All these weeks I've been living on hope.. even if it hung by the thread. Hope is really worth living for.. to know that something may possibly turn out right at the end of the long arduous wait.
All these weeks there has always been at least a door open. May a door close on me but there's another door left ajar.. though it many not be embracing wide open.
Just yesterday when the door that could possibly lead to the brightest path through my career closed on me, I found myself trapped. Suffocated. All the doors now are shut.. there is none open at this present moment.. except for this little backdoor which I'm highly reluctant to crawl through.
It's such a confidence deflator. It's so demoralizing that I can cry.
And the prospect of doing sales all my life irks me. To force out small talk with people with the ultimate aim of making them potential clients.. to 'go the extra mile' in service standards enslaving myself to clients.. to dive into social events full of strangers in order to solicit contacts.. to live by the mantra of 'The day you stop prospecting is the day you are considered unemployed" isn't exactly my idea of a fulfilling career.. no matter what the income may be like.
But then, it's not like I got any better choice right?
Signed off at 9:21 am
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Telephone Fiasco
Friday, July 25, 2008
Just spent the last 2 hours or so filling up my posts on Santorini and Athens.. together with photos.. so now it's left with Berlin.. Salzburg.. and including photos in all my previous posts and my Europe Grad Trip Travelogue is done. Well.. at least there's something for me to read and refer to many many years to come.
Boy I really miss Europe. Greece especially. How I wish I can go there again.. after securing myself a job.. that is..
So today was another fiasco to grab myself an interview. Again (related to the stupid interviewer that bangsehed me) here are the sequence of events that followed.
22nd July, Wednesday.. I was on course at night when I received a call at around 8pm. Didn't answer because well, I was on course.. and at this time only irritating insurance agents call to disturb me.
Turns out that this cute girl from XXX company left a voice message asking me to call her back.
23rd July, Thursday.. Woke up earlier at 9am to call cute girl. She wasn't at her office yet
Called again at 10.30am..
"Hey Clement! This is a bad time to call me. I'm very busy right now. Tell you what, I'll give you a call after lunch ok?"
Well.. she only called at 4pm! Which was exactly the time I was figuring out what the hell happened to the people from *** company. I missed the call.. but called back to reschedule the call to 5pm.
I decided to take the initiative to call back at 5pm. She was on the line.
6pm.. No answer.
This morning.. 10am.. No answer
11am.. Was told that she's not answering because she's busy on 'the other line'.
And subsequently I called every hour until 3pm.. after which I called every half an hour. Nope, it's either she's not picking up my calls or she 'on the other line'.
Managed to get her email from her colleagues.. who by now should have known there's this persistant guy trying to contact her.
Now I hope she replies my email.
Tomorrow is revelation day. Chances are bleak since 2 weeks have passed with no news at all. Still, I'm crossing my fingers.
Signed off at 2:58 am
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Interview Fiasco
Thursday, July 24, 2008
In turbulent times when job opportunities are scarce and interview opportunities (especially with big renowned companies) are a gem.. having a cockup I had today is really exasperating. Here are the sequence of events that led up...
17th July, Thursday.. I received a call from this certain *** company:
@#$: Hi Clement. I'm calling from ***. Can you please reply the email stating if you'd be interested in the interview? Me: Sorry, I'm on Reservist right now and have no chance to check my emails. When is the interview? @#$: It's on the 23rd July. Me: Ok. I am interested in the interview. But I can only reply the email on Friday afternoon. Would that be ok? @#$: So I'll slot you for the interview then. Please reply to the email. Me: I will do so on Friday. Who am I speaking to? @#$: @#$. It's in the email. Me: All right. Thank you so much.
18th July, Friday.. I went home, checked email, replied.. and see the sequence of emails the followed...
23rd July, Thursday.. Since there was no reply from them.. I decided to show up anyway. Arrived at 4pm at the hotel without a clue who to look for and where was the venue. No one in the hotel lobby knew about any interview that was happening at the hotel. Strange eh? Considering that there should be interviews between 8am and 4pm that day already.
Whipped out my handphone and called that Malaysian number. No answer.
Sent out an sms..
"Dear Sirs, My name is Clement Chio and I'm here for my *** interview slot at 4.20pm. I'm waiting at the lobby of --- already and would like to know who I should contact? Thank you."
Only to receive a call 5 mins later..
%^&: Oh Clement! I'm so sorry! Did I make an appointment with you? Me: Yes. At 4.20pm. %^&: I'm so sorry. I've checked out already. I'm on my way back to KL now. Are you at the hotel lobby already? Me: Yes. I am. %^&: Oh no. I'm on the way to the airport. Tell you what, I have your resume right.... Me: Can you at least do a phone interview? %^&: Ok. I'll call you again then. Bye.
Well that was it. Super pissed and dunnowhattosay.. Wasted my time researching about the company and preparing for the interview and travelling all the way to the silly place. I found myself with suddenly 2 hours of free time with no where to vent my exasperation.
So going for ICT did slash one of my interview chances this time eh? That's the consequence of non-Singaporean HR.. totally unsympathetic to National Service requirements. And how ironic rite? Bugging me to reply their email when they don't reply theirs to explain the conflicting instructions. I should have just spent the overseas call and confirmed the interview slot with them. ARGH!!
Big, renowned MNC. Reputation in my eyes destroyed by lousy HR.
I'll update again if she really does bother to call me tomorrow.
