My First Two Weeks as an Employee

First off: HEEHEE. :p I found this blog entry on my multiply, last July 2008. I was a cadet engineer then. I've had mixed feelings upon re-reading this one. And thought it might be amusing to share this with you guys. It's like remembering an old friend. I'm honestly at loss for words now haha.

I'm just amazed to see how passionate i was then. Hehe, hello fresh grad kid!

*Feeling reaaaally reflective :P *

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Every time the day ends and I think of how I currently am, I always feel thankful, that I have been guided to make a really good decision in choosing this job. Because right now, I'm really having a blast. =D

I've already made a really long blog entry about my current job and the company I work for, so I could share with you my pride and the excitement of belonging here. But just before I was supposed to post it, I saw an announcement, discouraging the use of the company's name and then talking about it in the internet, because company image is something they really take care of, so I decided not to post it anymore.

The company I work for is a subcontractor. They have more than 200 customers from the semiconductor and electronics industry who send them orders to assemble and manufacture as ICs (Integerated Circuits). That's why their main focus is customer satisfaction. It is made critical by the fact that an IC pretty much like the brain of the device, and as we are presently very technology-dependent, product quality is of utmost importance, because the reliability of most of the conveniences and equipment that we have today are at stake, and most importantly, the lives that depend on them.

This type of industry really entails a lot of pressure, because you have to keep up with customer demands, and the highest product quality. This was felt very much during the orientation. People here are proud to be with one of the better companies around, as the training and work attitude that it develops in the person are said to be commendable, and the benefits and compensation are good, but they also acknowledge that not many people are able to survive the extremely tough environment. (totoo niyan, maraming nagtatanong sakin na engineers," sigurado ka ba dito ka? Nako baka magresign ka lang din kaagad!" kanerbyos kaya)

Discipline, safety, presence of mind, and endurance among the employees are some of their most valued virtues. One has to work fast, keep giving their best and high energy even under loads of pressure, learn to deal with all types of people (specially those whose attitudes take an unpleasant turn under pressure… there's a lot of them at the production line so bawal daw ang pusong mamon don), follow and keep in mind ALL rules (and I tell you, there's a whole lot of them) and never, commit a mistake (as much as possible at least. Potek masugatan ka nga lang sa locker ang dami nang cheche-boreche e).

Tough right? Specially for me who can be mali-mali at times. But that's because there's always a lot at stake, like product integrity, company image, and customer satisfaction. Displease the customer and they run out of business.

I feel very blessed because I was assigned to the department that I have worked for during my OJT, so I already know the basics of the job and several of the people I'll be working with, who are really nice. There are a few new faces but I was able to get along with them well. And I really like the work in this department because there is good exposure in the assembly line and in dealing directly with the customer as well. (at in fairness ang ganda na ng office nila! Haha!)

The regular cadetship program involves a month of machine operatorship, 2 months of being a machine and line technician, and 3 months job-specific training. But this program is made for process engineers, who specialize in only one station of the assembly line and seek to improve and maintain the yield of this station. In my case though, I will be a product engineer who covers the whole assembly line to monitor the status of special products as requested by the customer. So it is more recommended for me to at be immersed in several stations.

At first I was assigned to specialize in the Die Attach area (one of the methods in IC production), but because of the nature of our job, an engineer suggested to me that I get immersed in 3 stations: the Die Attach, Wirebond (most critical), and Mold. One station per month. Hopefully my direct superior approves of this. And that would be cooool. =p

In between the line immersions, we'll have lots of training programs that aim to improve us as engineers and as people. It can be held either in Muntinlupa or Sta. Rosa. I'm looking forward to those too.

2 weeks operatorship and 2 weeks technician training per station is the plan. I started last Friday. In the production line, different roles are shown through different badge colors, because everyone wears white bunny suits. Even if I was an engineer trainee, I was made to wear a badge color for the operator, so I really would be one of them, because I was told that an engineering badge tends to intimidate them so that might hinder them from really sharing everything they know about the work. I met lots of people in the line and most of them were friendly and were willing to teach me.

So there, that's pretty much it. I'm really excited to get moving. I feel like working here has given me a chance to have a fresh new start. Do you know that feeling when you think you can do more but you never do? That's always been a frustration of mine. I've always been a so-so student in UP. Well I am proud of graduating on time, but my grades are unfortunately just... blah. I don't know if I'm just acting like a filingera, but sometimes I look at my grades and I feel like I can do more. Then I promise to do better next sem, but I still end up looking at my classcards and feel… blah. Hehe ang lungkot kaya nung last sem, kasi wala na kong next sem para galingan pa ulit e.

There were times when I felt like I was in my element, then I do really well… like when I get a high score for an exam, when I give a well prepared report, or when I am with my former SME execom team mates. That kind of affirms my hunch that maybe, I really am more than a mediocre UP kid.

That is what I wish I could bring out in in this company. I felt very much in my element during the interview, and I'm hoping that it is a good sign. I hope that the training and the culture helps me bring out the best in me. Of course I've done a lot of self-examination and knew what my weak points are, at least most of them, and I am determined to work on them for the next few weeks/ months. With the help of God, I really hope to be a much much better person in a few months, or years. My current plan is to keep on doing everything with a purpose, so that I am really motivated when I work. Hindi yung gagawin ang isang bagay para magawa lang.

Hehe I remember when this trainer told us that career growth oppurtunity is fast for those who really are deserving, that there was a really good engineer, who after just five and a half years, already got promoted as a Senior Engineer (maraming levels e, una Engr1, tapos2 at 3, kumbaga siya, nadaanan na nya yun lahat in such a short span of time), then she challenged us, "o kayo kelan niyo balak?" I joked and said, "Ma'am bukas po! ". But I was like maaaaaaaaaaannnn that's hot! I'd love that! Hahaha. Dreaming has become my favorite past time. :p

So there, this was another incredibly long entry, but can you blame me? I'm really bursting with stories. Hehehe. I hope everyone is doing well. =D

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There's an urge to tell my 22-year old self a thing or two. But I realize I'd better leave things that way. It's always best to let people learn on their own. :p And well, to all those who said I won't even hit 3 years, I'm on my 4th year now and still alive and kicking :p