Profession

[CTG]

Thanks but luck won't be enough. Now really sleeping.

Another useless cry from CTG, probably not the last one ever (I won't ever get PhD degree... ). Job in pocket, flying high over the bar. Confident and high quality application, they said. My ego is in the sky now, don't let me post more today.

[Duplode]

I told ya... congratulations!

[zaqrack]

congrats! enjoy the working life 

[BonzaiJoe]

Well done!

[zaqrack]

so briefly summarizing what happened in the last days, before we completely flood facebook

I was not satisfied with my new job, I liked that it is a new thing for me interesting and I really did enjoy the atmosphere, but did not feel like I could do this kind of job (100% in front of computer) for a longer term.

So I was looking for other opportunities. Almost got a job at the Tourism board of Great Britain, related to marketing Britain as a tourism destination in Hungary, but failed in the last round.
Apart from this, I got an offer from the cyclists' club, because their main project manager was leaving and they were looking for somebody to replace him. I was offered the same salary I earn here, a guaranteed place for at least 3 years - and of course a really interesting job connected to my profession - and so I was considering a change.
I hesitated for a week, and finally decided to take the offer. I would have started working there the next monday.

On wednesday I announced the office manager that I don't feel like this job could remain interesting for me in the long-term and mid-term, also got another offer, so I decided to quit.
She said that she's really sorry about my decision, but she also felt my current tasks are not interesting for me, and wanted to move me to a slightly different position, but looks like my decision was quicker.  She asked me to wait a bit, because she wants me to talk with the owner and operations manager of the company, maybe we can work something out.

Only stupid people turn down offers without hearing them, so I decided to listen to them. On Thursday I walked in the office being sure that I'll change soon, and just listen to their offer out of curiosity.

But I came out from the office totally puzzled. They offered me not to do the technical writing itself, but as they see a lot of potential in me, they wanted to teach me in short term the industrial and structural backgrounds of the technical writing industry, and train me to be an adviser, telling possible clients how to improve their existing documentation to be more productive and effective. This offer really caught me as it is not about doing repetitive tasks, but being intuitive, think analytically and strategically - things I consider my strengths and enjoy doing. On the other side it is a healthy mix of technology, economy and business. Also, this training involves such fields and knowledge, what only very few people know in Europe - and being an expert in a rare, but demanded knowledge is always the best investment.

On the top of this they offered me an instant 10% raise (even though I'm only here since a month!), and of course a huge raise when I'll become trained enough to be an advisor.

I said I need one day to decide, but with every minute I felt more, that this is not an opportunity to be missed.
Today we had another talk and the have played the ace - I asked, as a last question whether I can use my Chinese skills in the future - and it turned out the company is planning to open an office in China in 2 years.
This settled it. I'm staying

[alanrotoi]

Take that job sounds great! It makes me happy zak!

[BonzaiJoe]

That really does sound good! Congratulations on that and good luck with the future challenges...

[Chulk]

Well done Zak! Looks little Zacky did bring some luck!

[Duplode]

Great news! And I get what you mean on "being intuitive, think analytically and strategically" - text analysis and communication strategies seem something quite enjoyable to work on to me 

[Argammon]

Zak being an advisor of "technical writing" is really interesting. If I recall correctly, your english was quite mediocre during the first years of Zakstunts competition. Looks like it must have improved quite a lot.

Of course technical writing is about more than fancy english, but still... Good job!

[zaqrack]

Zak being an advisor of "technical writing" is really interesting. If I recall correctly, your english was quite mediocre during the first years of Zakstunts competition. Looks like it must have improved quite a lot.

yep, the main boost in my English skills was done from 2003 to 2007. It's still far from perfect though, and my verbal skills were always a lot better than the written.
Anyway, being a technical writer needs very good English skills. Being an advisor of technical writing does not

[Argammon]

Really? Doesn't your task include things like telling your subjects "You should not write like .... but like ..." ?

You see I have no clue 

[zaqrack]

Nope, a technical writing adviser tells the clients, how to handle effectively huge amounts of previously available information, which is currently present in incoherent or diverse structure and format. This includes transforming and changing the information itself and the data structure according to modern industry standards. This is the part where my analytical skills are useful.
The point is to make information extension, change and update easier and cheaper, thus achieving optimal cost-efficiency. (Savings can be huge, as we are usually speaking about 10000s of document pages structured to different, but closely related booksets.) This part is, where economics come in the picture.

These industry standards and conversion methods are what I'll have to get familiar with in the upcoming months in order to become an expert, because currently I have only minimal experience in this field.  

What you mentioned, that I correct grammar and writing style is my current duty. This is what I have found uninteresting in the long term and led to the changes mentioned in my previous post. But in order to be a successful expert, naturally I have to get familiar with the basics of the procedure.

[Usrin]

Congratulations to CTG and Zak!

From September, I will also have to find a job, as my PhD scholarship will expire. Here are the possibilities:

1. Geological Institute of Hungary: the vice-president is a good friend of my supervisor, and they both want to see me there as a researcher, so I got an offer from them. That job would be interesting and not too hard (in average, not more than 8 hours/day), and I would have the possibility for realizing some own ideas, and I would have the chance for publish my results under my name. This is important for me, I don't want to die without leaving anything useful here for the next generation. However, the president of the institute doesn't know me, and he will make the final decision. So, motivation letter (vomiting smiley) and CV have been sent to him, reaction is still not known. Btw, salary is quite ridiculous there (I would be a public servant...), barely higher than my PhD scholarship. Chance for getting the job: 60%, chance for going there: 51%.

2. StatoilHydro, Norway: I will go there for a two-month "student work" for the second time this summer. As I'm finishing my studies now, I have the chance for getting an offer for staying there. Salary is 6-8 times higher than in version 1, but it would be not easy to decide to move there with my family. (Not to mention leaving them in Hungary, and seeing them for 1 week in one or two months.) Last but not least, own ideas and ambitions for publicating results are not really welcomed in oil industry... Chance for getting job: 30%, chance for going there: 15%.

Other possibilities, without details:

3. Unemployment: 15%
4. Working somewhere else in Hungary (maybe at MOL) as a geologist: 10%
5. Working in Hungary, outside geology (Tesco, etc.): 6%
6. Working abroad as a geologist, outside StatoilHydro: 2,9%
7. Ordinary death: 0,095%
8. "End of the world" (nuclear war, asteroid impact, etc.): 0,005%

By the way, my "dream job" would be something like I would do at the Geological Institute, but not in Hungary. I would prefer any N-NW European location which can be reached by plane directly from Budapest. (StatoilHydro is in Stavanger, needing at least one change.) But I won't have significant chance for such a job before getting my PhD degree - and in the best case, it will take 1 year from now...

[zaqrack]

I am sure you wont end up in the Tesco. 
Based on your "dream job" description I think if you will have a job offer from StatoilHydro, accept it, but only together with a relocation package for your family. You could work there for some years founding your existence and then its the time to move to the real science. The best scientists always have additional background in other fields and jobs. With about 5 years experience gained at both locations, your dream job can become a reality.