Akan Datang (Coming soon)

I finally said goodbye to my brief sales career after 2 eventful quarters. Sales quotas were met at the individual & team levels, but I felt no peace in my heart. I just felt that it wasn't my calling and that my strengths and potential were not fully harnessed in that role.

Besides, I was sticking out like a sore thumb in the organization, with my distinctly Christian values against the "anything goes" style that the company swears by in the name of getting more sales. My straightforward, "no white lies, no cheating" style did not sit very well with my subordinate, some colleagues and bosses. I said "No" to all manners of hood-winking, smokescreens and the like. Once, my colleague asked me to tell the customer that a meeting has to be postponed because the person in charge is down with dengue fever, and I said "Are you SURE you want me to say that? If I say it, he will really come down with dengue. Trust me. Anyway, I will just tell the truth and get on with it".

As far as communication is concerned, the fact gets out undistorted, and there is no middleground called Compromise or any manner of salad dressing. It's plain vanilla, plain porridge, or whatever you call it, my friend. Let's face it - It's one thing to mislead and another to tell the truth and convince; I'll choose the latter any time.

So, I have been there, done that, stood like a sore thumb for Jesus, and moved on.

I now look forward to the next passage in my life. I have accepted an IT role in a Christian Voluntary Welfare Organization (VWO), a church to be precise. Having never worked in a church before, or for that matter, in any VWO, I feel exactly like when I first started out fresh from university. But 2 things are certain:

1. Overseeing IT operations is my cuppa. And with a servant's heart and service-oriented personality, it's like a freshwater fish returning to the pond after a brief sojourn in the sea.
2. Working for an organization that serves the pressing basic needs of people, it's like "Wow! High-5!"

So, you can picture my exuberance when I was offered the job.

Join me in my adventure down this passage. I am very sure there are even more opportunities for me to touch lives and make a positive difference. Stay tuned...

Thomas Tan

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Category: Sounding Board, cf_