During my sophomore years in college, one of my professors advised, "Give yourself up until 5 years. Then, if nothing happens within that period, take time and start weighing your options about leaving your current job or changing careers." My father also echoed this very same rule.
The five-year rule, as attested by many Human Resources people and advocated by most graduate schools, is actually a measure of one's broadmindedness in terms of tenure, security and love towards work.
But what if the five-year rule drags on to a ten-, fifteen- or even a twenty-year rule? What now? We now have a dilemma termed as, "crossing the crossroads". Crossing the crossroads is, by no means, a threat to one's improvement. In fact, crossing many crossroads would eventually lead to one's wisdom gradually gaining ground. And not only does the person get wiser, the individual involved also gets more experience and, with this increased sense of experience, one gets "promoted" in a highly social and professional manner.
I have always seen myself as an individual with many talents. In fact, during those sophomore years, I felt I could almost do anything--even with my eyes closed. However, everything changed when I left college and started working for this financial company (I still am very much employed with them at present).
During my first months on the job, I encountered difficulties that I sensed were more of an eyesore instead of a stumbling block. Employee indifferences, officers' lack of veracity to "talk it out " in proper manner (most of these officers DO love and enjoy the company of their fellow officer or senior emloyee/s once an erring employee gets "tabled"), and total unabashed exhibition of untoward behavior by some co-employees turned my world upside down.
The "outside" world that I used to picture in my mind back in college was an entirely different world that was in front of me. I was totally dumbfounded.
The first five years passed with me being relocated to a new branch (or processing site) with high hopes that things might be different. I was wrong. It was much worse. And I was already toying with the idea of leaving my job and start looking for another one.
But I decided to hang on, still believing that things might get better in the long run. But it didn't. Not even after I decided to try my luck with one graduate school did anything change. The second half of the five-year plan was a complete blowout. I quit my MBA studies (I wasn't going anywhere anyway), my transfer request to another site/branch was denied twice and my hopes of getting, at least, a promotion was crushed because one careless employee at the Head Office misplaced (read: LOST) my certificate of completion (I was sent temporarily to another site to perform other sets of duties).
Was it me? Was I a carrier of bad luck? Admittedly, my ego was crushed beyond repair. And even up until now, I still wince in pain and disappointment.
The last four and half years saw me toiling to death. And it has become such a nightmare that the mere mention of the word, "work" immediately draws an eerie picture of me being played around by goblins and unseen spirits. I have totally lost control of my own pacing and was just sailing along to avoid being branded as a "killjoy". I thought, "Why beat them if I could join them?" Consequently, I still got beaten by them....
So here I am now. I am about to cross yet another crossroad in my career life. Another chance towards self- improvement or another chance towards oblivion. I really don't know and I really don't care,either. I might have really lost it this time.
The last time I peered into my yearbook, I saw a young man full of dreams and promise. I was just so proud of him and thought, "He's one lucky and intelligent guy. He's going places!" It was then I finally realized that the young man I was praising was ME. I hardly recognized myself from my picture taken years back. A lot has changed within me during those "lost" years and I don't even like to look at myself anymore. If only I could smash our mirror but then again...
I recently joined a legitimate internet type-at-home job hoping that this would help me out of the rut I am in at the moment and, at the same time, start writing again to my heart's delight (I used to write short stories back in college and even placed 4th in a literary contest held by one of the leading magazines here).
I am, in fact, on the verge of making a very big decision right now. If everything works out fine with this new technology I am now employing for myself, I might finally call it quits this time. For good. Really.
Only this time around, it would be you, my dear readers, who could be able help me with this.
Will this brand new technology help me regain lost ground and be a better individual? I have read many stories of unsung heroes who made it big with this kind of occupation. Would I be one of them? Could I become one of the success stories floating in and around the internet?
I am doing this on a part-time basis for now. I am, admittedly, in dire need of extra income and that is why I am putting on this extra effort. My family's future depends on it. My future highly depends on it. And hopefully, success and progress would follow suit this time.
To quote Obi Wan's master, "Focus on the here and now." And I am just doing that.
