• NH and friends NoktahHitam is my alter ego. I am a nocturnal Web Developer at Laman7. Part time innovator, full time procrastinator.

  • “Never allow someone to be your priority while allowing yourself to be their option”- Proverb

Qualification or Passion?

This morning I woke up to a call from a respected ex-co-worker who’ve always treated me nicely. In a sleepy tone, I asked what I can do for him?

Do you want to work at E* ?

We’re always that direct. He briefed me about the job scope and told me he needed 20 engineers with roughly 3 years experience. It’ll be a year contract and/or 3 months extension. Just perfect for someone who wants a little bit of this and that.

Personally, I’m tempted. But it comes with a HEAVY price, stall my passion.

To weigh this, let’s do some reality check.

Qualification

  • Engineer – Social status. People think highly of them
  • Monthly Cut – Pegged salary, save consistently, on-time loan payment
  • Time – I eat, sleep, work like others. I hate routine.
  • Commute – Squeeze or stuck? KLCC is the destination, rush hour
  • Professionalism – Ethics and I have to behave
  • Attire – Like most nerdy engineers, Dockers top-to-toe
  • Hierarchy – Works must be approved by boss
  • Creativity – Not needed. Just do as told.

Passion

  • Web Developer – Sounds geeky and unprofessional, no qualification needed
  • Monthly Cut – Chase clients for payment but unlimited possibilities
  • Time – I’m the master of my universe
  • Commute – As and when required
  • Professionalism – W3C standards, I can go wild if I want
  • Attire – Anything comfortable, in boxers sounds awesome
  • Hierarchy – I make the decision, good or bad
  • Creativity – Suck me dry honey!

I’ve asked around for opinions. But in the end, the decision lies within my hand. Take it or leave it, so, what do you really want to do Edwin?

And remember, Obsession is a Young Man’s game. Think!

ps: If you’re a Mechanical/Electronic Engineer with 3 years (more or less) experience, email me your resume at i(a)noktahhitam.com

pss: E* – think of oil and gas, you know who.

 

There are 60 Comments for “Qualification or Passion?”

kerja makan gaji nampak lebih mudah tapi agak stress jgk. terpaksa menurut apa yg majikan nak (w’pun xsemua)
but i do think a freelancer is better because he needs to be discipline with himself…if not,anything won’t go like he planned…

for me,i will just choose the passion one. because even kerja banyak bertimbun-timbun,tapi x rasa tertekan sgt…

Reply to This comment


NoktahHitam replied #1

Terime kasih adekku sayap-hitam :roll: :!:

Reply to This comment


ika replied #1

sama2 my bro heheheh :roll:
now i’m already stress because doing something that really not into me..haiya.. :eek: :mrgreen:

Reply to This comment


ika wrote on December 24, 2008 #1

ko buat la ape yg ko rasa terbaik utk diri ko..aku sentiasa menyokong dari belakang…hehe…anyway, E* aper duh…aku tak tahu…kena tunggu syam jawab gamak nyer :grin:

Reply to This comment


Syam replied #1

Exxon Mobil dude! Ko tatau, patut keluar dari oil & gas industri.

Reply to This comment


|1f34|-|1r3 replied #1

yes syam…tenkiu sbb tlg jawabkan utk aku..skang semua orang leh tahu..haha

Reply to This comment


|1f34|-|1r3 wrote on December 24, 2008 #2

buat apa yg ko nak buat adjer :smile:

Reply to This comment


KNizam wrote on December 24, 2008 #3

my dad works at E* :)

Reply to This comment


lyla wrote on December 24, 2008 #4

kalau aku nk jd engineer balik bleh ke? experience mmg not in engineering la kan, which is kinda obvious from my moniker.

Reply to This comment


NoktahHitam replied #1

gimme ur CV, but I cant promise you anything.

It’s a simple job actually. They want us to monitor raw data and generate reports from it. All calculations provided.

