Eternal Success Story in the Making

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How will you feel if you achieved your dream? Something that would not be ordinarily achieved without careful planning, effort, determination and a divine power working to help you in every step of the way? The feeling is indescribable! I was caught by surprise; I was momentarily speechless… just when I’m about to loose hope.

Today, I am blessed to have one of my dreams come true. My dream company called me and gave a job offer. They offered me a job as a Senior Software Engineer with a salary that tripled my previous one. Although I still need to submit the required documents and undergo a physical/medical exam, I feel that I already have achieved my goal. As a career shifter I have successfully broke inside this industry. The job offer had not only satisfied the things I’m looking for, it even exceeded my expectations… both the job position and the salary.

If you have rendered excellent service and maintained a professional relationship with your previous superiors, co-employees and the whole company they could help put a good word for you when your target company will do a background check. Tomorrow, I’ll be visiting my previous company to express my gratitude especially to the people that were interviewed by my dream company. At the same time I’ll be asking personnel department for the required documents I need to submit before the signing of contract.

Passion, skills, planning, action, and persistence may have helped me achieve this dream but I believe I can do nothing without His guidance… To God be the Glory!

I’m growing weary of waiting for a job offer from my target company. They have already done a background check a couple of weeks ago.

So the game continue. Last night I sent my resume to a couple of international job agency. Maybe, with their vast networks they could help me find a favorable job abroad. The only thing that I was concerned was that I indicated my job preference to be in the manufacturing industry (wherein I had 5 years of excellent experience). This mean, I will no longer pursue my dream job in the IT industry. Anyway, as long as my goal of landing a good job with good pay abroad is met (enough to give my family a good life) I should be contented with it.

I was also surprised today. I received a phone call from a company in charge of hiring staffs for luxury cruisers. The company asked a detailed copy of my resume. This was the result of my Aunt’s referral who is working there. In terms of pay, it is TOO GOOD to be true; it was 20 times higher than my previous salary. My Aunt mentioned this right after I sold my business (February: six months!). I am so grateful she referred me, she is actually a distant relative (2^nd cousin of my mother).

When will my job hunting end? I don’t know. My target is on this coming September, before I turn 29. But the process of giving a job offer is beyond my control. Cross my fingers you say? Hmmm… I don’t believe in luck.

July 9 Sunday – Receive a prank call from a friend who is pretending to be an interviewer of my “dream company”. Learning American accent from a call center, he managed to disguise his voice. Errrrrrrrr. I’ll get you too man!

July 11 Tuesday – My “dream company” called to inform me that Mr. X from their company will call me tomorrow for another interview.

July 12 Wednesday – Mr. X called me, a senior manager of my dream company. It is a closing interview; basically he described the job he had in mind for me. It is on software testing. I was somewhat unsatisfied by the job description, what I want is a job on programming and not a job on testing programs. I’ll try to ask some friends who are inside the company about the job and determine if there are chances wherein software testers would also be doing programming at a later stage of their career in the company.

I know software testing is a part of the software development life cycle and it is a good skill to have, but I want to start my career right this time. I must admit I was going around circles and never really knew what I wanted after graduation. But now, in my career shift, I want to start right. I do not want to waste time on developing a skill that has little or no contribution to the achievement of my definite chief aim.

July 13 Thursday – An agent from a background checking company visited me. Hmmmm… never thought they would go this far. I guess they have too much money to spend… they even hired the service of a second company to do the background checking.

July 14 Friday – Completed and mailed the required clearance papers (regional and municipal trial court clearance). I had been employed in three companies before but I never had to acquire those clearances. All I need is an NBI clearance (counterpart of FBI in the
USA).

This is certainly one of my favorite movies. If you haven’t seen this then maybe you should check the plot at the bottom.

What I like about the movie is the Paradigm Shift or change in perception Jerry had Realizing what “evil” being he had become, mainly because of the demands of his job and his “evil” boss, he searched his soul for the right “principles”. He then brought it out in the form of a mission statement.

