Career Changing

Iris is 10 months now. Not because she is 10 months, only I can find the time to write. It is because I changed my job.

Changing job is never easy. What more changing your career altogether. It was the toughest decision ever. Even choosing the man to get married to, wasn’t as difficult.

I started my career in audit 7 years ago in one of the Big4. I enjoyed my time there, I complained a lot though, but I loved it. I was so workaholic, that going home past midnight was just a routine for me. When I got married, I knew I had to leave audit to find back my life.

I left audit and joined the corporate world after 5 years in one of the largest insurance company in Malaysia. I must admit I had a great prospect, good position, challenging tasks, attending external conferences, meeting big shots from big corporations, meeting regulators and governance body, I enjoyed every single bit of my work.

But what I didn’t like, was the inflexibility. There were no understanding and flexibility for young working moms like myself. Going home at 6.30pm is considered very early. Certain fixed period of time, you cannot plan for leave, and definitely cannot afford to fall sick. And every time you will be praying hard that your children don’t get sick during those period otherwise, you’ll be going to work unfocused, you can’t take leave to care for your child and forced to come to work, so all you see in the numbers are practically meaningless boxes or lines or filling up the excel sheets.

Those times are the accounts closing period. And it’s fixed period. Like every month, you are froze every first week of every month, every quarter will be the first two weeks of the next month from the quarter, and every year end closing, you are practically froze for the whole of January EVERY YEAR (regardless of weekends and public holidays).

After I had Iris in my life, I realised that I could not go on with this. When I tendered, I got to know that I was in the Bumiputra talent management list, they were going to groom me, and going to give me big position in 5 years time. Yea I had my beauty prospect there, but that means nothing if I have to sacrifice my time with my child(en).

I want to be able to take EL when my child is sick. I want to be able to go home at 6.30pm happily, no need to creep to the door hoping that my boss didn’t see me. I want to be able to enjoy my weekends and public holidays. I want to be able to utilise my annual leave by just staying at home, don’t have to have reasons like to fix my car or to go to the bank or to go for checkups just to take one day off. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love challenging work. I don't mind having piles of things to do. But I want flexibility. I guess the working environment just didn't suit me well.

And now syukur Alhamdulillah, rezeki Iris, I found the right place for me to be in, with better pay and better flexibility. I don’t know about my career path though. Because I have left accounting completely. Not that I am confident that I will be a CFO one day, but at least the path that I had was leading towards there. Now, I don't have that option anymore. Sadly, I bid goodbye to the life I had dedicated to for the last 7 years.

 

I am now in one of the government’s financial institution governing body and I am doing Risk Assessment and Monitoring. Interesting right. InsyaAllah. May Allah give me the patience in learning and developing my love for the new job as much as how I loved doing accounting. Ameen.