A man with a past

Went for my 2nd round interview today. The interviewer whom I met this time round was a man, probably in his 30s or 40s. A good man, or at least that was the impression I got from him. He was pretty cool. He came in and started chatting with me, sharing his whole life story and working experience. He didn't even look at my CV. He chucked it aside and said that he didn't believe in hiring a people based on his/ her qualifications and that character and attitude was more important. That definitely helped lah 'cos my grades are pretty poopy. LOL. I could tell he was an honest guy or the level-headed kind, which is remarkable...considering what he has achieved. I'm not kidding when I say he shared his life story. I know where he was born, what kind of family he was born into, the people he preferred to mix with, what education he had, blah blah blah. He is definitely a very qualified guy, if we want to just look at grades, yet he told me he didn't think he was smart. RIGHT. I mean, of 'cos, if you wanna compare, there will always be smarter people around...but he is definitely intelligent (an MBA, straight As, blah blah). Okay, usually when people share their good grades, it will appear as if they are boasting but this man didn't made me feel this way. I can't explain the feeling. It's just the feeling that comes across strongest when you first meet someone. He didn't seem like an arrogant chap. My observation proved pretty accurate when he later stated that he disliked arrogant people and believed in the importance of being humble. Hmm..sounds level-headed right.

The look in his eyes? He is probably a man with some sad past who is trying to move forward. From the way he described this company, well, the company probably doesn't provide a very good working environment but according to him there isn't any company that provides a great working environment, at least none he had previously worked with. The most important thing is having a character and good attitude (the "you" component that is unique) because at the end of the day, the company may stop "liking" you but if you have the capabilities, you can adapt anywhere. All very valid stuff, the things he shared. According to him, the banking industry is very competitive because there are many ladies working in banks and back-stabbing frequently occurs. One moment, one can be doing very well, the next, the person either gets fired for not performing or back-stabbed then fired. Okay, the back-stabbing part is quite well-known so no surprise there. I think, I'm guessing lah, he was "stabbed" by someone in his previous workplace. He mentioned something about how he was doing well and was a star performer and something happened. He didn't make things really clear but I got the general picture. I don't agree that back-stabbing only occurs within the female population, although I admit that women are more likely to back-stab each other. Jealousy maybe? I don't know.

Anyway, he shared like a super lot so I can't possibly type everything here but one sentence he said really summed up his experience in life: "There are no mistakes, only experience." That was the advice he gave me. I was really honest with him as well. Shared with him the struggles I've been facing and what went through my head and in my life the past year. He encouraged me by saying I shouldn't be discouraged (I'm not discouraged anymore, btw. I WAS discouraged a few weeks back...but I've since moved on and grown stronger from there) even when things don't seem to work out. This whole topic started because he asked me why I thought I couldn't land a job even though I was better than all the other "lesser candidates" he had interviewed who couldn't even speak properly, plus I gave people a pleasant impression (aww, thanks). Hmm. I don't know. I mean, this is a question I've been asking myself also. He made me think. I shared with him what I perceived to be the problem. He thinks this job is not exactly challenging and that I am in a way, over-qualified, for this job. Anyone can do admin work. Maybe I haven't been able to think big so...I'm getting small. Regardless, I'm very encouraged by what he said because he implied that I could speak well. Okay, I know I'm not a poor speaker. My command of the English language is decent and I am able to effectively hold a conversation in English. Perhaps I get a little too self-conscious sometimes.

From what I gathered from him, it seems that bank operations doesn't have much a future. He suggested that I look into the role of client servicing or something. He was really nice and wanted to help me get a better idea of what I want in life. He said that I would definitely get a job and I might not know what I want at first but that knowledge would come in time to come. So encouraging right. Yah.

Anyway, he arranged for me to meet the guy in charge of the system change, who is from Switzerland. When he called the dude over, I knew that I had a chance to land this job. 15 mins after I left the place, I was offered the job. :) Of 'cos if we wanna talk about future, there is little future in doing this temp admin job (pay's crappy; no benefits, security or prospects) but I'll never know who I'll meet. Maybe I might meet someone who would become very important in my life, someone who could give me a boost in my career, someone who might impart me with invaluable experience and insights. Everything happens for a reason. I'm hoping to get a better idea of how suited I am to work in the financial industry. This job will kinda be like my "acid test". The man who interviewed me will be my boss and he seems like a great guy. I'd love to work under him actually, 'cos I think there is a lot I can learn from him.

The insurance company called me back this morning. They were keen to hire me...if I was interested in doing the customer service job. The lady who called me actually told me that the interviewers who interviewed me thought I was very outgoing. Wow. Like yet another comment about my "outgoing-ness" again. See, I become outgoing when attending interviews. LOL. At the back of my head, I was a little suspicious of her motive in saying that. I was kinda worried that she would ask me to sell insurance instead. HAHA. I told her I'd call her again tomorrow 'cos I had another interview to attend. Out of the two jobs, I'll choose the bank...even tho' the terms are not as good. I am more interested in the job scope, yeah. Pay's not a major concern for me now. Until I figure out what I want in life, I'm willing to settle for lesser monetary benefits. Yeah. I know I'm appear to be "crawling" now, especially when most of my friends are doing so well in their careers, but surprisingly I'm okay with it. This is my journey, which only I can walk through. This isn't being pessimistic about my future bcos I am confident that my future is bright and it will only get better with time. I just need time to figure out what I love and what I want in life. :)

I'm very blessed.