I Resigned From My Engineering Job
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
I wanted to blog about it a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, I was too tight up with various tasks and issues that need to be settled first. I have resigned from my job as a process engineer. My last day working as an engineer was 30th June 2008. The next day I was officially working as an educator (I like to use educator more than lecturer because it sound better). I would like to take this opportunity to share my experiences on the few last days as a process engineer and my first few days as an educator.
Previous job chapter….
After being accepted as an educator I tendered in my resignation letter to my superior. It was a really mixed feeling that time. Is this really true? I really wanted to be a lecturer and I've been trying hard for 5 years. I could not believe it when I received the offer letter in my house mailbox. I thank God for providing me a chance to fulfill my wish...
What happen to my previous work place… Oh…my plant operators gave me a Parker Pen. I haven’t use it yet because surprisingly there is no ink in the pen!!! Maybe they just bought the pen, wrapped it up and gave it to me. BUT the most important thing is the thought. I missed them and I believed they missed me too… 
After lunch, with some assistance from my wife, she helped me ordered 8 pieces of 12? pizza online. It was a lot cheaper ordering online compared to calling them. You should check it out if you still don’t know about it. On top of those pizzas, I ordered “pisang goreng (fried banana) and cendawan goreng (fried mushroom)” delivery. All those pizzas, fried banana and fried mushroom were courtesy from me… a person who is going to leave the company… I treated my friends, operators, fitters, technicians, store people and others who have been very cooperative to me during my stay at the company.
At 5.30 pm on that Monday (my last day at job), I shook my hand with my office colleagues. But when I shook my hand with one of my senior colleague which has been close to me and mentored me a lot… I felt very very extremely sad. Suddenly I felt so sad that I could not help it. Without realizing, tears dropped while I was driving home leaving the company I served for 3 years and 22 days. It wasn’t a long time but honestly I felt like working at that company for 5-6 years. I’m finally free from that type of “factory pressure”…
Before this, I have to be 100% alert all the time on everything that is happening at my plant. I have to know and ensure smooth operation of the plant 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. When ever there is a problem in my plant, I need to ensure that it is settled as soon as possible. I must answer my superior and sometimes to the head quarters for any problem or downtime occurring in the plant.
Please don't be mistaken. I'm not saying that I don't like my job as a process engineer. I liked it a lot very much, indeed. I've learned various aspects of technical knowledge, project management, management skills, manpower management, social, political issues throughout my position and my stay there and I've been sharing some of them in this blog. However, I think I can contribute more when I'm in the academic line. I can educate the young going to be engineers, I can do research work, I can become a consultant, I can do publications, attend conferences and the list simply goes on. I'm more flexible and I know it is going to be a better career for me.
Being an engineer for almost 6 years have given me the real exposure on how to be a good profound engineer which is indispensable for the company. Hopefully, I can educate the students better based on my experiences in the oil and gas field and also the refinery life.
I have been in my new job for almost a fortnight. It was quite a solid pact 13 days as I was assigned a lot of tasks. So far the job is not really relaxing but it is still better than my previous job as a process engineer which has more intense pressure. I realized that my new job as a lecturer/educator requires me to be more discipline compared to my previous job. We have the time flexibility and we must know how to manage it wisely. We cannot misused the flexibility given to us. I have my own room @ office, and It is mean for people like me to work more effectively and efficiently. I have my own large working station, sofa, huge rack etc. I just requested for a 2 drawer metal rack to lock my important stuffs, just in case. My wife’s office is just 20 steps away from mine… 
. Oh yea…we have the magnificent wifi facilities and that means I’m connected to the net all the time…
However, besides all that, the real challenge for me are preparing for the class and also deciding on the research I'm going to do for my pH.D. I need to do some extensive survey on what research I should conduct for my pH.D this coming semester. This is going to be my future because my career will be based on what research niche area I’m indulged in. I need to be an expert in certain area so that I can easily develop that area without competing with anyone locally. So far, I have brainstormed, searched and listed a dozen of research title. Most of them are directly related to renewable energy and reaction / catalysis engineering.
