Hello,

Today i was very busy working with my job and not to mention, i did a research for immigration, study, work and settle in Canada. I gather all the information from this website, which i trust enough since the information circulate around the site is basically subjective since most of the site visitor and information giver were one interested with living in Canada. The forum has built by someone who is a Canadian legal agent which conducting immigration and settlement business for foreigner. It contains various information about Canada, and what i perceive from the site, the information was clear and not made up, nor exaggerated. I give a small preview about immigration process and suddenly i take new tabs a lot, maybe around 20 tabs at that time since i was hungrily seeking the truth of living in Canada.

After a certain articles, i felt that all of this information was written by an individual, who gain a commission once a person use his service. I am not skeptical with the information yet i still crave with unbiased opinion, from someone whom not related with Canadian government at all. Since i will work there and hopefully live in Canada, i need a trusted information based on someone who already work and live there. Luckily, if you see on the top of this website, there were a link which direct you to forum and once you click it, you will see a giant portal of foreigner, with the topic related with what i mention before.

I take a look deeper in the forum, to see if the forum are still active and some member contributing or not since the freshness of the information is necessary, a visa requirement for travelling to Canada in 2014 is not same as in 2016, it may cause misleading if the information already expired especially for working tax which change quickly between year. Anyway what i have found from this site is the last post is today, in different sections there were thousand reply thousand viewer, the name of the contributor were all different, give me an impression that this site is still active. The first article that i read is about minorities skeptical of getting a job in Canada, even they had already got a working visa through skilled worker entry. Such a demotivational article from the post and most of the replies in this site are also from different ethnical share the same experience with the first poster. There were seven pages from this site, one page full of two immigrants debating each other opinion (time to grab popcorn) and i wasted half hour on my time reading all those comments.

Another debating article from the article was the frustration of job finding in his expertise. This article is heavily on foreigner whom fall into the category of senior level in his past company, carrying bunch of credentials but what they got once they land in Canada is just a brainless job, working in restaurant or monotonous store clerk. This bring me another confusion about what happened in Canada, a country that in our perspective has own the benefits of every country envy about, free education in public school until college, free healthcare, retirement benefit and so on, not to mention with the most diverse race in the world, also has a hidden challenge.

As before, what do i afraid about Canada is getting there, to have some sort of exceptional skill to secure your work visa but now i am a bit scared about the job competition there since all the skilled and talented people move there to get a plate and preserve their sustainability. This is getting more interesting since most of the people don't know about this and i am truly thank you for the person who own and operate this forum. I dig deep down what is the main problem of them, is the economy crisis, racism towards applicant, corrupt government are the main source of why do they fail. I also read an article about a bitter experience of immigrant who before was held a nice position in his country, found that he could not get any kind of job until his account were forcing him to get any kind of job in order to survive. The ending was he fled back to his country once he got a one way ticket from his hard earned salary and leave the story bitter. I feel sorry to that guy.

So my eyes is a bit open here, that i need to be more realistic and lower down my expectation. This evidence based on true story since some replies also share the same experience makes me create a plan B: what would i do if i remain jobless for three months, do i fled back or find any kind of job to survive like others while finding the acceptable job which match with my skill? or as what i had think on the previous post, to bury my Canada dream deeply and continue to work here.

My research in this website got serious than ever, i almost skipped my dinner and yoga class to satisfy my curiosity however i am lucky enough since i have an appointment with my friend whose taking his first yoga class need me as acquaintance so i could stopped my research for a moment. During yoga class my mind distracted with this curiosity so today i do something different, no chat after class and dinner appointment since my friend want to continue with his workout. It was rain outside but i can't be stopped. I rushed through the rain and arrive home fast. I continue my research as my focus knocked in, my reading through article became faster and in a glance i know what post is telling the truth and what post is made with negative mindset. I try to connect the problems and here is what i found important to find a job here:


English Language in Canadian Standard

English, especially spoken English or French if you try to live in Quebec. What i learn from the site is not just a basic word of English; yes, no, eat, go. You need to be excel in English and from the various articles discussing about this, the Canadian standard of English by mean to fluently express your opinion, delivering a presentation, a clear instruction for managing worker, understand different meaning of expression and most importantly, your accent is prefer to be less of local accent, i am not against preserving your culture but this is more important for job interview. Immerse yourself with Canadian topics, if it is about political party to government regulation, national sport such as hockey or basketball, you need to keep your ear open with the information about Canada. If you want to live here, you need to be what it is like to be a Canadian. Some foreign guy got the job quick after having a chat with local in the club, and this require a dialog, while the content of the dialog must be connected with each other.


Cultural immersion with local community: Volunteer, Mentor, Network

Another major flaw from new immigrant come in Canada is they refuse to integrate with community. Instead of getting along with the local people, this guy just want to stay focused on his business and later on when he want to seek a help, he will try to find another local with the same ethnicity with him. Remember that Canada is multi-cultural country, famous for its diversity mean that this is the opportunity for you to blend with local community. Who knows some of them help or give you a job? and how do you reach people if you don't open up. Open yourself to the local society and offer them some help, if you have enough time you can do a voluntary job for those in need. Network yourself, that is the key to adapt in Canada.


