We've talked about alternative career paths and also thinking outside the box when it comes to choosing which universities to go to (I'm a keen supporter of liberal arts colleges in the US). Definitely not as much as one of our readers, Tiara, who through her blog, has been a consistent advocate of alternative career paths. I thought that I conduct a thought experiment and ask myself what 5 alternative career paths would I choose for myself if I could do it all over again. I thought it would be interesting if some of our readers shared their alternative career paths with us as well. Here are mine:
1) Study botany and work for companies / on projects related to reforestation
I've always liked the idea of working in the jungle (though I'd probably fail at it now) and I've always been horrified when hearing news items that jungles the size of Belgium are cleared from the Amazon every year. And close to home, the impact of illegal logging in Sabah, Sarawak and parts of Peninsular Malaysia. What better way to combine those two interests than to work to cultivate fast growing trees in forest farms so that actual jungles or forests don't have to be cleared? If I end up not liking the jungle that much, I could always work in a lab to create new stocks of faster growing, more durable trees.
2) Study math and computer science and work for a gaming company
Computer games are big business nowadays. Halo 3 grossed something like US170 million worldwide in a little under 24 hours. I'm a big fan of first person shooter games and strategy games like the Civilization series. I know that creating the games themselves might not be half as fun as playing them but I'd still like the intellectual challenge of constructing complex algorithms for the AI in games like Civ or thinking of better 'physics' when you shoot a monster with a sawed off shot gun in games in Serious Sam. It's not as easy as it might sound!
3) Study foreign languages and work as a translator or a journalist or a diplomat
I've always admired those who could speak half a dozen languages at a drop of the hat. You'd probably meet a ton of these people if you're working in an environment like the UN. Malaysians already have a head start compared to Americans or Brits for example, because many of us grow up speaking at least two languages - English & Malay, English and Chinese - and some of us three - English, Malay, Chinese or English, Malay, Tamil. Wouldn't it be great if we could pick up Japanese, Spanish, French and German along the way and perhaps some of the less commonly spoken Asian languages like Thai, Burmese, Cambodian, Vietnamese, Korean and Tagalog? I think I would have enjoyed the challenge of using this linguistic ability to work for the UN or as a roving journalist traveling the world or as a diplomat.
4) Study zoology or marine biology and work with animals
I've always been fascinated by sharks and am an avid watcher of Discovery during Shark Week. My dream is to swim with a great white without the protection of a cage (though I'm sure that will never happen or if it did, it would be the last thing I do). I've even more fascinated with sharks now that I've seen footage of how great whites in South Africa can jump out of the water when they are catching seals (they called it 'breaching') and how some sharks can be 'hypnotize' into a state of 'tonic' . If I don't make it with the sharks, I could always go study my other favorite animals - giant constrictor snakes such as the python and the anaconda or giant crocodiles.
5) Study graphic design and animatronics and work for a CGI / special effects company
I'm a big fan of sci-fi and action movies and what better way to influence the look and feel of these movies than to work for one of the companies such as Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) who help make these types of movies. I know that George Lucas has recently opened an animation studio in Singapore and I know some friends who work in this industry. I think it's really cool but you really have to be into the whole 'nerdy' Star Wars figures and sci-fi scene to have a passion for this.
It's too late for me to choose one of these career paths but perhaps for some of our readers, the world of choices is still open to them. We have enough people wanting to be doctors, lawyers, engineers, consultants, investment bankers and the like. How great would it be if we had more people working in jobs which they feel passionate about and at the same time are not 'run of the mill'. Too often, we choose jobs or career paths which are considered 'safe' but not necessarily what we're passionate about. If we can marry the two (interests and career path), how much more rewarding and fulfilling life would be. Ahhh, to be young again...
74 comments:
Agree with you on having alternate career paths. I for one wished I had continued to be a Chartered Accountant in England and not come back to a useless job of being in sales which is a step down from marketing. Even then the companies I joined be it foreign or local all on the KL Bursa shut down one by one which goes to show the poor management of most Malaysian companies, either through greed, confiscation by the previous administration through coercion and mismanagement. The previous administration had its eye on whatever successful company and take it over if it had a huge cash or land bank. Usually the owners would move elsewhere in Asean or just pull out altogether. Local companies weren't so lucky they had to declare a scorch earth policy rather much like the treatment the Germans were greeted with when they invaded Russia or just sell without receiving much of a compensation to shout about.
Really, if I were to do it all again my advice to all aspiring graduates beware of the pitfalls of coming back unless you are of the right skin tone and disposition. Otherwise it is one big hell.
Great idea!
As for me - a superstar of some fashion. lol. I remember wanting to be a fisherman once.
I want to be an anthropologist and still want it.But I guess all those thinking that you can't live as an anthropologist gets to me so now regretfully I'm in my final year in engineering.
If I could do it all over again I choose anthropology.
I dreamed all my life wanting to be a voluntary 'mammographer'. I will not charge for my services...:))
I want to be a member of the censorship board so that I can see all the movies which are banned
Career wise, I think I'd like to work at from 20 to 30 jobs for no longer than 36 months each. That would be a lot more interesting, particularly since I have no intentions of ever retiring. Hehe.
study math and minor languages (pref chinese or french). work in sales in investment bank. retire after 10 years. go back to school to study post grad in public policy. go help build schools in poverty-stricken countries. retire after 10 years. become a primary school teacher for the rest of your life and watch your grandchildren grow up.
Studied engineering, will be an IT analyst, want to be a waitress.
u guys are lame..u can't live without money or a good paying job to save your life..
Consider teaching as a career choice to get us to the top!
http://www.economist.com/world/international/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9989914
i would like to build custom bikes and ride the cross-country.
I want to be Cosmonaut for Malaysia so that I can spend millions of ringgit of the poor rakyat money to pay for my ticket on someone's rocket and carry out silly experiments in space
I want to be a software writer.
www.hanafionline.com
I want to be a successful pimp
I want to be a nuclear physicist like Edward Teller so that I can build the first nuclear bomb for the country. Then nobody can push us around. As Chairman Mao said " Power comes from the barrel of the gun ". Unfortunately I failed my Physac at SPM level.
obviously. you even misspelt "physics".
I am doing my Ph.D. in insects science now a.k.a. entomology! No regrets as it is my passion! Trust me, the money will come automatically after that. Think passion first, then money.
Ivy,
Its too early sometimes at this stage whether you have made the right choice in choosing your career such as doing your PhD in insect science a.k.a entomology. Maybe a few years after being an entomologist later on you will conclude that it was a 'wrong decision ' to be an entomologist, and that you would be more happy being a hip hop dancer
one of genie's wishes if granted,
maybe I would consider one to include
" make me become another Tiger Woods "
surely tt'll be wonderful..
amature mammographer,
thanks for the advise :) it's true that i will never know that the future holds for me. But, i think at this stage it's good to dream of anything!! well, there's nothing i would want to do better now than to rear my insects and go to jungles to look for some cute insects . There's a chance i might be other thing else, but at this moment - please let me dream. errr...nope, can';t think of anything else to be at this moment - not a hip hop dancer :P A writer maybe.
We shall encourage Ivy for her passion which is of her own. That was also I used to be. Look at nowadays students in Malaysia, they just enter an a university to be in. No wonder they don't know what to do after stepping out but just increase our unemployment rate.
d.n.,
who to blame...the undergrads or the local education system, for how things have turned out to be ?
if i could do it all over again....
1. special education teacher for children with learning difficulties.
before you all start thinking that i'm such a goodie two shoe, second choice would be
2. SAP for the big buck$$
i get my #1 "kick" every weekend whereby i (try to) teach english to underpriveleged children,
and #2 "kick" will hopefully come in if my company buys SAP, opening doors for me to put one foot into SAP.
career choices : well, most stpm / alevels students *dont* know what they want to do... its more of a "lets see what my grades allow me to take / lets see what im offered" approach. including me. =D
i always tell my wife that when i retire from being an oncologist, i will go and flip Ramli burgers...
i am a professor of entomology at a local university in a beautiful island up north. There are actually many positions available for entomologists if you know where to look for. No worries Ivy, keep it up!
Lee Chow Yang
Its weird that while we applaud people who study alternative courses, we criticise the government for offering esoteric courses to bright students; courses zoology, forestry, aquaculture, aboriginal studies, horticulture.
Isn't that a bit of inconsistency, read hypocricy?
Entomologists are needed to rid off cockroaches, termites and mosquitoes. Lot of vacancies at piedpiper and pest companies
I want to be a Philosopher but no one teaches it locally...no wonder we don't have a thinking culture here!
Its very easy to be a philosopher. All you need is a small boulder to sit and think. Dont forget to rest your chin on your hand
study anything that interests you, and go become an entrepreneur.
My parents said...do what you enjoy and you'll be good at it. Sure, it's hard to get a job in certain fields but the best people in any field will always have jobs. (I realised later they are quite unusual among Malaysian parents.)
Ivy, consider doing a postdoc abroad for (a) networking (b) getting to see how things are done in another lab.
I for one would love to study different languages such as French, German, Italian, Chinese Korean and Japanese besides the English and Bahasa Malaysia which I know.
Languages open up different worlds of social, cultural and academic understanding
Cannot imagine my whole life studying how the insect eat, fly or reproduce. There is more to the outside world than just watching mating insects
Anon,
As Malaysians, we have a real edge in learning languages because most of us start off already knowing three very different languages. Often we have an inferiority complex because we are always worse than the native speakers of all the languages we are taught at school, but the truth is that just by knowing the languages we do know to the extent that we know them gives us some entry into many other languages in the world.
I've been learning French recently and have been pleasantly surprised to find how close it is to English, which is not even a Romance language.
Just as an example, in school, one is always told not to translate word for word from Malay to English because that results in very funny things on your exam script but rather to think in English. Transliterating from English to French, one is right 90% of the time. It's quite amazing.
Also amazing was that the supposedly very bright students at the well-known uni I'm at (where I took the French classes) are on the whole poorer language learners than your average Malaysian in secondary school. They make all the same mistakes - and more.
clk, you could just start reading, you know. what in particular are you interested in? perhaps kian ming can ask some of his philosopher friends where you should begin. ;-)
same to juraiza about anthro...
i like to dabble in philosophy myself but wouldn't do it for a living. the academic job market is too tough in philosophy. one nice thing about being in academia is that one can talk to people who study all kinds of crazy things and read books with them without actually having to make it one's work.
i suppose i should contribute my bit to this alternative careers thing - i'm (hopefully) on my way to being an academic, though i'm open to a change of plans if things don't work out. always hard to tell with academic jobs what one might get. i think this is probably true for most 'alternative' paths. many of them are not that easy. there's a reason why 'professional courses' are sought after, right? iron rice bowl and so on.
also, another way to see 'one gets to travel around the world' is to say 'one HAS to travel around the world' because there there only about ten places one can work without changing career paths. this can be hard for some people and for almost everyone it takes some coming to terms with.
not trying to rain on the party, just saying one must consider both sides of the story before giving up a law spot at a good uni to switch over to classical history and archaeology. (i knew someone who did this.)
Quote Kian Ming:
"4) Study zoology or marine biology and work with animals"
You'd probably end up working in a bank, as my friend did. Heh heh!
He studied zoology, BTW. =P
Given the chance to start again, I might have studied English language/English literature. Or maybe art & design.
Instead, I'm torturing myself in this masters in food science course.
Dear IAMYANWU
Your friend though trained in zoology but got work in the bank is very very lucky.