As I recall he made the mission statement on just one sleepless night. After spontaneously writing that stirring visionary mission statement for SMI entitled “The Things We Think And Do Not Say: The Future of Our Business,” he was unceremoniously fired. Stripped of his job and a good measure of his identity, he was hanging-by-a-thread and was forced to start from scratch.  

At the time I watched the movie, I haven’t read Stephen Covey’s book… I just recalled the movie today while re-reading the 7 habits. What Jerry did is to become Principle Centered. Bringing out his good character like sincerity, integrity etc. as opposed to just having a nice smile, saying the right words, faking interest on another person in order to get what you want etc. Or what Mr. Covey described as the Character Ethics and the Personality Ethics. 

Ok enough of that… I think I have to do some serious jerrymaguiring… 

From Wikipedia

Jerry Maguire is a 1996 film, staring Tom Cruise, that tells the story of professional sports agent, Jerry Maguire, whose crisis of faith leads him to write a mission statement that advocates better service, fewer clients, and less focus on the bottom line. After he distributes the mission statement to his fellow agents, it gets him fired from his high-profile job. He decides to form his own agency, but is only able to convince one of his clients (played by Cuba Gooding Jr.) to stay with him, and a single employee (played by Renée Zellweger) to join his new company.

Famous quotations by Jerry’s mentor: 

“The key to this business is personal relationships.”  

“If this [points to heart] is empty, this [points to head] doesn’t matter.”  

“Hey… I don’t have all the answers. In life, to be honest, I have failed as much as I have succeeded. But I love my wife. I love my life. And I wish you my kind of success.”

Just received an e-mail… <download ppt>

“An 8 year old child was caught in a market in
Iran for stealing bread.

In their law, he will be punished; his arms will be crushed by a car. He will loose forever the possibility to use his arm.”

He’s only a child! @#@!2)(($$!!!!

Though the email is about the negatives of a certain religion, I would just like to present a different perspective in it.

Thinking about it, I’ve realized how fortunate we are to live in a democratic country wherein human rights are imposed and its violation reviled by the public. I’m also grateful that I don’t have to steal bread because of the savings I had from my previous jobs (I’m currently on a job hunt).

When I was working in my previous company, I recieved another email wherein it tells a story about a father. Getting a job was so hard in his country that he had his hands cut-off on purpose in order to beg!

Thinking again about that email, I learned to love my job more. I learned to be grateful. I learned to be more tolerant with difficult people at work (of course not to the point of being a pushover). I learned not to complain too much of little things at work. That is why I just had to comment on a certain top post here in wordpress. Although the author’s purpose is to suggest improvements in the workplace, there were ”some” work attitude displayed that I do not agree with.

All I’m trying to say is before you complain about the little things in your company… think about the people who are trying desperately to have a job. Before complaining… “How come other companies provide their employees free donuts… or free coffee… etc. etc.” Think about the kid in the picture… who have to steal bread just to mend his hungry stomach… (i still can’t imagine what they did to that kid… you heartless piece of @##!!&*#)

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Oh, I just finished my 1 hour phone interview this morning with flying colors (if I can evaluate my performance).   Just have to wait for another month to finish the overall interview process (2 more interviews). Anyway I just have to continue sending my resume to other companies. It’s hard if you are a career shifter and selective on your prospective companies… but with determination and preparation I believe nothing is impossible!

Play it Dirty:

Ahh yes brown-nosing, who hasn’t seen this in the workplace? Here is an excerpt from http://www.brown-noser.com/ on how to play it dirty.

“Better to have brown nosed and lost, than to have  never brown nosed at all.” 
St. Augustine

Here’s some of the areas that we’ll be covering. Don’t worry if you don’t get it all the first time through because you can always come back. But you’re really smart and I know you’ll absorb it like a sponge.

Here we go:

1. Brown Nosing Phrases and Compliments (this is what brown can do   for you!)
2. What You Need and Don’t Need To Succeed
3. Your Brown Nosing Check List

“Only three things are infinite: the universe, human stupidity and brownnosers and I’m not sure about the first two.”

