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Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Career / Welcome To My Office (150074 Views)
Photos Of My Office And Why I May Resign To Pursue My Music Career / The Ladies In My Office Are Milking Me Dry. / I Rejected A 2 Year Bond By My Office Sending Me On A One Week Course To Uk (2) (3) (4)
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Re: Welcome To My Office by Skywalker5(m): 12:06pm On Feb 20, 2013 |
ubaobi: Nice thread....been working for the past 6 months as a systems maintenance engineer. though i read Elect/Electronics. wish to up my game though by getting a professional certification. but kinda confused the path to take between MCSA Windows Server 2012 and MCSE Enterprise Desktop Administrator (windows 7) even though there is an upgrade path from the latter to the former. also dont know if i ll venture into windows 8 certification instead of a windows 7 cert given the kind of reception the OS has gotten. appreciate ur advice peeps. Depends on the field you are and what you will like to specialize in. I would say go for MCSA 2012 but not sure if any company is Nigeria is using that at the moment. From my last research, most were still in Windows server 2003. I wont advice you to go for that as that would be fazed out soon. Once you can handle server, administering client desktop like windows 8 wont be a big issue. |
Re: Welcome To My Office by folu500(m): 4:46pm On Feb 26, 2013 |
Nice thread. Just got a job in a financial advisory firm on the island am to resume on monday. I would be updating my experiences as they occur. |
Re: Welcome To My Office by netotse(m): 12:58pm On Mar 10, 2013 |
Hey pple, Mennnn. . .life outside the maintenance department isn't exactly easy, now ALL, and I mean ALL the people I have to deal with on the other side are senior to me in terms of age and experience so sometimes I feel out of place but for most parts it's rewarding(esp when they aren't making snide remarks. . .lol). I haven't done anything remotely related to electrical engineering in my new role, it's mostly cost management and project stuff. I had my baptism of fire last month and I tell you it was hell, we had a failure on a gas valve and had to switch fuels and ended up burning a fuel that was more than 5 times more expensive than my fuel of choice, it goes without saying I was sober for a bit ![]() These days, the most important thing to me is the unit cost of power for the plants, I barely have the mental fortitude to keep up with the status of individual equipment in the plants, I seriously need advice on multi-tasking, I've taken to carrying an A5 notebook around and jotting stuff down but I've almost lost that book twice. . .smh where's evryone? |
Re: Welcome To My Office by kaboninc(m): 7:16pm On Mar 27, 2013 |
netotse: Hey pple, Oboy! Thank God you made it alive. I can see you have a lot of highly demanding tasks on your hands. My advice is on that book you always lose. Get another one and carry it on your head as if it was your head. Because multi tasking is all about jotting jotting jotting so you don't forget your priority tasks. |
Re: Welcome To My Office by AjanleKoko: 8:17am On Apr 01, 2013 |
Easter time, end-of-year time, performance bonus time ![]() |
Re: Welcome To My Office by Jarus(m): 1:12pm On Apr 01, 2013 |
Ajanlekoko, Pls shoot me an email on jarushub at gmail dot com I need your input on something. Thanks |
Re: Welcome To My Office by Kakatazz(f): 5:41pm On Apr 01, 2013 |
Why do some people keep chasing career under this unfavourable atmosphere when you can jet out? |
Re: Welcome To My Office by netotse(m): 10:21pm On Apr 02, 2013 |
AjanleKoko: Easter time, end-of-year time, performance bonus time I don spend my own finish o. . .na peanuts, na profit sharing I dey wait for now, God is on the throne. @Kaboninc thanks man, will do. @thread Still on the grind, the learning curve isn't soooo steep anymore but there's still a lot to learn. |
Re: Welcome To My Office by blood1(f): 10:54am On Apr 09, 2013 |
I need vacation ooo! Should have gone on the first leg of my leave in February, but my supervisor sat down somewhere and decided there wont be leave for anyone in my branch till further notice, reason being that I have shortage of staff! Well, l really don't blame him, two of my tellers are on maternity leave, one more will go by month end and one of my tellers is on suspension, intergrity issues.. But I tire ooo... my people dey complain stress, stress, yet, them no dey sleep for night, haba! Na so the thing dey sweet dem ![]() 1 Like |
Re: Welcome To My Office by Emperoh(m): 10:52pm On Apr 17, 2013 |
