I've started quite a few jobs in my time. Sounds a strange thing for someone who has only been employed by two companies, but as an engineer, starting on a new project is almost like starting a new job. However this time it did feel somewhat different. For a start, my company are sponsoring my work permit - if they don't like me, then the government I think can kick me out. Also, I had very little idea what work would be like - would engineering be the same around the world, or would I have to learn a whole new way of working.
Arriving I didn't get off to the best start - the receptionist had to ask me a mere 3 times to repeat what I had said - evidently the Brummie/Anglian accent isn't understood all that well in Singapore at 8.30 on Monday mornings. Still, eventually we managed to agree that I was starting work, and that I should go straight to the conference room for a briefing. At the conference room there was one more person also being briefed - one of 4 new starts in the Singapore office that Monday. If I'm honest, the briefings in Birmingham and Singapore are all very much the same.
I then got shown around the third floor, while the other newbies got taken up to the slightly plusher office on the 33rd floor. It has always been thus - transportation staff get the low floors, building design staff the high floors. Mind you, it's a lot faller to fall from the 33rd floor.
After about an hour and a half of admin type work, I got on with some project work. Truth is, so far, engineering is pretty much the same in principle. In Singapore I still have drawings to look at, reports to read and write, risk assessments to complete... all the same lah.
Where there is a difference is in the ambition of the schemes. In the UK you are lucky to work on anything new at all. Almost all the work is refburb, or upgrade, or rather, how can we get away without having to upgrade, refurb etc. Here, ambition is everywhere. If you need to fit in quad track railways on top of 10 lanes of road you find a way to do it. I won't come cheap, and it certainly comes challenging!
Great idea! 3rd floor vs 33rd floor, as you say, not so far down.
ReplyDeleteKnowing that your project will be within a 10 mile radius or so must come as a bit of a change as well. No more early morning runs to Manchester.
Anyway, glad that you have got through the formalities and down to work. Enjoy.
Well - the project is about as far away from home as you can get - I live towards the east end, if the project were further west it would be in Malaysia. Still - I agree - closer than Manchester, and no M6 speed restrictions.
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