Thursday 17 May 2007

A professional mistake

Your alarm rings, signalling another brand new day. You get up, looking forward for another new day of challenge, another new day to learn. After washing up, you put on your office outfit, giving you that professional look, one that you believe many out there envy. Breakfast follows (perhaps), and you head off to your office. You’re one of the earliest to arrive, ahead of all your superior and when they come in later, they greet you and you feel all charged up for another productive day. Plenty to do and learn and hence, you are prepared to stay back late to do all that is necessary.

If you’re currently doing a degree in finance, accounting or law, the above is probably what you’ve been waiting for all these years. You work your ass off (well… most of you) in university because it’s your dream to join one of those big glamorous firms out there in the market. Lawyers and accountants are the usual suspects for this curse. Once graduated, all of them will run like headless chicken towards those big firms. If you’re an accounting student… you want to be an auditor in one of the Big-4 right?

Well, if you do make it, it’s like a dream come true. In such firms, you get a personal computer, maybe a notebook (wow!). All your stationeries are free, and it’s also the first time you step into a ‘pantry’, where you can make your own coffee, just like those nice offices in TVB series. Next, you get an exclusive e-mail, the domain after your name is not the ordinary @gmail.com or @hotmail.com or @yahoo.com… No, it’s not, it’s your-name@a-big-and-glamorous-firm.com. You can’t wait to tell that to your friend.

Then comes the feeling of giving a business card with your name on it, and it’s not any other business card, it’s one with your name on it, it’s one that signifies you’re an employee with a-big-and-glamorous-firm. And… the word below your name is not a lowly “accounts executive”… the word below your name is exclusive… the word below your name is… “Associate”. And when your friend gives you the “Wow, you’re an associate with this firm?”… you get into instant orgasm.

3 or 6 months into your job, you will then be experiencing the euphoria of saying… I-am-very-busy… I-have-a-lot-work… I-worked-till-very-late-last-night… I-can't-make-it-for-the-gathering-cos-I-have-to-work-this-weekend. Yeah, it’s an euphoria because to you, it’s a privilege to be busy, it’s very cool to work late, you’re very proud to work in during weekends. When you utter such words, a sense of arrogance and pride radiates from you. You feel great because working so hard means you learnt a lot of things, those not in the professional industry somehow looks lowly to you. You feel big, you feel you’re a level smarter than them .
Reality will tend to sink in within 2 years or so, though the duration seems to be getting shorter and shorter now with the younger generation.

First, you will probably ask yourself, how come a graduate like you must do all sorts of donkey jobs such as photocopying, checking invoices, going through pile and pile of documents and filing. You will also be wondering how come your superior whom you once looked up to have to suck up to clients. Oh yeah… most all clients are unreasonable.

If you’re an accountant, you will probably realise that there is no such thing called a ‘balance’ sheet. It’s balanced because you did the balancing act so that your big boss can sign on it and certify it as ‘true and fair’. Yeah… signing on accounts, the job that you once dreamed of… isn’t exactly all a bed of roses. You then realise that you will probably never reach that “just-need-to-sign-only stage” but hey… it’s ok, you probably hate that job by now. When you tell your client something, chances are you are just as blur and confuse as them. But you have to act as though you’re an expert because you’re the con-sul-tant. This is just a glimpse of it.

Now, all the late nights and irregular meals will probably caused you to age 8 years in 2 years. Those I-am-very-busy… I-have-a-lot-work… I-worked-till-very-late-last-night… I-can't-make-it-for-the-gathering-cos-I-have-to-work-this-weekend will take its toll on your body and it will show. You will probably look very skinny… or very far… you will certainly look old and worn out. Working late and spending weekends in the office is no longer a cool thing but absolute stupidity. But hey… you will still have to do it, because there’s still much work to be done.

By now, all your friends who ended up as salesmen or doing other thing except being a professional, those whom you felt superior to are driving anything but a proton. But for you, it’s time to think whether you should buy a proton cause your perodua is beginning to give you problem. Of course, if your father is well-connected fella, things can be different. But if you’re not, tough luck. You’ll be wondering how come you’re generally under-paid. Those exposure and learning curve that you once craved are no longer relevant. You want to make more money. But unless you’re a partner of the glamorous firm, money can be a lil tough to come by.

At this point of time, probably after 3, 4 or 5 years, you finally realised
that document you signed when you first joined the glamorous firm was nothing but lies. Then, you decide to ply your trade in the commercial world, you leave those glamorous firm. You think joining a commercial firm will bring about a good change, not knowing that such move means you switched from being a ‘profit centre’ to a ‘cost centre’. One of the main effect of the switch is that you will be working doubly hard compared to the profit centre, which probably includes a lot of late nights too… but your salary and bonus is much lower compared to profit centre. What does this mean… a story for another time.

One thing for sure… your morning will now be something like…

Your alarm rings, signalling another day… another weekday. You get up, after snoozing the alarm a million and one times. You hope today is Friday, but it’s not, and you feel like shit. You think of a million and one reasons to take MC, but you realised you have to go to office because you failed to finish the report due today though you stayed till 10pm last night. You tell yourself you need to change job, just like how you have been telling yourself in the last 1 year. Once in office, you’re in a dilemma cause you want time to go slower so that you can finish your work but yet, you want time to go faster so that you can leave the office and go for lunch.

During lunch, you will bitch with your colleagues about work and probably the bosses. You will all talk about so many people who seem to be doing so well except for you. You realised you should have done something else while in university. You realised you may have made a mistake in life… a mistake in being a professional… you have made… a professional mistake.

P/S: I've added a "Zewt top 10" at the sidebar. Any entries that you think which should be or should not be there?