Emperoh: Ok guys, i think a new career era is about to open for me and i am excited about it. My career story from the post above is yet to end. Maybe from now but at least, i have something i am happy to work at every morning. Continuing from the above, i have to do some more story telling. As expected, i resumed on the 2nd of October as my offer letter indicated. And i couldn't have imagine the warm welcome that awaited me. It was as if everyone was waiting on me. Resumption modalities over, i sat down to a heap of documents i had to attend to. Develop or fine tune brand management policies as well set design parameters and bench mark. It was really a challenge. I expected it though. Monday flew past and Tuesday came. I sat in two meetings including that of a team of sport promoters looking for sponsors for some celebrity athletes coming to Nigeria. Now, within the two days i spent here, i discovered a trend. All decisions even as little as procurement of brand paraphernalia must have the approval of the group Chairman before it flies. I am talking of issues like procurement of banners, roll up banners etc. You just needed to conceptualize it, do a business case for it and send to your supervisor/line manager for approval. This will eventually get to the Chairman. I also realized that in as much he has empowered a lot of young people, he still has the final say. His decisions are also erratic. He could say one thing today and reverse it tomorrow. I also realized that there were 'favoured' employees especially the senior people he brought from the bank where he was last GMD and as if the Nigerian system, everyone worked to please him. Well, i didn't mind. It is his business and moreover, I had a job to do and i was more than excited about it. Just a brief overview. The group serves as the Chairman's holding company for his interests in the bank he last worked as GMD, his investment in a conglomerate that he also almost owns -at least up to 80 percent- and some other investments unbundled from the bank including real estate, financial markets, oil and gas, Health and Health insurance etc. It was quite big. Wednesday came and his wife who manages the hospital does a memo to him asking him to help procure medical case note files for the hospital. It's basically a file folder used in keeping record of patients in the hospital. The request goes to my line manager and then as expected, lands on my desk. Now, this wouldn't be a normally difficult task, as i thought. But a couple of things made it hard. A couple of printer vendors didn't like working with them since they had a high premium on standard and won't pay if you don't meet up. Hence, they will either print from UK or US for external documents. This has cost a couple of the printers to lose money for jobs cancelled. However, this being an internal document and given the urgency of need, i had to do it locally. Well, i called for quotations and got 3 or 5 vendors. I also included the agency i last worked with since they do printing. They submitted theirs. The really good sample designs were expensive and the printer wanted some upfront payment as a security. The not so good ones were ok price wise but the quality wasn't 'world class'. By Thursday, the pressure was much so i sent in the designs and their prices since my line manager was going to see the Chairman. The files were re-designed by Oga's wife and sent back to me. I contacted the printers notifying them of the change. Prices changed with the new design. In any case, by Friday, after plenty pressure, i recommended the guy with the highest quality and high price, since they know him and have worked with him. My line manager citing the high price said she didn't want to work with the guy and in turn recommended another person to the Chairman copying me in the mail. It turned out it was my former company she recommended. In between all these, the hospital as of Thursday, sent in a quote from their printer which looked ok price wise but since we hadn't seen their design, we couldn't decide whether to use them. My line manager asked me in a mail, if i had seen their sample design and i responded emphatically, NO!. In that response, i copied the hospital contact person asking him to get the printer to send me a design ASAP. My line manager responds with a warning to me not to CC 'external contacts' in internal mails. Friday night around 8pm, Chairman responds, asking if we had seen the sample design of the hospital printers. My line manager responds, No! Her response was at about 10pm. 5.00am Saturday morning, Chairman ask that we, 'See hospital printer's sample for completeness'. We will normally have a knowledge sharing session with the whole group staff members on every first saturday of the month. I arrived the office early and did the set up for the event with the communications assistant. We shared some issues, discussed group problems and also some accomplishments including the issuance of a license for Health Insurance business. I alongside two others where introduced as new staff and was congratulated. After the event, during the cocktails down stairs, i was on my desk doing some work when the Hospital contact comes in to introduce himself. We exchanged pleasantries and discussed about the sample. I also queried why they needed to go through us just to procure such a small set of files. We laughed over it and he left. He comes back a couple of minutes later with a disturbing question. That he understood i had made efforts to contact their printer. To which i responded to the negative. This was aside the request i made through him. Sounding surprised he then said that Madam, 'my line manager' - she is also a director in the company so everyone respected her big time - wanted to see me. Before her, she queried me for giving her the impression that i had samples from the printer whereas i didn't have and as such made her lie to the company chairman that she had the samples. Confusion took over me. I tried to recollect in that instant if i had made any submissions to her to the effect that i had the hospital printer's sample. I couldn't remember and told her as such that i can't remember telling her so. She wasn't satisfied and immediately questioned my integrity ![]() ![]() Monday morning which was meant to be induction for new staff. I came in quite early and attended to a few mails including that on medical case files. I saw her enter the office, greeted her and she didn't respond to me. I didn't bother. 