Moving on

November 2008

In this organization at the corporate level, subsidiaries are clustered together by the product types or simply known as ‘business’. At the current subsidiary I am currently attached which is under petrochemical business, we produced vinyl chloride, a specialty chemical used to produce PVC pipes and other end-user polymer products.

I was not here long, only for about 8 months. The company didn’t make tons of money like my previous OPU. The morale of the staff was low. The management tried hard including bending some HR rules and throwing away parties to please staff so that they don’t leave the company and go to the middle east. A small feat by any rate was celebrated in a grand scale.

I left the company on mid October 2008 after my application for an international posting was accepted, not without much hurdles.

It is still a transfer within the parent company, not really a resignation, unlike those lured away by the middle east syndrome who has to tender resignation.

By mid November 2008 I was entrusted to take charge of the HR Dept of the Exploration and Production (E&P) outfit, based in Yangon, Myanmar, after my predecessor there completed his term and left. This was my first experience working overseas. And I look forward to it. Moving to upstream must be fun.

Lesson learnt:
Never stay too long in the same position. Once complacency creeps in, creativity dies. As a rule of thumb, more than 6 years is considered too long. Discuss with your HR to find out the the available opportunity which suits your talent and experience. Discuss with your boss also. You must initiate this discussion, not waiting for your ever-busy HR people.