Reply to This comment


thebanker wrote on December 24, 2008 #5

Qualification or passion? Well I think you already know the answer. You’re pretty blatant about it in this post too (read: totally biased descriptions of both jobs :razz: ).You said you didn’t like routine, but look at it this way; maybe stepping in another pair of shoes for a little while is good for you. You do have the upper hand, you know. While other people have skill, you have skill AND passion. Plus you’ll definitely get more networking, thus more clients for your business, etc etc..hehe. I’m such an optimist aren’t I. The choice is yours to make, bebeh. Good luck! :up:

PS: Kalau fresh grad taknak eh? I have one super enthusiastic engineering-graduate friend yang memang all out nak keje dengan oil & gas, tp no experience, CGPA second class upper. Oh well, tell me if he can apply.

Reply to This comment


koma putih replied #1

saya sgt setuju dgn anda! take her word

Reply to This comment


Zaza wrote on December 24, 2008 #6

Oh, and lucky for me, my qualification is my passion :grin: :up: Help me save the world, Eddie!

Reply to This comment


Zaza wrote on December 24, 2008 #7

omg klcc? Be prepared to face jam for about 2 hrs. and leave early. Twenty mins can make all the difference

Case in point:
Leave at 7am – arrive at 7.45am
Leave at 7.20am – arrive at 9+am

Better do something u’re passionate about i think. Day in day out doing something you don’t like is not the way to live

(plus you’d probably have less time to blog)

Reply to This comment


NoktahHitam replied #1

My current office is there too.

Reply to This comment


IcedNyior wrote on December 24, 2008 #8

hmm.. susah kan bro? my bro gave up engineering jobs because it is boring for him, and bla bla bla.. so, he starts his own business. i hope, which ever u decide will be the best of all options available. :smile:

Reply to This comment


abdusfauzi wrote on December 24, 2008 #9

aku prefer passion..sebab aku berfikir,kerja dengan gembira lebih cemerlang dari kerja yang dibuat seperti tiap2 hari yang lepas..tapi,untuk dapatkan pendapatan tetap tiap2 bulan,pilihlah yang kelayakan itu.

Reply to This comment


nono replied #1

Agree with you. Apa-apa pun mmg passion.. Tapi $$$ pun main peranan penting jugak. If dapat offer best tak salah if willing to menerima, tambah2 lagi if by contract. Apa-apa pun mmg terpulang pada fikiran dan budi bicara diri jugak la…

p.s: hate it when i need to ask for ppl’s opinion. psl jawapannya mesti “think what is best for you”. tapi most of the time, i pun akan cakap the same thing jugak dgn orang yang mintak pendapat.. haha

Reply to This comment


NoktahHitam replied #1

It’s so subjective and people want to play safe, hence “think what’s best for you”.

Reply to This comment


xmindfreakx wrote on December 24, 2008 #10

this is what I like about this place.
it gave me time to figure out my own road.

nobody ask people to be what they don’t want to be.
they can choose.

and knowing this place, I had one idea how am I going to make decisions with that engineering qualifications.

p/s: apekah?
p/p/s: thanks for sharing this. not everyone gets to choose between two delicious ‘in its own way’ things like this.

Reply to This comment


hilman wrote on December 24, 2008 #11

moga dipermudahkan segala urusan… masih muda, jalan masih berliku…

Reply to This comment


Kujie wrote on December 24, 2008 #12

ikut hati mati,
ikut rasa binasa,
hmm…
lu pikir la sendiri.
ps.: other people see your qualifications (on paper),
YOU see your own passions (your heart). YOU decide! :up:

Reply to This comment


pcuserz wrote on December 24, 2008 #13

I am still seeking job opportunities which collaborate with my passion.. being an Air Crash Investigator.. but u have to know that if u have multi experience in many field u will become more reliable… as the job is base on contract.. so u won’t stuck in OnG forever like most people.. but as u say, u hold the last decision..

Reply to This comment


smaelz wrote on December 24, 2008 #14

E = Exxon Mobil ?

bukan calang2 orang dapat kerja situ.. whoa!! sungguh berbangga kalau kau kerja situ bro.. leh gak cerita ada kawan blog kerja kat exxon mobil..

well, jgn lepaskan peluang.. bukan selalu datang dalam hidup. apa pun ingat, indah khabar x selalunya sama dengan rupa.. huemm..