9am, i went in for the induction program which is a week long affair. After the first session and mid way into the second, the HR Director comes in and calls me, asking me to come with all my belongings. I thought an urgent external assignment was in the offing. I proudly strutted off the room behind the lady. ![]() ![]() In her office, the group COO was seated and motioned me to a seat. He then asked me to recount what went between me and the line manager which i did. Well, they all sounded like i did something wrong; in actual fact, the case was apparently presented like i lied and was covering it up. Well, the worst i suspected at that point was a stern warning. But when the COO asked me to go get company stuff in my possession, i knew the game was up. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() I went to my desk, got all their docs and stuff in my possession and handed it over to the COO. And then he goes, 'U are such an intelligent chap and if your interview performance is anything to go by, i know you will go places. Unfortunately, management has decided to terminate your appointment. We wish you all the best. . . . . i didn't pay attention from this point since i was dazed. All i could mutter was; Just like that? No effort to hear my own side of the story? To which he answers, yes, just like that. Oh well, after a few moments after he left the office, i stood up, took my things and left. Crest fallen, badly shaken and totally bereft of any ideas as to why this was happening to me. I fought back tears particular because i loved the job so so much!! Three protest letters to the chairman and till date no answer. I counted my losses and moved on. But the shock as yet to leave me. Whatever be the reason is left for you readers to deduce. One thing was clear, my story wasn't complete yet and back into the job market i went. October flew past, November followed it and then December. How i survived those months, only God knew. After the xmas holidays, i was returning to Lagos with no idea of what could be next. I just trusted God and believed in my abilities. Well, he never fails. Middle of January, browsing through Nairaland, i saw the opening! A popular UK culture and art organization!!!! They were managing a program for DFID and needed someone with my profile. I did the application in 5 days and submitted 5 minutes to deadline. End of January, after i had forgotten, their call email come through inviting for a chat in Abuja. Within the same week, i did two other interviews with LBS and an FMCG conglomerate. Of all three, two came in successful. I made my choice and relocated to Abuja. Painful as it was leaving Lagos, i had to since the exposure was worth it. I found myself in the developmental and aid sector with plenty foreign aids left right and center. I am currently working on a 5 year DFID funded program managed by the UK organisation with benefits slightly better than the company where i was sacked. But i still think i prefer that job to this one given the large portfolio under me. I also think that job would have given me more opportunities to do new things etc. But who can question God. I am really grateful for where i am and will do my best to discharge this role creditably well. So for now, my story has an end; i hope!! ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() 5 Likes |
Re: Welcome To My Office by nitrogen(m): 1:20am On Apr 18, 2013 |
^^^ whaoh! What a success story. Congrats. In life, closed doors open new and better opportunities, and it should be a lesson for all, whatever and however the case may be,we should take it as God's purpose and will for us. Life is beautiful! God willing, I will come share mine 'very' soon. PEACE |
Re: Welcome To My Office by AjanleKoko: 10:08am On Apr 18, 2013 |
@Emperoh, Pretty sure that the chairman knew nothing about what happened to you, or maybe they put the blame for the whole printing fiasco on you. It's always like that when you work with all these larger-than-life figures. They are always surrounded by sycophants and yes-men. Not to worry, the best still awaits you. If I guess right, I believe I know that chairman you refer to. A close friend of mine was once fired from his bank (his previous one before he merged it with a bigger legacy one) just because the HR person did not like the look of him. Yes, she said he was smiling too much ![]() In fact, there's another story of a mass purge of technical staff at that same bank, because the generator gave out one night during a late-night board meeting. The entire technical staff were let go. So, not to worry. If it is the same guy, your case is not the first of its kind. |
Re: Welcome To My Office by TableLeg(m): 10:17am On Apr 18, 2013 |
AjanleKoko: @Emperoh, Generator packed up and people got fired for that? Wonderful!!!! ![]() |
Re: Welcome To My Office by AjanleKoko: 10:36am On Apr 18, 2013 |