100 comments:

Argus Eye said...

ah..cool one. rather thought provoking and pragmatic

Anonymous said...

That sounds like your working life, zewt. Yeah.. i once dream of dressing up as a cool designer and work in a big big design companies especially the famous ones and it means that you got time to work no time to die also. But darn cool leh. But in the long run, can vomit blood. Haha

Therefore, I changed my mind. I still want to work in big companies but not being a designer because this position is seriously underpaid unless you are super geng.

So, I assume that you are not a super keng accountant therefore you are experiencing this. Or else you will be paid well but still overload with lotsa work. Kekeke... Who asked your dad is not someone big?

Again, I want to retire liao after grad :P

rainbow angeles said...

Touchwood!

Well, did you make a professional mistake? :P

ps: Can put all entries in the Top 10? Haha... ei, it's a compliment la ok...

TingTitLei said...

u sound like youre talking from experience. are u ? haha

stop being a slave! open your own char kuey teow store today and be your own boss!

Anonymous said...

Ahhh.. thank goodness I did not end up in the professional line where I had to rush things everywhere. :P

Rashikaps said...

Sparked a feeling of deja vu. The euphoria is done with. Calmness now prevails. :)

For most part, I've been associated with the eLearning Industry where long hours are the norm rather than being an exception. After working insane hours like a dog, I'd started looking like a dog. :)Only when you realize that life's passing you by, making ugly signs, do you realize the need to strike a balance. I did... also realized there is no perfect job. My earlier eLearning job was much more challenging than my current one. However, my work hours now allow for much more free time. So yay! I'm good. :)

I like what you've written about a job being just a means to make a living.

CRIZ LAI said...

We work to live and not live to work. So do you think being a professional is an easy job? All work and no play makes Zewt a dull boy :P

I myself have climbed the corporate ladder...I myself have taken one too many qualifications in order to be up there...what am I now? I'm not in where I'm supposed to be right now.

I rather work for myself than to work for others, even though the job is not related to any my qualifications :P

confessing7girl said...

hiiiii!!!!!! ur sexy bloggers ass was tagged...
http://7confessions.blogspot.com/2007/05/another-tag.html

Anonymous said...

When life is out of balance & you're feeling kind of crazy, let these 2 words be your prayer - TIME OUT!

Call a time-out whenever you're:
Tense
Irritable
Moody
Exhausted
Overworked
Under Pressure

Once you declare a time-out, you can share your situation with God.

This is my prayer:

Dear God, I'm so busy I feel out of control. Help me regain my balance & find my centre.

TH said...

Oh no. I'm going to grad this year and ermm..joining a company.

Sounds all glam, but I know I'm only a small fry.

Gah. I hope if the job is bad, at least the people and pay is good!

narrowband said...

I hope you're not speaking from experience, Zewt. But you write so well that it seems like it's your own personal story.

Sounds scary. A professional mistake is the last thing on Earth I wanna make. I had thought of becoming a programmer so I could join big firm like Accenture.

Ah, a 'consultant', yes. But I'm afraid that itself might be a professional mistake. Anyway I got another company instead - but I'm still weighing the pros and cons.

Weig said...

True story....

"I haven't seen you in a month and you've lost so much weight," was what someone I lived with told me three days after the peak ended. Spent the three days in rebooting slumber, waking at my 'usual' times of meals, a.k.a. midnight and 4am.

Remember those good ol' days, zewt? Sounds like it's not good ol' days to you yet. One word, my friend. Migrate.

Unknown said...

Heck, I'd rather be an Ah Long or Bentung Kali. The money is good and the hours short. Why not be a government servant who works at counters, you can shout at people which is a good tension management technique.

**************Jz***************** said...

felt bad enough....reading this again when im back to work this morning...killing....yea wth am doing all the shitty stuffs....could have just do sth else when i was at uni.....sth that i dont have to sacrifice my life for.....not work....cis...

Anonymous said...

Bull's eye, zewt! Being in a big firm, be it accounting, law or consulting, is so over-rated. We were so young and naive then (still young but not naive anymore) to be "conned" into joining a big firm for the sake of "getting experience". Now, the "experience" have a left me scarred for life!

Seaqueen said...

You still haven't added in being a kuli, doing everything and get nothing out of it, no recognition, no thank you's, no sky high bonuses...and the work keeps adding on. Why? Because the bosses thinks we can all do it. Another fantastic reason from them, "not justifiable and no budget to hire more people"
Aren't we all in the same boat??

Daily Nibbler said...

Nothing wrong working in a firm to gain experience, contacts and confidence. After a while if you like, you may set up your own. Otherwise, build a corporate life. Each has its own trills and perils.

Been there, am there...

A man or woman has to choose at some point or another. It is the reality in life unless your dad happens to be the Warren Buffet or something.

Like the photos.

Purple~MushRooM said...

Not for me, I don't think I have made this mistake. I am confortable with my work and life.

Many ppl will say the same thing as your post... most of the ppl will feel the same way. So, no matter what industry it is... there will bound to be someone ranting abt it.

Conclusion... every industry has ppl saying that they made a mistake being there...so.. cheer up la!

Huei said...

hahaha it's like u were writing my mind...hitting snooze a milion times..hoping it's friday..can't think of an excuse to take MC! or does that happen to everyone???

top 10..hmm..i think this should make it..and the employment letter post!! and the chinese type ABC.. actually..alot should go up wor!! top 10 is not enough!!!

me said...

zewt, let me ask you something....when you were a small kid, you must have an ambition...something you wanted to be when you grow up....what was it? i'm sure you didn't dream to be an accountant. why didn't you follow your dreams?

Eileen said...

