Life is like a box of chocolates part 2

Gu'day readers. If you are still reading this its either you are board or trying to catch up with a mundane story of mine. So where were we? ah me getting my licence. Now then  I graduated on July 2012. Had amazing batch mates as friends. lost a few of my old friends due to either miscom or disagreements (i was call arrogant just because i was studying to be a Pilot like WTF). Now started the second phase of my life. JOB Hunting.

  

The time i graduated was one of the most difficult times where the airlines in Malaysia was "restructuring" there were the surplus of pilots by about 1456 ish. so each airline was taking only the cream of the crop. The interviews i attend per year is 4 times and they only take in 20 per year. Mind you there are only 4 airlines here so 1 airline 20 people per year. you do the math on how to clear up 1456 ish unemployed pilots. Yes i have been to numerous interviews but my preparations was not up to par to be honest and rejection was getting a norm. Mind you even with Dad's "connections" i still did not get through. The feeling of being rejected for the job you love sort of similar with how you break up with you current relationship minus the physical items. The experience is mostly emotional and physiological. Along the way an opportunity came up while "waiting" for self betterment similar to the hand phone repair program, there was a hotel management program was organised by a collage for again the adolescent whom dont know what they want to do. Being shy of being Unemployed pilot, i did not mentions my past and just said that i was working in mum's flower shop after form 5 and was did not have the resources to go further my education. Yes I know , it manipulative and deceitful but i was desperate. Initially i felt guilty that i was taking a place of a deserving person. Later after i got selected, it turns out there were only 6 people whom applied and got in. the guilt sort of reduced to its minimum.

Now at this point of time where you might think , this is my lowest. yes but lowest at that time. i avoided all sorts of gatherings from weddings to funerals simply because everybody was so into lip service and being snarky for example; "Pilot ah you, you dont look like it." (You dont look like an engineer to but did i comment on that?) or " My nephew just got his job last week . why cant you?" (either he paid bribes/heavy connections to get in or he must be really good. Since you know so much , why dont you help me get the job?) or "I happen to know the HR's assistants maid whom is in-charge of pilot intake, want me to pass your resume?" (ya i also no the HR's dog personally should i pass my resume to the dog to pass to the owner ?) or " You should have studied to be a doctor for the amount your dad paid"( your daughter/ son wanted to study fashion design/ mass com look how they turned out? are they happy? ya name only MBBS DR_ _ _ _ but doing business selling facial products now.) or " Lucky i did not send my child for piloting if not like this only jobless( yup you put him in oil and gas and now he is working in an IT shop selling IT hardware.Ironic isn't it uncle)" and many more. Ask all the unemployed pilots from the year 2010 to 2016. they all have similar stories. But not all mass people are like that. there are some whom encouraged by saying "its ok maybe its not your time" or " keep trying your efforts will never be fruitless . But the Bad will always outnumber the good. Specially from people whom you looked up on and respected. If you are one of them, whom was on the snarky end, you lost my respect.

Anyways sorry for the sidetrack, i did my hotel management and i manged to get a job in the Call center Industry as a Management trainee. As mentioned in my post dated 24 Jan 2014 i am jumping from department to department learning all that i did not know. People in management noticed that i might do good in the training department as the mentioned " i have a authoritarian figure but a fun personality" and they groomed me well. Which makes me want to train in the future. Later on in life i was handling 5 projects under me in-bound (receiving calls mostly customer care) and out-bound (outgoing calls mostly telemarketing and promotions). My fear of getting use to this job was coming a reality and i did this for 5 years. Managing people is no joke. Not only i handled agents but also management and clients. We as humans are very manipulative. we know how to pretend and back stab. it made me wonder how i would be if i were to be working as a cabin crew. made me recall what my dad said, its better to deal with 1 person then 30. in 3 of my training sessions agents told management that i did not train them on certain products but lucky me, i had exam results and video recording of the agents "studying" in class. Clients will come after me for giving them not so professional agents when in fact the quality outside vs the salary you are giving are miles apart. Thats the pain of being the middle man (the outsource). But i grew. my routines was so simple. Wake up at 5am get ready by 7am , on the train by 8 at work at 9am and back home at 9pm. leave home before sunrise and home after sunset 5 days a week for 5 years.