Signed off at 2:32 am
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Back from the Green
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
There are a lot of things I wanna say about the second week of ICT but at this moment I can't seem to ground all those floating thoughts or either that I can't pen them down onto a public blog like this. So in short...
I didn't get to practice my S2 stuff once again.. due to stunts being in BHQ.. Being Enemy OIC with a lousy rover that kept breaking down sucks... Not getting myself involved enough in Scout trainings is regretful.. Too busy to fulfill promises to them fills me with remorse.. Making up for it with pizza and beer is pocket-burning.. Though getting to know them in the process is delightful.. Standing up for my guys is righteous.. Being recognised for training efforts is a confidence jab.. Getting closer with the whole bunch of officers make the whole 2 weeks well worth it...
So much for a whole lot of random stuff.. to me this whole ICT has been a mess. Can't decide who to blame.. I already kaopehed my share during the debrief.. it's another year more before new stunts by this battalion unfolds....
As for now.. I'm back to this cruel world where job offers are not knocking on my door. Going for training in the night as a possible career route. Breaking away from Hall is cruel.. but it's something I must do.
This means it's going to be a sad, lonely path ahead of me.
Signed off at 1:57 am
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Remedy Week
Monday, July 14, 2008
Would want to blog earlier/more but was bogged down by this stupid runny nose. It's strange how come every time I go home after a period of staying outside I get the flu bug. That was one of the reasons I dread going home during my hall days...
In-Camp has been really slack this week.. probably as compared the the 1st ICT because this time the training program is spread out over 2 weeks while the last time i was all jam packed into 1. Probably also because the Int Trainer is not around and because of CO's various stunts I'm sitting more into a Bn HQ training-and-coordinating role rather than a planning-for-exercise role.
Though I'm kinda glad the way things have evolved so far.. Most important of which I got more interaction with my Scouts.. managed to work out a balance between setting a high standard of training for NSMen as well as the pegging carrots that come with it. No, I'm not siao-on army. I'm working towards protecting my own ass come 7th Year ICT ATEC.
The best part about ICT is probably getting together with old friends again.. may it be with the branch or with the officer bunch. While the last ICT sleeping late every night was because of gruelling CO conferences (which achieved nothing).. this time we sleep late every night too but all in the name of talking cock outside/inside our bunks till late at night. Boy the things we talk about.. from civilian life to our experiences in different phases of 42. This past one week in camp has probably been a refreshing remedy to the past few weeks of post-all-my-friends-start-working-already loneliness and boredom.
I'm currently crossing fingers for the interview which i just went on Friday. It's seriously a super-uber-fantastic job position and I think the interview went well. In fact, as well as the interview with the other company that I thought I had scored big time. But in the end they only recalled the first-class people for the second round. Damn sian. So this time I'll just keep grounded and not getting my hopes high to prevent the possibily of having my hopes dashed and throats slashed once again.
For now, I'm hitting the sacks in preparation for another wayang show tomorrow morning - Convocation/Commencement. As many say, it's a ceremony more for my parents than for myself. Why? Well.. just say that my close friends are all not going to be there tomorrow morning.
Another agenda for tomorrow is to do a market study of how many poor Chem Engine souls are still unemployed. I have my own sets of grieviences and explanations for this current phenomena.. but I shall reserve them to myself till the setting up of my private blog.
Yes, I'd be jumping ship soon. Figured out that once I step into the vicious working world maintaining a low internet footprint would be wise. Keep you guys posted.
I'm actually looking forward to go back to Sungei Gedong. Haha.
Signed off at 12:49 am
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In-Camp Again
Monday, July 07, 2008
In a few hours time I'd be embarking on 2 weeks of In-Camp Training. Unlike the previous one which I was actually looking forward to it.. I'm rather apprehensive about this one because..
I'm so unprepared for this one.. So much for wanting to revise my Int stuff beforehand and yadayada. The fact that I'd have only half by guys around this time puts a little stress.. And I dunno whether it's a blessing or not that I actually have a Dy this time.. while it's cool I have an officer under me.. it puts more stress for me to know my stuff also. Just hopes it all works out well.
There's outfield. Yucks.
It's all happening at the wrong time.. I'm still jobless and am still hoping for calls and I DON'T WANT TO MISS THEM BECAUSE OF ICT. Knowing that the reception in Map Planning Room is actually like shit.. I'm really very scared about missing opportunities.
I'm still in my self-degeneration semi-depression mode because my career prospects are bleak and uncertain.. unlike most of my working friends out there.
Sigh. Maybe meeting up with old friends and actually keeping myself occupied will help.
Good night world.
Signed off at 2:04 am
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Beserk
Friday, July 04, 2008
It's Friday already. No calls. What happened to the "We will contact you within the next two weeks" and the "They will probably call you next week"?
One more day before my hopes are dashed into dust.
I spent the whole day at home today. Alone. I edited grad trip videos.. I finally drilled my whiteboard into the wall.. I cleaned up my room.. I put up photos on the wall.
The only thing I didn't do was to open my mouth and talk. There was no one to talk to.
I W A N T A J O B.. before I go crazy.
Well at least I got something to do tomorrow.. and 2 weeks of ICT following...
Signed off at 2:38 am
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deeBlockers Grad Trip Dance
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Finally got the mood to edit this one.. the highlight of all the places that we went too.. could have taken more.. but towards the end everyone was like less enthu and damn paiseh about doing this silly actions in front of everybody.. so we only took like one in every city haha..
