EPTI am pretty unknown guy around TL, but I just wanted to type something out to organise my feelings about this.
A little about me, im a 26yr old Chinese,living in Singapore. I have a Diploma in Chemical Engineering from Singapore Polytechnic, I've been working for the past 2+years in my current job as a Laboratory Analyst(Fuel/Diesel/Transformer) in a Powerplant. Currently pursuing a degree in Finance(part time) at a local university.
You know how the oil that you burn for electricity needs to be tested to ensure it conforms to Environmental standards? Yeah im the guy doing the tests.
Right now the fear of the unknown is gripping my heart, yet I know it's the right thing to do. I need to take the first step out of my comfort zone and find something else that I can do and will like.
Background
I took chemical engineering back then as I did pretty well for my Olevels, yet I didn't want to go to Junior College(JCs). I thought it would be a interesting subject and that it will be a stable job market because there will always be demand for technicians in Singapore, due to us having Jurong Island It turned out that I really did not like that subject at all, but i wasn't allowed to quit/change because of parental pressure. After graduation(and NS), i took a job at a lab in my current company in Jurong Island. Apparently the diploma is pretty useless in the world, there's literally only 1 single thing that i used from my diploma in my work, that's how to read Density Temperature to a table.
Why did I quit
The pay was decent, but I just can't stand it anymore. There's a senior analyst(female, 60, 2years to retirement) that I am working "under"(im supposed to work alongside her). Because of her long years of experience(40+years), she has a attitude that it's always her way or the highway. Due to her age, she has slight memory loss whereby she will do things and then accuse me"why did you do it!" etc etc.
I actually lost my temper 3 times at her.
1) She accused me of doing something that I didn't. She was the one who did it, but she keep saying I did, I did not want to shoulder the blame for that issue so I wouldn't back down.
2) I am fat. I fully admit it. For over a year, she always nags/insuinate at me that I am fat, that I shouldnt eat etc. Finally she crossed the line, she actually googled starving african childen photos and sent them to my email. I got pissed, told her straight to her face that this is none of her business. I am not her child, I am not her grandchildren, I am a adult that is only a colleague and that she should mind her own business.
She told me "she was doing it for my own good(god i hate that argument) and that fine, she wouldn't speak of it anymore"
3) The 3rd time was just last week. 3 weeks ago, my lab engineer has tasked me to write 2 WI(work instructions, basically SOPs) for 2 new tests that we've started to do. The email specifically states that I am to write the WI, pass it to the senior analyst to double confirm, and then send it to the engineer.
I did my part, however she refused to check through, instead she said "why are you always depending on me! Can't you just read the method yourself! I do not want to help you do it! Its your business dont come and get me involved." I was pretty non-plussed, so I double checked and handed it in.
Now, 2 weeks later, early in the morning when we just started work, she came to my cubicle and told me "Mithhaike, you've made some mistakes in the WI. So obvious mistakes you also can make! Were you even paying attention or did you even read the method!"
My response was basically, alright, thanks, I will go and check it again. She walked out of my cubicle.
Barely 2 mins later,she walked in and threatened me "Mithhaike, you better damn well make sure you change the errors, or im going straight to the boss and feedback."
Wow I was so pissed. How dare she threaten me, she was the one who didn't want to go through in the first place! Now 2weeks later, you found some mistakes and now you have a chance to make me look incompetent, and your threatening me?!
I called her out on it. Asked her straight to the face, are you threatening me, that she didnt check in the first place despite having an email(black n white) that states she should check through.
She later started calling me an ingrate, how in chinese culture, once a teacher, forever a father(proverb directly translated) etc. Later on she went to our boss,the lab engineer. The lab engineer came by to talk to me, trying to teach me how to coexist with that surly unpleasant senior analyst.
All those are fine. What happened next was the final straw. After 2days, the lab engineer asked me to file the WI. I was shocked to see the senior analyst name as the author of the WI. It's the equalivant of an editor changing 1/2words, and claiming that entire piece as her credit.
Apparently the senior analyst is so important to the company, that they always sided with her. Previously I brought it(unfair work arrangement n situation) up, my lab engineer and department head just told me "oh she about to retire, let her be", to which i responded, "She about to retire, so what? Work is work. She can retire, I too can quit right now".
The manager tried to soothe things over by telling me how he didn't mean it that way, that this job has more value to me than to her, as she's about to retire.
Conclusion
I am tired of being the one doing majority of the work, while she bosses me around.
I am tired of being treated like a 2nd class citizen, being nagged at every single day or the past 2+years.
I am tired of treated unfairly, because of how her experience means she is basically untouchable.
Everytime i feedback, my bosses response were the same. Give in to her. her character is like that, so just take it. Now it's to the point of having my work credit being stolen with permission of the higher ups? Especially when it's something that i've just had an argument with that Senior Analyst with?
I'm done being unappreciated.
I've just tendered my resignation, and gave notice around 3hrs ago(now its my lunch break).
Despite the fact that I have no jobs lined up right now, i feel it's the only thing to do that will make me happier. I dont want to be unhappy anymore.
It's time to move on.
Anyone has job offers(lobangs!)?
