Friday, October 30, 2009

A letter to the young engineers

This was a letter I wrote to the young service engineer as I have seen some of them have been troubled by the following problem. Moreover, because of these issues, they can not travel as they are supposed to… and they are leaving such a good company!

I have some understanding on why they have to leave, and I summarize in the category.

1. Can not travel
2. Have to SETTLE after marriage
3. SEE no vision for promotion
4. They think sales field may be having more prospect
5. Heath issues
6. Further studies
7. Others

As I know that if one can not travel, that is because some how their family may not like his kid to travel so frequently.

I have seen a as that one young engineer who is the eldest son of the family and his mother told him not to travel as she is afraid of losing his son, that is a rather extreme and rare case, any way I told him to make a decision himself and he left finally. I do not have any comment this case as I think traveling is needed no matter what kind of job you are in.

Obama would have planned to visit his neighboring country once he is announced to be the US president, the IT guy has to discuss with the customer for more understanding on the need so he has to travel, Service engineer has to travel as we have a lot of installations. Nowadays, fewer jobs that do not involve travelling at all.

Let’s look at this Earth from farther point of view from say the moon, the Earth is just alike a village and are crossing the river from one tribe to another, that is all, no one know the future and I could like to see that we can travel from Earth to the moon to install a new semiconductor equipment when I am still able to see…

Girl Friend, I can not comment as I had never had any girl friend at all, I saw my first wife for only 7 days, and we entered the government office for Marriage registration, after that she became my wife, No girl friend at all! She is my lovers forever…one.

If a Man can not travel because of the girl does not allow to, you have to think for yourself once more, is that Girl so influential and so important to you!? Even being a hurdle to your career development?

Always there is a saying, A successful man had a lady in behind I always told myself a successfully man had a over-controlling lady in behind, you’d better watch out.

People want to be settled because he wants to see and to meet his wife and keep in eye-vision on his wife perpetually! That is not healthy at all, if she love you and she should stay home and raise your little kid and you have to go for top gear striving your 130% effort on your career, that is a to be a real man. And all you need is understanding and support from her, every a while, when you come back from overseas, bring a little gift an to share you funny experience, that is a way to comfort her and to make the future having more support from her.


No Vision for promotion
One engineer told me that Mr. who and who only gets a promotion after working in ASM for 5 years and I can not wait as 5 year as it is too long… Well, I think there is a wrong interpretation on promotion, and it is odious to compare with other. If there is a man who can get promotion to senior engineer in three year time, will you be able to stay and make this as your target to work? …. If you have this idea, I am glad that you will be soon having higher chance being promoted.

As If you always looking at how good and how bad other people is doing, I am afraid you will have no time to focus to work at all. My suggestion to you… to work out a target with your boss and I am sure promotion is not a big issues once you can show your capability, talent and performance to their superior. Time? It is under your hand!

Sales field seems better than service field. The Sales Engineer is like this…. Meeting with customer, sign a few papers, go out with customer for dinner…. Simple and easy…
This is common mis-understanding on Sales engineer role.

I can tell you that are to certain extent not correct…. Sales people has to have that kind of technical knowledge and some kind of communication capability to talk , to listen and to probe customers, if you think you have the capability, I think your manager will be able to spot out your talent and why should he stops you to perform better as a sales?!

To my understanding, it is simple to deal with machine and it is 10 times more difficult to deal with people. I think all roads lead to Rome, all depends how you like you job and how you devote to you job… to be a Good technical people is always a kind of achievement, we have principle service engineer and we have technical manager like …etc, why don’t you set a target to attain this position!?

Health issue
I think if you have a health issue better watch not as it is too young to get a health problem. Some of us have some heart diseases including overseas service engineers and that is a kind of city disease as the unlucky patient is going to becoming younger.
If we have diseases we have better take care!
Without any health, there is no point to talk about good career prospect at all.

Further Studies
I encourage studies, I always feel regret that I did not study enough., and this is my hurdle for being recognized, but some one told me, the world is the Open University, we learn, exam, test everyday… there are too may information we get learn to get everyday especially this is an internet world, so be open and proactive to learn. There is unlimited knowledge, but all we need is our judgment to filter and pick up the essence of knowledge. Major, formal British PM is secondary school graduate, Johnny Depp is just middle school drop out, but he earns USD$5,000 an hour! you have got the ticket to this party already, so please participate, be performing and be a proactive player…. you will be a star.

Do not make further studies as your hurdle to your career…simply I can say so!

My attitude to career, health and happiness are summarized here, I hope to share with you...

When you are young, you use your health to exchange your money; when you are getting old, you use your money to buy back your health. Difference is that, it is too late!

How happy a man is, is not how much he has but how little he needs

Don’t confuse with wealthy and richness, everyone can be rich but only a few is classified wealthy, wealthy has meaning of spiritual satisfaction!

If you like your job, you do not find yourself working!

As I have been working in this company for twenty years. I am proud of myself as I was promoted to senior in about three yeas time, I had been the principle service engineer in the company.

I had been working on a ship in three years… Your so call “Travelling” is NOTHING comparing with the job on board a ship! My mother encouraged me to do so as she said: go out and see the World!

Feverip

No comments: