New Field??

One of the good things about this company is that there’s something called “Lunch n Learn". They usually invite ppl within or outside of the company to talk about something during lunch time. Sometimes, lunch is provided and sometimes you are to bring your own lunch. It’s not mandatory so you can pick and choose the ones that interest you.

I have never been to a lunch provided one since it’s always full of people and it’s just pizza anyway. And so far, the ones that have lunch provided are not interesting enough for me to spend an hour sitting there just for the pizza. Sometimes, the talk/presentation is really stupid, in my opinion. There’s this one time that they invited the benefit provider to talk about the benefit package. I have opted-out of the benefit so it really doesn’t interest me. Even if I have the package, y do I need to listen to the presentation anyway? All the terms and info should be on the policy booklet anyway. It got be to something a lot better than pizza for me to go.

I’ve been to two of these sessions so far. And both of them have been gd. The last one I’ve been to is about the tricks and tips of AutoCad. Ppl in this company use A LOT of AutoCad. I mean, A LOT. And they are all kinda experts on it. I only used AutoCad occasionally and compared to them, I really don’t know how to use AutoCad. This trick and tips seminar is about the even more advance features that I don’t use. Was actually a little lost at a certain point. Not really relevant to me but it’s still nice to know a few things.

Today, once again, the speaker was one of our own. This time, this person was talking about this new business line that the company has just introduced. It’s environmental management. I found it very interesting. There are a few aspects to this business line and they are very attractive to me.

I have grown to be more and more environmental-oriented in recent year, even before this whole “green” hype (talking about this hype, I have some complain but that would be another entry) started. That was one of the reason that I was interested in the company I am (well was and still am… the company has merged as I’ve mentioned before) working in. Well… besides the fact that I was quite desperate for a new job at that time in order to avoid the potential of being laid off in the old company and get deported back to HK.

Anyway, the current company called itself an “environmental” company (at that time) but it wasn’t. At least not in the sense that I define what “environmental” is. There’s almost nothing to do with the environment, other than the fact that sometimes the sewage (be it storm or sanitary) discharges to the creek. We did a lot of work to help land developers to get approval to build new subdivision and stuff. If anything, it’s more of helping human to destroy the environment than being environmental. Of course, there’s other aspect of my work that is not really that negative but they mostly don’t have anything to do with the environment either, other than the fact that we are dealing with water, which is one kind of natural resources.

Anyway, my point is, after this presentation, I am so excited about this new business line that I stayed behind and talked to the presenter about the possibility to work for them. Honestly, I was mildly interested in the environmental option in EngSci when I first enrolled in (as opposed to NO interests in most of the options). But then the year I was admitted to UT, that option was scrapped. I wasn’t too upset at that time cos as I said, I was just mildly interested. But now looking back, it’s really a shame that I wasn’t even given the chance to consider this option.

Right now, I even have this urge to go back to school to switch field, when I’m still relatively young. The presenter told me that there’re diploma and night school that I can take if I’m really going to pursue it. And that I can get a master degree in environmental if I wanted instead of another bachelor. Kinda make sense.

Really, this is the first time since I graduated that I have the desire to go back to school. I always thought that I’m so done with school that if I’m even going to go back, it’s more for hobby/fun, like taking language courses or something like film editing, nothing technical. And I always thought that it’s quite silly for a lot of my frds to take this exam that exam to get this certificate that certificate. I understand that it’s more like the culture that makes it a “need” to do it. If everyone in the industry is doing it and you are not, you are going to be kicked out eventually. So I guess it’s the culture that’s silly, not the people. 係社會的錯. I really don’t think that having those certificate means that you are gd at your work.

Given the fact that I hated university so much and I am still thinking about going abck to school, this is serious. Of course, it’s not going to be a full time thing. 我要食飯，我要供樓, I really don’t have the luxury to go back to school full time anymore.

But the question is, am I really that interested? I am not 100% sure. I know that it drives me nuts when I see ppl wasting energy, or do things/make decision that have no regards to the environment. But actually working in the field, I don’t know. Luckily, after talking to the presenter, she said that since we are in the same company now, we can probably coordinate something to have my hands to try on something. That’s cool. I can get a taste of it before I dive into it. But at the same time, I need to act quick cos I’m not exactly young anymore, I can’t take too much risk. Life is having a lot more burden and responsibility now that I’m old.

God, give me guidance.