And so, in the interest of maintaining this for future me (and also because I'm on a boat offshore and it's boring as heck), I'm going to go through a bit of housekeeping and post updates on what's been happening since... hmm, let me see..
.. 2012...
.... Fuck me.. Best get started then...
1) Post-graduate job hunting began with a series of applications and interviews with a few consulting firms. As evident from previous posts, I've always held a keen interest in business consulting. I guess the prestige and perceived intellectual challenge from the kind of work they do was appealing.
So I practiced hard at cracking cases, had mock interviews with friends, and managed to score a couple of interviews through referrals from friends and family. It was a very exciting time, to be honest. Alas, things didn't quite work out: I didn't get an offer after the final rounds with BCG, and I ended up with Accenture management consulting instead.
It was very crushing at the time, to be honest, and it took me a while to recover emotionally from that particular setback. That being said, the experience of preparing for the consulting interviews had a major influence on my thought process and work habits to to this day.
Mental arithmetic is an obvious one: I'm not super fantastic at it yet, but the improvement has been massive. I'm also always approaching problems in terms of structures and frameworks, and have developed a habit of framing a problem right before deep-diving, It's gotten to the point where it's almost second nature these days, and there has been some pretty positive feedback from work about it.
It's a good reminder of how what doesn't kill you makes you stronger /cliche
2) I wasn't the happiest at Accenture, to be honest. The majority of the work they do is mostly implementation despite having a strategy arm. The major thing I had to grapple with though, was an ego issue; I got a lot of questions along the lines of "You have a PhD? What are you doing here?"
The thoughts that were triggered by those questions really bothered me a lot at the time. It was something that always niggled with me to the end of my time there. I didn't feel like my post-graduate research experience was particularly valued. I was on the same salary and job grade as the fresh graduates. You could argue that if my experience truly counted for something, I would shine and rise eventually, but I didn't feel the set of responsibility and type of work I had to do allowed me to do so.
It was money that was the decisive factor in me leaving in the end. I was already taking a pay hit taking up the role vs the other options I could have taken. The fact that I was paid the same as freshies really bothered me as well (yes, it's ego). That it typically takes 2 years to get promoted to a consultant role from analyst means that impatience eventually took over.
It wasn't an easy decision at the time. I had made some fantastic friends there who I still keep in touch with to this day. The work culture was excellent, and I was getting some recognition for the work I've been producing. Despite all of the negatives, I still look back at my time there with a lot of fondness simply because of the people there.
3) Enter Shell. Like I said, it was really difficult to turn down a job which offered a 70% pay-hike, and a role with increased responsibilities and challenges. Plus, it was a chance to return to my engineering roots; I've a love-hate relationship with it.
So 1.5 years in, I should really have no real complaints: the money is fantastic (I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the first increment last year), the job is challenging, the people are fun and in terms of "stories to tell", well. did I say I'm on a boat offshore?
Having said that though, I haven't fully shaken the feeling that perhaps, I would be happier in the long run sticking with consulting. If you ask me where my true interests lie, that's what I would have said. It's a game of relatives; if I were to rate my levels of passion: I'd give my current role a 7/10, and consulting a 9/10.
If you follow Herzberg's motivation-hygiene theory, the motivation upside at the Accenture job was maybe higher than my current role in Shell. Unfortunately the hygiene factor (money) wasn't there, and so, I left in the end.
Maybe the perfect role would be one with the strategy houses who can offer both. I'm 28 at the end of this year though, so I'm not sure if that particular ship has sailed. Maybe I'll take a stab at it at the end of this year.
4) Did a bit of traveling as well: Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, South Korea. Highlight of the past 2 years was definitely the US trip last year though, when I finally visited NYC, something I've wanted to do for the longest time. The food, the culture, the history, the sights, the people, the shopping: everything was awesome. I can't wait to get back there again.
5) I lost my best buddy this year: William the Conqueror, the rottweiler who's been with the family for 13 years. I've had him since I was in Form 3; we go way back! He developed a tumour in his leg (fucking cancer again), but in fairness, he was ancient in dog years anyway.
I'm not ashamed to say I wailed like a little bitch when he passed. I still have a scar on my wrist from when he bit me back in 2006 (the bastard) and I guess it'll serve as a nice little reminder of him that I'll carry with me.
Rest well, old friend.
6) We bought a place this year! The hunt began back in 2013, with this property at Damansara Damai at about RM400k. We then looked around a few other places, and decided on Zenith @ Kelana Jaya, this 1100sf unit valued at RM640k. We went as far as signing the pre-sale agreement and handing over the cheque before the seller pulled out at the last minute.
We then laid off the idea of getting a place for a while before a visit to The Hub's showroom early last year triggered the process again. We thought, why not have a look at Ameera's smaller units which where around RM800k at the time. Things somehow escalated from that to us purchasing a larger 1700sf unit for RM1.08m. RM400k to RM1.08m; what a slippery slope that turned out to be!
The agent showed us this larger unit that at the time, we had no intention of buying. It was really beautifully done up and required very minimal work but the asking price was a bit steep for us at RM1.15m. We decided to just low-ball a figure we thought the owner would never accept, but accept they did, and 5 days after viewing the place, we signed the pre-sale agreement.
7) And finally, saving the best for last, I'm getting married this year! The proposal turned out to be easier than the trek up Mount Kinabalu. It seemed like a decent idea at the time until I realized there was a torturous hike down after the proposal. Hardly the stuff of romance! I couldn't be happier though; I knew from the moment we got together that she was the one I'd want to spend my life with.
All in all, looking at how things have played out over the last 2 years, I guess I don't really have anything substantial to complain about. Everything's worked out amazing in all aspects thus far and despite the slight bumps in between, I wouldn't have it any other way. Life's good. .
Til' next time!