Oh well, everything have give & take. And we always think that the grass is greener at the other side or the moon is rounder in the western countries.

One should learn to be content & know one priorities, then strike a balance.

Nothing is perfect and that makes life amazing. If everything is under control & predictable, it loses the charm of life.

*I am so good in saying, but in reality I think too much. haha*

Elizebeth D.L. said...

It is all very true!

And if you get "lucky", besides your boss, you also have your no-initiative & lazy assistant to worry about who pissed you off now & then and you wish you can fire her but you can't because there's so much procedure just to fire one person "legally".

Arghh.. sometimes, siu-nai-nai life is much easier to manage.

JamyTan said...

Why mistake ?

CLare said...

Sounds familiar. My best friend (Cheryl) whom I blogged about a few posts before, is working for EY in Kuching. Yeah, she joined the company not too long ago and she's already bitching about slaving her ass off. LOL!

Happy working, zewt!

Pink Elle said...

Hi Zewt, I've always been a silent reader but when I read this post, I simply had to comment. You've put in words what I've been feeling for some time. Is it a professional mistake or is it just a glitch which we should use as a stepping stone to greater things?

~Another bean counter~

Anonymous said...

wah liao u get a LAPTOP hahahah...at least u can store ur gigs of mp3 in there.........

zewt if u get paid highly then u work like a dog its ok at least u get compensated but most of us dont.......

let me comfort u...ppl sales haf a steep income curve at the BEGINNING....but after 10 to 20 year sif they dont INNOVATE themselves they will be stuck thats when the SO CALLEED PROFESSIONALS will catch up.....

Deo said...

Usually after my alarm sounds, I will still be in bed thinking on what reasons to give for being late so that I could get additional 1 or 2 hour sleep.

So the idea of car breaks down lah, have to pick up registered mail lah, send relatives to Pudu Raya lah, collect my check book lah. All play in my mind, without realizing my brain has started working.

Then, no point lah to continue sleeping. I just wake up and will save the reasons to some days in the future. :-)

Luckily I've 30 days annual leave and so far this year I haven't used a single day! Got 8 days from last year maaa... hehehe

"Joe" who is constantly craving said...

for some1 who has just stepped into the first step..aka join a glamourous big firm after graduation..i guess i am very different lor..i was warned audit would ruin my life..i joined tax..then i was put into a team that was meant to be the busiest..until they postponed GST..so 1.5 yrs down the line..i am still enjoying life after 5.30..and you forgot about professional exams dude.. maybe dis might spark an entry for me..very interesting..

Arena Green said...

Getting some hotshot billionaire Tan Sri's daughter to have the hots on you could probably take a lot of drudgery out of a 9-5 life, Zewt! LOL!

Anonymous said...

ok zewt, now I feel like striking off those audit and acc posts that I've been applying for .. ha ha ha.

Horny Ang Moh said...

Ha!Ha! Now u know. Accountant & Banker really have to work their as*s off.Look good only.But bright young fellow like u will made it big someday.At the moment gain experiance & built up the network.Some of my friend who is no so bright during school day are earning much much more then me!!!This post really made me reflect on my life. What have I achieved so far???NOTHINGS!!! Have a nice day.

zewt said...

About Me - hi there. welcome to my humble space. glad you find it provoking... that's what i intend it to be. have to say your page is even more provoking! hope to see ya around!

april - yup, it forms most part of my life. have to admit that. glad you changed my mind. the thing is... professional in malaysia are treated like dirt, becos the supply is too high. every tom dick harry also wanna be a professional so in the end. it's not about being keng or not. in fact, the more keng you are... the more work you'll be given... the later you will have to stay. those going back early are those half past six slave that bosses prefer not to use. that's the reality.

angel - i made it cos i was blur after college... sigh. think most of us did. and also, under the illusion that accounts is the road to success. oh yeah la... i know it's a compliment :)

TTL - haha... yeah, sure make money. but have to be as good as the one in jalan selamat in penang... otherwise, mati also.

cindy - hi there, welcome to my humble space. i am glad you didnt. wonder what profession are u in. thanks for dropping by and hope to see ya around.

Rashikaps - congrats! you made the bold step to get yourself out of the crazy corporate world. i am sure you paid some price but looking bad, it's so worth it isnt it? yeah, a job is just to make a living... dont live for your job.

Criz Lai - yup, which is why zewt is trying to move out of the dull state. many of us build our foundation thinking we will make it big. but sad to say... only a handful will make it. worse... most of the time, it's not based on merit, particular in malaysia... agree?

zewt said...

confessing7girl - oh, i shall have a look later.

Jemima - that's a very good prayer. as for me... i ask for His favours every week. that would be much better... i am sure His favours will do away the tense moments. prevention better than cure... :)

twisted heel - job will be bad... pay.. dont expect much... but you can always count on ppl. that's what kept me going... good luck! :)

narrowband - accenture... heh heh... if you read my 'feeling sleepy' entry... there was this friend who always fell asleep due to fatique... guess which firm she is from? choose wisely my friend. cos it's gonna be for the next 30 years minimum.

cirnelle - yup... i certainly do. but as for me... it's ..."wah, you've got wrinkles! no more baby face lor"... WTF !!!!!! the good 'ol days indeed.

kata tak nak - i could been a govt servant. but i choose a MNC thought it would be glamorous... what a big mistake indeed. sigh... i could have blog more u know! heh heh...

jaezrel - what would you have done if you are given a choice now?

Rabbit said...

oh oh.. i wanted to do accountancy back then, but my dad kinda discouraged me. Now i roughly know why. Ahaks!

zewt said...

yongs - hi there... guess you came from cirnelle's place. indeed... so damn over-rated! everyoen think it's glamorous, but it's just pure slavery. hahaha... well, look at those scar and remind yourself to be wiser next time....