Although i was enjoying training and "brightening" my agents with also some self improvement knowledge. I was going for interviews and of cores did not make it yet. My boss at that time i would say if you were to be under his mentor-ship you would be doing good. His methods are unorthodox but it worked well. As he said turn me from a kid to an adult. My boss although he ment well told me " cha, its been 5 years, dont you think trying for piloting is still a thing is ment for you? why dont you work things out on where ever you are at now?" When i heard those words at that time i hurt really bad. ofcourse i was furious but after giving it some thought i see where he was coming from. Still wanted me to succeed in life. A few days after that he told me was being groomed to be head of Learning and Development department. He mentioned that the pay's not as high as flying but its enough to make ends meet. Then came a economic crash at home. At this time 2015 the national airline was restructuring and was letting go 2000 staff. My dad was one of those staff. Yes he did get a good pay off. But its what he did with the payoff.

While dad was working he met a passenger on board whom was doing a Forex Exchange as a part-time thing. The returns are good and all. Dad came home and invested 20K USD. all at home was aware about it. I on the other hand was not really keen in this. Call me conservative, i believe money is hard earned and not given easy. This is from my observation from dad and life experience. The final payout came out and dad was telling that he wants to invest a total of 60K USD into it which will assure us a return of 20K RMY a month for 2 years. My brother and i was totaly against it and mum simply said, "its his money let him do what he pleases". I told at least pay off the house payment and invest minimally so that if there is a loss it wont be an issue. Dad's intention was good but his pride, ego and greed got the best of him. Not listening us , he invested 60K USD and a week later the forex company went belly up. i was only earning RM2500 a month and the household commitment was 7K a month. The house was literally upside down. Dad trying to safe face did not speak about the loss and registered himself as an Uber driver. The payments were getting behind . Lawyer notices kept piling up we had to pawn some gold, and all sorts happen. Dad has a habit of talking things out to ease his burden. he mostly speaks to me as i m  "an adult" and "responsible". One fine day after picking my brother from collage, he opened up about the "lost investment" and i snapped at him being snarky and i went all 5 yards. All dad could do was be quiet. later after the "lecture" dad got from me , my brother told me i was quite harsh. I told, "its been too long that we walked on egg shells. He needed to hear the truth no matter how bitter it is." Brother said, " you could have been subtle in handing this." and i snapped at my brother. He too could keep quiet.

While all this was going on, i was dating and when all this was occurring, i was doing my best to balance everything and it was too much for me to handle which is why i call it quits . I broke up 2 days before my stage 2 interview and yes i did not make it. So ya we were all slogging. My car went un-serviceable. Had to sell my second car to get a new car for Uber to make more profit.still we were barely making ends meet. I decided to give up my Piloting career and start on Cabin crew. Was attending interviews on weekends for Singapore Airlines , Qatar, Few others. At that point of time i was thinking of the family and needed to earn enough for the commitments at home. Although being H.O.D. was a great job but i know it aint going to cut out. My work mats all girls. "i was the thorn among st the roses" knew about my situation encouraged me and tried to help where ever they could not financially though. I did not want that help even if the were to offer. "Give a man a fish he eats a day , Teach him how to fish , he eats for life".i needed strategy and not financial assistance.

On 2017 the airlines was having a mass opening for pilots for interview. Initially i was not so keen on attending my my heart said, just give it 1 last try. if it does not work, its not meant to be. Dad told me just take attendance and come la . Don't put your hopes up. I remember this day so much that it felt like it was yesterday. I went in to the building and we were all waiting in line to submit our documents and licences. The night before i did my best to be as prepared as i could since its been that many times i attended interviews. All old batch-mates was chit chatting catching up after 5 years and doing in one by one. And my turn came up. I told my self, its just another day. Nothing to be anxious.

Ill stop here for now. There is a part 3 if those of you whom are reading.

This is me Signing off....
#Simplebutcomplicated #thirthyshadesofblue #pilotstory #lifhappend #dangersofforex #sidetrack #cabincrew #lowpoint #jobless