I think I spent almost half a day interviewing all my candidates today.

The 3 of them were men, and they belonged to the 3 races of singapore. lol.

A has graduated from the university for 2 years already. He is currently working with the CPF. He was like the many others who joins the public sector after holding a degree. Before entering the work force, the REAL cruel working society, he envisioned himself to be in the banking sector. In fact, he had hoped his course of study would land him a job in such an industry. That was his dream since young- to be in the banking industry. When all his friends told him that it is never possible to get a job in an industry you want, he said "I know" He felt that he KNOWS that's the case, but he never feels the sadness until the cold truth hits him-that it really is not possible to get a job in the industry you want.

When i mentioned some opinions I feel about an unnamed sector, he agreed that some were true. No matter how much change you propose to the plans, things will still follow a pattern. Much as they say that job can really let you make a difference to the society or to the company, the truth is not always the case right? The saddest fact is that people are joining this sector because they want to study. Normally, jobs in that sector lets you have the benefit of normal working hours, unlike some other sectors where you have to slog like hell. So, people take up the time outside work to study, which increases their own personal worth. Then, they happily leave the job to take up a higher paying job elsewhere. I was so shocked when I heard this.

In his current job, A gets to see members of the public who gets frustrated or cry because they didnt manage to get what they want. Some colleagues were so devastated and sad because they feel that they couldnt help those people. Some other colleagues were numb to this and just rejected those people outright when they came begging. I guess that's the difference between one who has entered the job hoping to serve and truly help someone out, and one who has realized the sad fact and just rejects people outright without feeling anything. sad huh?

So now, although A still dreams of being in the banking sector from time to time, he realizes that its time to be practical, and enter another job where good money waits, irregardless of the industry. He tells me that one may think that the job and the environment is important, while money is secondary, but when you compare yourself to other colleagues and find that you're not as fairly paid as compared to them, you get very sad, and you start questioning your own worth. Eventually, money rules isn't it? Haiz.

B has been working in a super tough environment for 3 years. He has to be on tenterhooks all day long as the containers at the port, which he is controlling can fall anytime on some worker and crush the poor fella to death. 1 container can have a size almost as big as a football field. 1 night, while he was keeping watch, a gigantic container dropped and crushed someone to death. The guy operating the container could only see the top of the container but not the bottom, where the guy was talking on his handphone. Some miscommunication happened and so the operator didnt know someone was under the container. Furthermore, that industry is not good to be in because its not air-conditioned and its dangerous. Yet that industry is instrumental for Singapore's growth, and people still like to work in there because of the good money.

C is also in a similar industry with B. He has held managerial and supervisory positions for many years. He claims that he is a fast learner, and he attributes every success to 1 word-opportunity. He told me that a person can be as talented as he can be, or hold all the experience in the world, but he will never ever succeed if no one gives him an opportunity to shine. His manager in a company he was in many years ago did just that, and he is grateful for that. The manager let him pick up skills where no one would have ever given. From the experience and skills gained, and through sheer hard work, he got to where he was today. He also told me something cliche, that failure is the root of success, and you will never know that you've experienced success unless you have tasted failure. Which is true, in a sense. He had picked up many skills on his own, and when he was a manager, he had given a job to a guy who had irrelevant experience in the field the company was in. Eventually, the guy was still working happily in his position when C left. C said he had merely given the guy an opportunity, because he had believed the guy would shine, with his attitude. And so I wonder whether my boss has done the same thing to me as well. Yes, I guess he has done that to a certain extent. Exactly how many bosses are willing to give their workers a chance just to prove their worth, and will the worker really grab hold of the chance? I don't know.

From C, I also know alot of technical terms about that industry, like 3rd party logistics, point of sale, etc. That industry is everywhere around the world, can you imagine? If you have the specific skills, you can go so many places and do so many things. Interesting. For example, you can set up a warehouse or distribution centre from nothing. hmmmm.

Anyway these are just 3 random stories that I heard today. It really made me ponder over some thoughts that I had. Also made me see what the world out there is really like. And i really appreciate that they are willing to share their life experiences with a small young girl like me.