Back from the interviews, which i think went pretty well. no, i didn't make a mistake. "interviews" is intended to be in plural. at first, i was interviewed by 3 nice ladies, 2 face-to-face, and one via skype from australia. the 2 local-based interviewers are my seniors from NUS, apparently. we had an enjoyable chat, and they told me that i would have to speak to the MD before any offer was made. because he was due to fly somewhere, they scheduled me for an afternoon session on the same day. lucky i hadn't booked a grab home yet then! the phone call to hang around came in just as i was looking for cars, i think. anyway, i then met with the MD, who's a nice australian guy. somehow i think that the environment is more relaxed in this company. maybe because they're australian in origin?
anyway, this job is about as far removed from the lab as possible without quitting chemistry altogether. it's going to be a more corporate environment, and according to the interviewers, it's basically a desk-bound job. The pay is good though, but it's partially because there's no 13th-month bonus. they did mention that salaries are reviewed on an annual basis, so i guess that makes up for it somewhat? i guess that as someone who's just starting out, i shouldn't be too fixated on the money.
more importantly, is this in line with what i want? due to the nature of the contract, plan japan may not materialize. then again, plan japan can evolve and take on other forms, like being sent there for work instead. i think among all my job applications so far, the only ones i would want more than this are the lab manager and the instrument specialist roles. considering that it's been about 2 weeks since the lab manager application, i doubt that i got through the initial screening. as for the instrument specialist role, the application cutoff is mid-april, which might end up being a little late. anyway, i figure that the patent job is an experience. in a sense, i guess the relatively long probation period (6 months) is good, because i get to see whether the job is suited for me or not. and given that the company will invest quite heavily in me if i'm confirmed, it's probably also fair that they use a relatively longer trial period to judge my suitability for the role. for now, gym time. i'll try not to think too much about this while waiting for the results.
anyway, this job is about as far removed from the lab as possible without quitting chemistry altogether. it's going to be a more corporate environment, and according to the interviewers, it's basically a desk-bound job. The pay is good though, but it's partially because there's no 13th-month bonus. they did mention that salaries are reviewed on an annual basis, so i guess that makes up for it somewhat? i guess that as someone who's just starting out, i shouldn't be too fixated on the money.
more importantly, is this in line with what i want? due to the nature of the contract, plan japan may not materialize. then again, plan japan can evolve and take on other forms, like being sent there for work instead. i think among all my job applications so far, the only ones i would want more than this are the lab manager and the instrument specialist roles. considering that it's been about 2 weeks since the lab manager application, i doubt that i got through the initial screening. as for the instrument specialist role, the application cutoff is mid-april, which might end up being a little late. anyway, i figure that the patent job is an experience. in a sense, i guess the relatively long probation period (6 months) is good, because i get to see whether the job is suited for me or not. and given that the company will invest quite heavily in me if i'm confirmed, it's probably also fair that they use a relatively longer trial period to judge my suitability for the role. for now, gym time. i'll try not to think too much about this while waiting for the results.
-random thought of the day: Slightly dehydrated.-
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