You have to be Roman if you want to live in Rome

The government may give you a work permit to find a job here but to get a job that you want to do, it is not their job. It means that you are responsible for your job seeking, and finding the best formula which fit to your ideal. If you want to work as a electrician, attend a meeting of electrician engineer in the city which held annually, and once you got there get a nice conversation with people there, some of them are the employer and if you lucky enough they will give you the invitation for the job interview, also keep the relation that you got from there, be proactive and ask some information about it, where they mostly meet up, what is the effective way to be accepted in this field, study the tricks and keep practicing until you got there. You are Canadian and you need to follow their standard, no matter how high your experience is, if it does not matter or satisfy the employer, it means simply nothing.


Stay positive and ready to take risk

If you already did all of it and you still not getting a job, be patient and trust yourself. There would be a right moment for you. Always keep positive since it will make yourself strong in unemployment state. Positive is a state of mind, you are fully responsible for your own happiness so don't let others determine what is happiness for you. Keep yourself from negative people as they will turn down your hope while keep realistic with what you have. The last solution i found in this website is the willingness to take risk. Some job in Canada considered as a low demand but in a high supply, especially locals. You need to understand the basic game of economy, if you try to find job under this situation, most likely you will get beaten up unless you have something of what Canadian company needed and locals don't have, otherwise you will be no different with other competitor.


Have more than one plan

Your last resort, is your willingness to take risk, to start over new. Some company have a small requirement and job condition in a job that is most people less likely will take it. A lot of reason make this job less preferable; high level of danger, work at night to midnight, physical demanding and so on. To continue living in Canada you need to open your mind to ideas and possibilities. You can consider to work in high demand job even in the starting point, you can earn more since the candidate and competitor not much.

I think that is enough for today as i squeeze my brain much for today, i am so happy to keep my writing for eight day consecutively. I am hoping for the best in for 27th of Feb as the outcome will determine my first way to Canada. Thank you for reading and if you have an experience about Canada, please let me know so i could have some insight upon it, thank you.

Read More

Hello,

Today i start the day with a small hacks, daily coffee, and just went straight to work. Nothing interesting to be talk about since it is daily morning routines.  Fortunately, my job today is not as much as before so i could write two tips today and one daily journal. Not just that, i also do a research about how to obtain a working visa through skilled worker. According to the information in Canada Immigration and Citizenship official site, there were 60 different immigration program, differentiate by its criteria. My personal aim is working in Canada, so this article will be focused heavily on the process of getting a working visa. I will keep an update in this site and this information might change by time. If you are seeking for study visa or internship in Canada, i am really sorry that this article is not for you.

So here we begin. 60 programs sounds huge but i will cut down into three different process based on the difficulties. Let me start with the hardest one:

General Immigration or Express Entry

For a person who has an international degree, international working experience with decent English and French speaking, especially for those who already get a sponsorship letter from the Canadian Company would likely get accepted through this way. According to the requirements, this stand the hardest among all. English language fluency is a must and in order to get their minimum requirement score, one should reach at least 67 points.  Points are share between language proficiency, international degree, working experience and age. There were another what i called bonus point since it worth less than those four but it could make yourself a better chance to get a working permit. Bonus point got from your recommendation and sponsorship letter and if you had friend, you could ask them to support your migration.

The real challenge lies in this way is the English test since you could add >20% to your total mark. The judgement is based on CLB (Canadian Language Benchmark) but since the applicants mostly are foreigner and took similar test, they can accept IELTS score by given an equivalent, which CLB 9 stand for the highest score while in IELTS, it equivalent to 8.0 on reading, 7.5 on writing, 8.5 on listening, and 7.5 on speaking. TOEFL has no place here since it only accepted in North America region. Those whom English is not their major language will suffer most in speaking, and no matter how great you are to mimic the American or British accent, you will blend your local accent. Another nightmare comes to reading, to score at least 8.5 in order to get the highest mark. Since IELTS grading way has a curve starting from 5, a 8.5 score means you only had three chances over forty questions (37/40). There is another point you can collect from French but if you are never learn about it, it advisable to acquiesce the points, it is not a big deal since you only loss 8%. The opportunity cost is higher and it is not worth it. If you want to learn the language that is okay but if it just for this requirements, it is not favorable. The fastest way to learn a language cost you a year and your time.

The rest is not as hard as you think, most of the applicants already been in job for three to five years, so if your English score is not high enough, there is another way to boost it up. Getting a job has an impact to your score, even if you only spend for one year, they will give you 9% and for more than six year, 15%, another way to score higher in easy way is from your bachelor degree, any four year spent in the university contribute 21% to your total mark, if you took double degree or master you could get 22 to 25%. Your age also important too, they demand productive young generation to contribute to their community. In age, if you be in 18 to 35 range, you get an additional 12%.

The bonus point has 20% in total. 10% you get from the sponsorship from the Company or your friend or relative studying or researching or living as citizen in Canada. While the rest you better ignore since the last 10% is outrageously impossible, especially you were well prepared to work in Canada so before in your student exchange program or international internship program you spent one year there, or you have been working in Canada for at least one year.