I personally cannot see where our zoologists or botanists will work. There is poor demand for such graduates in their respective fields
In fact numerous traditional zoology and botany departments have closed down or reduced. In our coubtry we are smarter, if the course is tak laku we rebrand or repackage it in new bottles and give it hype sounding names as BSc in Biodiversity. Still tak laku.....
Most people nowadays opt for professional courses where they can earn a living like pharmacy or actuary
In this country the only avenue open for such biological graduates are becoming a teacher and propagate more people to take up the useless course...
Its an evil cycle
It is very sad that Deans and Heads of Biological Departments in our local universities do not comment on quality and marketability of their graduates. I am sure however they do read the blogs here
To another phd student said... 10/27/2007 01:12:00 PM
I've started doing my own Philosophy studies by myself. Politics, religion, logic, bits of epistemology etc. have got my grey cells working overtime but it's difficult doing it alone.
In our part of the world, many think I've gone bonkers doing Philosophy without realising that all of us use it daily.
Fortunately the internet has changed the way we learn but I'm still at the tip of Philosophy like a 1st year undergrad.
philosophy is all crap. You cannot prove it right or wrong. Politicians here are better than philosophers at least they crap and become super rich
Anonymous said...
philosophy is all crap. You cannot prove it right or wrong. Politicians here are better than philosophers at least they crap and become super rich
10/29/2007 08:14:00 PM
Policitians get away with all this because the general public get hoodwink most of the time with politicians' crap. If you study logic, you'll be able to see through the crap very clearly...if only every student is thought logic in school!
Don't blame philosophy for the state of affairs in this world, it's the lack of philosophy that is plaguing us!
If you take philosophy as your university degree, surely you will die in poverty! Better do zoology or entomology
Anonymous said...
If you take philosophy as your university degree, surely you will die in poverty! Better do zoology or entomology
10/30/2007 09:54:00 AM
You can continue with a 2nd degree in journalism, political science, law, broadcasting, media etc...and you'll see how philosophy as a 1st degree puts you ahead of everyone.
People here just don't understand the importance of Philosophy in everyday life and take it for granted!
Yes! Newton philosophise a lot before discovering the key to gravity lies in why the apple falls straight down...
but that is Newton! Not the normal people!
no point arguing this matter in msia. as long as the degree is not medicine, pharmacy, engineering, law etc, they'll put it into the worthless knowledge bin. and whats the criteria of judging the degree? the monetary output of course! thats an infectious disease asians have that has so far dulled the minds of our young ones, and it seems that this article on "alternative career paths" isnt working to quell the myopic asian view on life.
good luck msians on your prosperous and innovative future.
The truth hurts.
The Chinese or the yellow race is what brings progress. Just look at Asia……….is enough.
Whether they do it internationally or locally they will survive.
We can distinctly see the lowering of Malaysia standards of living as the percentage of Chinese in this country goes down.
In the 70s we were tops with 40 over percent of Chinese and today with only 25 percent we are far behind Singapore, Hong Kong and Korea.
Main reason is the number of such Chinese migrating to these countries - the best ones and rich ones.
Next ten years as the percentage goes even lower, we would be nearing Indonesia or Philippines.
Meanwhile enjoy your stay and the good time.
On the whole as the Chinese spreads out throughout the world, the average standards of these will have much higher standards of living over others.
This country has racist laws that discriminate against minority citizens. Over the last 3 decades the discrimination has gotten from bad to worse.
The policies of this government reminds us of South Africa's apartheid days which was condemned by all humanity.
I wonder how these racists can reconcile their actions with the tenets of their religion.
People who are still staying in Malaysia were taken as a fool by the government in many ways:
1. Social
2. Law
3. Economics
Government also thinks Malaysia has provided the best of all for the Chinese immigrants from China. But it was not true, I regretted that my grandparents went to Penang and didn't take the ship to San Francisco. Well, they have no choice because as they only had go to South East Asia instead of San Francisco.
People who went to North America were other Chinese.
Vietnamese who left Vietnam in the 70s are better off now in North America. I think about my people in Malaysia and I am very sad.