                                                                             Al Einstein

Brown Nosing Phrases and Compliments

Brown Nosing is part art and part science. A little too much of this or that and you’re recognized for what you really are - a person trying to gain favor with an ‘Ass of Influence’ (or what we like to call the AOI). 

So with that in mind we have put together a “Hall Of Fame” list of time proven phrases that will move you up the ladder of success. Here they are in no particular order:

1. Wow! What a great idea!
2. It’s so surprising that no one has thought of that before.   
3. Have you been working out?
4. I would have guessed 20 years younger.
5. This place would really just fall apart without you.
6. We’re so lucky to have you here.
7. Oh, I agree wholeheartedly.
8. Really? That is such a great plan.

What You Need and Don’t Need To Succeed With Brown Nosing

What you need:

1. The capacity to modify your opinion on the spot if the ‘winds of change’ occur in the senior staff’s viewpoints.
2. The ability to compliment and make senior staff feel important on issues that are truly meaningless.
3. A gushy and emotional affirmative manner to be used to enforce any of the senior staff’s ideas.
4. The knowledge of senior staff’s coffee preferences- also know as ‘one lump or two?’.
5. The willingness to take the bus to work so you can to let senior staff use your car when theirs is in the shop.
6. The eagerness to “Drop A Dime” on your co-workers when it’s in your best interest.

 What you don’t need: 

1. A conscience.

Your Brown Nosing Check List

Here is your check list and some tips to get you started on your dazzling rise as the ‘cream of the brown nosing crop’.

• Orbit senior staff or any persons of influence at every given opportunity. You never know when a chance to jump in and pucker up will occur. 
• Brush up on your work avoidance techniques. These should include: running errands for anyone that can help your career or knows someone well that can put in a good word for you, talking about things you know nothing about, and using general ass kissing measures as required (see brown nosing phrases and compliments).
• Mimic the mannerisms and personalities of senior staff. This will help them recognize you as ‘one of them’ and will raise your standing in the natural brown nosing pecking order.
• Be a Chameleon and change your position in accordance with the senior staff’s whims. (A word of caution here. Never box yourself into a corner on any given position. Another change may be required almost immediately)
• Email this link to any known or potential brown nosing candidates. You may wish to team up as there is safety in numbers when your co-workers find out you did them wrong.

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Play it CleanThere is a fine line that distinguishes a brown-noser and a person who shows obedience and submissiveness to authority. Superiors may perceive a brown-noser to be an obedient and good subordinate while co-workers may perceive a person who is genuinely submissive to authority as a brown-noser. To each his own, I don’t care. The hard truth is that if you don’t get along with your boss then your life will be a living hell. You can beat those brown-nosers if you work hard AND if you treat your boss as a friend, as mentor, and as a human being.The difference between brown-nosing and being genuinely submissive to your boss is that the first one is “eyeservice” and the other one is “sincere”, doing it from the heart.

Do you consider it brown-nosing if you treat your friends or your parents nicely? I think not! Coz you are doing it from the heart. Why not treat your boss the same? Instead of complaining, why not obey first? Instead of spreading gossips about your boss, why not talk about the time he stood up for you? Or the time he commented on your good work. If you value your boss as a mentor rather than the enemy then surely he will consider you as an ally. Good things will surely come your way. Kindness begets kindness.

Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king. Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. 1 Peter 2: 17-18

Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: Ephesians 6:5-7

Sometimes I want to write something about success but it is not fitted to the theme of this blog. So I created another blog entitled “Dirty Tricks to Achieve Success – Exposed”. But the problem was that I am too lazy to submit it to search engines. So I’ve decided to just create a CATEGORY for it in this blog, separating it from my journal to success.

 

There is a fine line between playing dirty to achieve success and playing it clean. The purpose of the topic is for us to stay ahead of those people who employs dirty tricks by choosing the right path and playing it clean.

 

I am hoping that people will also contribute a post to this topic. A “contribute a post” page is available for anyone who wants to contribute a topic. I will just then transfer it to a post named after the contributor so that it will be searchable by search engines.