My personal score from all those combination, without taking English test is 52%,  9% from 1 to 2 year working experience, 21% from bachelor degree for 4 years , 12% from being in productive age (18 to 35), and 10% from the sponsorship of the relative and company. In order to reach the minimum requirement, i just need 15% to fill the gap. According to this site, i just need to score minimum 6.0 in every subject to get 16% of it. So currently i am working with my IELTS to increase the probability of success.

Since this Visa granted personally, one should be able to own some cash to show that you are independent. There is no perfect amount of how much money an individual needed since the information might be differ. My personal thought that they keep this as a secret but if you know how much it is please let me know and give the credible link about it, thanks. Another cost needed is 1200 CAD for the application and almost forget to mention that this program limited to 8,000 visas per year for all nationalities. According to this website, Starting from January 2016, there were 4449 of invitation were issued on this year. By given chance, a floodgate start to close down in the middle of February. a total of  My personal question regarding with that regulation is: For the unfortunate applicants who is not getting bench this year, do they need to take a new application (and the cost) for the next year once the floodgate already closed or not.

Special worker under classification or Business Visitor

You can work in Canada with your Visitor or Temporary work visa if you fall into this category or you are a businessman/ entrepreneur who invest largely of your asset in Canada. Otherwise you can not work without working visa. You can only issue your working visa once company in Canada already announce to sponsor your work and living here. The real challenge of acquiring this working visa is most of the job listed have a little involvement towards Canadian economy just see some such as performer, artist, researcher, music crew, athlete, military personal and on. You could figure out that i also abandon this option.

Certificate or Graduate Programs

Sacrifice describe the best meaning in this program. You can issue your working permit once you have been spending at least 8 months in the Canadian local college or university. The shortest way to obtain your visa is by getting your student visa for one year, attending your college for certificate or graduate degree (some finish in one year). Canadian system sounds fair since you get the work permit equal with the time you spend here for study. Lets take a quick example: One year student program will grant you 8 months work permit, two years program will grant you two years work permit and number change constantly. Imagine right after you graduate from your one year program and you got 8 months work permit, chance to getting a job considered high, especially if your grade distinguish from others. Right after you get a contract from local company, you can renew your working visa according to the duration of contract. The challenge from here is you need to spend at least 5 years to get your PR (Permanent Resident) to secure your position during lay-off or economical crisis period. The margin of error from this way is you need to go back to your country if any company don't want to take you before the visa expires.

If a person real intention just want to get a job in Canada, without dealing with bureaucracy and competing for skilled worker way and also have a saving to survive in one year and more, i would recommend to take the third way. Let's do a simple math here. One year of study for foreigner cost 15,000 CAD a year (may vary depend on the job, art student pay less than others) and for the living cost 10,000 CAD a year. The number may increase or decrease depending on the budget. If you got a job here, i just write the smallest pay job to make the number more realistic, i took the average of 37.5 hours per week, that is 150 work hours per month with the salary of 10 CAD (or more since you are educated you will score double or even triple) you will earn 1500 CAD a month, so that is 18000 CAD a year of rough annual income. However in reality i see on various google site that the lowest rough income individual ever got is 22000 CAD so in order to get a number beautiful, i just rounded to 20000 CAD. Canadian has progressive tax system, and you need to pay 16% of your income if you earn less than 41495 CAD. So in net you will get 17000 CAD. I eliminate the inflation and salary progression variable since the number mostly affect nothing in your account. There would be a bonus and overtime which could generate your income higher. If your net income is 17000 CAD, then you can save 7000 CAD, which your hard work will break even in three or less year.

Everything sounds good when it comes to expectation but one last time to be careful, you need to get a job before your work permit expires. I rode some articles that the racist still happen out there. Especially if your name sounds different (i will not write down since it's racist and you mature enough to understand) from the local, will likely harder to find a job.

There will be much factor to be think about, the economical situation in the country, which led to unemployment and government tighten the rule for immigrant to work inside for example Singapore, a company should meet a specific ratio of local and immigrant. The future economic of Canada since in 2014 the oil price went down sharply, resulting some field of worker need to be lay off and how big the economy rely on it. The competition from local and immigrant, who seek opportunity to get a job is important to think about, before deciding to work there.

I think that's enough for the background about the way to work in Canada, i know there is another way to consider such as Nurse or Caregiver path but i will not describe here since i will not take that way, which wasting my time to do a research in particular issue. I will keep on track with the working visa and will give an update about this. If you have any other suggestion please let me know and i would be welcome to any information. Thanks for reading and hope i could get accepted to work there. See you again.

Read More

There is ever a debate between what kind of music is the best for study, writing, working and  any activity which require a person to stay concentrate doing his job. Others might suggest to no background music at all since music can cause distraction, especially if the person know well the lyric of the music. Which is counterproductive in this kind of activity, by slipping our focus into something differ which is interrupt our brain to stay focus on the job. It generally acceptable until you do a job that require an extensive time of focusing, long period of concentration and generating new ideas, that you will get bored with as time goes by, this quiet environment can make you end up in boredom and sleepiness. There is nothing wrong to have a quiet environment while doing your job but not every job effectively works in this method.

Is there any solution to solve this problem, in every kind of job that require concentration and focus without decreasing our force? No it is not, i will explain this later. By now I have all heard about the research of playlist that can be used as your playlist for doing this job. Most research recommend the usage of listening classical music may increase mental engagement and clarity. However, our brain also have limit so if your classical music felt not working anymore then it is advisable to have a break.

