Career & Me...

Yesterday i applied for half day leave to attend the Mineral Resources Accreditation Interview done in USM. A few alumni have been invited to come & share their thoughts & experience after graduating & working in industry. I was the only one from my batch (2007 grad), a few from 2006 grad & the others were from 1994 grad! I was like...uhh these guys have been working for 10 to 18 years already...all of them were in the mining & mineral line of job & i was the only one who got lost somewhere in automotive. [sigh]

I'm glad i attended it because these guys were really interesting to talk to. I got this one guy Syukri card somewhere...wait, i go check in my hand bag 1st....ok.got it. mm he's actually Mr Shukeri Ismail who work in Advocet Mining PLC as a Metallurgist based in UK. The way he talk, one can imagine just how much he knew & how far experienced he is. He was saying much on how self confidence is the most important thing to success in just about anything you are doing. Believing in yourself & sticking to your opinion regardless of other people's objection would lead to a bright career especially when you are just beginning to make small steps in climbing the high & many floor of achievement.

I remember asking him, 'you can't always be right, what happen if you are actually sticking to something that is wrong?'
And of course he answered me by saying about the homework that needs to be done & facts to support the theory or solution proposed.
'All i'm saying is that you have to be confident especially when you are the only Malaysian surrounded by the Americans & Philippines. You can't keep quiet & be modest or staying humble as our culture here. You need to voice out your opinion & once you've done it, once you've make up your mind, stick to it till the end & finish whatever you started.' I know he was saying this based on experience.

Being a cynical type, i was already contradicting all the arguments & the facts of reality silently in my head. About not everybody have the right opportunity, chance or personality like him. Just like how not everyone can make the decision straight away without thinking of other priority & consequences. But deep down i know only that few people who dare to be different & willing to take the risk that will be successful.

We all went to dinner together that night...lecturers, the Dean[Dr Khairun] & all the other alumni. At dinner, things are less formal & we talked about much more other things non related to education. Again, i listen intently to everybody & learn new opinions & also at the same time motivating myself on the blurry side of my career path. We talked about history[Jews, Ibnu Sina], industry, even on why kids like theirs are not very keen to eat at certain age...hehe & somehow i actually brought up the subject about preserving culture especially the language[grin..buat mcm d boring2 loop pula]. And the argument last for a while. hehe

I remember one post in my Friendster blog on how i always dream of doing something big, or something which is important to me...& again i was reminded of those during the time spent among these metallurgists, mining engineers, lecturers, mining managers.... So where am i now...? mmm...

Mr Shukeri asked me, 'so...are you going to be in this industry for a long time? i mean in what you are doing right now.'
'No.' was my first answer.
'i'll definitely go to the right direction as in what i studied to be, some time later...till the opportunity comes.' i said looking him direct in his eyes.

So we all exchange cards & promise to attend more of get together like that one...
I headed home with all thoughts running through my head... so whats next?