(The view from my office window)
After eight and a half years with my current employer, I've decided to move on. My last day with Paul Capital will be tomorrow, April 30, 2015.
It has been a fun ride with PCA. I started at the time of its boom. I had a chance to learn about hiring in this mega $$$$$ earning field. The compensation package design was an eye-opening experience for me. But hey, I got used to it. After all, we are in the investment services business where transactions are valued in hundreds of millions and/or billions of dollars. I got a chance to dive into international HR. That was such a valuable experience and the best knowledge I picked up from this gig. I trained myself not to impose US labor standards onto other country's labor practices. Some country's labor laws are actually more stringent than the US. I had a kick learning to appreciate Brazil's pro-labor compensation to employees (yes, love those vacation allowances) and HK's 20 some-odd public holidays per year. UK is stingy but sure loves their regulated paid leaves. And if you work in France, considered yourself one of the luckiest workers in the world!
After eight and a half years, I got restless and felt plateaued out. Although I'm over the hill (age wise), I still feel like an Energizer Bunny. There is still so much to learn and absorb. I wanted a change. JOB GOD must have heard me and dropped an opportunity on my lap -- literally. A recruiter, whom I met last year, called me out of the blue regarding a Director level HR opportunity. I met with seven folks and they offered me the position within two weeks. It happened quite suddenly. I had to make a decision very quickly whether I was really ready to leave this comfy zone and venture into the land of unknowns in the name of promotion. Decisions. Decisions. Decisions. At the end, I decided that going out there is the right direction for me.
What's ahead of me? Who knows! That's the challenging part that keeps me going. What's at the next turn? What's up ahead? We will find out when I'm on the road again.
Wish my luck peeps!