Ever seen a fax machine in action?
These days, a fax machine is such an obsolete equipment, you won’t see it in any company except those with dusty old records and shelves.
Which makes this joke I saw on Reddit quite funny.
What is fax? from r/memes
But jokes aside, the fax machine still has a significant memory for me. Because that was how I had sent in my resignation letter and left SIA as a SQ Girl forever.
Watching the Paper Slowly Seal My Fate
Back then, resigning was a simple process.
I didn’t need to call in or go back to the office, or tell my leaders, all it took was a single fax.
A piece of paper with the date, Singapore Airline’s address, the HR department, my full name and ID, and finally scrawl in the text: “I wish to resign“.
But as I fed that piece of paper to the machine, and watch it slowly slide in, I couldn’t help questioning myself if that was the right call.
I could feel the turmoil battling within me as my heart grew heavy as that slip of paper descended. There was a crazy nagging urge to yank the paper out and stop myself.
I mean, I was leaving. I was really leaving. And I still didn’t have a solid plan of what to do next.
Well frankly, I’ve never been much of a planner, which kinda explains why I suck at admin stuff.
But when you’re risking your career, you suddenly get a completely different perspective on things.
Will I Get the Same Salary Back?
My biggest worry was sustaining the lifestyle I had now grown accustom to.
Buying handbags from Paris, going drinking nights I’m off-duty, makeup, jewelry, dresses, you name it.
For the first time, I realised I was giving all this away.
The lifestyle of a SG Girl.
Not that we’re frivolous or spendthrift, but when you deal with patience-testing passengers as much as we do, a little therapeutic shopping every now and then always helps.
So, when my resignation letter came out through the other end, there was one thing very clear on my mind…
I had to double up!
That means either having double my last drawn salary or have twice the free time for the same salary.
Risk-Reward Ratio
Having the luxury of hindsight now, if I were to look back at my younger self, I would probably say I was being “childish” back then.
Today, with 2 daughter, and my own business, my career objectives have changed.
I guess that’s part and parcel of life and progress.
But back then, I had thought my mission was crystal clear – make lots of money.
Let me emphasize that selecting a career shouldn’t ever be about proving a point, instead, having a solid visual purpose is the key for success.
Unfortunately, in the beginning of my next career, I was driven by the simplistic goal of doubling my income.
Naturally I achieved that goal and even bought my first car within the very first month.
But it came with a huge sacrifice.
I was a woman obsessed. Obsessed with doubling my income. And doubling it yet again.
The result?
My career had no meaning and very quickly, I felt empty again.
Turn Back the Clock
The truth is…
If I could rewind and start all over from the point I fed the fax machine my resignation letter…
I would do it all over again!
I’ve never regretted joining SIA and neither have I regretted leaving.
On top of that, I’m also very glad I joined Prudential because there I had the opportunity to fine-tune my interpersonal skills and develop perhaps the most important skill ever…
My sales ability.
Which in all honesty is nothing more than client management – something every cabin crew girl has after handling countless passengers.
The one thing I would change however, is how I managed my career path.
While doubling my last drawn salary is important, learning how to make it meaningful is equally so.
Without meaning behind what I did, I became a slave to my job, and it was not healthy for me. And even worse for my relationships, which ironically was why I left SIA in the first place.
Instead, when you identify your solid visual purpose early on, you will naturally enjoy career success and strike a good balance no matter what you do.
And suddenly, venturing into the unknown doesn’t have to be so scary because there is a clear direction to take.
More on that in my next post.
Have you ever asked yourself why you decided to fly?
Shann “Leap of Faith” Wong
