Different views of employment
Most of us who are employed or looking to being employed or even choosing "not to be employed"- we all have our reasons for doing so. The hierarchy of needs directs to a environment where the basic bread and butter needs to be satisfied first. Someone needs to bring in the bacon, right? With that, you come to decide other factors - eg. how big the bacon should be, how many people can that bacon feed, the taste of the bacon, the quality of the bacon, the fat content of the bacon, and maybe even the color of the bacon...blah blah blah...blah blah blah.....
I've come to terms with all these for a long time. Almost boils down to what our government says about having kids being personal choices. If you already have the basic bacon, employment then becomes more of a personal choice, at least to me. What deep social problems overall unemployment will bring....eg. it slackens the economy etc etc...another blah blah blah...blah blah blah session next time - to be put up by some great magnificent policy maker or statistician out there. Not me.
But I don't think the local government will ever encourage people, esp mother/father (depending who brings back the bacon) to NOT work. They even want old people to stay active and work till they are 55, 60 or even 65. For what? I ask. You see old people clearing plates/dishes and cleaning up in food courts and hawker centers. Well, they must "earn" their keeps because if they fall sick, nobody will look after them....they have no savings....CPF is not enough. OK. I know. They are always old people who are enjoying life. Sometimes, you just have to walk around different zonal estates in Singapore to know what is happening.
Such the mentality of different individuals. No one thinks the same. There are certainly people who LOVEeees working and gets HIGH the higher they climb up the career/status ladder. Well, this just does not excite me. I am the kind of worker who likes to go home on the dot (god, where to find such a job that does not scrutinize this?) if I am done with the work for the day. I make sure I am efficient and effective during office hours. I would rather go to office early than return home late. I am not really ambitious in my career (so I don't talk about how much value I can add to the organization etc), as long as I am able to do something I enjoy, learn what I want to learn, and finally reality bestowed...bring back some bacon bits.
In most corporations I have worked before - it seems that "coming in late" and "going back late" is the much preferred practice. Why ? Because when you go back late, your boss sees that. And when you come in early, your boss does not see that (in fact, nobody sees that). Yes, that is the difference. Unless, you are lucky enough to have a boss who chooses to come in early, and leaves promptly as you. Then, he/she will perceive you as a good worker/employee? Nah, I don't go to such extent of making other people happy and making myself unhappy. I stressed - I sought after QUALITY time at the work place and not QUANTITY. Bosses, if you see your workers staying late everyday, it may be because they are inefficient and ineffective...not because they are enjoying their work, and being diligent, okay? Bosses are smart, right? HA!
I digress too much.
The subject title was to talk about employment, in general. And this was what I heard and gathered from my peers in different instances. Their comments and thoughts -
"...in Singapore, being unemployed is a crime..." :O OMG!
"....I need $2mil cash to retire NOW..." meanwhile, this friend earns a reasonable (to me) basic and told me 10k (this is already heaven to me!) would be nice. OMG! But I see that he has more "free" time than others. At least, he goes for his Jap lessons during weekends and dive/windsurf quite regularly. I asked "is $Xk too low?" . I told him he has what other people found more difficult to achieve, that is, work-life balance.
C: Any lobang ? Are you working or Tai Tai?
Me: what tai tai? was nvr one. :P ...in SGP, even more difficult to be one.
C: Anyway what are u up to nowadays? to me not working is Tai Tai loh
Me: wah.....no wonder I need to look for job lah! If not, will be "branded" such term by pple like you leh! Told u many times already, Tai Tai in SG = not working yet living the high luxurious life leh!
Question: Give specific and detailed accounts where you have exhibited integrity.................and courage at work and also in your personal life.
Answer (it happened to be me): The most "courageous" decision I have made in my personal life that relates to work as well, was when I decided to resign from my job back in 2006, and follow my spouse to USA due to his work relocation. For me, it was a chance to adjust and adapt; to learn and appreciate other cultures and environment. I call it life experience and not work experience. Life experience in turn enhances work experiences in the future.
