Thursday, September 21, 2006

Choices, choices!

I quit my current job. I have got a better offer in terms of pay and work in a large American MNC.

At first my boss let me go when he heard that. He did not say anything when he heard the name of the company that I am going to join.

Then today, he had a long talk lasting for 3 hours with me. He said he had been accomodating with me, giving me what I wanted and stuff like that. Which actually is true, he did pass a huge bulk of my workload to my colleagues and put me in business developments. He had even planned out career path for me. However, before everything is about to start, I am tendering. This is not fair for him, he said. Besides, he trust me a lot, allowing me to handle sensitive management stuff even though I am not part of the management. He even told me that the figures that I am handling for him are not accessible to his assistant manager. Which is also true.

And he is even willing to give me the same pay that the other company is giving me.

The thing is, I have already decided to quit. I am finally throwing in the towel. Its been a very taxing and tiring journey for me. I actually sacrificing a lot of my personal life for this job. Because of my colleagues, I lost a dear friend, although I did find him back in the end. Because of my job, I became very loud, bad tempered and vulgar, sprouting very colourful languages when things do not go my way. Because of my working environment, I had to put up with a lot of cigarette smokes and ended up even thinking about taking up smoking. Because of my working hours, I always had to go home late and had to miss lots of my personal private time. It is also because of my working hours that I missed the chance to see my granny for the last time.

I am tired, seriously. I told my boss that I would like a job that gives me satisfaction and I do not mind slogging for the company. But if the job is affecting my personal life and my character and personality adversely, then I do not think it is worth to keep working. It is too much of a sacrifice. I do not want to become another person. I want to be happy as well in my work. Therefore, it is now time for me to leave. I know it is selfish for me ultimately to leave him before he can start all his upcoming projects but I do not want to get him in a situation when I quit halfway through his projects because that would even be worse off. And also I do not want to make myself very unhappy by staying in this job. I am seriously very tired.

However, I also told him that I will think about what he said. I owed him that.

I am so confused. Am I being stupid and foolish to leave when my boss had planned out my career path for me? In the current job, I will have the chance to travel overseas to oversee new projects and to do business development. I will also be having a higher pay than now, the same pay that I will be getting in the new company. The drawback is that the current company is a local company while the new company is a huge American MNC, a famous one at that too. There is also the fact that my health and personal life will continue to take beatings.

Arrgghh... What am I to do?

20 comments:

DK said...

Usually when someone quit, the management will try to retain the person by offering something good like better career path and increase pay.

This is normal.

Ask yourself, are you going to endure more of those things that you been thru for the past 2 years?

iRis said...

No way man!

Thank you so much! You just help me make my decision!

Heh heh..!

rijac said...

i work for big american mnc. take the new job. trust me.

Details: said...

I say go.

To be frank, I think you need this new job as a start of a new life leaving everything behind and start it all 'new'.

Life is bigger than any jobs.

Anonymous said...

Old one no go, new one no come... I think you should stick to your initial decision, leave that lame company. What is a small company compare to the MNC. Promise are meant to be broken, the roadmap your boss came up with might just be bullshit. A change of environment would be good for you. If that Ah Meh Li Ka company really that bad, i think your old boss would still want you back to do all the shit for him. Haaa... I oso wan to change job, image the guy sitting next to you is the cousin of your team leader... Any thing you say will got to the ear of the team leader... I am sian of the stupid job now... stupid picky lady... i mean the team leader...

Anonymous said...

Your decision is correct.
Work experience in an MNC would be more beneficial to your career than any plans at a local company. Besides if you have to slog, do it at an MNC.

Fortitude

Anonymous said...

Don't work for locals man. American/Canadian companies are the way to go. They treat u like a human being and actually give a shit about your welfare. You do have to put in some effort of course, but it pays off so much more. Trust me :) You're doing the right thing by leaving.

Chuang Shyue Chou said...

It's the oldest story in the boss book. I have heard this exact same story told time and again by to several friends by their bosses when they seek to leave the company. Seriously, it's an old line. Be strong.

Anonymous said...

And he is even willing to give me the same pay that the other company is giving me.

Even if he's willing to give you higher than the other company is, do not let it to tempt you to stay.

You'll ruin your own image & self respect if you accept the higher counter-offer by your present company. You'll see yourself as a person who cares more about the money despite the 'sacrifices' that you already went through.

Anonymous said...

Never stay back once you have decided to quit, i have seen ppl who quit and the boss give them promotion and be nicer to them for a while and then again the whole
story begins again and again untill
they resign later.

Never fall in love with your company, fall in love with your job then you should be ok

But dont expect the MNC also to be better than the previous one, its the ppl who you work arround matters rather than the BIG MNC name in your name card

Good luck

iRis said...

Wow, I never know that my blog would actually help me in my decision!

