whenever i have frens who make remarks like "admin in a pri sch? shd be quite slack right..." i feel a bit hurt.. but i can't blame them. b4 i joined the sch, dats wad i tot too.. office in a pri sch shd be quite easy to handle.. all small kids.. wad could be so hard? and trs teaching pri sch kids shd all have a heart of gold too.. so i'll have some pretty friendly colleagues as friends. however, the stress of an AM can only be understood by a fellow AM.. especially in our cluster..
also, my relatives seem to think that only O level clerks work as admin in schs.. where got degree holder go work as admin in sch.. but the thing is, there really is such a job! in fact, in the whole of S'pore, there's abt 300++ pri schs, so there's only abt 400+ pri sch AMs (cuz some schs have 2), so it's quite a specific niche, but also quite unfamiliar to most ppl.
but i tell myself everyday.. the person i shd answer to is
myself. i dun need to give anybody else an answer. even if they dun understand, i shouldnt feel hurt or even bothered. cuz they are probably as stressed as me already, and if i were talking abt their jobs after having a bad day, i would also probably be thinking, "How can their job be as stressful as mine? They shd try doing my job then they will know how stress it is.." and etc etc etc. u know how it will lead to.
in fact, a lot of trs admit that the job of an AM seems very slack to them, and a lot of AMs also think that trs have an easier time. I have a colleague who was like this. she was a teacher, then she felt too stressed, and she tot her sch's AM was having an easy time n also earning good pay, so she became an AM. now she's complaining that she's mistaken and both tr's and AM's jobs are like shit. the grass is always greener on the other side.. if u always compare, there'll be no end.
and so i tell myself, do not envy the teachers for having sch holidays and ridiculously high pay (but i cant help but still feel envious~~ haha..) cuz they have their own kind of pressure and difficulties as well. and also, even if my relatives are not proud of my job, (and even tho i dun really like this job too haha), i still feel proud that I am once an AM. cuz this job actually gives u lots of exposure (once u enter u are same level as HOD, good enough exposure?), lots of on the job training, allows a Life Sci graduate like me to learn finance skills and to some extent, HR and recruitment skills, and unlike any other organisation, allows me to be in a managerial post with clerks working under ur management. for someone who is so inexperienced like me, this is really good for portfolio and i oso get a headstart in learning people management skills (also learn how to
siam politics skills)..
if so good, then why am i on the search for a new job? haha.. cuz even though it is a very good position, i feel that it is not suitable for me.. i guess i prefer a job that is more focused.. if i can find one, den it'll be really good.. if cannot.. i guess i'll juz tolerate for one more yr.. den contract will end.. >_< pls arrive soon~~!!