“\"HaiChuan Gratitude Season\": A thank you to those kind people who helped me along my life’s journey 【Workplace Region 015】

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This post was last edited by Desert Poplar on 2016-3-31 at 19:38. -----I write this to express my gratitude to my colleagues and friends who have helped me at every turn in life. \"How can one see a rainbow without going through storms? No one can succeed easily…\" Jackie Chan’s lyrics are always great; everyone goes through some hardships and difficulties in their growth process. I’ve probably experienced more of these than others, but fortunately, whenever I’m on the verge of despair, there’s always a glimmer of hope. Although I don’t really have anything to be proud of, or any achievements to speak of. In 2001, during my fifth year at work, all my hard work, diligence, and low-key attitude did not earn me the recognition I deserved; instead, the workshop supervisor had people turn against me just because I didn’t give gifts. I have an independent personality and strive to make progress. At least three times, leaders from other departments approached him to ask for me without my knowledge, but he turned them down using plausible excuses. In his own words: I was hired back then; I worked as a shift supervisor for 10 years and as a union leader for 15 years. It wasn’t until over 20 years later that I became a workshop manager. You still need to gain more experience. In November of that year, the factory launched its first public recruitment drive, for production scheduling positions. After repeated setbacks, just as I was reflecting on the matter and deciding to give up, with only 1 day left before the application deadline, my workplace organized a movie outing. A colleague from the equipment department who was older than me asked if I was aware of the recruitment process; I briefly explained the situation and said that I probably wouldn’t participate. This older sister told me, \"I know your situation; you must give it a try. How can you know unless you try?\" I had no choice but to tell her the truth, yet she still insisted that I give it a try. In the end, after much consideration, I secretly signed up for it, and unexpectedly finished first out of over 30 people, far surpassing all the other experienced teachers. Since I was well-versed in the plant’s overall process flow, data, and equipment during the interview, this earned me high praise from the assistant plant manager at the time, who later became the plant manager (mentioned in the previous article). Of course, in order to keep me around, the workshop supervisor assigned me another month’s worth of work. As a result, I had to work 6 hours extra per day; it took me a week to complete that workload. I also wrote 3 papers for the supervisor. On New Year’s Day, he went to great lengths and used one and a half months’ worth of my salary to buy things and deliver them to my home. As a result, when it came to the transfer, the director simply refused to sign. Fortunately, the assistant to the factory manager had already spoken with the factory management, so I was able to leave right away. I’m grateful to this sister; she helped me a lot later on as well. In May 2001, the listed company under the group was recruiting general secretaries. I had been working in the dispatch room for half a year at that time, and a good friend who worked there with me said, \"I heard about the recruitment; you should apply. You seem like the right candidate.\" I didn’t want to go at that time either; he was just as determined as that older woman. Later, I talked to the assistant to the factory manager, and he said: Although I appreciate your technical skills and various abilities, my workplace is rather limited in scale; you can make better use of your talents on a larger stage. Go ahead – I support you in doing so. Later, among more than 100 candidates, I came in first place again after passing both the written test and interview. I was 26 years old at that time. My superiors then assessed me personally and sent others to evaluate me as well; they thought I was too young. On the other hand, the former manager of my company also disagreed to let me go, as he believed that I had only been working there for half a year following the open recruitment process, which wasn’t even a full year, and therefore I wasn’t loyal enough to the position. At that time, I approached a retired senior leader who had always paid attention to me and helped me (he was recognized throughout the group as an excellent writer and artist, with outstanding skills in oratory, music, writing, calligraphy, and management), gave him my home phone number, and recommended me to the then leader (at the deputy department level). Before long, my manager arranged for me to go there for a trial period. The assistant to the factory manager then secretly arranged for me to go first, telling me: Go ahead without worry and do it boldly. The trial period will last until January of the following year, totaling exactly three months. During that time, the factory manager arranged for the other three dispatchers to take turns covering my shifts, and he also arranged for the factory’s HR staff to keep paying me. Here, I would like to thank the assistant plant manager, as well as my former supervisor who helped me (it’s a pity that this supervisor later became angry for some reason and stopped talking to me; I’ve tried to improve things over the years without success, and that remains a source of regret). In 2003, after working at the listed company for one year, a conflict arose between the leadership of the listed company and that of the group company; the leaders of the listed company were transferred to the group company, and things did not go well for the listed company. In 2004, I asked my supervisor to allow me to return to my previous company to work in technology, but he refused. Until 2008, the group company split the listed company into two directly managed units. That’s when the opportunity came. I found the assistant to the factory manager from back then again; he is now the factory manager. His words moved me to tears: The doors of this factory will always be open to you. I talked to my direct supervisor and a friend who works as a manager in the group’s human resources department (both of us are around the same age and share similar interests); they agreed with my idea, but suggested that it should be considered carefully. I was already 35 at that time, and after much consideration, I realized that in such a central state-owned enterprise, working in political affairs held no appeal for me: I couldn’t do what I wanted to do, yet I still had to do things that were not related to my interests. Without leaving that environment, I wouldn’t be able to do anything at all. After making the decision, I found them here; through much negotiation and careful planning, it was finally made possible. Here, I would like to thank the assistant plant manager, my direct supervisor, and this friend who is in charge of human resources. In May 2011, due to the traditional problems of those old state-owned enterprises, I became a victim of these conflicts; I developed high blood pressure and many other health issues. After spending a month in the hospital, I left my position as workshop supervisor. The factory manager intended to have me prepare to take on technical responsibilities for a new project. Fortunately, the branch manager had been paying attention to me and appreciated my work; without the factory manager’s knowledge, he recommended me to the group’s safety and environmental department (which was facing difficulties at the time and in urgent need of staff). That’s how I ended up in that group department, where I had to deal directly with over 20 subsidiaries and affiliates under the group, as well as various other departments at different levels. The new platform gave me more room to excel, and here I gradually grew into a technical leader, supervisor, and expert. In 2016, when the industry was in a downturn, the group company decided to establish diversified business segments. I was fortunate enough to be chosen by the management to serve as deputy general manager, responsible for leading the company’s recruitment efforts and market operations. Here, I would like to thank the former plant manager, branch manager, and the current leadership. I am grateful for their appreciation and support. The above can be considered some of the key turning points in my 20 years of work. In fact, over these 20 years I have held no fewer than 10 different positions, working full-time or part-time in as many as 20 roles across various sectors of state-owned enterprises. Regardless of what has happened in the past, or whether the future brings challenges or joys, I firmly believe that life is not lived in vain; as long as we pay close attention to it, every bitter or sweet experience is a form of learning and also a source of wealth! To those who helped me with the run-up on the curve, I salute you – I will be forever grateful to you!