Chinese Malaysians are not treated with respect by the malay-led government. I suggest Chinese demand for greater freedom and demand all the way.
Until government accepted and give in to your demand, and if they refused, all who are persecuted by the Malaysia laws can apply to be refugees in Canada.
Vietnamese refugees have received better treatment from Canada when I compared it to the treatment received by us - the Chinese in the malay-led country: A racist nation until today.
When you apply at any port-of-entry (airport/boarder/seaport) to be refugee claimant, you are treated with respect.
Immigration will be processed. You will also receive monthly welfare money until you have established yourself or family.
I think this alternative provide an avenue for all Chinese who are stuck in Malaysia to demand full recognition from the malays. Chinese always hold back and too afraid to speak out. With this refugee system available in Canada, you should speak out and if the government played you out, you can come here.
Many people in the world are using this way to speak up and get better freedom back home. One very good example was 'Tienanmen' activists, they were granted refugee status not only Canada but also USA.
When you speak up for your own right, you stand to win. Regardless of which way you take - in Malaysia (political activist) or ended up in Canada as refugee.
Chinese in Malaysia, don't be a fence sitter.
I am not trying to show off with my qualification. What I am trying to say is that Malaysia will lose out if all these highly qualified and educated people do not want to go home.
Frankly, I have start up my family in the UK and also a very successful business. I have been working towards my success starting from zero. Not even 1 cent or penny from the Malaysia government.
I am fed up with the corruption and discrimination in Malaysia. I agree with somebody "if we disagree with Malaysia government policies that are based on race and religion then we should move out of the country" and I did.
Some people might say I am coward or traitor but why should I stay if the government treats me as nothing? I feel human living in the UK and everyone is being treated the same no matter what is the colour of your skin.
Imagine living in a country which people like Haji keep calling "this is Islamic country, if you don't like it, get out". Or the future leader like Khairy saying something unreasonable.
I feel ashamed and insecure. I cannot see the future for the next generation. Therefore, sorry to say but I am a proud "British" now.
I think most of us Malaysians know the country is rotting to its core for the last few decades. It only takes a Michael Backman to confirm it.
Such a pity this country could have been a 1st world country like Singapore but had to be misgoverned by a bunch of crooks using misguided policies for their own ends.
It looks like the country hasn't reach rock bottom yet and it is going to get a lot worse before it get any better.
Local companies are moving away, rich peoples are moving their money elsewhere and the country's top brains are simply draining away. Our leaders are still happily plundering the country's wealth regardless of everything else.
Our future is bleak, very bleak indeed.
We are reminding Najib and Mahathir about this, that Malaysia is not an Islamic state and it is not in a social contract.
Malay Sakai, so please tell Badawi about it. Umno has always threatened the non-malays with riots and chaos. Nobody in Malaysia has started riots and chaos except for Umno.
Umno has a deep rooted tradition of starting riots and chaos when every time they can't debate sensibly.
The social contract is there alright and many do not question it. But is the social contract followed according to the spirit or hijacked to the benefit of a few?
Just look at the number of huge projects that has failed is proof enough. Yet these are treated like normal - part of everyday happening.
Gosh……….
All the social contract talk does not hold any water, when you have people in power, namely Umno abusing their power. In fact, they are indirectly telling you, that they have the right to abuse the power. Is this fair? Of course it is unfair. You don't even need a social contract to tell you whether it is fair or not.
Social contract didn't say that Malaysia is an Islamic state. On the contrary the social contract expressly stated that Malaysia was and is not an Islamic state.
Now the deliberate misinterpretation, apparently accepted by Umno, is that Malaysia (including Sabah and Sarawak) is an Islamic state!
Sabah and Sarawak would never have joined Malaysia if they had known that Malaysia will be deemed an Islamic state.
If the social contract meant that the non-malays would merely exchange the British masters for the malay masters, they would never have agreed to join the malays for independence.