This sound generally acceptable and i ever heard a research about listening to classical music can improve your brain activity but this is not for everyone. Some people can't stand classical music and if they listen to this music, they just feel sleepy, especially when they picked a tune which is monotonic and boring. Well, relax and no need to worry since there is hope for this kind of people, which gain more energy if they listen to their favorite track with exception, no lyric on it since lyric is the major distraction on every music. Find your favorite song without vocal or instrumental only to help you focus on what you are doing without getting bored with classical music.

The good thing about listening to the music which can not be obtained from quiet environment is that a music will elevate your mood, reduce stress and motivate your brain to work longer. By given this advantage, selecting the right music should be extremely important. Different selection of music will affect oppositely, which lead to more stress and distraction to your work. So now i will giving some tips of how you pick your music.

Slow tempo

Slow tempo will keep your brain at pace, stay in your work and produce more ideas. There is a wide range of selection, starting from classical music, instrumental (saxophone or flute), ambient, and some lounge music in moderate tempo.

Peace music

Another option for the selection of music is from nature. Researcher found our brain works better if we spending some time listening to natural sound, a rainfall, a wave toasted, bonfire, it is not monotonous so it will not make you sleepy.

Low Volume

Make sure that the volume is not too loud. The louder it is, it will distraught you. Keep your music as your background so your work still be on the priority.

No Lyrics or Vocals

I have explain it before.

Using that four criteria will help you to build your own music. If you are stuck on idea and could not figure out what playlist you want to make, just take a look on this playlist for example. All of them exclusively chosen which met all those criteria. If you listen it very carefully, this music mostly played on a place that require concentration and focus most, for example: Library, bookstore, airport and yoga studio.

Hope you enjoy this playlist and have a nice time with your work. If you have any other playlist, just let me know, bye.

Disney piano music playlist

Study music project by Dennis Kuo

6 hours music by BMC

3 hours meditation nature music

Read More

Everyone will ever feel burnout right after they do the same thing, either its an office work, study, exercise and even playing games. No matter how you love your job, if you do this repetitively, you will felt some sort of frustration and tired, affecting your mental and physical exertion.

Depending on the person, an escape route may differ from the other. Some people find to escape their monotonous lifestyle by giving themselves a quite time, meditation or pondering to the lake. Some may spend a little money for a short trip to area they never visited before, or do a charity work in ignored inhabitants, or having a hiking and camping with their partner. Some works wonder if they just call it a day and sleep, so in my opinion everyone has their own way to deal with routines.

For me, this escape has the equal importance than the routine itself since it has an effect towards our happiness and attitude. A person whom could balance their job with their break are found more productive and happier. A small escape or break bring excitement on social life and work and not just that, we also feel that in our inner mind we love with what we do.

There is no exception for everybody to get the escape, especially for the busy one. There is one small advice that will work for a person who is extremely busy and hard to find one free day is by changing their routine. It is not about quit your job or be absent for one day, you don't need to do that. Just changing what you are usually doing in your routine to something different. If you go to office by your own car, then the next day try to go by bus or train, see a new face and if you are lucky you could get a new friend. Dare yourself to try different restaurant and pick the menu you never try before, if you love cooking then try different kind of food, switch the habit of your sport routine from weight lifting to cross fit or yoga. Just a little change in your routines and you will feel happier.

So why we feel happier once we break some of our routines? Well, we are a human being and not robot. From the beginning we have freedom and always have it. Our inner self is curious and free, no matter how organize you are, you will feel sad and tired which lead to negative behavior and attitude. With a constant routine, which is lacks of curiosity, it will slowly kill our inner self to learn more and find out what is exciting. If a single individual stay in the same habitual circle day by day, one day he will burn out.

Everyone has different approach which i had cover already and how a person could determine how much time needed to spent in order to recover our happiness with escape or break and what kind of escape that produce to the most happiness in our life? The answer is lie within yourself. No one knows yourself better than you. Figure out what makes you happy, what you always think for during working, what you had planned to do, or if you stuck on ideas, then try something different, something you never had in your life, there is a website listing of 100 things to do before die and its a good start to generate some ideas and make your own bucket list. For me, the quiet moment works wonder. Once i felt that i need some escape, i would like to go somewhere alone, much better if there is no one around me so i feel private, turn off any communication devices so i will not disturbed during the time and then i just let my mind wander. It gives myself a quick recharge to the brain and sometimes it solve the problem of what i had stuck for a long time, develop different approach of solution, and bring out new ideas. That is my escape and i can do this anywhere and anytime (after office hour). There is any other way for me to keep balanced still this is the most effective one, and also one time i need to switch this solution to others since you can't apply the same method continuously.

I hope this suggestion could works for you and wish you all the best in your life. Keep motivated and live your life with fill of hope and joy.

Read More

Hello,

As written in the previous post, the decision between working abroad or settle and find a good job after I finished with two year working here is confusing. Since those two are the important decision which lead my life differently, i should dig deep down the gain and loss between those two. I will cover the comparison based on career advancement, economical gain, individual preferences, culture differences, soft skill to develop, escape from routine options, love life and also what will i sacrifice in from the other sequentially so, enjoy!

