My OperaWorking in an MNC
Saturday, April 30, 2011 3:02:12 PM
I've finally moved on from the public to the private sector after quitting my previous job and joining a pharmaceutical MNC, albeit only as a contract staff.
So far, the experience has been fairly good.
For starters, my work location has changed from the outskirts of town to the heart of town itself, at an office complex which houses the local headquarters of many major pharmaceutical MNCs. Working in town makes me feel a lot more alive, and though I'm not fond of humanity in general, I need to be be in an area where there's activity. That my work location offers good food and shopping is a big bonus, especially now that I generally knock about 1 hour earlier than before.
The learning curve is steep, but thanks to intensive support by my colleagues, I have been able to make do, and am now a functioning member of the team. However, there is much to learn as the HR structure is currently a sprawling mess of several systems thanks to a merger with a rival a couple of years ago. Unification work is in progress but there is much pain in the transition process, which all feels way too slow even though it is understandable due to its size.
In terms of work culture, colleagues are generally friendly to one another, despite the presence of factions. My department offers HR and system support to Asia-Pacific countries, so my immediate colleagues hail from Japan, China, Malaysia and even Korea. It is natural that those who speak a common language will gather, thus creating cliques that are relatively difficult for others to meld into because of the language barrier.
More to come
So far, the experience has been fairly good.
For starters, my work location has changed from the outskirts of town to the heart of town itself, at an office complex which houses the local headquarters of many major pharmaceutical MNCs. Working in town makes me feel a lot more alive, and though I'm not fond of humanity in general, I need to be be in an area where there's activity. That my work location offers good food and shopping is a big bonus, especially now that I generally knock about 1 hour earlier than before.
The learning curve is steep, but thanks to intensive support by my colleagues, I have been able to make do, and am now a functioning member of the team. However, there is much to learn as the HR structure is currently a sprawling mess of several systems thanks to a merger with a rival a couple of years ago. Unification work is in progress but there is much pain in the transition process, which all feels way too slow even though it is understandable due to its size.
In terms of work culture, colleagues are generally friendly to one another, despite the presence of factions. My department offers HR and system support to Asia-Pacific countries, so my immediate colleagues hail from Japan, China, Malaysia and even Korea. It is natural that those who speak a common language will gather, thus creating cliques that are relatively difficult for others to meld into because of the language barrier.
More to come
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