What is the difference of having the British lording over the non-malays and having the malays doing the same to the non-malays! Probably worse. At least the British had some respect for fairness while the malays have none!
So to get independence, the malays needed the non-malays. Without the non-malays agreement, the British would not have granted independence. So, is that not also part of the social contract? It is not a one-sided malay right. The malays would not be where they are without the non-malays.
Many countries have tried to develop an IT industry much earlier, and with more and better resources and better government than us Malaysia, and have not succeeded.
The chance of us succeeding given our handicaps was never good and will never be good. It begins with poor politics, then poor government, then poor education, and then poor business environment (e.g. small market).
What is remarkable to me is that some people have managed to make good money and build companies despite our problems - Mobif, Jobstreet, Green Packet, etc. These people proof that the government is more in the way for developing the industry than helping it.
In fact, the government would do better to get out of the way rather actually have any sort of grand plan like MSC. The real only way the government can help is by having open competitive bidding in government procurement of IT and putting competent people in charge of that.
Nothing else they do would really mean anything much. I would argue all the spending on grand projects, computer labs, computer courses etc, amount to basically waste.
There is no hope of the MSC really succeeding, but we can still benefit from better IT and that perhaps is, would be better because at least it means less waste.
The truth is there - it is no real strategy. MSC was never a great idea - it was an opportunity for government spending more than anything else and as Bill Gates told us very politely, it would not work because of that.
A couple of years ago, there was this idea of attracting Malaysians overseas to come back to run Malaysia GLCs. Among my extensive overseas network of business and personal associates abroad, they discussed it and unanimously shot down the idea.
The reason? Quote: "Smart people can't stand inconsistencies in fact they rely on it. Malaysia politics make things too inconsistent to do the kind of work they do."
You want to know why they will never attract the best in public service? At one time, we all agreed what the future of Malaysia was and will always be - secular, rule of law, multiracial, meritocracy. Today, even among those in power, there is no agreement on these basic things.
Why would the best people subject themselves to these inconsistencies? Maybe naivety but how long will that last and how many?
For every one brain that comes in, fifty brains will leave the country. With the affirmative policies in place, do not talk about attracting the brain. For decades, Malaysia was losing its best peoples to developed countries and taking rejects from developing countries.
Please forget about bring back those lost brains, while we can keep those bright students now and love them and care for them!
First, the government and country has to figure out what it want to be first before it can really retain the best, otherwise we are merely exploiting those who do not have better choices elsewhere.
I still remember of my junior wanted to serve in our Malaysia air force and he was able to design war fighters, but instead he was not retained, he headed south Singapore and he was happily married down there, has a happy family and no way back!
People with the best brains inadvertently mean they know how to think. Therefore they are wise enough not to choose Malaysia as their destination, as it could spell disaster to their reputation as we work differently. Singapore will still be the ideal landing point of such calibre people.
Malaysia will forever be suffering from a massive "brain drain" so long as the Umno-led government keeps in place the malay agenda. To forego the agenda is too costly sacrifice which the Umno malays cannot make. A clear symptom of an inferiority complex.
Singapore is a good example, if you give the Chinese a chance, they can do wonder.
Points taken. Get a little bit nasty, but that is some facts.
I am an engineer. Like architect and other parties, we design and built houses based on the developer's vision and decision. If the house is very small, poor design, bad finishes but still at an unreasonable high price, I will walk away.
I will advice my friends not to buy it, based on my professional experience and some logic, it is not that difficult, really. But it is their money, they have the freedom to decide what they wanted to do with it.
But believe it or not, someone will still stay there. Can't even afford to buy, consider lucky if they are able to clear the monthly rental.
And I have some malay friends, thinking of emigrating, mainly because most Muslims here didn't see things the way they saw it, especially on the religion matters. Oh yes, some perceptions never really change throughout the years.
Once a while I will still welcome my uncle from Australia to visit us here. He is one lucky emigrant, I guess, he is well taken care over there.
