Restructure- on your own terms

As many of you who have been on my blogging journey would have noticed that my adult life have been one hell of a roller coaster in the emotional department that also saw myself living many lives over working in diverse jobs ranging from that of a shining star of a junior headhunter to a humble cleaner cleaning the residences of affluent Sad Towners .

Recently, I have taken stock of my life and have come to appreciate that I have lived rather larger-than-life as compared to the average person on the street. Just as easy as I don a corporate suit, I put myself into a pair of work boots just quickly and voila, a different persona is borne.

In recent years, I am beginning to notice how fortunate I have been to date. Despite a sporadic and diverse resume, I often find myself in a fortunate position of being headhunted even when I was no longer in the industry that I worked for. A few months ago, I got headhunted (timed ever so coincidentally with my split up with DL and I was so running out of money and options) to be back in my last salaried job as a Recruitment Consultant back home in Singapore. Then last Friday, a strange headhunting call by the Melbourne based recruitment department of a giant fashion forward retailer. 

Then there were those times of going back home to Singapore where I sought financial help to fund my next business idea. I was always on the look out to find opportunities and with a combination of charm, wit and wile, I would plan my next strategy to seek my next “investor” (i.e. my business savvy dad). But ever so easily, the help would be in waiting, handed to me on a silver platter. Despite all great intentions to do good with the money, my lack of experience would land me in yet another financial hot soup and like the prodigal child, I would hang my head down low only to emotionally manipulate my way for a bailout.

So wherein lay my talent I wonder?

Schmoozing, I reckon.  That is why I perform well in interviews, always saying the right thing at the right time and thinking on my feet. I was charming my audience once more. Plus possessing a great memory helps to flatter those who are remembered (the chi chi ladies who come into my shop are ever so impressed by Miss P’s photographic memories as are the well suited real estate agents who come in the shop; Miss P who has an innate passion for all things bricks and mortar would slide into a conversation about the local real estate market just so easily). 

In the last few weeks, I have customers asking me “What are you doing working in a shop?” as if it was a job beneath my supposed “talents”. But I must say running a store is no mean feat. Every day is a juggling game- you need to balance the numbers of sales to wages, fitting an entire store, lots of physical labour, as well as organising charity events. It is a hard slog for a pittance of a pay. The numbers just do not stack up and I give it to my colleagues who are doing real well. I have to give it to them.

So here I am, discontented with making so little and doing so much more. I was reminded of my time in my swinging, manic twenties. In less than three years, I enjoyed huge salary increments and by age 28, I was undeservedly on around $100,000 a year. Yes, I did put in long hours and yes, I was under the pump at times and delivered on the job, but did I really deserve that money? I must say not quite because at times, I did slacked on the job, obsessing about the Old Boy who engaged me in senseless online tiff or Nano who could never get enough of me and taking long toilet breaks sitting on the dunny daydreaming just because I wanted to escape from work (and being a non-smoker, I had no excuse for a smoking break!).  I was behaving like a procrastinating child with no real urgency and seriousness that I was part of a team responsible to bring home a few multi-million dollar deals. And when I went for those secret interviews as I was once again head hunted, I was told I was being underpaid. For some reason, I chose not to leave my job and chose to do time in the big brand name of my old company on my CV which continues to save me and make me very hireable till today into the less sophisticated and more transactional recruitment industry that could be just or even more, lucrative.

Gilding the lilies is what I think I do best. If ever, this could count towards a talent. (Once upon a time, I was supposed to go to Leeds to study law. I didn't think I have all that intellectual rigour to see myself through the grades that would make me eligible to come back to Singapore to practise. So I came to Australia to do a double degree instead in Commerce and Asian Studies to break up the monotomy a little and because I was told I would have diplomats' children as my classmate in this world class university which I fancied the association. As usual, being a last minute person that burns the midnight oil at the eleventh hour, I scored well in class with my "shimmer of brilliance" and got invited left, right and centre for the honours programme and into the International Golden Key Honourary Society which I took the opportunity to wiggle my way into the student committee doing jack to score myself a free trip to America which I then extended to a one month trip to Canada and Cuba). Being socially tenacious is another trait that I can safely attribute to my persona. By the time, I was eighteen, the local Tatler magazine was my favourite magazine. I tried to catch up with the smart set when I am home. Going home is never just quite a holiday for me- it has always been a time to play social catch up to learn about the latest social tittle tattle that have always been useful for me to pull off that oh so worldly charm that Miss P exudes. The one and only time I did none of that was my first trip back last year, that fateful holiday season where I kept company simply with wholesome friends, not bother to dress up and hit the town, instead, met and kissed a boy named Gem... which was how the cookie crumbled in my precarious life with DL.

So yes, I have decided my current retail job could no longer served me on a number of levels-1) work-life balance with this company is a myth and the pittance of a pay just does not justify the company expectations; 2) I find myself in deficit each month; 3) logistically it has been a pain to get to work on public transport for someone like me currently without a car to get around.

Back to my old job of finding a lid that fits the pot so to speak, which is more of a no-brainer and a job that pays me heaps better. I just got offered a job with a global firm. After a number of aptitude and cognitive tests, I was told I am really good at problem-solving.  I suspect I didn’t do too badly with the numerical reasoning too. After vying for a competitive position with 25 other applicants (according to my interviewer, the head honcho), I cannot believe my luck at how quickly the process had moved along for me within 5 days. The head honcho took an instant liking to me at my first interview and described to his boss in my candidate report that I exuded a bubbly and “glass half full” personality. He felt I ticked all the boxes and in fact, had gone as far to say he felt “I was beneath this job”” which I had applied for. I certainly didn’t think so but I do agree to an extent that my previous work experience have given me a certain level of sophistication in the methodology I would employ to work. And even better, he gave me a base salary close to $10k per annum higher than what I dared to ask for because “I think you are worth it”, he said. I had better live up to his expectations and the pressure is on.

What do I say? I am just a lucky duck.  Despite the turmoil and challenges I have been through my life, Life has dealt me a good hand generally. I am never too faraway from re-filling my coffers so to speak.

Schmoozer, I reckon that is what I am. My schmoozing have always helped me travel in charmed social circles, landed me in enviable job positions and every so often, allowed me to get out of trouble. I feel like I am winning once more.

But now, being aged 34 and single, it is time I put my talents to some good use. Time to keep to a job and finally re-lined my pockets that I have once so easily filled and just as easily, emptied. Serendipitously in the past year, I have been eyeing one particular off-the-plan dual –key property development literally next door to my new workplace. Given that I am no early-riser and I am a get up and go person (with no breakfast), this new job may well motivate me to a new level so that I save up just in time for a deposit for this strong rental yield property. I quite relish the idea of living in the heart of town and rolling out of bed to get into work in less than 30 minutes!;)