Reply to This comment


Khai wrote on December 24, 2008 #15

Exxon Mobil? last time in KA (Komplek Antarabangsa). Hanya tinggal kenangan :cry: :cry:

Reply to This comment


NoktahHitam replied #1

you worked there before?

Reply to This comment


haritz replied #1

yap from 1994 till 1996. Happy to work there cuz suasananya lain, u feel like u work in US :cool:

Reply to This comment


haritz replied #1

for your info I’m just temp workers there thats why only 2 years :grin:


NoktahHitam replied #1

How old are you actually?


haritz replied #1

I’m 38 now hohoh… tua nya aku.. :grin:


haritz wrote on December 24, 2008 #16

Mechatronics boleh apply tak? :P
Just asking… :wink:

Reply to This comment


NoktahHitam replied #1

hantar je resume

Reply to This comment


nono wrote on December 24, 2008 #17

woho.

u should reconsider it. sometimes the weird things can become passion :roll:

Reply to This comment


alone wrote on December 24, 2008 #18

based on your post mmg obvious u r more into web developing drpd engineering.

Reply to This comment


smaku10 wrote on December 24, 2008 #19

if u consider web dev as ur baby, ur business, u wudnt even have this dilemma…

but if u really need the money, experience, a break from web dev, go for it :D

Reply to This comment


waniee wrote on December 25, 2008 #20

Exon mobil ke??? my kakak baru dpt kerja situ. entah2 same mcm u punye job

Reply to This comment


koma putih wrote on December 25, 2008 #21

With passion, comes qualification. But not all qualified people have passion in doing their job. I’ve been into a phase where I get my fixed income every month but end up, I am not passionate enough with the works even though it is my field. So I venture myself by having own biz although am doing the same job nonetheless but this time I do it with passion, and even though there is no fixed income and the level of stress are much higher than working under people, still at the end of the day, I am truly happy for I have the freedom that fit into my dictionary.

If you are looking for stable job, by all means, you can have it anytime with your qualification at hand, but if you are looking for a job that you are passionate enough, I guess it truly have to come from your wise and balance decision. Whichever your decision leads you to, everyone will support you.

Good luck and may the New Year 1430H brings you a lot of good opportunities, NH. Salam Hijrah.

Reply to This comment


NoktahHitam replied #1

I’m gonna take the job and use the money to invest in my other business venture.

Let’s just hope they accept me :razz:

Reply to This comment


zara replied #1

That is a wise decision! Good luck to you and may the new year give you a new hope and excitement. Congratulations, ya!

Oh.. E* stands for that EM, no?

Reply to This comment


Syam replied #1

wuhuhu… after this, your social status will be upgraded. :mrgreen: if u take the offer lah.

ps: ramai awek suka engineer dude! :mrgreen:

Reply to This comment


Zubaidah Arshad replied #1

Not really. I don’t really go along with my male colleagues.

And I don’t chase engineers. Because I know engineers do not have time to even mingle with their girlfriends.

I know that because I am an engineer too.
:(

Oil and gas may sound alluring, if you are stationed in their HQ. Less pay but more time to spend for yourself.

And when it’s about the time to ride the chopper and land on the rig (especially if you are in sub-con company), you may want to revert back to the life you had before.
:)


NoktahHitam replied #1

Read your blog. Care to forward me ur resume?


zara wrote on December 25, 2008 #22

terpulang pada ko la. pikir la masak-masak.

kalau masih buntu. gi solat istikharoh.. :wink:

Reply to This comment


titan wrote on December 25, 2008 #23

Out of curiosity, if let’s say if, you’d take up the offer, what plans do u hv in mind for your current business (and your employees) ?

