Each and every day I am learning more about the corporate world, in particular, the financial industry. It's SO fast-paced, especially when you have to deal with potential sales (businesses) that will affect the company's revenue. Everything's expected to be done quickly, cleared urgently and still ensure that there is quality in output. Tough. Very tough for the newbie, i.e. me. Not that my current team colleagues have it easy. They are only 4-5 months old within the team. The rest of the more experienced ones had left. 2 of which, within the last week so OBVIOUSLY there is a massive shortage in staff resource. I happened to be pretty close to the two who left so I raised a help flag to one of them and she will be giving me a KYC training over lunch on Tues, which I hope will really really help in my course of work. It's a little ridiculous now 'cos my boss keeps saying whatever and whatever file is easy to do. It isn't that easy from my perspective because I have zero knowledge of how to do the checks! Where to even start? Or what questions to even ask. Everything is just...boom, thrown to me. I'm taking over one of my colleague's entire portfolio, which is really quite ridiculously a lot. My whole entire cabinet is now packed with files. Files for review and files pending replies, all in different colour formats. Oookay. This is the kind of challenge that many financial institutions (FIs) face, I think. The staff turnover rate is usually very high, especially when the economy is booming.
The expectation to pick up fast is definitely there. To say I am not stressed out would be a lie, although I don't want to continue with this. Need to learn how to manage the stress lor. To juggle the expectations, the work load and to ensure growth in knowledge and good quality in the work produced. There will be a million things clamouring for your attention at work because each task is considered "urgent" and "already overdue" but learning how to prioritise (even for the all "equally-urgent" matters) is a skill that is necessary to keep going at work. My new team knows I am stressed (think they can see from my face) and they have been really nice. Just that they are SO busy, with so many portfolios to cover and pending files to be done, I don't feel good always bugging them for help. But no choice, I have to ask. Better to ask when in doubt and risk being labelled an annoyance than to commit a mistake and suffer massive consequences. One challenge I feel is very evident in this line of work is that...there is a lot of discretion involved. Yes, we are given power. The power to question and ask for more information and the power to decide whether the explanation given is "reasonable enough". Only thing is right now, with my limited knowledge, I really cannot tell how an explanation is considered sufficient or whether there are issues that even require an explanation (i.e. probing). This can only come by building a strong foundation in the principles behind the checks we do and with experience. In other words, you can count that I will be mugging very hard on the procedure manuals and instruction notes over this weekend. And yes, I have my final theory test on 1 Dec 2010! AHHHUGH. Okay, don't stress. It will all be ok. :)
"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."- Philippians 4: 13.
Gosh. And HR has not even processed my conversion form. Haha, means I can actually still leave after my contract ends in December. HAHAHAHA. But I will stay lah. I need the experience. I want the experience. Whatever that I learn and build up now is an investment into my future, which I believe will be pretty bright if I excel in what I do.
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. - Jeremiah 29: 11
Yes, and I claim God's promises for my life. At the end of the day, I realise there is nothing I can hang onto except to God's promises. In many ways, I know that this is where God has brought me to. This company, this area of function. All these while, I really prayed for great colleagues and good bosses and in general, both were granted to me. My colleagues are really nice people. It is said that the financial industry has many bitchy, back-stabbing, 2-faced people who can't want for plunge a knife behind your back or will even stab you straight while looking you in the eyes. Scary stuff. I'm very glad to say that my current work environment is not like that. Competitive people? Yes, definitely. There are competitive people everywhere, maybe more within this industry, but I can say there is no one soooo jia lat in my dept whom I cannot stand or work with. This is a blessing, I know, because how many people can say this of their workplace? I've heard so many stories from friends about the "He Xiao Lis" and "Xie Ming Mings" at work (villians inside the Taiwanese soap drama LOVE aka 爱) and the cold snubs they've encountered at their workplace. On this count, I am really veryyyy blessed. My colleagues are such lovely people. The bosses are...well, not too bad. There are many 恶劣 environments out there lor.
Well well, in all things, give thanks! We gotta rise up to the challenge! :)
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