Thank you very much, all of you! You people are so helpful!

Thank you man!

JD said...

Should you accept a counteroffer from your boss after you annouce your newly-found position elsewhere?

"NEVER!", says EmploymentDigest.net.

Reason?

Think about what happens when an employee gives two weeks’ notice. Suddenly it’s crunch time for your boss who needs to fill your shoes post-haste. You think he’s going to be able to find somebody of your caliber in two weeks? Hah! So rather than get himself in a bind, he’d rather string you along, letting you continue your work while he takes his sweet time reviewing resumes and interviewing candidates, many of whom would gladly step into your shoes in an instant at a lower salary. The wheels are in motion to replace you and you don’t even know it. The moment they find that special someone, well, don’t let the door hit you in the tush on the way out.

@ http://www.employmentdigest.net/

Anonymous said...

Go for the American MNC. I've worked in local co & MNCs and I can honestly say, if you want a challenge go for MNCs; but if you want a long term stay, go for operations/back-office, be it local or MNC.

It's really the environment and not the Co which makes the job enjoyable.

But leave this company right now. Your boss says it's unfair to him, blah blah.. but if he was in your shoes, he would leave without a doubt. So he simply put himself first and not think about his employees.

My friend had a job in an MNC. She joined another MNC in the midst of a project. The boss shook her hand on the last day and said, "it's a bigger co. You made a good choice. All the best".

That is a mark of a good boss.

Fleck said...

When I had a chance for a promotion, I actually felt stressed up, worrying about the reduced time I would have with my family, expecially my wife & daughter. Now looking back, glad that I did not take it up. Cos where I am now, I have lots of time for family and friends, and that's what i really wanted. And of cause, I have time for coffee, relaxing type, not those in buisness meetings! Think hard, what you really want?

Anonymous said...

I just left NUS. They did try to retain me, by saying that NUS is very good, but not willing to offer any increments at all.

The money is part of the reason. NUS has been practicing the "American Concept" with a "local twist" for the past 5 years. We do not get what the Gov declares annually. The maximum performance bonus per annum is 2.5mths, but hardly anyone gets it. NUS HR operates a quota system. So no matter how hard you work or how good you perform, only a pre-determined percentage gets the 2.5mths, already lower than the Gov 3 mths NTU and SMU gets. Plus, you get maximum increments of 2% and 3% for the past 2 years. That is not even $100, compared to NTU and SMU's at least $120 annual increments. And again, the quota.

Then the family time. Yup, NUS works you hard, especially if you are not in the academia. Some of the bosses, well... sigh.

The most infuriating thing is, the exit interview is only over the phone. The questions come with pre-set selection of answers, skewed towards making it sound like you quitted because you cannot fit into the environment, or your bosses mistreated you. Not because of the renumeration package.

I am glad I found a way out, even though my bosses are seriously angels compared to the bosses I have now. But at least, this MNC I work for now does not expect me to work OT, and gives you decent increments and bonus. And they do give you a pat on the back, if you really did well.

Sometimes, it's not just the bosses, but the whole package.

Details: said...

Hey girl, guess you must have know that you been tomorrowed :)

iRis said...

Yah man!

And to think I thought its cos my blog suddenly got so popular..

heh

thanks, people of tomorrow!

Anonymous said...

Once you have decided and taken the leap, don't look back. When you land, just know that if it is more crap that you have gotten yourself into, do not complain but make the best of it. All the best in your new endeavours.

TOC said...

I agree with JD, don't look back.
my-boss-will-not-forget-this-betrayal cynicism aside,
this raise you are getting now (from the old coy) is likely to be coming out
from a future increment. But in a new coy, your new pay is what your new coy think you are worth now.

Having said that, it is tough going to a new place.
New colleagues. New polities. New Boss.
But I believe it is part of the journey.
Even if it sucks worst then your current company, you learn something new,
and at the very least, have a point of comparison when you move to the next place.

And no, you are not selfish.
You are only responsible for what you started, not what he wanted to start.
And it's not fair for him to "guilt" you into staying.
He may not be able to find a better employee than you
but I'm sure you will find a better boss than him

Anonymous said...

it seems that it's not whether or not you're confuse about taking up the job or not, i think you're more confuse of what kind of lifestyle you actually want.

first you say you're giving too much time into your work that affected your life and quality time with family and friends, then you talk about doing things you like and don't mind slogging the extra hours. in the end, you're contemplating on whether to accept the job or not.

a lot of people don't prioritise their goals, whether it's life, relationship, job, friendship, etc... they end up doing everything half way, at the end, they regret not doing this and that.

are we being too greedy? with more priority, comes more responsibility, comes more commitment and ultimately more choices to make that confuses everything in our life.

take small steps, mend the things that means most to you, at the end of the day, only you yourself can determine whether to be happy or not.