Jessica - no worries... save those for future entries. you know i will certainly pen all that down... right? we are definitey in the same boat!

daily nibbler - well, since you're still there, i guess you're enjoying it. good that you made it. but to many of us, we've been there and wish we would have been somewhere else.

purple mushroom - hahaha... not really, there are certain ppl who really enjoy their work. those are the lucky ones...

huei - hahaha... yeah, i knew you will say that since you always complain about taking MC. top 10 not enough, then how many la? i will take it as a compliment.

me - honestly? i wanted to be an astronaut... wanna be a pilot... wanna be a national athlete. things that are beyond reach. either they are too high level or it doesnt warrant a good earning.

princess eileen - balance is everything... but in reality, nothing balances. everything is unfair. but we could have done something to make bad part less heavy... right?

zewt said...

elizabeth dl - hahaha... my sentiments exactly!!!! i have definitely been there. if you read my 'lifestyle of the smart and stupid'... you will read one really half past 6 staff i had. made me vomit blood!!! yeah, tai tai is the best, but i am not qualified la.

kayatan - becos, it's not exactly what we thought it would be. all the broken dreams...

Clare - EY... hahahaha... tell her...if she is in KL office... tell her it will be 10 times worse. joining the big 4 in the accounting industry can be one big mistake... heh heh...

pink elle - hi there, welcome to my humble space. i think we all thought it was a stepping stone to greater things. and it is actually. but of cos... what are those 'greater things'? thanks for coming out from your silent reader... hope to hear from you more.

economist - catch up? by the time you catch up... those salesmen are already driving big cars with a few properties... the fact that you said catch up means you're already lagging behind.... far behind...

deoughtred - i have 30 days of leave too... wonder if we work in the same place. hahaha... i think you made a good point there. might as well just wake up right? well... the fact that you thought of how to be late already shows... you dont quite like your job.

zewt said...

constant craver joe - well, i guess lady luck is smiling at you eh? but you and i know GST is going to kick in soon and once that happen... you can kiss your food escapade goodbye... i inspired you eh... well... blog away!

anak merdeka - any candidate? :) but i am already taken.

cibol - well, i am sure marg will feel worse. havent heard from her for a while now... anyway, u can always try...

hor ny - this post reflects on a lot of ppl's lives... yeah, i have many friends whom i thought i was smarter than them earlier all earning more money than me now... and i am stuck with the so called experience, exposure, knowledge... that cant buy a car nor a house.

rabbit - haha... what does your dad work as? perhaps he made that mistake and wouldnt want u to make it too. i certainly wouldnt want my children to repeat my mistake.

me said...

financial constraints? those sound like reachable to me...i mean, if others can do it, why not you? there are so many astronauts, pilots and athletes out there. what's so special about you that you can't do it?

i dunno. i've heard of so many ppl being unhappy in their life...and most of them stem from unhappiness in their work place. normal, considering that we spend so much time at work. if we're not happy there, how can we be happy with our life? i just thought...if all of us had chased our dreams when we were little, would we be very happy now? or at least, make all the other inadequacies more tolerable? why does money have to be the determining factor? when you are sitting on a board of a public listed company and the owner of your first barrel of gold, please come back and tell me if you are any happier. i doubt so.

Anonymous said...

Well said, Zewt. To survive, we have to work smart not work hard. On top of that, needed the dough...wut to dooooo

~aSstHa~ said...

hi zewt,

God. I don want to overrun ur blog comments yet again. but jz to share to your readers n u that we all get caught up with "being busy" and not mantaining the contacts we promised to due to work.

I lost a fren recently on tues. it was an abrupt departure that took all of us by surprise. we kept promising we'd set a date to go out and enjoy urself like we used to but after a year n a half, we still cudn't find the time in our hectic "professional" job to make time for just one night out.

the time we all finally got together was sadly for her funeral. i don't think we wanted it to be that way. we cannot reclaim back the lost time we've lost with her for she was a bubbly women.

we promised at the funeral we'd never repeat the same mistake again but it took losing such a dear fren and confidant to make us realise it.

i miss her dearly for she was like an elder sister to me and i cannot imagine how much she's helped me paved my life for the better. can't bear to go back to our dancing places for her memories and the realisation i will never see my dancing queen dance again brings tears to my eyes.

to everyone out there, don't for one minute let your jobs/profession run your life. so much so, you forget the promises you made to friends to meet up every once in a while. before you never get the chance to see them again.

conan_cat said...

whoa, thanks for the helpful peep into reality now. cmon, it just doesn't suit me to work office hours (and more) just for the sake of the stupid name. i have no intention to work in a big company. they're too big, too many lifeless workers inside and boring. i guesss i had better start planning my life so that my life won't end up being a dog...

i'm a cat. XD

Anonymous said...

wah, zewt, how come this post is so coincident (in terms of isi, not exactly the same, but close enough :P) to the a report which I read recently one?
http://micpohling.wordpress.com/2007/05/15/world-workplace-whiner/

Anonymous said...

alamak! i made a professional mistake zewt! so how? :D haha! guess i'm still not that bad. My company not that big, and I still manage to stick to 8.30 - 5.30pm working time here :D
sometime can come in bit late, no office politic, the only thing cannot compare with big 4 companies is the salary, but I'm happy for what I get. At least I'm not working my ass off for a little sum of 2-3k. anyway you get what you asked for, live with it or leave the job. The choice is yours la la la...~~!

JamyTan said...

Zewt,

Of course I know what u are talking abt, I just want to u to articulate :).To say I've been there done might sound arrogant ; but having to work for people for nearly 25+ yrs , I think I know what I mean.

