Back To Reality : Working.

Alhamdulillah, it has been more than a month that I am here – working with a new organization, somewhere closer to home, in fact closer to a lot of places that I usually go to, as compared to being situated 47 kms away for the past three years. 

Allow me to tell you that I am now working for one of the two regulatory bodies in Malaysia, specifically in the legal advisory department which its nature of work seemed more or less the same than what I have done before. The only, perhaps the main difference is that, the areas of law are confined to a specific area. Oh, and I may have to go to court too!

Remember I mentioned that I had an agreement with my husband that I ought to find a new job within a month or two post-resigning? Yes, the process begins here.

After I resigned, I listed say, about 13 possible companies/organizations for me to apply. They included a wide range of organizations – oil and gas, stock market, you name it. I even applied for some positions via Job Street. But deep in my heart, this place where I’m in right now is the place that I had my interest most. Not only that it has a nursery which is established and recognized for its excellence and achievements when it comes to childcare (yes this was my primary concern) but also the career progression that I am able to obtain here is wider or greater, in my humble opinion. It required me to apply online, then to show my keen interest in joining this organization, I sent a hard copy resumé coupled with a cover letter.

The next thing I know, I received a call, asking me to come for an interview for the position that I wanted. Preceding to that, I actually received 3 calls asking for interview but those 3 calls were interviews for the position that I was not interested in, perhaps safer to say, I feel incompetent in. So when I finally got ‘that’ call (i.e. the position that I have applied for), I was excited yet so nervous.

Then the interview day came. (Be informed that it is so much easier going for interviews when you are, for the lack of a better word, jobless. Haha. Tak payah nak amik cuti or MC ke apa.)

As I step foot into this building, I was wow-ed buy its all glass interior.

Interview began before a panel of 4 – all of whom I was told that they were the Executive Directors of differing departments. It went well, if I may say, Alhamdulillah. So I was hoping to get through to the next stage.

Little did I know that there were three stages of interviews – 1^st stage was the one before the panel, 2^nd stage interview was done by an external consultant which its interview had nothing to do with the organization or work-related experience but all IQ/EQ test (this stage was quite gruelling – it took 4 hours of series of endless questions!) followed by the 3^rd stage where I was required to do an online aptitude test; then later medical check-up (they even took blood samples!) and getting reference letters from former superior and a friend.

Tedious? Yes! This whole process took a little bit more than a month to be completed! Clearly it ain’t easy to get into this organization. Phew!

What surprised me the most was I was given a better position than that I have applied for, syukur Alhamdulillah. Rezeki Khaisah :)

I reported duty on 2^nd May 2012 and so far, I’m loving this place. The place is beautiful, the people here are so friendly, no senior-junior shiz, flexi hours etc. The work is do-able, though I may have to do a lot of reading still. I’ve never felt this ‘useful’ day in day out for a long time and though it has only been a month, I have been exposed to a lot of things. Hello, I even attended a course on Bonds! How crazy is that? It never occurred to me that I’ll be indulging myself in capital market industry.

This place challenges me to better myself. I can feel it. Let’s just hope that this feeling will last long (cause I may have spoken too soon hahaha!)