Steve Ngai (危 志 荣)

It has been one month plus working at Allianz. Thank God, it has been okay so far. The working environment here is much better than the previous one.

Basically my team consists of my manager and another three more. My manager is a lady and this is the first time I am under a lady manager. She is really a good manager, take good care of us, capable, relational, competent, humble and many other strengths. I can see that she has many friends there. And I respect her because of all these good qualities in her. The other three, one man and two ladies. They are nice people also. Really praise God for that. And praise God, I can initiate (man should initiate, right?) and have lunch with them, though usually every Monday, Wednesday and Friday I won’t due to my workout at California Fitness. During the lunch, we have talk and chat with one another and even crack some jokes at times.

My job functions are the same like my previous job, which is mainly related to software development and over here we use ASP.NET. One of the task I was assigned to do few weeks ago is a desktop application (not web-based). This is the first time I code for a desktop application. All these while, the applications I developed or maintain is web-based. Even though I am just enhancing from the existing system, this is a good experience for me. From the existing code, I learn a little how to read and exports the records from excel to PDF. And hey, I managed to do it. Of course, with some help from senior. Ya, this desktop application task also involve Crystal Report, which is new thing to me for me to learn too.

Another new thing I learn here is Reporting Service. This is the first time I heard about this. Thank God for me having the chance to make changes to existing code. The file type is .rdl. Thank God for my senior helping and explaining to me how to use this Reporting Service if I asked him.

I also improve in my knowledge about setting up, to use an existing ASP.NET project. I learn that if a folder was copied from the server to my local, I need to remove the reference keys and add them back again. This is because the reference keys path is different since the server and my pc stored the project file different location.

I also get a bit of idea on binding Visual Source Safe (VSS) thing.Another thing I notice here is security. Here, security is important. So by looking at the code, I learn a little some security principles and skills.

Thank God also for my past experiences and skill, because those past working experience, skills and knowledge help me to survive here. Without them, there are so much thing I need to learn by myself, example, implementation skill from Entellium Technologies helps. And ASP.NET, visual studio and MS SQL skill at MOL helps.

I was pretty blur in the beginning (I am still) because there are so much things for me to know, digest and remember. Example, the file structure, the policies and procedure, the database design and more and more and more. But, thank God, right now, I’m improving and know what is going on more.

Every Friday, we can wear casual but we need to wear company’s T-Shirt. Don’t feel sorry for me. Actually, I like wear it. Maybe because I’m now happy working here. Then, every month we will receive monthly magazine. I like that too. This company also has this thing called i2s. It means “idea to success”. It is a system whereby any staff can submit their idea and implemented idea will be rewarded. Isn’t that awesome? This shows that the company is open, for improvement always. That’s the way it should be.

My hope now is to be given more tasks to work on, as I have completed almost all my tasks right now. I have completed a quite a big task, right now I just need to implement it for testing. Secondly, I hope to get confirmed soon and thirdly I hope that I can stay long in this company.

Thanks for hearing me. Will update you more next time. 🙂

These are some main problems which has made me dragging my feet to go work recently:

• Working environment. The working environment here has been sickening me. Most of the colleagues around my area were into vulgarity include that four letter word openly and loudly. These kind of vulgarity is not much due to anger type but more on having fun of it. They also like to talk unwholesome/pervert talk or dirty jokes openly and loudly. I have mentioned this to the management but things still never changed.
• Distraction by people passing by. My seat is located whereby more people will pass by in front of my desk. This create some distraction to me. Even though, my eyes are set on the monitor, it is still very distracting due to many people pass by in front of me. I feel this create lust temptatation to me. The working environment problem also creates distraction to me.
• Almost no project management. It is difficult to stay focus and be productive when there is no strong ‘project manager’ to manage the project I’m working on. I wasn’t given any due date. I hope to have better project management for this project. I really need it. Entellium Technologies is good in this area.
• Lunch time dilemma. The most fearful time for me is lunch time, mostly due to the first problem. The bible says that bad character corrups good character (1 Co 15: 33). But, if I totally don’t join them for lunch, this creates some problems also. What other colleagues will think about me if I don’t join others for lunch time every single day? They can think of me being proud or weird and no more asking me for join them for lunch like Entellium Technologies. But if I join them, I always feel uncomfortable with how they interact with each other, the type of dirty joke they joke about, the gossip. I also hated the killing carbon monoxide which come from their cigarattes. Some of them can really smoke a lot.

What should I do then?
Look for another job and quit? Just quit asap? What if the new job I got will have these same problems? Or that new job does not have these same problems but different problems. I think every company and every job has its own problems. Even if decide to work by myself as freelance, there will be problems too.

Conclusion
What what should I do then in this pressing situation? Thank God for speaking to me through his word and his people. Today, Stephen shared about how Jesus did the right thing in his most difficult times, which is submit to God by going to die on the cross. No matter I look for new job, got a new job or stay in my current job, I need to do the right thing. No matter how intense and pressing the situation turn to be, I need to be like Jesus, by doing the right thing and not to give in to situation, temptation and sickening environment.

Blessings, not to be forgotten.
Thank God to helping to solve many problems of this system. I got help from the same source, like I shared before. I got help from my senior and online forum. And, as usually, I have learnt many things from the problems I face in developing this system. I get a hang of ASP.NET more also.