If you have any idea what field I should research in, please feel free to tell me. It should be something meddling with chemical engineering > reaction engineering. Some example of the research is hydrogen production from H2S splitting or from syngas production, biofuel production using catalyst via catalytic plasma reaction, and biodiesel production using heterogeneous catalyst instead of using NaOH which is a homogeneous catalyst.
Special note:
Although I'm no longer working as a practicing engineer in a plant, I'm still an engineer serving in the academic and research arena. I also associate myself with the industry and other engineering institution society. It is my goal and objective to share my knowledges and experiences to engineering students, young engineers and other practicing engineers so that they can benefit positively from this blog.
This is a newspaper cutting from a local paper "Utusan Malaysia" 5th July 2001. This was when I'm doing my Masters in chemical engineering - "Single step conversion of methane to gasoline using zeolite catalysts".
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Labels: Chemical Engineer, Chemical Engineering, Jobs, Learning Curve, pH.D
posted by Kipas Repair JB @ 8:14 PM,
2 Comments:
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At Wednesday, August 06, 2008,
Archana khode said...
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hi I m an indian and i'll be starting my B.E> che engg, in about a few days time (22nd aug). im really excited and frankly i hav no idea what will be required of me during that time. i really look forward to it.
I wanted to be a chemical engg. since a very long time and getting it makes it sort of dream come true. actually my father kept telling me to do ENTC(electronics and tele comm. engg) but i m really glad i didn't get that.
I was really inspired by your persona the way u told everything about your job and everything. i really wish even i can be as successful as you were with your life. for what u had said i could make out u had done your master's also. (Is it really necessary to do masters to be an established engineer?.) well i love studing and i don't even mind doing even PhD. My mom says try to study as much as you can.
I saw the syllabus ( che engg. Of course) and what i can make out is that its a bit difficult. pls help me . though i m really excited i m also very tense, i have no idea, no idea at all what i really have to do. so pls help me in any way u can.
In India there's a lot of competition, because every one wants to excel in life really badly and the result of that is- really high cut-offs for the top institutions. and not to forget tuffest paper for the entrances. so it really is a headache. now if i have to think of doing my masters( PG), u wont believe i have to start thinking and planning from today itself as we will be required to attend entrance tests (which is called GATE) to get admission in top post graduate colleges which are of course the IITs. This time i could not make it to the IITs ( even at graduate level they are the best , actually they are best in everything , they are like Harvard or Stanford for Indians and at graduate level the entrance tests for IITs are exclusive and are called IIT-JEE and unfortunately forget about making it into their extended merit list ,I just couldn’t even qualify for it . sad. Well I made it through AIEEE though not at national level but at least at state level my rank was 8452. Hey that ranks good O.K. not good enough but at least O.K. imagine 2 lakh students sat for that exam from my state itself and in all about 8 lakh my ranking at all India i.e. national level was 1 lakh something) but i have promised my mom that i will give everything that i have to get to the IITs.
{ IITs- Indian institute of technology AIEEE- All India Engineering Entrance Examination IIT-JEE - Indian institute of technology - Joint entrance Examination (we have 7 IITs) }
I’m doing my BE from university of PUNE (bet u haven’t heard of it, but its very much reputed in India) but below IITs ofcourse.
It was nice talking to you just like pouring my heart out. I really hope u reply to me.
Al l the best for your future endurances. Bye.. -
At Thursday, October 29, 2009,
vishnuprasath said...
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Hi,
There is an easy way to get jobs in Pune, just post your resume in usjobcareer.com and get your dream job .
The Author
I’m Zaki. I used to be a project, process and chemical engineer. Few years ago I successfully became a Chartered Engineer (IChemE) and Professional Engineer (BEM). I'm now employed as a chemical engineering educator/researcher/consultant. Hope you like reading my blog. I welcome any feedback from you. My email: zaki.yz[alias]gmail.com. TQ!
