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Company: Adventa Bhd, Kota Bharu
Position: Graphic designer/programmer.
Date: 24 March 2008

Oh it’s been ages since I last made an interview post like this :) I don’t know why I wrote in detailed every single interview I had and went during my first phase of job-hunting last year. Well, they are just for my record, which is also part of my activity I may want to keep track, though most of time it’s funny that those interview experience posts I made here have been constantly trapping alot of people coming to this blog who are obviously looking for some info about a company profile and their interview from Google results. HEHEHE.. for your information I don’t write proper interview tips whatsoever so don’t tell me I didn’t warn you. They are my very own interview experience which I dont think would help anyone. Take this as just another boring story…….

Anyways. So the company is located in the Pengkalan Chepa Industrial Zone, which is only 15 minute or so from home, but the area is a total alien to me (okay, I haven’t travelled enough in my own place), and Adventa is a factory and office building complex which is quite big in size and their products are medical gloves. 

They called me for Graphic designer position, and the interviewer was the Head of Electronic and IT dept.. something like that, but after looking at my background and experience, he now is offering me to be a Programmer. I was at first feeling cheeky that I’ll be doing something fun like graphics though I don’t have a professional experience in it :P but yeah programming is still my thing, though they’re doing more of databases and PHP which I haven’t utilized anymore since the Database course project in the 3rd year UIA. I told him, wah, I need more time to polish back my knowledge on it coz it’s been years, so if you don’t mind.. and He cheerfully said he’s gonna train me, which sounds good, and I was quite happy to be able to speak and present myself easily in this interview..  okay maybe it’s the first since I have gotten a work experience so I had quite alot to say.

Though part of me feels good that I may have a chance to work and earn money again, now things are becoming harder to decide. I don’t wanna let go the postgrad studies plan just like that, I mean, yeah I don’t like going to classes and have to wait one year until I can get a job again, but I really need to escape from this place!!! I really don’t know, the only way for me to get socalized and make new friends again and get my life back is to go back to university (wherever it is), I don’t seem to think of any other place! I may want to work but I don’t know if I will like the company environment and staff, I mean it will be more or less like IRIS, yah there are people talk to you, eat with you, but no more as work collegues, and it’s tard boring if they talk about things you don’t give least of damn to, well if there are some who are okay, but I don’t know……. Thing is I don’t wanna be stuck in this town for long!!! Despite home, despite nice bed, despite car, despite I don’t have to spend my own RM for food and gas. 

Hmmm. I haven’t even got answer from anyone, so. Let me stop rambling and until next update.

Position: PeopleSoft Trainee
Company: Affiliated Computer Services
Place: ACS, Menara Luxor, Persiaran Tropicana, PJ
Date & Time: 3th April 2008, Thursday, 3pm
Person in charge: Irene Tan

Alright, now the long story version. I arrived in KL and went to C.Nun’s house in Selayang, and after a short rest and nap I got ready to go out. Took a bus then LRT to Kelana Jaya station, where I took a taxi to Luxor Tower in Persiaran Tropicana. Quite a nice place to work in, given that it doesn’t seem too hectic or busy like KL. Anyways. I reached the ACS office reception’s counter exactly at 3pm, and later Irene came to greet me and led me to a room and collected my resume & certs copies and I was told to wait for a while.

Shortly one young lady and one young guy came to the room, and I guess they got to be my interviewers. So here goes, quite a long chats and interviews, I can hardly remember all by now hahaha but okay, let me briefly describe what the position as PeopleSoft trainee should be:

- Selected candidates will undergo comprehensive training & learning on PeopleSoft software and someother programming like ASP.net and management in SHRDC Shah Alam for 2 months. Allowance of RM1500/month.

- After that they’ll continue for on-the-job training at ACS itself (Luxor Tower, Persiaran Tropicana) for about 5 months. This time real projects will be given. Allowance of RM1500/month.

- Upon completion the candidates will be hired by ACS and be bonded for 2 years with starting salary of RM2000.

Sounds very nice, huh? Given that PeopleSoft is very new and demanding lately, I am somehow convinced I want to do this and become a professional in it, given that what I have learned in UIA like simple Java, C++ and all don’t help me much to get a job, much less to gain a title as a professional programmer. But my knowledge in DBMS (MySQL) helps a bit for this matters, though when the interviewer suddenly asked a pop quiz about SQL syntax I was going “err.. select all from um.. table name? Oh..”  Shit. Why would I be asked this now.. after ages leaving the subject? I’m sure it’s been like 2 inch dusty now.. But I was relieved that they were not actually strict in those, rather than they say they’re looking for potential people who can be trained well i.e. fast learner, good communicator, team player, hardworking person. This is a training programme afterall.

I can say this is the nicest interview session I have been, in the sense of interactive communication, detailed explaination from both parties: interviewers and me. And they say if I’m selected the training will start in mid of April, so quite shortly from now.

