Jobs don’t come easy nowadays. People go through all sorts of challenges before they can achieve a sense of financial security, so we need to appreciate the fact that we are gainfully employed.
Sadly, after a few years in the workforce, people often forget to value the positions they initially fought so hard to secure.
Their love for the job wanes over time, when there are so many who are jobless or do not have decent or stable jobs.
I would like to relate an encounter I had recently during my annual checkup at a clinic.
When my number was called, I immediately went to the registration counter. The personnel at the counter, probably in her 20s, was rather curt and lacking in courtesy when she instructed me to head to the laboratory for blood to be taken. It was only 8am, and she, manning the counter, was not showing the right attitude.
That is why I stress the importance of learning to love your job. It is critical in order for you to serve the public respectfully, politely, and with a smile.
If you hate your job, you will lead a miserable working life until retirement, working just for money and being grumpy all the time.
I, for one, never lost my passion for a career I have since retired from.
I entered the teaching profession in 1980, when jobs were hard to come by.
I stuck faithfully to a “government job” although the salary was not as attractive in those days compared to the more lucrative salaries and incentives offered by the private sector.
Looking back, I am grateful that I remained in government service because of the long-term benefits I gained.
Now a senior citizen in my 60s, I have been in education for 35 years. When I was in administration, I was reminded countless times at meetings to be courteous to the parents and visitors who came to the school, and to attend to their needs promptly.
At the clinic, I found myself reflecting: Is this what we teachers get in return for the importance we place on parents and visitors at school?
I remember an old colleague of mine in Kapar, a teacher named Puan S.K. Lee. She had a good habit of going straight to class when the school bell rang for a change of period. She was a great example of someone who took pride in her work and truly loved her job.
We used to jokingly tell her not to rush and to take her time going to class. But she would laugh it off and head straight to class. Her enthusiasm was infectious, and her punctuality reflected her commitment and dedication, which she demonstrated on a daily basis. Her good habit eventually rubbed off on others, including me.
Indeed, the secret to excelling in your role, whatever the industry, is to love what you do and to never take it for granted.
THIAGAN MATHIAPARANAM
Klang
