To Release the Resist

I received a phone call this morning from MDIS, telling me that I have been selected & offered the job as Student Services Executive… & I’m starting work on Monday! *Phew!* I really thank God for finally providing me with a job. The salary is rather low, but I’ll just take it for a start…

Throughout the day, one of the thoughts that passed through my mind is the difference between how I felt when I was first offered a permanent job at StarHub, compared to how I felt this morning, when I was offered the permanent job at MDIS.

Difference in Salary

Firstly, I definitely felt much happier when I was offered the job at StarHub, coz the salary was higher than the salary offered by MDIS. It’s not easy accepting a lower salary & I believe most people can identify with that. In fact, I remembered that I was thanking God that StarHub offered me the highest amount that I had stated as my expected salary, whereas MDIS offered me $100 less than the lowest amount stated as my expected salary. It’s quite a beating to my heart… especially when I have made plans to save for marriage. And it SURE hurts when my girlfriend earns a lot more than me. Believe me, it's a sucky feeling that I try not to think about. So, money wise… I’m definitely earning less in this job at MDIS. So it’s true that the amount that one earns does play a part in influencing our feelings about the job being offered.

Current Employment Status

Secondly, I felt that my life suddenly became a little less insecure, when I was told that I had been offered the job at MDIS… because this time, I had been out of job for more than 5 months… totally discouraged & zero savings… as compared to the time when I was still working as a temp staff at StarHub, before being offered the permanent job at another department at another office location. So the aspect of having some security in life does influence our state of mind too.

Familiarity & Gender Composition

Thirdly, when I was offered the job at StarHub, I felt less stress compared to when being offered the job at MDIS, coz after working for close to 7 months as a temp staff, I knew quite a lot of people at StarHub, so it makes assimilating into the company a lot easier. This time, MDIS is an entirely new company to me, with nobody whom I know & a large majority of females as their workforce. Anyone who knows my employment history will know that it gets me worried working in a workplace with almost all females (in my last job, I was the only guy in my department)… & especially so when it comes to reporting to a female boss. So the gender composition & extent of familiarity does play a part in influencing how I view the job too.

Consider the advice from our loved one

After going through complicated situations & complex decisions over the past year, I have come to realize & understand that it is particularly essential & useful to listen to your girlfriend or spouse, when you know that she is the closest person to you that loves you & most importantly, because God has planned or allowed this woman to be in your life for a reason.

Unless, of course, when we know that God doesn’t approve for certain reason(s), but we stubbornly go ahead with the relationship. But even so, I believe God is big, wise & powerful enough to turn the situation around in His timing, though our choice does not come without a consequence.

But I must say this - This ‘reference point’ is very important & especially so when we guys are already confused & distraught at the complex factors in a particular situation & need someone who is not personally going through the exact amount of physical & mental trauma, to may possibly see the situation a little differently.

Job Stability

This is the point which Rebecca brought out, which although I knew, didn’t seem as clear & obvious to me then, as it is to me now.

That sometimes the nature of the industry which we are working in does play a contributing factor with regards to slightly lesser job insecurity. Rebecca pointed out that MDIS is a private education institution, which focuses primarily on providing education & services to its students / customers.

Comparing an education institution to corporate business organizations that have to adjust to every single turn of tide of just about every possible influencing environmental factor… working in a school environment could maybe be slightly less complex than working in a more complicated industry, which will inevitably start focusing on the primary bottom line of making profits, as the organization grows bigger & more diversified.

Effects & Consequences

Definitely, earning a higher salary is a good thing, so that one can better provide for himself, his parents & his own family. But being paid a higher salary definitely brings along its own possible problems as well.

This is because - unless you are earning your high salary based on sales commission, which also benefits the company… you inevitably become a ‘cost’ or ‘expenditure’ to the company, which puts your position & salary under scrutiny, when it comes to company downsizing, restructuring, merger or even change of higher management leadership e.g. a change of CEO who decides to operate on a different business strategy.

Although every job as its performance indicators, commanding a very high salary inevitably poses an unavoidable question – why should the company pay you this much? And unless you can constantly prove that you are worth what you are getting (seniority isn’t a definite valid reason nowadays, especially since Singapore will soon have crowds of ageing population in the near future), you will be definitely up against a whole lot of pressure & competition.

And coming from me, who have gone through a fair bit of tragic working life crap, taking a cut in salary can be a huge obstacle to come to terms with, especially when we are much older & when having to support a family. Even without these responsibilities, it is already a tough psychological obstacle to rise & overcome, believe me, I know. And many older workers like my Dad can testify to it. Getting only half of what they used to earn (senior employee salary) is not uncommon.

Summary

In short, I think it’s important to learn to embrace & give thanks for what God has given to us. It’s really, really not easy in the beginning… & could possibly drag on for maybe even a longer period of time of testing…

I personally can testify to this, because I have been struggling very, very hard to accept what God has given to me at times. In fact, my ultimate struggle is still really about coming to terms with surrendering & recognizing that it is God who IS & WILL BE the One who provides for me, my parents, as well as my future wife & my family. Not me…

For the old saying that the man is supposed to be the one who provides for the family isn’t biblically sound… for it is GOD who provides for us… in every little thing… even from the simple fact that he gives us a mind, body & able limbs to even work.

It is God’s responsibility to provide… come on, even the sun & the very oxygen that we breathe comes from Him! And it’s our responsibility to do our best where he puts us… & though He did not say that we would be the richest people on Earth, God has still intended work as a part of life… even from the early days of Adam… as he worked in the fields…

For all good things come from God… & as He so clothes the flowers of the field, who tomorrow withers & dies… so will He also clothe us… & even much more… from the abundance of his glorious riches in heaven. Amen.