A bit confused; I hope everyone can offer some advice
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I’ve been quite confused lately; I hope everyone can give me some advice! I graduated from school in 2007 and joined a large state-owned petrochemical company. I hadn’t learned much in college, and I didn’t really understand my field of study. At first I was assigned to an air separation plant; knowing that I was new there, I thought it was better to just focus on doing my job well without worrying about anything else. I worked in that role for four or five years, and in 2011 I became a chief operator. At that point I realized that all the technical management positions at the plant level were held by experienced professionals, so there was no chance for me. I worked there for another two or three years before becoming a team leader, only to continue working in shift roles With the birth of my child, I also wanted to change my working environment. Through an internal competition, I got a position in the company’s production technology department as a scheduler. I held this position for over three years. By the end of 2015, the company’s LNG air separation business started to develop, and since I had previous experience in air separation, my supervisors proposed that I be promoted to engineer. It seemed like my future was clear ahead, but just one year later, in 2016, the state-owned company carried out integrations across its various departments, and our company was absorbed by a higher-level company. All the administrative departments were abolished, and I was sent back to the air separation plant where I used to work. All positions had to be re-established, and out of the seven or eight technical management positions that used to exist, only three remained. I once again became a regular operator. In this major “reform,” I had no control over my own fate. I once had the chance to fight for myself, but I missed it due to my tendency to submit to others’ wills; this is also a weakness of my personality. Moreover, recently the upstream company held an internal recruitment drive; I went for an interview, but they rejected me on the grounds that it wasn’t in the petrochemical industry and that my field of study wasn’t relevant. After I introduced myself, they simply turned me down, leaving me even more confused. I haven’t been in this factory for over four years now; I’d say I’m familiar with it, but at the same time I feel unfamiliar too. There are many valves that I have operated before, but I’ve forgotten about many of them as well. I wonder if this is ironic. Of course, I’ve thought about breaking away from this circle too, but after going for interviews outside a couple of times and facing rejection, it’s made me a bit timid! I still go to work every day, and when I see those things I used to operate, I wonder if it’s really necessary for me to pick them up again Or should I keep going? Or wait for two years to improve my skills, and plan to get a certificate first! I am currently in the power department of the refining and petrochemical sector. I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice – should I pursue a certification in chemical engineering or one in power engineering? Which one has more value?
Of course, the value of the motivation is higher, but it requires a great deal of effort.
The last edit to this post was made by zshiwei2008 on 2017-2-6 at 13:57 :lol You’ve said so much, and in the end you just ask whether it’s better to take the Certification in Chemical Engineering or the Certification in Power Engineering – which one has more value? ”Right? If it’s that question, it’s easy to answer: certainly, motivation is more valuable. However, the choice depends on what major you’re studying, what job you want to do, what your goals for obtaining a certificate are, and in which direction you want to develop – it’s not simply a matter of comparing prices. If you’re getting the certificate just to meet a requirement, then motivation isn’t very valuable in fields like chemistry; but if it’s for acquiring knowledge and advancing in your career, then a careful analysis and comparison are necessary. Also, are you more concerned about “Do I still need to pick it up again?” Or should I keep going? Or wait for two years to improve my skills, and plan to get a certificate first! ”Well, it’s just my personal opinion – it’s definitely necessary to pick up where you left off. Unless you decide to leave right away, if you want to continue working, then you need to do it well. Keep pushing forward day by day. As for spending two years in seclusion to improve your skills, you’ve already been working for 10 years; do you really think two years will be enough to improve your skills? Haven’t you learned anything along the way? It’s just that some unforeseen events have caused changes in your development and undermined your confidence. A gentleman waits for the right opportunity to act; he must believe in himself, strive to do his job well, continue to gain experience and knowledge, and at the same time look for an opportunity to advance within his current company or to transfer to a better one. Finally, let me tell you one thing: getting a certificate doesn’t change anything about you; it’s possible that what you learn during the process of obtaining that certificate is even more useful! Good luck!
Large companies allow one to acquire technical skills, but they are full of talented people. If you learn technical skills in a large company and also gain some knowledge in management, then switching to related small and medium-sized enterprises provides you with many opportunities to apply those skills. Good education may not change much for you, but consolidating and deepening your knowledge through certification processes can be very useful in the future. After all, if ten years of practical experience can be combined closely with theory, it becomes possible to optimize existing production processes, control systems, and equipment. Some might think I’m exaggerating, but technology and management must always evolve; there is no such thing as the best – only better, and that principle is never wrong. My experience is similar to yours; I have worked in a small to medium-sized enterprise for over twenty years. The company’s production processes have been optimized on many occasions, which has resulted in an increase in production capacity, simplified processes, and reduced energy consumption. If you can make significant contributions in these areas, your position and salary will naturally improve. Of course, your work needs to be recognized by your manager.
Get your work seen by your boss. The last sentence is the key point + highlight!
One can learn some related knowledge, or switch careers directly
After all, we are just ordinary people; we must continuously improve ourselves and maintain our value.
There’s no need to hesitate at all; take every certificate you can while you’re young, so as to increase your options. Never wait until you’re over 40 to think about getting a certification – by then you’ll really not have the energy for it.