All this while I think many of us are dying to go to Australia, Europe, the US, for a better future……….
In Singapore, it is fast and efficient to get a permanent resident. In fact, foreigners in Singapore are invited to become permanent citizens. Here Malaysia, it take years and years and years and……….to even be considered to become a permanent citizen. I heard of foreigner whose application was lost and had to resubmit. How is that?
The person who is researching into getting water for Singapore is a Malaysian. The head of parapsychology in Cambridge is a Malaysian. The best doctor(s) in the world is Malaysian(s).
It is very sad, it is so sad to see Malaysia brightest minds are all over the world except Malaysia.
Yet, they are nowhere near Malaysia.
Another brilliant Malaysian got scared off by the Malaysia government. Just had a long distance phone conversation with my Malaysian friend who is now pursuing his PhD in civil engineering in the UK.
According to him, he sees no more hope and future in Malaysia and totally ruled out the chance of ever returning, except for the occasional visits to relatives and friends.
Kudos to Umno government. When it comes to scaring off all the brilliant brains out of the country, you are clearly a master at it.
I have finally come to enlightenment. If you argue with a fool, it ends up two fools are arguing. When I have done with my business here in Malaysia, I will be packing up for emigration.
I may end up as a second class citizen. Who cares? Since when are we treated like a Bangsa Malaysia anyway after 50 years of independence? I have nothing to lose but everything to gain.
Don't slog and waste your life away in Malaysia. You will never be appreciated. Leave if you can!
This is just another example of how sick our present government under BN is.
It makes us all wonder how low can they go before the whole country collapses……….
My advice to the non Malays here is :
1)Breed as many children you can
2) Marry very very young
3) Be polygamous
With the one man one vote democracy in election, in 21 years to 25 years you will dominate the votes
p/s This advice is free and given without prejudice
Anon above: Breeding more Chinese will not solve the problem. The govt can give more citizenships to Indonesians to make up for any shortfall in Malay population.
My friend wants to be a pimp as his alternative career
Ｉ ｗａｎｔｅｄ ｔｏ ｂｅ ａ ｐｏｌｉｃｅｍａｎ ｗｈｅｎ I was 5, at 10 I wanted to be a tennis pro, at 20, I wanted to be a chartered accountant. Now close to 30, I want to be a policeman. So that I can get 27 million in bribe money.
When I was small I wanted to own a comic shop so that I can read all the comics for free in the shop.
Then as I reached adolescent I wanted to be a top notch playboy to keep all the ladies happy
On reaching 21 I wanted to be a gynaecologist so that I can see 'heaven' and get paid for the job
Then at 39 and above I wanted to be a politician so that I can be very rich fast
Now I want to be a monk so that god will forgive my sin in the previous choice of careers
If there is an advice I could give, it is to stay the f-ck out of the ICT industry - that means, forgetting about gaming industry.
As one who worked in that industry sometime back as a coder and animator, I can tell you that a job in the gaming industry is a bit like acting in Hollywood.
1. Opportunities are few and far between. Furthermore, competition for both game publication & industry admission is very stiff and mainly based on who you know, not what you know.
2. No career or employment security. Game-development jobs are project-based and once finished - you will be jobless. In the mean (~6-XX months) time, you could end up writing webpages (early Y2K) or stocking shelves at a supermarket while waiting for your studio to call you. Here, most game developers/coders end up working in EB as salesmen or on the dole in between projects.
3. Nearly all game studios run on super tight margins (Translatin: pay is poor for developers who work VERY long hours) and bankruptcy risk is high due to ridiculously exhorbitant overheads - even for those well-established names which consistently created hit-games. (e.g. BlackIsle, IonStorm)
Thus, please get a clue before you buy into the ICT industry hype.
For the expose on the ICT/Computing industry - read the write-ups from Prof Norman Matloff.
