Thursday, January 25, 2007 . 6:19 PM
I have been really busy going for interviews and settle my trip to China and Hong Kong this week. Labels: careers
Monday i went for 2 interviews back to back. One was a big pharmateutical company, which i think it's betta not to mention. It was my 3rd interview with them. I've met 2 project leaders, one manager,one director,one regional manager and one VICE PRESIDENT. I roughly know i probably will get the job, bcos they went thru all the trouble, all the interviews, but can't b too sure about it. IT will b under E*B (can't tell u the whole name either....but yes some sorta prestigious) training program, one year training under the company and 2 years bond to any locally situated company. There will b no bonus, basically a trainee not a staff, the 'training scholarship' is 2k per mth. I don't mind, bcos it will b a gd chance to enter the field of clinical research associate (CRA). It's a bright prospect ahead. U can't b a CRA unless u work in this particular line ...and having no experience, u can onli pray and hope that some companies are willing to train you but chances are not always there. That's y i don't mind applying for the trainnig program even if it means it would b a paycut.
BUT. The big but came...when last Thurs, my fren who works in another company, same position told me to just send my resume to her company as they are recruiting, which i did and by the next day, the HR guy had contacted me. WE arranged for interview( a discussion he said) ....after my interview after the big company..aiyah for convenience sake big company's name is A ok? 2nd company that i went is B ok?
B takes on a slightly different role than A's, bcos B does outsourcing. ANyway i let the B company knws that im in the process of being interviwed by A company. ANd i've aldy went for the 3rd time. They got really interested. ANd i must actually pride myself by being so smart and scheming. Kidding haha.. it's unlike me to b this open. But i dno't know y, when B company asked if i'm interviewing for other companies too, i just tot i shdn't lie. It got B company really really keen i tell ya. WHen i went for the 'discussion', it was basically a talk b/w me and HR guy. HE was telling me abt the job scopes etc, about me having to start as a Research assistant (as i do not have experience) then promote to CRA after 9mths to a year's time etc, my expected pay etc....Then since he knew about A's company's 3rd interview, he pretty much figured that A will b offering me soon, most likely, so on the spot, he told me he will see if the Director is available to tok to me. Then the Director came in. Friendly guy and we talked for......1.5hrs. This is the LONGEST interview i EVER had. IN fact the whole talk with HR guy and director took ahem 2 hrs. Director used to work in A company a few years ago actually. SO he knows the pple who interviewed me and he also knows that i'll most likely be offered. HE was telling me the pros about working for his company. I found it really amazing that smoewhere like 10 mins into talking with each other, he has aldy told me that if he wants to, he will employ me right away. I tell ya, my jaws almost dropped. I blurted out," Are YOU serious?" And he said that if im not gd, and i have something wrong, i wouldn't have been able to impress A company so much as to want to continue interviewing me cos the truth is that regional manager (2nd interview) can b pretty hard to please. But i passed her you see. Im finding it easier and easier to be sweet-toothed. I don't know how i did it, but i gez GOd was reall blessing me. TO give mi another opportunity after A company called me. There are many reasons y i prefered B company to A. Mainly bcos B would b offering staff benefits, im a staff not trainee and i won't need to b bonded. The director is very friendly and sincere. B's has a smaller team, B is also a mnc like A but in asia still expanding and growing...pretty young compared to A. I feel that the working enviornment is nicer in B, smaller team, closer and opportunities to b promoted higher than A. Somemore A may not take me back after 1 yr of training u see, it's safer to go B in a way. B is also nearer to my home. ANd it has opportunies to travel, which i've been looking for.
ANyway, i gez A company really helped me alot in the interview with B company, the director said he doesn't ened to go thru 3 interviews with me anymore bcos they have helped him screen out the person. I feel kinda bad that i wasted A's time and effort, they were pretty nice to me. The manager was always the person to call me personally. That's really nice. ANyway the next day, A offered me the job. But i said i need to consider, waiting for B's relpies. These few days went past and they haevn't called. FInally today i called them and asked about, and the HR guy told mi yes they intend to offer me the job aldy, but he was trying to get the headcounts officially so that he can offer me officially, but anyway it's confirm i will get it. I told him im very interested and the other company has offered, he thanked me for being so interested. The pay they offering me as a beginning is pretty gd, more than i expected. I dno't ask for more aldy, bcos im new and im inexperienced, they are willing to give mi this pay, it must b GOd's blessings. And prob muz thank A company ..if not i won't b able to get such gd offer. Oh and it's perm position.
