16 September 2006

This is a backdated post from a long lost diary. OMG I'm so bitchy!

12 September 2006 | 12:00 pm | Tuesday | Seri Kembangan

Today I'm already over a month working at Microcorp Technology here in Seri Kembangan.I'm really grateful just to have a job. Some 40 days ago I was literally broke and jobless and my family was constantly nagging me to get one.

My official job description is as technical assistant. Meaning I'll be assisting in all technical operation be it assembling new pcs, setting up networks or just plain labour like carrying boxes and stuff. I report directtly to Mr. Shaharudin who is the head of the Operation Department. My seniors are Bujal and Jali. I learned a lot of new stuff this past month. My work usually start right after we recieve a Log Form from clients asking us to fix stuff. For now I usually do the easy ones while Bujal & Jali took care of the hard stuff. Our customers office are distributed all over the Klang Valley the furthest I've gone so far being in Kuala Selangor, that's some 90 km away.

To tell you about my work, first I had to describe my company. Microcorp was formerly the IT division of Puncak Niaga, a firm that owns Syabas which is responsible for supplying water to the entire Selangor and Kuala Lumpur. Today Microcorp is a fullfledged IT outsourcing company. We supply pcs, set up networking, servers etcetera-etcetera. The managing director is Sharainon, a relatively young guy for a boss who is only 33 years old. His younger brother Sharipudzan is the executive director / the second in command here. They drove expensive cars and owns brand new notebooks and mobile phones. Let's not even go about how much they earn every month. Below them are the executives like Mr. Mazlan, Safiee, Jefri and others. Mr. Mazlan is a senior software engineer. He's been involved in IT for ages. He's also (i believe) responsible for me being hired. Or perhaps my former neighbour Mr. Abdullah of Cable@Net put up some good comments about me to the boss. Guess I'll never know.

The Microcorp building has 3 storeys. Having a paid up capital of RM500,000 gives them enough money to transfer here from Shah Alam. Previously Microcorp is situated right inside Stadium Shah Alam. I can't imagine how they work during live matches day. On the top floor is where the Software Developers, Finance, HR, Sharipudzan and some university practical student are. We got 5 software developers writing programmes and software I presume. They are Fida who joined a few months ago and then the new comers Zalipah, Hanum and Hany. Wait a minute, that's 4 not 5 you idiot.

Mr Anizam @ Ujang is the Finance guy. He's big like Bob Lokman and looks like him too. But he's okay. Prays regularly and friendly with people. Zarita is the one woman HR department. She handles everything HR plus a whole load of other stuff. Sometimes I pity Zarita seeing her having so much work to do everyday. Contrary to my earlier believe, Zarita is not married. Yet she looks perfectly like sombody's mother. There are 2 guys and a girl doing practical presumably from UPM Serdang. The 2 guys don't talk or mix much with us staff. They girl, Razlinameanwhile was quite friendly. Sharipudzan the ED likes to boss people around. Just because his brother is the boss he can do whatever he wants. Sometimes we had conflicting orders from him and his brother which can be quite a headache. Still, he hasn't cause me any trouble so far so for now I'm cool with him.

On the second floor sits a lot of people mainly the executives and the procurement people. Mazlan, Safiee, Jefri, and that new guy works on various projects. Radzi, Fadhli and Kepten are responsible for procurement (buying stuff from vendors). Kepten who's a retired army captain was formerly from the HR department before Zarita took over. He got several missing teeths which I suppose he sustained during some fierce battle against the country's enemy. Or maybe he got it from slipping over a banana skin. Lily is the secretary I think. She looks like one and does many secretarial things. Sherein just got hired 2 weeks ago. She's the Personal Assistant to the boss. She really knows her IT stuff so no messing with this woman

On the ground floor is the Operation department which is the heart of this company. While the boss and the execs talk and plan, we make them happen. Mr. Shaharudin is the head of Operation. From what I heard he's a veteran of the IT industry. He used to work in UPM and I suppose Microcorp pays him better so he came here. Mr. Shaharudin does know a lot of stuff and he's quite cool with his co-workers including me. Sometimes he told horror stories about boss and said how lucky we are now that the boss is not as temperamental as he used to. Bujal and Razali are my seniors. They've been here for quite some time now and I usually take orders from them apart from Abang Din. Bujal is short and chubby but he's ever willing to help me or anyone to do stuff. Razali or Jali is outspoken and loud but he also helped me a lot about things that I don't know. While Bujal and Jali are the pc/network technicians, Safuan is the system analyst. He took care of our servers and data centre. He was previously from Microcorp's branch in Terengganu until the boss brought him here. He's generally quite okay although he can be stupid and immature sometimes especially with his words. Hishamudin @ Sudin is another staff brought in from Terengganu. He's also a technical assistant like me. Up until now I have this huge doubt about his abilities. Apart from fixing cables and setting up Windows, I don't know what else can he do. Zakaria @ Zack is our system admnistrator. He knew a heluva lot about networking, cisco and stuff. He gave me some good advices about working in the IT world. Rizal, Pijoi and Kabut are the cable guys. They primarily work installing cables at client's sites.

In conclusion I can say working here at Microcorp is quite okay. Although sometimes I can get very bored when I got nothing to do at office, most of the times I'm enjoying doing stuff close to my heart. But last week Safuan said that he heard somebody mentioned that I don't have enough skills. Well I never said I'm a pc or network expert but compared to Sudin, I honestly think I'm better than him at fixing stuff especially regarding software and applications. The times I went out with him to see clients and he just hang around and let me do most of the work. I don't know what he does in Terengganu with his 'superb' skills and he even got a raise last month by four freaking hundred ringgit. I don't really want to bad mouth him but when people start comparing me with system analysts and software engineers and seasoned pc technicians I felt it's just not fair. That's why I came up with this comparison between Sudin and me.

Nevertheless, I'm quite satisfied working here for the time being. Save for a job with the government,I wouldn't even consider working anywhere else. The people are generally warm and friendly here plus I don't experience the pressure of working under constant surveillance like in McDonald' and IKEA. Of course I need to read more about pcs and networking and servers you know upgrade my skills to be better than Sudin if not on par with Bujal or Jali. Like I said, I'm very grateful that they hire me in the first place. I was this close --> <-- to accepting a job as a dispatch boy or factory worker.