Looking back at decisions...

I always had a problem with myself. My wife always say that I tend to look backwards at decisions made and ponder hard around them. Perhaps because I am always looking for the best outcome. But it usually don's work this way. I am been a student for the past 4 months after I left AC. Looking back 2008 and the starting of 2009. There are decisions ... which till now I still ponder....

Leaving ST...

My mum always say .... must stay with the old company, dun anyhow jump. I actually have everything anyone will be looking for in a job. Good bosses, good prospect, job stability, good payout, good bonus, no enemy. Why did I want to leave. What will likely happen if I were to stayed on with ST. I felt I would not have progress with my learning. Over the 2 years at ST, I have pick up SDLC, OO, framework design, System design.

If I were to stayed on, I would not have learn new technology stuff. There is no one to say "Hey I think the way u implement this is not that good, if u had done it this way, it would be better." Daryl would make such a person, but he came too late. TBS would be good but he is on other team.

So I leave and I did my SAP cert. Ok, it look good on the resume as SAP certified consultant. I know myself that I am far from a consultant. The cert only meant, I studied for the test and know roughly what is going on. I join AC soon after just before the school start. So I stayed on as part time student. AC promised good pay, and more importantly a chance at ERP implementation which meant a new experience and things to learn and picked up. Rather than DSE, I take Siebel anytime.

Conclusion for this decision - I should move... even when it is so painful to me. I miss ST's bosses. QWS, FS and Slow. They are a breed which I never find in AC.


Leaving AC for Full Time Study

Then come the 3 months at AC. Harsh working environment. AC provides an environment which is so harsh that is everyone for themselves. The top is pressured and harsh to the underlings cos they demands things to be done and it is YOUR problem, it is NOT MY problem. This was very different from ST where I saw SLOW basically helping out in every aspect of other project. In ST we do what we can, in AC, this just does not work. The team structure was screwed up with the design team not taking ownership of their design. they finish their design and it is NOT their problem anymore as it is the BUILD problem.

To move or not to move? MOVE! but maybe the question will be not to quit on empty and find another job an move... then again, at that time, the school work was piling up as I was basically not doing my studies and not going lessons at all... To get a job will take roughly 3 months ... and 3 months with those useless selfish brats is a waste of time. I give it a 50-50 here. to leave on empty and do the master or to wait and leave for another job. MOVE!

OK So I am at NUS the next question will be Fulltime or partime?
This is a tough question. the market just crash ... maybe I should just move to another job ... but considering I just came out of 1 feeling totally drain of confidence by the famous "you will not make it anyway!" manager... I know if I were to buang another job, I may need a long time to get back that confidence..... Also it is easy to explain why I left AC and concentrate on studies. FULL TIME

So here I am at the end of my full time semester from the school and looking for my next job ... resumes sent out ... and hardly called. some called to ask for price and I quoted the last pay ... they whizzed out ... May be I quote too high .. need to lower . The companies I would want to go ... no opening or rejected me... I noe why also .. I lack domain experiences. I need to build it ... smaller firm cant afford to pay me. today one firm offers me 3000 .... I was quite happy they offer but the actual tot of the pay being less than what I got at STEE ... it just doesnt justify my hardwork to improve myself with the master, the dip and the certification... I am worth less cos I know more???? does not make sense to me.. I need a salary higher than STEE ... let me forget AC for the time being... Cant accept that I am getting a lower salary than my peers (just 2 of them which i dislike)

So far, 3 listed company interviewed... more to come?