afford to pursue other interests or hobbies along the way. Don't forget to FOCUS on whatever it is that you're doing at the moment and TIME MANAGEMENT SKILL is PRICELESS! (still learning...T_T)

8. If you still think that working for someone else as an employee is the way to have security then you might want to consider changing this mindset. In today's workforce, job security is dead. Don't expect the company to take care of you! If your goal is to stay in one company for 20-25 years (or even the rest of your life), then forget it (read this blog to know more about the changing workforce, mostly I'd agree with the writers).

9. A career plan will never ever go smooth. You'll discover something new about yourself constantly and I'm struggling to understand this quote

"Ask what you have inside. Follow not your interest, which change, but what you are and what you love, which will and should not change"--Georgie Anne Geyer

10. In this crazy economy, anything is possible and retrenchment is everywhere. Just beware! (though I might be safe this round, who knows?)

I'll be given more responsibility soon and I must step up my game no matter what...

Jiayou...

-Sien-