I have everything to thank GOd for. At the same time, another MNC called mi for interview for the E*B training program as well, i agreed but that was b4 i knew B company would offer me, i would need to reject that interview as well. I gez all signs point to the fact that i SHOULD b leaving N*S aldy......it's time. Suddenly i feel like im so 'wanted', never felt like this ever before.
Im really upset that the time has come for me to leave. I went back to look at the entry that i wrote when i got the job offer like 2 years plus ago.http://princessnaomi.blogspot.com/2004/10/agitated-mood-ive-tried-updating-my.html
I was cursing about the horrible pay they offered. BUt well ..till now i still think it's really unfair back then..bcos they were only willign to give me 1.8k bcos of the market. So sad.
But N*S have treated mi well seriously. I had gd benefits. ANd i found gd frens, whom i'll really miss when i leave. For many periods of time, i played with the idea of leaving this job and how it would be, now the time has finally come but i really feel like i don't wanna leave haha..so ironic.I took up this job in the 1st place, regardless of the low pay was bcos i really needed a job, and it was hard to find jobs still in those days. I need the money and i need some work experience. ANd given my family situation, it was also a blessign that N*S took me and gave mi the time to grow, gave me the time to stablise my family 1st before moving on to something else.
There's only HUida and me in this lab. The other lab under my boss has moved. I could imagine how low morale it will b when im gone for Huida. SEriously speaking, i'll still worry about the lab, but i'll have to detach myself from it then. I feel so much for the lab bcos i practically had to learn everything from scratch myself and we manage the lab ourselves.Huida would have to handle my part when im gone until someone else comes, but still he would need to train....gez im most upset abt leaving this place and the frens....sighz..
SO i gez after my hols, i would have to tender my resgination, i wnoder what my boss will say.He may b disappointed. I have to thank him for giving me many opportunities, which i can only blame myself for not being hardworking enuff to make gd use of the opportunities he has given me.
I also realise that people seem to b really nice to me these days wherever i go, it's like so blessed! Like whenever i take taxi, uncles always chat with mi these days (soemtimes i find it abit tirnig lar..) and praising me about how pretty i am etc. Oh im so happy hee. Yesterday i went to this optical shop in N*S, to get contact lens solution, and i told the owner that it's so difficult to find a shop that sells this brand of solution bcos it's local brand. But it's v cheap and gd. ANyway, i told him that it was him who introduced mi..and gez wat? i don't know wat made him so happy,he gave mi THREE boxes of free travel sizes for the solution. OUtside will c ost 7 bucks leh.
I went for Dreamweaver course on Wed myself. It's in house training. Don't waste the chances to learn new and free courses mah. SO i went. And i was thinking who will i meet this time, every course will bring pple all over N*S ...the last time round when i went for advance photoshop course, i met a guy who came to talk to me, and eventually he was transferred to work in my dept. The basic photoshop gave mi the chance to get to know this gal beside me, she is in this dept near to mine and well she knows my boss's lab's pple.... this time i was thinking who will i meet. The moment i opened the door to the room, i saw a familar face infront of me. GASP. My sec 3-4 maths teacher!!! SHe quit teaching after my o'levels and have been in NUS, i've always met her here and there but it's so weird and interesting that we will go thru a course togehter, and both of us as staffs of N*S. I think she found it so interesting that she has been telling her ex colleagues(who taught in tanglin sec) about my class and me, she told me today lar. ANyway she's also a christian, and has influenced me qutie a bit in sec school, she's so gentle with everyone but abit naggy. At that time, we didn't appreciate, didn't understand but now i think she's amazing, bcos she is really caring and loving, showing love to everyone ard her like wat Jesus would have wanted her to. Even now,when i see her, she's always so attentive to pple, can almost feel the LOVE oozing out of her to everyone.Had been having lunches and teabreaks with her these 2 days, and she has given mi gd wise advice regarding my career. Once my teacher, always my teacher.
Really glad for the chance to see her, and really be able to catch up with her.
Pray that God grant her gd health, as she has been sick recently with anemia.
I'll be flying off tomorow, feel abit like reluctant to go, its always like that when b4 i go overseas, i'll b like oh i'll miss my rabbit so much, i'll miss my bed so much, i'll miss this i'll miss that......10 days!! so long!! Y did i planned for 10 days!!! Feel abit like insecure abt the trip as well. Please pray for us that we will b kept safe by God's grace and providence and hopefully don't spend too much money. Put this trip in God's hands...i feel more secure.
I feel like im leaving for gd or something, so much thigns in my head, so many thigns i wanna say. ANyway, i love you pple, my frens,family,angel and albert. Mayb i shd have said this to u all more often ( i say it to angel v often ah..) but well ..paiseh lar...hahahhaha...take care. Cya guys when im back.
