Just The Wei I Am

I haven't blogged for a long time! Well, one thing I've been dying to write about is about my new job. I'm so thankful for it. It really did feel like God matchmade me with the job. I had seen the ad in June or July I think, but I didn't apply because my 3-weeks reservist was in the way of things. I felt that it would be better for me to begin my job search after coming back. I really thought the job suits me, and I was really interested in the job. When I came back from reservist, I saw that the company had advertised again! Wow, the job is still waiting. Is God reserving it for me? I applied and went for 3 rounds of interviews and got the job. They have been praying for someone suitable to fill this position too. It has been vacant for some time, and they needed it filled.

This first one month had been great. Still a bit honeymoon, and I'm sure I will get busier as time goes by. My colleagues are a great fun bunch. The office is nice, and God has blessed us with good amenities like the really cool copier machine that just came yesterday.

Overall, I'm thankful. God gives.

I love my job. I still think it's such a God-given opportunity. How can I find another job like this? I like computers, but do not have an IT degree. Yet here I am in a somewhat-IT job. And there is such a great human aspect to this job. I get to play with computers, and at the same time, I can see how what I do plays a role in touching people's lives.

You know, I believe this is a niche market that could do with more exploration. IT plays essential roles in commerce, entertainment, education, and industry. Couldn't the same be true for the human services sector? Give us the tools, the training and the proprietary applications so common in the business world! Why are VWOs not empowered to harness IT the way the corporate world does so? Tools-wise, how many VWOs have an Exchange server, let alone a Sharepoint server? How many VWOs have a 1:1 PC-worker ratio in the first place?

Technologically, VWOs tend to be somewhat behind, sometimes relying on hand-me-downs in the form of hardware donations. Go to one, and don't be surprised to see Windows 98 running on a Pentium II. Don't be surprised if you see the sole copies of business-critical files being stored on harddisks that are approaching their MTTF (about to die). Don't be surprised if the whole office shares a 56.6kbps connection. Don't be surprised their staff use Hotmail for official correspondence.

You hear of doctors, lawyers, and other professionals giving up lucrative jobs to work in VWOs so as to serve the underprivileged. Seldom heard, but perhaps IT professionals can think along those lines? I got my job because the company didn't require an IT degree, just demonstrated proficiency. They figured that if the job required a formal IT background, they won't be able to get anyone, considering the remuneration. But imagine if these professionals didn't mind the pay, and they joined the human services sector!

Much of the work might be indirect, but it can have huge impact. A social service agency can generate as much information as a SME, but MIS departments are unheard of. Cabinets are aplenty. When the agency is blessed enough to have some IT capability, the furthest it goes is often a clutter of Office documents on a file server (if any). Where are the collaboration software? Project management software? Microsoft Access sits around but noone in the agency knows how to use it?

Come on! Let's have us some IT professionals! No jobs for them? Create them! The needs are there... Can't compete with the corporate world for talents? The ball is in their (professionals') court. We need the software engineer/IT manager/etc equivalent of the humanitarian doctor!

I have been looking for software vendors for my project.

Now, there are good vendors, bad vendors, and everything in between.

Bad vendors are the ones who over-promise, look good at first, then proceed to under-deliver and reveal their true colours. They mainly care about their bottomline, and desire only to meet the minimum requirement agreed upon.

Ah, a good vendor, on the other hand, is one who is honest in self-appraisal, and over-delivers. Proud of his competency, and humble in acknowledging his limitations. Tells you what can or cannot be done, honestly. A good vendor has heart - he is interested in adding value to your business through his service. He takes ownership of the project and is proactive as if it were his own business. He values the customer relationship more than the invoice.

I have always been impressed by business people who are generous. It really sets them apart from the majority when they demonstrate a willingness to reduce their short-term profit margin in preference for long-term customer goodwill. Isn't it more valuable to merely halve your profit in order to gain an indefinite number of return visits from your customers?

Win-win, as my secondary school principal has taught us, is really the best business strategy.

Went to the library during lunchtime and got myself the following:

• Test-Driven Development by example


• Agile Software Development Ecosystems


• Ruby on Rails for dummies


• UML - A Beginner's Guide