I prioritize my career upon all variables since i will spend half of my life thinking about it and working on it. When it comes to my career, i just want to make the best of it, the one that i could work on it with less chance of getting burn out. My basic judgement towards my dream career is realistic, not based on how high income but parallel with my passions and personalities  so i could feel rewarded and motivated to taking part in the culture.

If i could figure out about my career right now currently i am not into it, just want to work so my skill could not have forgotten. My salary is common compared to the different field of job, not much since fresh graduate always treated as prospective worker with zero experience unless you score top on your class or work in certain field that has a big start for example medical and engineering field. My basic income ranging from 500 CAD roughly and this number might biased if you just count it roughly since the purchasing power in this country is also low, so i could make a living but not settling. If i gain more experience, i could give a try to apply on bigger company for higher position as supervisor or even manager still, i that position require at least 3 to 5 years of experience. Since the company i am working right now is not listed in the stock, I have a small career advancement in this company. They just want to keep their worker works in the place that we agreed in the work contract. I might be proactive to suggest myself mutated to other position but i am not really into this company so my work motivation here is low. I try to work on standard, not putting much effort to be better.

 Something i will lose from this company is the comfort that i had been developing among these years. Since I had much free time, i tend to play or search of what i found interesting. Nothing constructive though since the job is basically simple, and if i am not lazy enough, i could open a small e-commerce.

Now lets talking about my new career opportunity. So this company also works in the same field with my current, just different player. I could not write the job specification specifically since i still not decide whether i will stay here or take it. I gave the employee the deadline of my employer by the end of this week so i still have eight more days to consider.

New job always identical with different exposure, different work culture, opportunity to grow on your career and new skill you will get in the process. This stuff always sound sweet in the beginning but I need to think about it carefully. Is this opportunity better than my current job, or worse? I would like to talk about the bright part first to boost up my motivation.

Sure your environment will affect with your life. You will be far away from your native, even from your closest one, friends and families which you can connect to them anytime you want, now you can only see them from the phone, due to time differences, you might find them working while you just preparing your bed time. This is what should i prepare. The first trimester of loneliness from hometown, finding yourself lost in foreign country might be tough as i felt when study abroad for the first time. So this time i can cope up faster than before. Sometimes i prefer to be alone so this is not a big issue for me, and if i put this in a positive way, i could get more friend internationally.

Working culture in my current position is relaxed while some of my friends so hectic and have a less sleep time. I feel lucky enough with my job that does not require me to work overtime in order to end the project on schedule. When i was doing a research about Canadian working culture in bureaucratic, an American said that they value work experience, so the more i work there my income also would be higher. The office culture rarely competitive, everyone has their own tasks, easy to get a new job but also easy to get lay off, that they prefer a short working contract, just use the resource as what they needed. This must be taken seriously for someone who want to apply job later in the country that respect loyalty to the company for example: Japan and China (seniority). The three important point that describe Canadian workers are: communication, teamwork and flexibility. This will be an important value to add in my skills as learning foreign work culture and their business code may unlocking the way to work on specific market.

Is this company offer a new opportunity? Well, by given its size which is much bigger than my previous one, i am positive that means greater career selection and rotation. One thing that i heard from the employer that you could take one more job after i done with the tasks. It means i could have more job outside the market and gain more income or cooperate with this company by creating my own job complementary which support and integrate with company business. In my viewpoint, they still lacks of e-commerce, they do not work on retail, and the product variation only limited to one country while i know my friend that has been working in Thailand, so i just need to do a research if Thai's imported product have a market and competition.

Talking about loss, my first concern is toward my social life. I am not actively sociable but at least i need a person which is close enough and have the same life view with me. Finding this person would be challenging since i am very picky with the person i can get close with. There is a barrier, language and culture that may limit our communication. Culture shock also could not be taken easily though however i found myself adaptable so it will gradually over. Any great solution is to find a friend abroad is by attending communities gathering, church, festival and short group trip would be good to know a new friend quick.

I think i will end the writing now since i need to prepare my meeting tomorrow so i make sure to keep myself fit and get enough sleep. I still not cover with escape from routine options and my future love life but i promise to finish it tomorrow. This is just what i see objectively based on my viewpoint so please let me know if there is any mistake or other suggestions. Good night.

Read More

Hello,

Back again to the previous topic last night and i still not cover the job that i was offered from far relatives since i only met the person twice in my lifetime. I consider this is the second life decision as if whether the decision i will make, it will affect my life path. This thing kept bugging me for two whole weeks, bring me confusion and uncertainty to my whole life once again. I, who already given up with my life and pick what common people would do suddenly felt an urge, that moves my heart to say "TRY IT".

You can call me a normal guy since i don't have any further plan forward in the next ten year, even five year. My day spent in the office while at night i do yoga, cyclically everyday. Of course some event happened but not affecting much with my routines. Sometimes i dreamed to be the one that chasing his dream but i know that i don't have what it takes, i even not sure what am i doing right now. My age turned 25 this year, a year that most people said about "first midlife-crisis".