Position: Trainee Manager
Company: Hospitality Direct Kuala Lumpur
Date and Time: Tuesday Apr 8 2008 4:00PM
Venue: Suite 26-8, 26th Floor, Wisma UOA II, Jalan Pinang, KL

This is quite funny but never mind. I was applying to ads in Jobstreet and sometimes I tend to do something mischief and apply those job posts I do not belong to. And though I don’t expect I would get a reply, but this time I got. So what is a Trainee Manager all about? 1) Reporting to the Program Sales Manager, responsible for all aspects of the daily management of a telemarketing membership department with particular emphasis on Malaysia. 2) Responsibilities range from recruitment, training and managing a team of telemarketing executives, daily liaisons and coordination with all levels of management and staff, planning and implementation of sales strategies and forecasts as well as customer interaction on a regular basis.

Gyaaa, now I am scared I would be caught up for making fun with applying jobs. I wanted to ignore when they emailed me to come for interview which was supposed to be today, but later they called me (!) and I had to say I couldn’t come for the interview as I live far away.. (I can’t say I don’t want to come because I didn’t mean it when I applied that job) and she asked me to reply her email. And I did. And because Lenya was excited when I told her about this nothing-computers-nor-engineering position and asked me to try it out. So when I replied the email I said I could probably come next week. And later I got their reply to come on Tuesday next week. Yay.

The company is located opposite of KL Convention Center, so I think I’m familiar with the area. It is a leading provider of quality hotel membership loyalty club programs and database marketing. I can’t expect this interview will be the same as other interviews that I have been to so far. They wouldn’t mind if I know VB.net or not, perhaps. But I really have no idea. Hahaha but maybe I’m going just to see how it’s like.

Position: Java Developer
Company: Devices World Sdn Bhd
Date and Time: Monday, 7 Apr, 3:00pm
Venue: Suite 1-7, Menara KLH, Taman Puchong Jaya, Selangor
Person in charge: Ms Ping Ping

Okay, no time for a grief over the failure to get into IRIS. I received another interview invitation from Devices World, the company that produces iSCADA technology, or at least that’s what I read from their website. OK, so it’s something cool afterall. I guess I should try this out. But before that I have to polish my Java knowledge a bit now that it’s been well dusty.

But the company location can’t be reached by LRT or komuter. So it’s become my problem now. Maybe I can ask C.Nor to send me, I don’t know. But if I am going to this interview which is on Monday, I’ll also be going to the Jobstreet career fair in MidValley on Friday (and also Saturday and Sunday.. I can also berkampung there until I really get a job!). And perhaps I can call ACS to confirm my interview with them, which can be done in Thursday. And some more maybe I can call Dynafront Systems if they still have another interview session for me, as I couldn’t make it for today’s interview.

OK Ilyani, now we can proceed for the next job hunt. Good luck to me :-)

Help! Interview again :-( I mean, I am expecting a call from IRIS but instead I got another new interview call. Anyway Dynafront is a software solution company and they invite me to come for interview for Java Programmer position. The first interview where you’ll have some test will be on this Monday 31 March at 4.30pm in their office in Wisma Selangor Dredging near KLCC. If you pass the test there will be the 2nd interview. She asked if I can come, and I was too lazy to talk too much like usual so I just said OK. Haha.

But if I really have to come for the interview somehome (given that IRIS still hasn’t called, *sob sob*) I can probably go to the PeopleSoft interview with ACS in PJ too. Hmm..

I got a call from Affiliated Computer Services (ACS) Malaysia for a position as Oracle PeopleSoft trainee. UIA didn’t teach me the software so I had very very little idea about it except that it’s something you can call Human Resouce Management System (HRMS) which I am not quite sure how it works rather than the much more familiar DBMS. Anyway it has saved me from embarassment when she asked me what I know about PeopleSoft. So I said what I know, and I said I didn’t learn Oracle in uni. But she told me it’s fine as this is a training program afterall, and in the email I got yesterday I understood as it’s an INSEP training which will be under SHRDC Shah Alam for 2 months (with govt allowances of RM500) before going to work at ACS. And not an appealing bit when she said you’ll be bonded with the company with 2 years, with (starting? fixed?) salary of RM1500.

I am so confused. I would love to try out new things like learning some system like Oracle and become professional in it, but I don’t know if it’s going to bring me any good? If my job is doing Peoplesoft and I have to learn it first, will that mean what I have learned for 4 years in UIA are cheap stuff that don’t even guarantee you a job? :( So sad to think that way…

She asked me when I could come for interview, probably next week as the training will start soon. I said I can’t decide now as I live in Kelantan and have to plan for the time and transport first before I can make a trip. So I will inform her later. That’s a rather polite excuse :-) Actually I am not too interested about the training part (I mean training allowances), and the 2 years contract. Have to speak about this to my parents first.