So it is true. If someone ever asked me for my opinion about going out of Singapore and to somewhere more conducive, I would say "Go". And I would not perceive unemployment as something bad. Hey, can't we be doing other constructive things even if we are not working ? During my "unemployment" times, I don't just sleep, eat, then eat, sleep okay? In fact, I was able to do MORE things that overall enriched myself. I definitely find it more satisfying and happier. Life was much better then.
I've come to terms with all these for a long time. Almost boils down to what our government says about having kids being personal choices. If you already have the basic bacon, employment then becomes more of a personal choice, at least to me. What deep social problems overall unemployment will bring....eg. it slackens the economy etc etc...another blah blah blah...blah blah blah session next time - to be put up by some great magnificent policy maker or statistician out there. Not me.
But I don't think the local government will ever encourage people, esp mother/father (depending who brings back the bacon) to NOT work. They even want old people to stay active and work till they are 55, 60 or even 65. For what? I ask. You see old people clearing plates/dishes and cleaning up in food courts and hawker centers. Well, they must "earn" their keeps because if they fall sick, nobody will look after them....they have no savings....CPF is not enough. OK. I know. They are always old people who are enjoying life. Sometimes, you just have to walk around different zonal estates in Singapore to know what is happening.
Such the mentality of different individuals. No one thinks the same. There are certainly people who LOVEeees working and gets HIGH the higher they climb up the career/status ladder. Well, this just does not excite me. I am the kind of worker who likes to go home on the dot (god, where to find such a job that does not scrutinize this?) if I am done with the work for the day. I make sure I am efficient and effective during office hours. I would rather go to office early than return home late. I am not really ambitious in my career (so I don't talk about how much value I can add to the organization etc), as long as I am able to do something I enjoy, learn what I want to learn, and finally reality bestowed...bring back some bacon bits.
In most corporations I have worked before - it seems that "coming in late" and "going back late" is the much preferred practice. Why ? Because when you go back late, your boss sees that. And when you come in early, your boss does not see that (in fact, nobody sees that). Yes, that is the difference. Unless, you are lucky enough to have a boss who chooses to come in early, and leaves promptly as you. Then, he/she will perceive you as a good worker/employee? Nah, I don't go to such extent of making other people happy and making myself unhappy. I stressed - I sought after QUALITY time at the work place and not QUANTITY. Bosses, if you see your workers staying late everyday, it may be because they are inefficient and ineffective...not because they are enjoying their work, and being diligent, okay? Bosses are smart, right? HA!
I digress too much.
The subject title was to talk about employment, in general. And this was what I heard and gathered from my peers in different instances. Their comments and thoughts -
"...in Singapore, being unemployed is a crime..." :O OMG!
"....I need $2mil cash to retire NOW..." meanwhile, this friend earns a reasonable (to me) basic and told me 10k (this is already heaven to me!) would be nice. OMG! But I see that he has more "free" time than others. At least, he goes for his Jap lessons during weekends and dive/windsurf quite regularly. I asked "is $Xk too low?" . I told him he has what other people found more difficult to achieve, that is, work-life balance.
C: Any lobang ? Are you working or Tai Tai?
Me: what tai tai? was nvr one. :P ...in SGP, even more difficult to be one.
C: Anyway what are u up to nowadays? to me not working is Tai Tai loh
Me: wah.....no wonder I need to look for job lah! If not, will be "branded" such term by pple like you leh! Told u many times already, Tai Tai in SG = not working yet living the high luxurious life leh!
Question: Give specific and detailed accounts where you have exhibited integrity.................and courage at work and also in your personal life.
Answer (it happened to be me): The most "courageous" decision I have made in my personal life that relates to work as well, was when I decided to resign from my job back in 2006, and follow my spouse to USA due to his work relocation. For me, it was a chance to adjust and adapt; to learn and appreciate other cultures and environment. I call it life experience and not work experience. Life experience in turn enhances work experiences in the future.
So it is true. If someone ever asked me for my opinion about going out of Singapore and to somewhere more conducive, I would say "Go". And I would not perceive unemployment as something bad. Hey, can't we be doing other constructive things even if we are not working ? During my "unemployment" times, I don't just sleep, eat, then eat, sleep okay? In fact, I was able to do MORE things that overall enriched myself. I definitely find it more satisfying and happier. Life was much better then.
posted by tigerfish @ 1:32 AM
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