What is this crisis of? well, during this period of time, individual should know where he would be settle and spend a whole life there, marriage or mortgage explain the best of why a person can't go anywhere, by given huge responsibility. Not just that, people perceive you as a fully responsible man that should be able to walk and stand alone, in a short word, independent. Independent is a state of mind so even you still taking care of your parents or stay with them, since you support them yet your mindset is i was able to make a living.

Have you decided carefully who you are going to marry with? or Can your career makes you a living once you will resign later and how long it will last? scares many people since we can't predict the future. Considering myself that the life plan i had built two years ago mean nothing in reality. My account just enough to support myself and leaving small account which is not enough to credit any property. Living with parents also demotivate yourself since you are considered as dependent person.

I want to escape from my job but i can't, my working experience is not more than one year, i need to wait at least two years that could polish my resume for my further career prospect. I counting the day, doing the job that is repetitively same, leave me in frustration. Since i live in the capital, getting into big company is not easy as what others think, even get a job in a small company you need a certain degree and work skills with the lowest pay you could never think for. I don't think this job can secure my life and have a future prospect so i just wait for the right time to jump and fly.

Seems God answered my pray, there is a call in the morning to my mom, that there is a job vacancy abroad for a person who is native and able to do some management stuff. Think that this is once in a lifetime moment, take it or leave it, my mom told and explain if i could giving a hand to that person. My mind went faster, i tried to find any information about the company as i don't want to lose this opportunity. I know there is another candidate so there would be a competition in order to fill the position.

I don't do as others, who think slowly and carefully with what it will affect towards life. I am not seeking an escape but i found better to live abroad once again. By given the condition in my life here, i don't need to argue which one is better. If it impulsive then yes it is. I am the one who take initiative to call that guy, and not picked up. I tried once again and not answered. There is a message left to my mom's phone that written "we could talk at 8 to 9, i am free on that time". So i called that guy again at 9 and there is no answer. I had not given up, the next day, i called her for the third time and yes she answers.

We are not talking much with working agreement or condition since she knows that i graduated and worked in this field, there should not be much hassles. I can learn the skill later, the job is quite flexible and mobile, she seems interested with my qualification and we agreed to talk with main problems. So here is the main problem, the unemployment rate for this year is higher prior to the past. The Canadian ministry of labor enforce every business company to give priority to the locals since some of them under lay-off, especially in the country that much rely on the sand oil while the oil price went down sharply from previous year and some United States policy to limit their budget toward oil spending which delay many construction there. It means there is no sponsorship to work there. I need to take skilled worker way in order to get into Canada and got a job there.

She explain that this way is what many people fear because it was strict and demand a high standard for individual to work there. I throw a joke about overstay and she didn't want to take a risk, it could close down her business she said. So i understand the situation and figure out what is the best way for us, by taking an express way of getting a certificate from college, so right after graduate according to Canadian student policy we will be given 8 months of working permit to find a company that can sponsor us to be a permanent worker to their company, so after that i could renew my student visa into working visa for what year that we still not deal with it.

Finding universities is the first step to work there, i am in the pathway of whether i will take higher education (graduate program) that last for one year or just certificate program with internship opportunity for one year. Both sounds good and later i will decide on the psychology test result that we will talk about it in 27th of Feb. If the result is i should continue for graduate program, then i will focus on the job she was offered there. I am giving two kind of profession that are resembles with my current degree, current job and job in Canada that is:

Customer Analytic Manager

I love to work backstage, not confront with much people and less chit-chat. Since i have a good ability to read data and can figure out the "red thread" in it. I had no interest to watching people but this job does not requires much of dealing with customer. In this type of job i need to analyzing various customer level in order to determine the best advertising method (flyer/promo offers/direct/guerrilla), product pricing, target marketing, and product assortment based on research.  Works on retail spend behavior patterns,store sales performance, and other analyses in support of customer centrist retailing.

I had learned all of that in college as Marketing Management program and i feel i can do it. This profession related with my quiet personality and passionate with making an analyze, by the way i am INTP so this job will blend with my passion.


Regional Sales Manager

This would be the last option since this profession is still related with the subject i had learn from years and i ever took this kind of internship (well, it went bored as i need to makes a cold call and data entry but my current job is likely the same, just eliminate that call stuff). So regional sales also need to make a research in sales function, how do they figure out the best way to reach customer and create a cohesive relation between them in basis of need. After that, i require to determining objectives on deciding when it going to be on sale or rush hour. Giving all the report collected to the Boss, managing business operation with customer (the local store, grocer purchaser, wholesaler) , our human resource and vendor management.

I learned Operation Management and Supply Chain Management so this simply understandable and require a small effort to relearn and applies to this job. One downturn with this career selection is maintaining relationship should be taken seriously while i had a small interest dealing with people.

Later will cover depend on the result so i still wait patiently, while maintaining the good relationship with the employer, so i keeping her on track of what i am doing, at least a simple communication just enough. I will tell her my plan at the end of this week, if i remember.

I don't think for any other job right now since the expectation and reality might be opposite. Logically, my job in Canada would be another trading company but in different work field. If now my company play as Collector with only one Buyer, the government company (since its under government regulation), this time that company play as Distributor of Imported Goods and Subsidiary so I have to deal with warehousing stuff and maintaining good relation among other chains.