Having been educated in a British system, lived and worked in most ex British colonial countries. Having a post grad. degree, working in big comps is the only norm route that I knew; not until I moved here to the states did I see and know that there is another world out there that I have not known.

Here people are pro market, pro biz, creativity is greatly emphasized. Though there are people who still believe in going to elite IV schools but a lot of people believe in self-make, entreprise, that is why we have KFC lah, MCDonald lah, payperpost lah, google lah,Youtube lah, ebay lah, etc etc and the list go on.

Understand that there is quite a big anti-American sentiments here, I won't elaborate much.

But, I have to say there are so many biz / investment resources that I would never have gotten if I lived elsewhere. That is why I started writing an investment blog. I want to spread the words that it is not that difficult to invest and prepare for a golden retirement nest.

Having say that I understand that environment, policies etc in Malaysia does not make enterpreneurishp an easy route.

However, I have to say I really admire the number of comments on yr blog.U have build yr name on the blog world. Congratulations !

Anonymous said...

I don't know why, since i was in college, i've never thought to be a professional or something. I just want a simple life and a simple job. All my friends say i'm not ambitious.

But i feel like i'm the luckiest one right now.

confessing7girl said...

i totally understand why u dont do tags!! u dont hv to do it!! i find it really boring to get on some blog and see like 10tags and no content!! i dont want that for my blog too!!

Ehon said...

that's why they say choose a job u enjoy doing. :D

H.C. Tan said...

haha. no wonder u comment such and such in my blog. the way u described yours is kinda depressing..maklumlah u sumore in accounting wan..sigh,..so never look at the salary and perks, just concentrate on whether this is what u want to work as rite?..

gosh u r making me even more depressed now..and amplifying my SOAG status!

lovegoddess said...

5 words says it all for me : I'm- SO-tired-of-working !!!!

wish i strike big lottery and just sit around at home catching up on my precious sleep and pursue my interest

hey Zewt, thanks for yr says in my corner ;) I've read the 'ladder theory' before, quite some time ago but didn't read the entire write-up. i remember not agreeing with it. I will read deeper into 'ladder theory' again and make my says from there

H.C. Tan said...

oh forgot to pat u on ur shoulders..u'll get ur big break eventually..heheheh

Anonymous said...

This is definitely a top 10 post, zewt! I can't help but think that it's me, exactly! This is why I gotta get myself out of the rat race...

Cherry Popcorn said...

Oh dear.. you make it sound so scary!!! I don't wanna work!!! Boohooo!!!

you're an accountant? =P

NYPT said...

accurate description of life as an auditor. if you are really good and have friends at the top....partner in 10 years. if not, 30 years. by then, your life would have been sucked from u.

AL said...

Aiyo friend! You really nailed this one to the RED zone man...seriously you've got good insights to what seems to be "normal"...kudos on this blog-try(entry)...hehe...ok trying to be creative here...feelin a bit corny and lame...thats what u get from working toooo damn hard....

Anonymous said...

eh talking about auditor, a friend of mine just sms-ed me last week telling me she want to quit :D she's in E&Y....

zewt said...

me - nope... astronaut is definitely out in malaysia. trust me, i have been to a pilot interviewed and failed. though i play in a lot of sports, i cat reach that level. the closes was bowling when i reached the national youth development squad.

yeah, work is the source of a lot of sorrow for a lot of ppl. but then again, we are stuck in a realistic world, we have to work else we will die... though working too hard will also die. it's a curse the bible says... so what can we do?

i am not asking ppl to just quit... what i am slowly doing... entry by entry... is to create awareness... that if all of u stand firm and stick together.. we can make a difference. cant really say all that now, if you read on in my future posts, which i hope you will... then you will see :)

KGC - hey there, welcome to As Zewt As It Gets. like i said to 'me', i am not asking everyone to just stop... i am trying to create awareness... i shall talk more in my future entries. thanks for dropping by and hope to see ya again...

aSstHa - i am so so so sorry about your friend. perhaps i am going to put up a short note in my next entry to get ppl to read your comments... i think my post is nothing compared to all the comments here. let us all make a pledge to give our life a better treatment.

conan_cat - you're always welcome. that's right... big company's employees have no life. so choose your life as a cat... not dog :P

mich - haha... i never read that honestly... i was actually speaking from experience. but you know what? it only shows... such thing happens all over the world. as you can see from all the comments... everyone can write about the same thing.

zewt said...

bongkers - as long as you're happy, then good lor... the choice is certainly ours. but sad to say, we just keep on making th wrong choice... sigh... if your friend dont resign... that will also be a bad choice.

kayatan - Hi Jamy, it's Jamy right? you certainly have a lot of experience huh. 25 years is a really long time! ya, it's always better to be your own boss than to work for ppl. in malaysia, you can be an entreprenuer... it' easy if you're of a certain race, know what i mean? sam jiu ler... oh... the comments, i must thank you all. without you all, comments will not be possible right? i dont consider some big shot blogger, i am till an infant, hardly 6 months my friend.

Seok Thong - ambition kills... as you've read in some of my entries already. you're really lucky... being simple is good... it's something not many of us is capable of. we should be ashame of ourselves.

confessing7girl - yeah, i did a couple and get sick of it... it's like a blardy chain letter during snail mails day and stupid chain mail in the e-mail era.

ehon - hello there... welcom to my humble space. yeah... when it's something you enjoy, it's no longer a job. right?

