After almost 15 years of wearing a
banking hat, I'm trading it for a beret as I move to the public sector.
It wouldn’t be too unfamiliar as I still am in the same playing field –
Business Analysis- but the game rules are different in the government. Very different.
The first thing people asked me when
they found out I’m leaving the big bank was “Why?!”. There are several reasons but I guess it
boils down to the seven year itch. Similar to when Ronnel and I decided to get
married before we reached 7 years of BF/GF relationship, I had
to make a decision on whether I wanted to bring it to the next level or take a
hike. I opted for the latter. And just
like how I haven’t regretted getting married, I hope it would be the same with
this career move.
So what’s different if I’ll be using
the same skills and techniques anyway? For one, the culture is very
different. Friends working in the
government advised me not to be frustrated if things are too slow. My first month gave me the definition of
“slow” and it gave me a new perspective on things. In the banking world, everything was about
speed to market. The favourite line was
“I need this yesterday.” In the
government, it’s all about consultation and being meticulous in what we do,
ensuring that every thing we do is worth the tax payer’s money. This is hot topic now in my country with the
big scam on using public funds on bogus projects. But I digress.
That is the reason why the process takes longer, and compared to the
corporate world, of course we are seen as “slow”.
I’m now two months in my relationship
with the government. Just like any new
relationship, we are still in the getting to know stage where everything is
exciting, hot and steamy. Okay, scratch the last two but you know what I
mean. Let me check back in after the
first year if it’s still a bed of roses or if the thorns have already found me. For now, I’m happy at work, which makes me
happy when I get home, happy when I sleep, wake up and happy when I go to
work. It’s that cycle. Hope it stays
that way.