So later on maybe in the night i will post about the opportunity cost and implication by given two options, to settle here and find more prospective job in domestic after two year experience or pursue my life in Canada. Thanks for reading and glad to realize that this is the sixth day of me doing consecutively writing in this blog, which i never done before. Hope i could have time and motivation to continue this journal this night or tomorrow.

Read More

In day five of my articles, in the end of the note if i still have a mood to write i will talk much with the job that i was offered. So where do i start? oh i think it would be best to start with what do i make for a living and how is my career condition, before i could start talking with this opportunity.

Before i start, i want to let you know that my education is not really matter with what i want to be. The degree that i choose is just because i had no option while there is no better option and i don't mind to take it, who knows i will into this. After high school, i decided to get any kind of job, as long as i could learn the reality of life. For me, the best learning in your life is by experience, you doing it, you learn it how to improve or how to solve it, when you are in dead end, how you are deal with it, is it by switching to another direction or face it with different approach.

I don't know what is wrong with me but later i understand that a formal education is not for everyone. The time that i spent in school, a twelve years according to our educational system in a great measure, i didn't learn as much as i learn comparing from other student. I consider myself that i could not kept motivated as others, while other were busy with their competition on who score best, i just want to pass and as long as i keep get a acceptable mark, it's okay. So before my motive to stay in school is just to make my parent happy, the brainwashed subliminal message that had been taught by generation to generation. Go get a life, be the best in the school, office, makes your parents proud life pattern sounds not working for me.

If someone ask what subject do you love most? i would like to say sport. I am not interested with it technical or basic rules however i always more than average to other in any kind of sport. The one that keep me going to school is this, football. The time i spent 8 hours seems pay out with after school football. All student who is into it just form two groups and play together until one by one came back home. One day i dreamed to become a professional football player while in order to be that, i need to be talented and my parents own an acceptable amount of money to back me up before famous. Making football as a professional career is extremely hard here. Most athletes don't get what they deserve. Our minister of sport is completely corrupt to the budget and only cares with the sport that is famous in our country and also the selection of athletes is racist, as a minority don't expect to working in this field unless you are tough.

The person who know me said that i am a complete rebel, uncontrollable, pure troll, and other negative attribute that i don't know if i done that. I just don't like following the system, well today i can't be like this so i follow this system reluctantly. But now all of them are surprised that i completely silence and not active anymore. I used to be the last part of the team everybody wants, completely ignored in giving opinion, TWELVE YEARS sitting beside teacher's desk, even school consultant suggests my parents to take me to the psychologist if i had an ADHD disorder or not, one of English teacher whom i respected most in high school killed my dream by saying "you can't be a marketing since you can't convince anybody" is a brutal honesty after i know that marketing is not just about convincing, one of my teacher said that you can't be anybody, you just waste of society.  Being different is desperate especially during your puberty when you really want to be understand by somebody. Most people interpret me as unreliable, trouble maker, rebel, scumbag and so on. I don't know what image i had built during my school life and have no other way to fix this.

One of the hardest moment in my life is on grade twelve, last semester, once i already get used with class system, my real me craving for a true calling, that i want to stop this off, this kind of society makes me think myself what is my co-existence, where i should be and how i still stay here. You know what happen next, once you make the change in a conservative minded-like society, you know the analogy of monkey and banana, once monkey try to grab the banana, the researcher beat that poor guy up until he given up his effort, and another monkey show up, want to do the same stuff as the pioneer did, got beaten up by his pioneer and this cycle goes and goes, until there is a thousands of monkey in the cage but no one dares to touch the banana, afraid of getting beaten up by majority.

Since i was immature and still couldn't figure out what is my game, i just against them without having any solid foundation to stand still. Got disapproval until now, even when they're having reunion, they did it without me. I am not really care with that but i see how easy a tie of friendship could be broke. This experience has lowering down my positive attitude toward humanity but since i am an idealist, i still believe people are basically good until the second rejection on the university life completely trashed out my feelings, making out myself negative, skeptical and always questioning the true motive of someone who trying to get me.

The moment that supposed to be important for a human being, as the first step into maturity is selecting a right major. I didn't get that, how hard my dad to convince me to take higher education since the cost of it is not cheap. Not all people is gifted equally in every subject, that is what make us unique, we just need to figure out what is best for us. Most of my friend that took the same degree with me end up differently, not a small number of them switching major more than one times finding what work best for them, one desperately unemployed and had given up with life, giving a burden to his parent as this is not the one that he supposed, some graduated and still unemployed, want to be in freedom and finding identity what is their true calling, some just continued their parents business, everybody has their own choice and i respect that.

If anyone ever ask how do you get into this major, a business management? I am not. This is what my dad had chosen for me and at that time i don't have any better option except that. My hope is just i could make a living since this job offers a broad range of business field, you could be accountant or public auditor, tax, marketing, human resource, business operation, trader, importer, analyst, negotiator, finance, banking, business manager or even an entrepreneur. Imagine if i took a very specified major for example oil refinery or optometry and how if i could not find what i love in that major? i would be grounded. Well it just my thought that everything is getting better once i had a major to work on but this is another mistake, probably one of the biggest mistake i ever had because none of them works for me.

