Strengths and Weaknesses

What is it really that makes up strengths and weaknesses of people?

It is not always easy to pinpoint your strength and weakness. You're going to need a lot of input from the people you interact with. However, it is more often than not that people will tell you what you want to hear instead of the truth. That's because the truth always hurts people and majority of people don't want to hurt others.

Having said that, will it then be okay to define by yourself what your positives and negatives are?

In an interview for example, when an interviewer asks you about your strengths and weaknesses, will you tell them yours based on your job or based on your character? I believe that when a friend asks you know exactly how to respond, but when your career depends on it becomes a difficult question to answer.

I do believe though that in any circumstances, when strengths and weaknesses are asked, they generally would want to hear your character. It is the character of an individual that defines a person anyway.

For me, here I think are my strengths;

- I'm good at people management and relationship building. I also believe that this is my strongest asset.

- I'm good a leading and mentoring people, be it within my family or at work

- Good at planning and organising

- Great at working with others, collaborating is just more fun and makes difficult issues easy to deal with

- A problem solver and a decision maker

I believe that these are weaknesses;

- I can get out of focus at times

- I trust people very easily and this can lead to different results

- And because I trust people very easily, that makes me a reactive person at certain times.

These are mostly the feedback I get from my friends, colleagues and mentors. I do hope however,  that they are mostly the truth.

Change of Environment

We are planning a trip to the beach this weekend to have a change of environment. The weather has been unpredictably annoying lately and it is giving us a hard time coping with our health.

My son has allergic rhinitis and is severely affected by a sudden change of weather. While there is very little we can do about it, we're thinking that a quick trip the sea shore might give us the breather we need.

We thought of flying to Bangkok too but the ocean trip offers more to the health of of our kid. Plus, lesser expenses.

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I also need a change of environment when it comes to my career. My current company, as I have previously written, is coming to an end. And because of that, jobs that we do on a daily basis are getting less and less.

Apart from the fact that I needed a new job, I also think that it's about time to move on and have a change of environment. I am hoping to get a work somewhere else and leave Cambodia for good (and I pray for this to happen).

We have stayed here for almost 6 years now and it's getting comfortable. Something that I wanted to avoid because once you get comfortable with the environment, chances are you won't want to leave.  And as an expat, that may not be what you want and it isn't in my case. While it is not at all bad to get comfortable on a certain place, chances are your career growth will also be impeded at some point. (although I have to admit that that's case by case)

Anyway, a change of environment would be a great opportunity for us as a family so that's our next goal.

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At least for now I have something to look forward to. Something to aim and go for. It excites me just thinking that we're going to start somewhere. Hopefully, we're going to do this soon.

El Nino Phenomenon, A Personal Version

It's really difficult to imagine that in a few more months, the network we built from scratch will vanish into thin air. Yes, the telecom network that we constructed a few years ago had been sold to one of the bigger operators in the country. Although this was anticipated when our the former major shareholder, an international operator itself, sold its entire share to its local partner.

Well the process actually started almost a year ago, but it didn't sink in until now. A lot of employees have already been released since it all started. Only a few of us are now working to finish the remaining tasks.

As it all happen, you come to think that things do really have their beginnings and ends. For ours, once a major threat in the industry, the end is here.

The question for me now, is what lies ahead after all of this?

I chose this role over the other offer I had prior to moving to this country because; 1) It's a better career option & 2) It presented a better opportunity for my career growth. The career growth was really there as I was able to achieve what I never thought was possible. I moved up the corporate ladder so fast that at one point, I  begin to question whether all the decisions I was making were the right ones. It seemed to be that way until all the mergers and sellouts happened.

You must be prepared when the worst of things come and that's what I regret the most, I didn't prepare myself enough. It's true that you should not dwell on things of the past but it is a lot easier said than done. You should live the present and prepare on what lies ahead or better yet plan ahead, a thought I should have kept with me all these times. There are lot's of what-if's now, a lot of what-could-have-been's.

The thing is, I find it more difficult to find a new job now than I used to before. While those who knew me seems to be optimistic of my professional future, I can't say the same for myself. I feel like there's an El Nino Phenomenon in my career nowadays and I can't seem to be on the same page with them. Not when you're receiving rejections and lots of dead-air responses from your job hunting.

It should have been a lot easier now that I have gained so much more experience. But I can't seem to hit the right spot, I can't seem to find the right gig for me. These predicaments are haunting me for a while now. I can't help but to think that I'm now insufficient to fit any role than I was before. It seems that I'm still not good enough (Talking about drought).

There was a time when my self esteem was so high I think I could jump off a twelve floor building and run away unscathed. I can't say the same... at least for now.

Then again, it's not all that bad (yet). I'm still in the payroll until all this handover is completed so that should calm me down, at least until the end. I'd like to think that a new seedling will emerge from the soil where the plant used to be.

But while all of my concerns remain valid and true, I hope, that things will fall into places at the right time. These are my tough days and probably a tough year ahead too, but I know that with the right attitude and perseverance, the grass will be greener. I just need to keep reminding myself of this day and that I should learn a thing or two from all of this, to better provide for my family now and for the years ahead.