The only ICT professionals able to work in the industry and earn a living wage, are Indian ICT workers in India - the home of the bulk of offshored ICT jobs. (Soon, China). These workers earn such low wages, no other workers in the developing or developed nations can hope to match. In case, you didn't know, game-design and development have been steadily moving there.
went to University for 7 years, ended up with dual degrees, one in Architecture, another in Landscape Architecture. did another 5 years of practical work, now a registered architect and also a registered landscape architect, but that all became a hobby, my real work is as a Beach Bum, 4 months in Cherating, Perhentian and Tioman, 4 months in Bali, balance 4 months attending to my hobby... beach bumming is a tough job, my goal is to be bumming in Gold Coast or Cabo San Lucas...
For all the chinese in this chatroom..please do take note that a lot of us Malay hate the goverment as well.For one,i am! Well,i grew up watching how these stupid peribumi rules made the Malays such lazu bum that when my am started his own business he's was receiving words of his business going to collapase within 3months. Rubbish..all these protection makes the Malay like a lab rat. Just laze around and hope that they are being fed. And once there's an individual who dares to try it out in a new thing they call him Mat Jenin.Well, i am happy now coz my dad business has been going on successfully for the past 8years! It might be just a simple shop,but we don't wait for the goverment to feed us. As for me..just waiting for the right time to venture into business now..
hello there! i'm interested to repost this blog in our e-mag. how can i contact the blogger of this piece?
Nice post. Really liked it..
Don't forget to update it regularly.
I am looking for new updates dieing to read more stuff from you ..
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JOB-HUNT
Aims at helping the Fresh Graduates, Engineers, MBAs to get jobs in good companies
http://jobgame.blogspot.com
AsSalam, Hello...
Educate murid to know forest as HOME for fauna. conserve our Forest for nevt generation..., visit my laman
http://pokding.blogspot.com
the laman discuss fauna flora...
Khazanah Negara...my experience in forest...tracking in forest to know fauna flora.
experience in forest in Malazi...17tahun...with Ijazah Pengurusan UPM, Serdang Selangor.
Experience Trekking in banjaran Gunung in Sabah
nice to know this beneficial laman, Education in Malazi.
Thanks
Well,u must have money before you can pursuit dream..Esp in this age,no money no dream..
i need to know..
'why accounting is a good career to take up?'
LC ask :
Alternative education for the young as in home learning and earning a living in communal learning and sharing : any hope in Malaysia? any such existing?
Fared, it is said that there will always be a demand for doctors, teachers, lawyers, engineers and accountants.
Every company will need someone to handle and manage the Accounts of the Company.
Depending on the size of the company, it can range from 1 a/cs clerk to a qualified Accountant with 3 to 5 a/cs clerk to a Financial Controller with 5 Qualified Accountants and 30 a/cs clerk.
Notwithstanding that many accounting functions can be computerised, there will always be a demand for Accountants.
However, unless you are a Partner in the Big-4, don't dream of making your first million as an Accountant.
I should have taken Diploma in French Culinary and be employed in a Michelin Five Star Restaurant in Southern France.
Instead I am an optometrist checking elderly people for eye diseases.
How boring.
I made THE WORST CHOICE ever when I decided to study engineering after SPM. Even though I had good result in SPM then, turns out my aptitude in this field is severely lacking, since currently I am now in my seventh year. My heart and mind is in conflict whether to just go ahead and finish this or jump into another alternative. Of course, like hell my parents are gonna let me, they are like any typical Malaysian parents are, office job=money=happy, and anything different is just nonsense and impractical. Which means, they aren't gonna be all merrymaking if I tell them that I want nothing more than to quit from uni, since I keep failing anyway, and learn photography or ceramics arts. Still trying to think things over, what to do what to do, doesn't help that I'm also penniless. *_*
I want to be a veterinarian and engineer. Is there anyone with experience or heard of students who may be interested in taking these 2 disciplines together? I've only met veterinarians or engineers. They have all been very encouraging, but unable to give very solid feedback :)
Im planning to study forensic science, gonna top the forensic team in Malaysia one day =)
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