The first year and second year of university life is one of the best, new friends, new communities, new skills to learn and class is not that hard. I still could not figure out what work best for me so i think this is the biggest regret that i ever make. I always follow my friend, he is proactive for himself, but when he caught into problem, i sometimes to be the one who asked what is the matter, not him, i don't know why i become so proactive when it comes to someone problem. Some student know where they want to be, had taken some opportunity in working outside campus, one of us are lucky enough to quit the class before graduate but make a living in the way he want it to be.

I consider myself to be a late grown up, i always had no intention of using anybody and don't know if someone is using me at that time, i always be an object of people anger, yet i quickly forgive or forgot it. I never taking anything seriously since i don't want to live under control and full of stress. The happy moment that i thought this is my true calling by following my friend to start a business, and i give it a try, left we with frustration, i am not good at selling stuff and keeping contacts with customer, i hate to make a call and giving an order, deciding a right price for my product is my fear, as a businessman you should always think to maximize profit but my weak heart said that some of them can't afford, until i know there is market segment for them. This leaves me frustration as i walk deeply into something that i am not really into and i close the business in that year.

In the third year, my grade were depleting sharply since my focus was divided into business, another remark of my regret that causing my grades not touching 3.5, which later on hard for me to get interview in the best multinational companies. The major downturn of my life is in the last year, when i had a problem with someone that is very influential figure at that time, whom suffer a love problem, changing every community event from fine dinner into club all weekend, sometimes during the weekday too. I never really get into club at all, for me it just a complete waste of time and energy, the music that is too loud, you can't make any great conversation there, except hitting a love mate, the smoke, the overpriced drink yet kill your liver, getting around people draining my energy so much that in the next day i don't feel to socialize, or even go anywhere. This condition also compounded with my what i consider as best friend keep saying that my best friend will do this and this and much more, while he is dependable with me, always want to be out with me and do a stuff with me, i felt not free and constrained.

Until the time when my real self said that "cut this toxic out", i ignore their offer for party, first time it was okay, second also, until third time and i start to realize that they also cut the relationship with me. My relationship with my best friend also went rough, we fought for just a small jokes, maybe he taking this too seriously or having a huge problem in his life and need an escape, who knows and our friendship end here. It is hard, to let your friends gone, especially if you only had them in school, i found out that some of friends also a bit making a distance with me, this time, i met the lowest point of my life. I want to end it by finishing my degree and work so i don't have to be involve with them. This is the second time in my life, when you are in the lowest of your life and nobody couldn't help it. This is the moment of realization of my life that only you can make your own happiness. Nobody can't, friends can't, relatives can't, parents can't, even God can't. God gave you free will to choose the life you want and you should be responsible with your decision.

The last semester after i complete my first internship, i felt i really need to be gone from here, the atmosphere unfriendly and full of new students, some of the best, the senior just left and continue their life, while my feeling still unstable and our relationship between classmate went nothing better. In this depression, i started to dig deep down, invest time on myself, what is my true calling, i could not rely anybody, and no one will know except myself, what i heard from someone that you should asked your God what is your purpose of life is not satisfy myself enough, our purpose to life is to praise and glorify his name still, my life is my life, God has given me different talents, traits, skills, abilities, personalities, passions from other and to know what is it i need to figure out by myself. Most people don't know what they are doing because they never want to find out and i don't want to be that people. I want to know what is my strongest point that separate me from others. Some consider lucky when they found their "calling" earlier, especially when it is common and useful in today society. However there still be a hope, that turned to light when a person really want to spend his time to study about his true "calling".

During this period, i know business is just out of my mind. What it takes doesn't match with what i learn about myself. Maybe some of it's branches but not the pure business. I rode so many books about human personalities, trying different personality test, consult a psychologist, took other test and trying new type of skills. Everything what is seems to be uncertain gradually revealed. I made a big list of character traits and crossed almost 90% of what i think do not match with myself. I examine one of them very carefully, i don't want to live this kind of life that filled with uncertainly in my lifetime.

So i graduated, and i still not found what is my true "calling" which i should run for, protect it and keep it. Time always walks constant, it never waits and everyone is given equally. I consider that i need to find a job, some of us were taking higher education and i don't buy that. I need to know precisely what is my, calling. I just taking this job, for the work experience and gaining exposure in respect of business world so at least i know the reality in this field.

The experience of working in this field makes me sure that this is not what i should do, i work as a finance staff in a trading company that required to input the data entry (transaction) daily from the producer to prepare a weekly or monthly financial report that are being used for meeting, the payment process from the producer to the collector, basic administration and filling, plus workers monthly tax and if needed do a analyze margins and suggest the trends. Do i love the job? not really but i could pass it through since i always able to get the escape from any kind of job. It is my ability to adapt in a challenging situation that finding out how to recharge my energy back from the job that i don't like for example: football after school, gym after class and now yoga class after work.

Now i here working in the same position for one year, i am not surprised though since i am not the best in this field yet i still keep working, i also don't expect high on this career since once i already got what i should do (psst i make another appointment with psychologist for second opinion on 27th of Feb) i promise to myself, that i will protect it no matter how hard people want to took it. promise. This week i even talked to God that please guide the guy who going to talk to me to giving an fair statement, unbiased judgement and let your words speak upon him. In Your name I pray, Amen.

Read More