To leave or not to leave.
This is NO LONGER a question. It has already become the ONLY available recourse for me.
The five-year rule, as attested by many Human Resources people and advocated by most graduate schools, is actually a measure of one's broadmindedness in terms of tenure, security and love towards work.
But what if the five-year rule drags on to a ten-, fifteen- or even a twenty-year rule? What now? We now have a dilemma termed as, "crossing the crossroads". Crossing the crossroads is, by no means, a threat to one's improvement. In fact, crossing many crossroads would eventually lead to one's wisdom gradually gaining ground. And not only does the person get wiser, the individual involved also gets more experience and, with this increased sense of experience, one gets "promoted" in a highly social and professional manner.
I have always seen myself as an individual with many talents. In fact, during those sophomore years, I felt I could almost do anything--even with my eyes closed. However, everything changed when I left college and started working for this financial company (I still am very much employed with them at present).
During my first months on the job, I encountered difficulties that I sensed were more of an eyesore instead of a stumbling block. Employee indifferences, officers' lack of veracity to "talk it out " in proper manner (most of these officers DO love and enjoy the company of their fellow officer or senior emloyee/s once an erring employee gets "tabled"), and total unabashed exhibition of untoward behavior by some co-employees turned my world upside down.
The "outside" world that I used to picture in my mind back in college was an entirely different world that was in front of me. I was totally dumbfounded.
The first five years passed with me being relocated to a new branch (or processing site) with high hopes that things might be different. I was wrong. It was much worse. And I was already toying with the idea of leaving my job and start looking for another one.
But I decided to hang on, still believing that things might get better in the long run. But it didn't. Not even after I decided to try my luck with one graduate school did anything change. The second half of the five-year plan was a complete blowout. I quit my MBA studies (I wasn't going anywhere anyway), my transfer request to another site/branch was denied twice and my hopes of getting, at least, a promotion was crushed because one careless employee at the Head Office misplaced (read: LOST) my certificate of completion (I was sent temporarily to another site to perform other sets of duties).
Was it me? Was I a carrier of bad luck? Admittedly, my ego was crushed beyond repair. And even up until now, I still wince in pain and disappointment.
The last four and half years saw me toiling to death. And it has become such a nightmare that the mere mention of the word, "work" immediately draws an eerie picture of me being played around by goblins and unseen spirits. I have totally lost control of my own pacing and was just sailing along to avoid being branded as a "killjoy". I thought, "Why beat them if I could join them?" Consequently, I still got beaten by them....
So here I am now. I am about to cross yet another crossroad in my career life. Another chance towards self- improvement or another chance towards oblivion. I really don't know and I really don't care,either. I might have really lost it this time.
The last time I peered into my yearbook, I saw a young man full of dreams and promise. I was just so proud of him and thought, "He's one lucky and intelligent guy. He's going places!" It was then I finally realized that the young man I was praising was ME. I hardly recognized myself from my picture taken years back. A lot has changed within me during those "lost" years and I don't even like to look at myself anymore. If only I could smash our mirror but then again...
I recently joined a legitimate internet type-at-home job hoping that this would help me out of the rut I am in at the moment and, at the same time, start writing again to my heart's delight (I used to write short stories back in college and even placed 4th in a literary contest held by one of the leading magazines here).
I am, in fact, on the verge of making a very big decision right now. If everything works out fine with this new technology I am now employing for myself, I might finally call it quits this time. For good. Really.
Only this time around, it would be you, my dear readers, who could be able help me with this.
Will this brand new technology help me regain lost ground and be a better individual? I have read many stories of unsung heroes who made it big with this kind of occupation. Would I be one of them? Could I become one of the success stories floating in and around the internet?
I am doing this on a part-time basis for now. I am, admittedly, in dire need of extra income and that is why I am putting on this extra effort. My family's future depends on it. My future highly depends on it. And hopefully, success and progress would follow suit this time.
To quote Obi Wan's master, "Focus on the here and now." And I am just doing that.
To leave or not to leave.
This is NO LONGER a question. It has already become the ONLY available recourse for me.
Till we hear from each other again...
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