Reply to This comment


lyana wrote on December 25, 2008 #24

wah… stress ditempat kijer gak ke?
ataupon still dalam dilema pekerjaan
keh keh keh…

kekadang aku ni rase macam salah
menceburi bidang kerjaya jer… tak pe ar
cam kengkawan kater… zaman skang ni
susah nak dapat kijer beb…

ape ape pon.. mintak petunjuk dulu beb
dari Maha Esa. Jangan sampai nyesal kendian
hari… :D

*tapi kekadang terasa gak nak berubah profesyen
kan…. ke ke ke… terpulang ar~

Kreuger®

Reply to This comment


kreuger wrote on December 26, 2008 #25

Huhu… Just accept the offer dude. Lepas tu ko boleh canang satu kampung ko keje kat Exxon Mobil. Exxon Mobil tu dude! Cisss… :mrgreen:

Reply to This comment


Syam wrote on December 26, 2008 #26

nerdy engineers huh? :oops: :oops: :wink:
:wink:

i wonder if my rugged and ‘comot’ blue uniform fits ‘nerdy’ :eek: :eek:

Reply to This comment


lydiarayyan wrote on December 26, 2008 #27

how would you know if you’re choosing the right thing or not?

Reply to This comment


Adila wrote on December 26, 2008 #28

tak rugi untuk mencuba sesuatu yang baru kan?..

Take it and Do it! :up:

Reply to This comment


Najib Hassan wrote on December 26, 2008 #29

“creativity – Not needed. Just do as told.”

Hmm . rasanya perlu juga . bukan semuanya semudah abc.

Reply to This comment


NoktahHitam replied #1

Engineering = Problem solving. Usually innovate. Not create something out of ordinary.

Reply to This comment


asx replied #1

still creativity is needed to solve that problem. =)

Reply to This comment


NoktahHitam replied #1

You really cant accept the fact that your answer is wrong.. can you?


asx wrote on December 26, 2008 #30

yerp . and still i don’t think my answer is wrong . =)

*nvm , its just an opinion .

Reply to This comment


asx wrote on December 26, 2008 #31

I think, go for passion, if that makes you happy. My sister’s teacher was an engineer. gila hebat. she got multi-million projects and all that stuff but now she’s just a secondary school teacher. why? because, to her, engineering is too much work, and she wants to spend her time w her family, and she’s happier that way. she’s also the fav teacher among students that other teachers envy her. *shrugs*

btw, sometimes problem solving requires a tint of creativity. a solution that has never been done before. :wink:

Reply to This comment


Zubaidah Arshad replied #1

NH,
Thank you for such a genuine thought by asking me to forward my CV to you. But I am done with life as an engineer. I may not say it is tiring, but I want to put it as “Time to move on”. I took engineering because I knew it was the only course that could give me a job once graduated, not I love it to the grave. I think am just like you, I used to do freelance especially in flash movies presentation for corporate nights, photography even making tags for events. I love them. But I do not pursue them for now because a lot of reasons.

I will be interviewed around next month for an educational position in one university. From that, I will continue my research that I left many years ago.

I put a lot of hopes in this. I need that job.

Arina,
A lot of my friends who pursued engineering end up being teachers. :)

Reply to This comment


Aisyah replied #1

btw, it’s not Arina. I forgot to change the name. that’s my sister’s name. I’m aisyah. haha.

well, idk how demanding engineering is in our country, but, perhaps, not everyone suits the job for life. idk. :razz:

Reply to This comment


Arina wrote on December 27, 2008 #32

Take the easy money, use it for other means :) Downside? Suffer for leaving your ‘passion’ for few years, do the mundane, boring, routine job and rewarded with big money, well if you consider it as ‘rewards’ for putting your passion away for a while.

Reply to This comment


bongkersz wrote on December 30, 2008 #33

sweeeet topic….so how can i sent u my resume? i monitor, update & cleanse raw datas to be developed into report/s for a living (not o&g sector however). br 6 bln keja…can i apply eddie? :smile:

Reply to This comment


bonggo wrote on January 1, 2009 #34

can a colour blind person be an engineer??
I want to go for mechanical eng course bui
i’m colour blind..
is here any other options for me in
engineering?? :sad:

Reply to This comment


C-A wrote on February 10, 2009 #35

Leave a comment, I won't bite ;)

feed for comments on this post.

Login or Register if don't want to fill in the details below everytime.