HC Tan - yup... the best part in life is when you're a student... when you read SOAG, that's when you make the transition to the slavery world. but i think you are different la. you're an aeronautical engineer!!! your job is certainly more interesting. but then again... who knows? thanks for your pat on my shoulder... :)

lovegoddess - hey there again! yeah, arent we all tired? sigh... but are we doing anything concrete about it? oh... the ladder theory... hope you get more understanding from it!

rinnah - let's race to get out from the rat race! hehehehe... hey, i think you just gave me an idea for a good title!

Princess Shin - i am a tax consultang. i dunno what you're gonna do in the states. not all work sucks.

democratic junkie - hello there! welcome to my humble space. i guess you're one? 10 years? that's pretty quick... unless you're talking about a partner in a medium firm. thanks for dropping by and hope to see ya again...

AL - well, i can do it becos i have been there and unfortunately... stil in it. sucky indeed!!! sigh...

Anonymous said...

luckily i am not good at mathes. :P My family members all say become accountant very good. Every month earns lotsa money..

and in 15 hrs time i will be sitting for a stupid paper which is the accounting, mgmt and economics subject and it is not related to my field at all. damn siao eh.. how to study those debit credit things la..

oh yeah. during my internship i learnt something. never tell your boss that you know everything because he will dump everything to you even if it's not related to your work. so tell him u only know what is related to ur work and others u dunno and difficult to learn. Even if u know, tell him that u still dunno.. kekekeke..

so, you can go home early and don't need to pia so much.

Trader Max said...

I feel you bro.
Time to do something different! :)

Anonymous said...

first time commenting here.
what you're describing was totally my life for 10 years! By the end, I'm reach the corporate ladder that I set-out as goal. I did love the exposure i gained. I finally put full stop to it, and doing nothing at all these days filling my time with hobbies such as photography and cooking but i have no regrets at all :)

Tunku Halim said...

I've been there, I've done that. It's okay for awhile but then there's more to life . . .

Jacss said...

Zewt, u hit it right there again! I nearly got trapped into 'that way' but thank god, 'HE' saved me...working life for me was not that bad.....so far i mean, touchwood touchwood !!!

But i definitely udrstd yr points & absolutely agree with u as i have a lil sis who graduated as a**a affiliate, fighted so hard to get into one of those big 4, having worked like a mad dog there for 3yrs+ (late dinner, supper, put on weight, dark eye ring, bad skin etc etc) & finally her dream was partially realised...she managed to move on to a well-known big MNC with good pay! But now still less than a year there, she wasn't feeling all that good....& her next dream..., she intend to move oversea to work. Though luck is not there yet, but i could predict what future lies ahead for her....!!!
Can i ask yr permission to copy this interesting post for her to read?? Just wanna tease her a bit & hopefully she will live life better !!!!

Mimz. said...

I'd wanted a career in accounting based on a very superficial reason : just so that i could wear clickity-clack heels and sport the pro look all day.
Your post's showed me the other side of the story. Not quite a walk in the park eh?

Jorji said...

Sam jiu!!
now i'm depressed! :)

i werk for the bank.got salary then go to bank,pay this and that then go back to werk.

my boss, said "there's no glamour in going back late" to one of his employee who love to stay back and werk till late but always failed to switch off the lights and aircon when she leave the office.

khoosusan said...

Wow, nice observations. I'm not from finance, accounting or law background but life is just as miserable where I am coz I have a workaholic boss who thinks that people who puts life and family before work are to be next in line for 'voluntary separation scheme' and people wonder why I'm so stressed out all the time.

zewt said...

april - i guess you would have completed your paper by now. how was it? trust me, it's not gonna help you make a lot of money. and you're right about the smarter you are... the more work you'll get... that is just so damn true.

maxforce - and trade shares full time? heh heh...

kris - hi there, welcome to my humble space. well... let's just say not many ppl reach their goals. i am glad you did. but if you really enjoy your work so much, why stop? i guess photography and cooking brings more satisfaction eh? hehehe... thanks for visiting and hope to see ya around.

Tunku Halim - certainly... like writing and blogging :) ... well, i am still in it, sigh...

Jacss - going overseas is a good option, but choose a country where they respect and look up to professional. i have personally been to china, have friends in HK, UK, Aussie, Bahamas, Singapore and Chicago... the money is better, but workload can be quite the same... just that the governance is a lil better. yes, feel free to let your sis read this. perhaps you can just copy the link of this entry. i would love to hear from your sis too.

Mimi Psycho - hello there! welcome to my humble space. yeah, not a stroll in the park. but you're quite right about the professional look. but beneath that... is someone who can only afford lunch at the mamak most of the time. thanks for visiting and hope to see ya around.

jorji - hahaha... yeah, my friend once said everyone works for the bank. that is so damn true. everything we earn, all goes to the bank. but the bank dont really pay the employees well nowadays... that employee is a chinese girl right? hahahaha....

Schweeney - well, get the VSS and relax for a few months before moving on to a better job la... no cant do? why la?

Anonymous said...

dear zewt...

i came by your blog thru 5xmom.

this post really touched something becoz I was one of those "I-am-very-busy… I-have-a-lot-work… I-worked-till-very-late-last-night… I-can't-make-it-for-the-gathering-cos-I-have-to-work-this-weekend "

One of the gatherings I missed out was my granpa's last birthday. He passed away shortly from cancer. From that time..I swore not to be that anymore.

Now..I'm a happy SAHM. No money. No big company name. Don't care about that stuff anymore.

Thanks..

think i'll link u up..hope u don't mind this aunty-aunty does!

Anonymous said...

believe it or not.. i am already awake for 34 hours with no sleep. my exam over already and surprisingly although i cannot really remember the stupid accounts formula but i tried to test using the answers given. objectives maa~!!! the rest tembak lor..

sigh. i think i need more sleep but my final presentation is getting so near:(( so much more to do.. sigh..

oh yea.. if u are smart, dun act smart. coz u still get the same pay as those brainless asses out there. kekekkee...