Table Leg : Yep. It's not really a story. A friend of mine was affected by the mass sack. Happened more than a decade ago. A lot of these so-called 'business idols' are in reality insecure megalomaniacs. 1 Like |
Re: Welcome To My Office by Emperoh(m): 10:58am On Apr 18, 2013 |
AjanleKoko: @Emperoh, You are very correct! That's him. And the lady in question is said to be 'sacker' in chief. You just get to start hearing stories immediately something goes wrong. Why wasn't i told all these? I have heard countless stories. Even of people he fired and re-hired. The legal counsel has been fired 5 times at the bank and re-hired 6 times. At least sack won't come as a surprise. Needless to say it was obvious a lot of people play to the gallery just to please him. |
Re: Welcome To My Office by nitrogen(m): 11:13am On Apr 18, 2013 |
AjanleKoko: Very true sir! And no one dare question their actions. Anyway, one can't blame them sha because that is needed at times so the business can progress. And perhaps the positive effects are quite more than the negative effects. When employees (especially local ones) are caressed and controlled with levity hands, we all now the definite consequences on the business and the economy at large. But his own is too much 'jare'. |
Re: Welcome To My Office by TableLeg(m): 11:29am On Apr 18, 2013 |
nitrogen: In theory, this sort of treatment is meted out predominantly to local employees right? |
Re: Welcome To My Office by AjanleKoko: 11:34am On Apr 18, 2013 |
Table Leg : Maybe. They are local entrepreneurs. And remember the labour laws in Nigeria don't exactly protect the employee from a lot. |
Re: Welcome To My Office by Emperoh(m): 11:50am On Apr 18, 2013 |
AjanleKoko: U know, at some point i contemplated legal action. Cos i felt the sacking wasn't justified and again, i wasn't given a chance to a hearing. But i was discouraged by two things; the energy expended on the fight could be used in fixing myself up in something else. Again, to what end actually? To retrieve the job? And then get victimized all through your stay or seek compensation? That won't be the likely end. Again, with the prominence of this man, his closeness to the corridors of power and his financial backbone, baring divine intervention, i will be doomed!! Cos I may not win. I can also imagine, with the stories i heard, that i won't be the first neither will i be the last. Three other persons from the section i worked in left few months after me. I wouldn't know whether they were fired or left of their own volition. All that is in the past now. Just a pointer to those reading, assess who's hiring you at every point. There are sole proprietorships masking as LLCs with with strong corporate governance foundations. |
Re: Welcome To My Office by TableLeg(m): 11:50am On Apr 18, 2013 |
AjanleKoko: I have noticed a trend along that line, based on stories i have heard/read about and other personal or close experiences.... I agree with you on the labour laws outhere, it is absolutely disappointing that people can be sacked without a fair hearing or going to a structured process.... The sort of things i am reading here about how and why employees get fired or can get fired, it is absolutely insane The labour laws need to be reviewed and reformed.... An employment tribunal system is needed as well....................... |
Re: Welcome To My Office by TableLeg(m): 11:55am On Apr 18, 2013 |
Emperoh: If everything was set in place (labour laws, employment tribunal etc...) for you to challenge the dismissal, there is no way you wont win! And you dont need the job back, all you need is a compensation for the unfair dismissal and assurances that they wont be giving you bad references or recommendations ... Simples! They wont even dare try you if the laws and a tribunal system is in place in the first place ..... They risk the reputational damage, financial loss and any other associated negativity for something trivial .... You end up on the winning side ........ regardless! |
Re: Welcome To My Office by nitrogen(m): 12:17pm On Apr 18, 2013 |
Table Leg :Yes, and it is mainly because of the reason stated by sir AJ AjanleKoko: Meanwhile, most or maybe some employees' attitude is actually making the matter worst. Okay, the needed laws are enacted and the interests of the employees are protected, what happens to that of the local employers? The employee can easily rip off the struggling employer, and go away with it, especially since the system (judicial) is at its lowest level in terms of quality services being discharged. |
Re: Welcome To My Office by nitrogen(m): 12:29pm On Apr 18, 2013 |
Table Leg : Oh yes! It is easy to say than to do in Nigeria, when you think of all that will be channelled to the case and what have we, costs, energy, time and others, one can only whine about it, and no action is taken. Wanted to add that one should add the rigours to go through, especially with the incessant adjournment of cases and the corrupt judges........ but when I saw the bolded (particularly the word 'if') then I sensed it that you really did catch the drift. Quite pathetic! One thing that I know is that we will surely get there someday. |
Re: Welcome To My Office by TableLeg(m): 12:33pm On Apr 18, 2013 |
nitrogen: I hope so.... Nigeria needs to start doing things properly A very tough and frustrating country but the hustle must go on..... |
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