It's been almost 11 months since I entered this company. In this short time, things may have changed pretty much externally but my job description remains pretty much the same and that's the way I like it...
I have been asked a lot, what exactly is my job? Simply put, I am an engineer, I solve problems! However things aren't as simple in the real world. A real life engineering problem has multiple components and each requires a specific skill set in order to understand it and solve it. Can a person master it all? In a single lifetime? Well many would say it is impossible. After all, if one can do the job of so many, why hire so many people? I know better than to try to prove them wrong but I hope to be able to get a grasp of things, enough for me to understand problems fully and get to their solutions. That for me, is enough :)
So where do I fit in this problem solving puzzle? I am the devil's advocate, the guy no one likes to hear from. I find chinks in the strongest of armors, I find the weakest link in the long chain. In short, I find faults. In this position, I am an agent for change and that is the best and the worst part of my job. It is the part I like best because I believe that it is only through changes that we can continually improve to better ourselves and lift ourselves above what we are to what we could be. However, it is also the toughest job because few people love changes and fewer like to hear that they are the weakest link and they have to work harder to catch up. In a very real sense, I am creating trouble and work for many people who would rather maintain status quo.
However, at times I would feel inadequate. What gives me, a young engineer who has just started on his path the right to tell the seniors that what they have been doing for months and years since the beginning is wrong or inadequate? I do not work in that department, I would barely understand the inner workings or limitations of their equipment and their capabilities. Why should they listen to me? This is the greatest challenge I feel and I question myself everytime I go to tell someone that they should change. How can I get them to believe in me and help each other to improve? I believe the change must come from within, I have to develop the necessary knowledge and ability to meet and deal with people from different departments and backgrounds. I must show that I am sincere in trying to help them solve the problem for greater good and prove my worth as a problem solver, as an engineer.
Yes, I am an engineer and I am proud of my job. It may not give me the best pay, it may not command the most respect but there is something satisfying solving each problem and making things better than they were before. Do I like my job? After 11 months, I can still firmly say, yes I do like my job and I will work harder to be a better engineer :)
Royston Tan
Do you like your job?
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Monday, April 05, 2010
031 2010 A Pitstop in Life
Life has always been a rollercoaster ride for me. Exams, projects, relationships and even deaths punctuate this short but eventful life thus far. Stability seemed like such an alien concept. However the fates seem to surprise me all the time. Just as I thought the ship would crack in the storm, it gave me calm waters to navigate. These past months have been... may I dare say, peaceful?
While many find daily life and working a chore, I find welcome solace in the mundane everyday. I am free to enjoy my weekends with friends and family, I sleep peacefully at night without worrying about the tasks that await me when I wake. I welcome these times to mend the cracks, to chart my course through this sea of Life. I have known for some time now, that a key weakness in my life is the lack of long term goals and the short term goals to bring me there but I challenge anyone, to chart a map during a storm where the ship is never steady and survival is a question.
My goals in Life? I have long held that there were 3 things I need to accomplish before I accept my end. First, I want to do a PhD. Not because it opens doors or advances my career, nor for the prestige of being a Doctor. Maybe it is partially due to my passion for pure knowledge. I find fun in learning new things, regardless of when or whether that knowledge would be useful later on. Far more likely though, is for my little sense of pride, a little dream I held since young, to be a scientist. That even though time and fates may delay it, they will never kill that dream. I want to show that I can do it if I wanted it bad enough. A wilful dream, a tad naive but what is a dream if it did not contain those two elements?
Next, I want to own a cafe or a coffeeshop. For those who know me, this comes naturally. I love my coffees, be it the common coffeeshop blend from robusta beans or the blue mountains blend served in high class cafes. Though I have met some who share my need for coffee, few share that same desire. Thus I want a place for coffee lovers by coffee lovers, a place where aficionados can gather to sample and discuss about coffee. A place where I hope to learn to make the best coffee for coffee lovers like me.
Last but definitely not the least, I have a weird dream, to be a taxi driver. This combines two of my favourite things in life, exploring places and meeting people. People may ask, what is there to explore in Singapore? I beg strongly to differ. Have you been to every part of Singapore? Sat at the small coffeeshop at the corner of every street? What is the difference you will naturally ask. After all we are still in Singapore, we speak the same languages, share the same lifestyle and have similar experiences. However, every neighbourhood has its peculiarities and little stories. The early morning queue for coffee and you tiao in Bedok, the beautiful sunset of Punggol End, the deserted estate in Lim Chu Kang, not to mention the countless hidden treasure troves of good food. You only learn of these when you live there and talk to the locals. Life in Singapore is not as boring as what most may think if you note and appreciate the little things in life. Maybe if there is demand, I will write a book but for now, I am contented to explore and enjoy.
Royston Tan
The Beauty of Everyday Life
While many find daily life and working a chore, I find welcome solace in the mundane everyday. I am free to enjoy my weekends with friends and family, I sleep peacefully at night without worrying about the tasks that await me when I wake. I welcome these times to mend the cracks, to chart my course through this sea of Life. I have known for some time now, that a key weakness in my life is the lack of long term goals and the short term goals to bring me there but I challenge anyone, to chart a map during a storm where the ship is never steady and survival is a question.
My goals in Life? I have long held that there were 3 things I need to accomplish before I accept my end. First, I want to do a PhD. Not because it opens doors or advances my career, nor for the prestige of being a Doctor. Maybe it is partially due to my passion for pure knowledge. I find fun in learning new things, regardless of when or whether that knowledge would be useful later on. Far more likely though, is for my little sense of pride, a little dream I held since young, to be a scientist. That even though time and fates may delay it, they will never kill that dream. I want to show that I can do it if I wanted it bad enough. A wilful dream, a tad naive but what is a dream if it did not contain those two elements?
Next, I want to own a cafe or a coffeeshop. For those who know me, this comes naturally. I love my coffees, be it the common coffeeshop blend from robusta beans or the blue mountains blend served in high class cafes. Though I have met some who share my need for coffee, few share that same desire. Thus I want a place for coffee lovers by coffee lovers, a place where aficionados can gather to sample and discuss about coffee. A place where I hope to learn to make the best coffee for coffee lovers like me.
Last but definitely not the least, I have a weird dream, to be a taxi driver. This combines two of my favourite things in life, exploring places and meeting people. People may ask, what is there to explore in Singapore? I beg strongly to differ. Have you been to every part of Singapore? Sat at the small coffeeshop at the corner of every street? What is the difference you will naturally ask. After all we are still in Singapore, we speak the same languages, share the same lifestyle and have similar experiences. However, every neighbourhood has its peculiarities and little stories. The early morning queue for coffee and you tiao in Bedok, the beautiful sunset of Punggol End, the deserted estate in Lim Chu Kang, not to mention the countless hidden treasure troves of good food. You only learn of these when you live there and talk to the locals. Life in Singapore is not as boring as what most may think if you note and appreciate the little things in life. Maybe if there is demand, I will write a book but for now, I am contented to explore and enjoy.
Royston Tan
The Beauty of Everyday Life
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