Anonymous said...

Yes,I wanted (and still do) want to be in the Big4 with my own pc,notebook,email,business card and what not...hehe.
I've been in a not-s-glamorous firm for 2 mths dy and I still have that crave for learning...
One thing I'm not clear exactly...u saying better to remain in the profit centre or the cost centre? Remain in the professional field of move to commercial? Hmmm...

Anonymous said...

Ok, the comments don't look VERY encouraging for someone like me who is currently pursuing a degree in Accounting & Finance. Audit or Tax? I also don't know which one is worst. Any ideas? Sigh..Well, at least I know I will act dumb during my internship during this summer. Hehe.

zewt said...

mott - hello mott, welcome and thanks for dropping by my humble space. well, sometimes, we all need to learn things the hard way, but the important thing is that we finally learnt! yeah, big company, big money, aint everything. most important is happiness! certainly love the link... hope to see ya around...

april - i am sure you will do well. cos most if you have stayed 34 hours without sleep, i am sure you have put in enough effort. so... we must all act stupid eh? act pig eat tiger... understand?

mar - hahaha... well, if you want it so much, you can always try. trust me, they are always looking for ppl. as for profit vs cost centre... i shall blog about it quite soon.

T.c - hey there, welcome to As Zewt As It Gets. audit or tax... hahaha... i can certainly answer that. audit is kinda boring, to me at least. but it gets you places. BUT... you have to work like a dog. tax... very specialise. once you're in it... tough to get out. if you ask me... i will say go for audit, cos i kinda regret going into tax. BUT... please be prepared to work your ass off and hopefully you will not be in the notion of this entry... thanks for visiting and hope to see ya around.

Jazzi said...

Am realizing it already, hence have started making the effort to step out of being an employee... =) Thanks for sharing.

Anonymous said...

yea...looking fwd to that...hehe.
im still waiting for ur professional opinion on my blog again...hehe

Anonymous said...

Ahh thanks for the advice. Interesting, interesting. Man, then I should have opted for Tax in my internship. Heh,but nevermind. I shall try it out. Thank anywayz. I am pretty sure I will be hampered with part of the description in the entry when I graduate and start working. Heh

Anonymous said...

just look at the bright side....professional firm is a good steping stone but dont get stuck there for so long....u will die...hehhehee

i was wid one of the big 4 but i have left to join a GLC firm...the exposure i got from working n the big 4 is great but the life is shit.....

no, i dun really enjoy my work but it's much better thatn working in a big 4.....

cheers

Anonymous said...

Reading your post feels like it is my sis recounting her experience. She is in one of the Big 4 who still wonders why she took a pay cut to get into a glamour glamour company and lose all her "too comfy lifestyle". A high price she claims in "moving out of the comfort zone".

kyliemc said...

guess u r speaking of ur exprerince,huh? at 1st, i'm thinking of joining the big 4 accounting firm as ppl hv been telling me tht being in 1 of the big 4 brings me more prospect in my career. i'll hv more job experience than others who are working with small or medium firms. but after chatting with staff frm big 4 accounting firm, i realise tht those advices tht i hear is ntg but a fairytale stories.

my friends or seniors who are engaged in any of the big 4 are constantly complaining bout their jobs, the odd working hrs and the stress increase to the max when their significant other think tht they hv been cheating behind the lover's back when they are actually working their a$$ off to meet deadlines. totally so uncool. and bitching bout seniors or the management is a big NONO as u wont even knoe if tht person u r talking wif is a fren or foe. not even blogging bout it as it can b used as an evidence against u.

life has turned frm perceived bed of roses to a horrifying nitemare. seniors who r assigned to assist u or guide u turn out to b a monster who wish tht u'll screw up more than s/he does. juniors will hv 2 pray hard tht they get kind and helpful seniors who r patient and r willing to explain instead of juz throwing u a stack of old docs which muz b digested by u a day b4 ur assignment

scary but true...

after hearing their stories and reading ur blog, guess i'll choose to work in medium firms intead. at least i will learn more things. though some seniors can b really evil but at least the chances of me surviving will be greater.

the high salary being offered by big 4 is juz candies. claim forms need to be filled in and the process will take much longer time. it's kinda like u'll b receiving ur full salary[frm d claims] at a later date. the shock i get frm looking at my frens' staff tag is even greater. juz 12mths' difference the young and gorgeous guys or gurls turn to be way older than their age.

zewt said...

Jazzi - no worries. more sharing to come i am sure.

Mar - ok ok... wah, i didnt know i am so looked up to.

T.c - you know of the predicament and yet you wanna get yourself in... hmmm... very daring of you. i will certainly wish you luck.

anonymous - well, it is... but did you manage to launch yourself into the heaven as you thought you will? hehe... thanks for visiting... hope to see ya around.

empty babbles - moving out of the comfort zone? hahaha... perhaps she should read my latest post ya? thanks for visitin and hope to see ya again.

kyliemc - hi there and welcome. wow... such am insightful view! what you said is so damn true becos i have been there. i am glad you made your choice to stay out of it. but then again, i think we can all make a difference if we stay united. i will slowly blog more about it. on how we modern slaves should stick together and make a differnce and not let our boss run our lives...thanks for visitin and hope to see ya again.

kyliemc said...

haha...tht's coz i'm so afraid tht i'll turn out 2 b my frens,tendering resignation letter after 3mths....not a good way 2 start a career..yeah,will b visiting u more often as u r a senior too :D much advices will b needed

zewt said...

kyliemc - well, i have heard of recruits who resigned within 3 days... so your friends arent that bad haha!! well... i will definitely be providing loads of advice... just whether you will all be willing to listen.

