After college days,I have been on hectic daily routine. Family and work has been my life. I tried to push more on my career, reviewed and passed foreign certification examination, trying to get higher score from IELTS, but those made me forget the outside word. I seldom go for movies,shopping malls, and restaurants. Those are for especial occasions only. Growing kids, house hold matters, two shifts work and economic problems, those seemed did not really matter to me, all I was thinking was how to survfive.
Moreover,some opportunities came, middle east jobs. I was confused what to take, either on my specialty that has lower offer and long hours of duty with fixed salary, or on allied field with better compensation and eight working hours?
When I decided what offer to take, I didn’t consider those options above..I have to choose the country where I have some relatives and friends there. Why? Because of emotional support. I know it will be difficult to be away from your love ones and I felt it even before I left my country.
I started working in a setting I didn’t have any experience yet. New things that I discovered made me excited and they were mind cracking lots to learn.
It was not easy.. learning new things while doing the work,new colleagues, new environment and most of all the amazing cultural differences!
In my country, working in a team was very easy, respect and professional integrity is very much highly valued. Here, I had difficulty in coping with the new ways of communication. Not the language ‘per se’ but how they communicate. I have learned that superiors here, who are expats like me, think nothing emotionally when it comes to work. They can even make the staff feel inferior and degraded which I have observed from my co-staff.
Unfortunately, I was chosen to be the team leader, which means I need to execute the will of the boss. I have tried my best to be fair and even support my co-workers emotionally, but like me, they were new to this kind of work and culture. Mind you, I, myself, experienced some of those “culture shock” symptoms!
It was not easy at all. I struggled to get back to myself. Another year I have stayed in the same routine and environment before I completely put my shock in the trash. I started improving myself, and focused on what I can do for the company as a pioneering staff.
I was there when the company was growing, years gone by, I did have my share of blood and sweat with them, and I am proud of my work contributions for the company. But in the long run, it seems there’s no more excitement for me. I felt the stagnation, the routine work becomes boring. I was wondering why I am experiencing this kind of notion.
Then I realised, I still have lots of things to learn. But I don’t know how, when and what to start! I want to discover, explore, and grow more professionally. I know it is possible and I am excitedly and eagerly working on it!!