Been awhile since I share about the current happenings at work. I guess, with me still WFH, it's still always the same boring stuff. Though on a side note, I actually transferred department! Well, my whole team did. But this post isn't about that. Probably will explain in a different post.
The more I work on different projects, the more I realized how much learning I need to go through for each one of them. Everything is so unrelated to one another 😵
At first I figured it would just be the different programming languages and all those thing a software engineer expected to do. But then after awhile, it's not just the IT skills anymore.
Every project would have different clients and each require me to understand different requirements. From understanding tax terms when I was an intern, to currently learning about insurance contract terms like IFRS17. It honestly felt like out of my job scope already. Not to mention, my IT skills are also needed on top of it.
I now understand how experience could increase your value as an employee. Employers aren't just looking for people with the skills based on your field of study, you are valued more if you have a combination of both your skills AND client's needs - in my case, an IFRS17 background.
Honestly, things are bearable if they come one at a time and one thing pauses when another appears. That is actually what happened to me. For the past 4 months, I am constantly assigned to 2-3 different projects but then each one of them also have really slow progresses, which I'm super grateful for btw. Can't imagine learning and doing so many things at once. Definitely not at that level yet eek.
In this situation, I am reminded of one of the university courses I took on my final semester, where I had to refer to manuals and lecture videos to understand how the software tool works. It felt like being a student again. I'm not sure if this is totally normal - learning during work hours - but it's indeed what I've been working on at the moment. It's not as busy as when there is definite deadline with these clients, but it is definitely time and mentally consuming to be expected to know from A to Z.
And with everything new... I can't wait to finally be familiar with this thing!! The beginning of a learning phase is always my least favourite. You feel so vulnerable and clueless that you don't even know what you don't know.
Sometimes I question, do I deserve this much pay when I am pretty much still being treated AND acting like an intern lol.
Don't get me wrong, it still is very much exciting to learn and assigned to a variety of projects when I'm just starting out. My mum asked me the other day, "Your clients memang from various industry eh?" when I told her about my current engagement and that made me realize how variety KPMG clients are.
Also she told me that accounting/financial professionals are pretty much "lifeless" when I told her that the team I'm collaborating with are from the accounting department and they work 24/7, like they even attend meetings on their annual leaves 😳
Coming from someone who needs that work-life balance, damn I could never relate...
Lastly, as my first post of 2022, I'd like to wish my dearest readers a HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Hope it's not to late to wish you a happy and fulfilling year ahead. May Allah bless you in this new year always ❤️️
Dropping by,
Melynn.