Anonymous said...

damn i like ur blog now. come to think about it, when sittin for an accounting paper in my 1st year, i think 95% of the students didn't get their balance sheet right. so what makes ppl think that the balance sheet appearin in the annual reports are actually balanced? lol. true and fair? double lol!

zewt said...

Alex - hahahaha.... you're damn right. how many of us accounts grad can actually prepare a full set of accounts at all? and we wanna be accountants? hmmmm....

Anonymous said...

yeh me and my mates were actually talkin about this. we look at those dressed in smart suits (the students in the accountin association), more than half of em doing internship with the big 4 here in melb. and we start to wonder, they all carry nice files and even write usin the pwc pens.

but why do they onli talk about the good stuff? whatever happened to

"Damn it you newbies! This is not a P/L item!!"

zewt said...

Alex - i think the life in one of the big 4 in aussie is not that bad compared to here. the employee protection in aussie is much better. here... we are really slaves... manipulated by those unscrupolous employer who only wants more money and squeeze you dry.

pendekarwanitabermatapanda said...

:( Oh gawd I hate working world.
Is there any job/work with big pay but will not consume your social life? :S

zewt said...

pendekarwanitabermatapanda - got... become a professional athlete :)

Anonymous said...

this sounds very2... extremely... fimiliar... hey, it sounds like my life!!
- couldn't agree more dear! there's nothing that can be done, resign and join commercial, you'll be a cost center (even worse), join a management consulting firm the load is still the same (sometimes worse!), but with better pay, best choice... a lecturer... you be your own boss, flexi-time and can spend your time with the youngs and energetic...

-trapped-

zewt said...

anon aka trapped - yup... being a cost centre... that is something i am now... and it sucks... truly sucks... but then again, being in the corporate world is like that... isn it? thanks for dropping by. hope to see you again...

missX said...

zewt, you're scaring me with this post!!! Should i change my ambition now? Oh me gosh!

missX said...

zewt, you're scaring me with this post!!! Should i change my ambition now? Oh me gosh!

zewt said...

JustJasmine - hahaha... well, the situation has not changed, that's all i can say...

Anonymous said...

yup true, i make this mistake toooo...now time to change

zewt said...

anon @ 22/7 - you have my best wishes.

Paperhearts said...

Hi Zewt! Would like to tell you something really funny. I guess i am 2 years too late into reading your blog (especially this particular entry). I joined one of the big4 a good 2 years ago and life has been nothig but a living hell. Ended my relationship with my other half exactly a month after i joined this hell hole and i'm still stuck here being a melancholic single girl tht works her life away. Big4 really likes to drained every bit of us till we get fully impaired. I'm loving your blog very much. I never did like bloggers cause in my perception they're just a bunch of sad no life people that spends their time writing about their life on a virtual dairy and totally defeating the meaning of a dairy cause it is available for view to the public. However, you're very much different. I actually sent this post to my work mates and some of my closely related bosses and they all had a good laugh. But i guess its a lil hard for them to leave now as they would most probably get a pay cut outside in the commercial world. As for me i'm still struggling to pull through cause i am under contract and has a year plus a little more to go. This would be a tough one, as i assume you should know its the seniors that takes all the crap from an engagement. Btw i'm an audit and i definitely do work like a dog.

I actually apply light make up and concealer to cover my hideous eye bags and dark circles before i go to work everyday, there was once this friend of my so happen to drop by to pay me a visit and she was telling me "oh my god xxxx! what on earth happened to you? you look so haggered and worn out!" I felt terrible at that point considering i already have make up on. I must really look like a walking ghost in broad daylight without make up. LOL.

Never in my life would i dream that my life would turn out this way. Well once mistakes leads to another and "phow" I'm here!! Lets hope my contractual period ends soon enough. I miss my life as a wild and bubbly girl. Audit has drained the definition of fun out of my life. I'm always way too tired to be a socialite or to attend parties anymore.

So its been long since this entry was made, has your life changed for the better? Sure do hope that you've madew it big for yourself :)

Thanks for this slap-me-back-to-reality post, but i guess i can just sit and complain but still continue with my life here for the mean time. Am really loving your blog. Firstly, it gets a little addictive reading it. Secondly, i love how random you can be and just talk about literally anything under the sky. Its amazing! Keep up the good work!

zewt said...

Paperhearts - hey there! wow... ".... till we get fully impaired..." sounds like the job is getting into you! hahaha... well, i know this particular entry has been circulating the big4 for a while because... one of my ex colleague who knows me and my blog forwarded it back to me! hahaha... talk about being in a small world! :P

on the bright side, some (not all) do get rewarded for all the hard work put in by filling up top post in the commercial world. i am not there yet but i am glad that i am almost there. what is important is that we must realise what exactly we want in life and whether we are willing to sacrifice our life to get there. if you wait too long, you will be stuck, just like how your managers are. some of my friends who are still there in the big4 share the same sentiment.

however, i also understand that the big4 have revised the salary scale a few times in the last couple of years the salary package has been rather competitive. good news, but it doesnt change the fact that it will still drain the life out of your.

i am just enjoying my life without having to do timesheet now :P

zewt said...

marry - thanks...

Anonymous said...

This is such a fantastic post. I take it you're Malaysian or from Singapore as you speak about Protons and Perodua. Let me assure you that half way across the world in North America, thousands of juniors in the big 4 feel the same way :(

I hate timesheets...the only prerequisite for my next job, is no more time sheets.

zewt said...

Anon @ 8/3 11.16am - hahahaha... yup, now that i have been in the no-timesheet world for so long, i dont think i can ever go back again.

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