The Rafflesian Name Fails to Impress
Today, I received a call from a certain tuition centre (or perhaps they'd like to call themselves Education Hub? I have no clue) located in Bukit Batok. According to that person, I had applied to work at Science Park a few weeks ago.
Huh? Got meh? I seriously don't remember.
OHHHHH. He didn't say 'Science Park' after all. What he said was the name of his tuition centre. I shall not point any fingers here. It's prob my fault for mishearing right? As I say so often, you have to trade something off for being able to wake up and see clearly instantly.
Sidetrack: Yes, this is going to be kinda a rant post. But unlike certain people who have nothing better than to proclaim they do not wish to waste their time and their 3000 words on a person (and then proceed to do so nevertheless), I shall first clarify that I am using the time between burger cooking to type this post. I must persevere. 10 000 burgers is an attainable goal. 823 and counting! I've even downloaded Google Chrome so I can cook burgers on 2 accounts! (Obviously coz IE CMI!)
Ok back to the Science guy. So he says well, he knows I'm from Raffles and so is he. Er ok. I don't see how that scores him any points (if he was even wishing to do so) but whatever. (On hindsight, it could be a 'don't act smug about your academics I've got the same qualifications as you' thingy but hey, does it really matter?) He for some obscure reason thinks I have first class honours. HUH? Oh. It's coz I managed to get into the Dean's List.
I am seriously wondering what this ex-Rafflesian did in uni if he didn't manage to get into the Dean's List at least once -.-". Oh yes, perhaps he went to a uni that didn't have Dean's Lists. Silly me.
He then proceeds to tell me some facts about working for his centre. Such as having to work on weekends.
Hi, did you read my resume? Which tuition centre doesn't require education staff to work on weekends?
Fine, he wants me to work BOTH weekends. So I kindly inform him that I can't work on Sundays.
He then reveals it's a 6-day work week.
Eh. Unless you pay me Gideon's pay I'm not going to work for you (or any other company for that matter) for 6 days a week.
Ok, so his centre caters to higher-end students. I don't know. I'm not interested in giving tuition to people who don't need it. I didn't need tuition when I was a child. Neither did my classmates. And schoolmates. Ya I had tuition. CHINESE tuition. I'm not a genius. I could only score A*s for the other 3 subjects without studying. And I didn't want my mother to teach me nonsense so I got her to hire me a tutor -.-".
I protest at Jason running away from his restaurant at random intervals. Stupid bug need to refresh for him to reappear. 925 and counting =D.
Whatever it is, he asks me down for an interivew. And here I am thinking, huh, I refuse to work on Sundays, refuse to work 6 days a week, and you STILL want to offer me an interview?
So I do the all natural thing and ask 'why'?
956 only??? SO SLOW! The waiters must be eating the burgers! ABIGAIL! ALISON! MEIXIU! You eating burger! Maybe it's the cook, Jason blah.
Back to Mr-Raffles-Science guy. He gets all defensive here. And says that he doesn't (shouldn't? I can't really recall) have to answer questions because he's not the one on interview. Hmm?
Let's make it very clear here. I have a job. It may not be the best job in the world. It may not even require me to do things that are relevant to my degree. But I am getting paid a monthly salary, my colleagues are fine people and I (oh horrors I have to admit this????) like my students. I have promotion prospects and the pay is NOT THAT BAD. In addition to all this, I only have to work till 9 on 2 weekdays and I work only one weekend. Plus, my company has a proper HR department. That doesn't scold me when I ask 'stupid' questions. Therefore, I'm not going to waste my time going for an interview for a job that doesn't meet my requirements, and isn't likely to meet my pay request.
Sidetrack again: my student's mother helped her harvest her food this morning while she was in school! OMG wad a cool mother. AND WHAT A COOL JOB HER MOTHER HAS THAT ALLOWS HER TO GO ON FACEBOOK! =P Time to consider working at MOE HQ =D.
Needless to say, the conversation ended after that. A cursory check of the website shows that they charge 30-45/hour/student! (some courses could cost more, I didn't bother to peruse the entire website) Wow! I didn't know parents trusted the "Raffles" name so much, considering their staff don't appear to have NIE-diplomas, the much sought after qualification for tuition teachers these days.
So does the thought that my pay, if I had decided to go for the interview and was offered employment, might actually have increased by leaps and bounds due to the sheer amount of money they get from each class make me sad that I didn't at least go for the interview? Obviously not -.-. I'm not so stupid as to believe they'd offer me decent wages to start with, judging from the phone call. And even if they did, I already have my sources of income that compensate for my pay at my current full-time job. Without me having to work on so many weeknights or on Sundays =D.
I would have never fit in with their company culture anyway. Please. I seriously think if you are of it IP/GEP standard, or if you manage to score well enough in the PSLE to enter schools like Crescent, CHIJ St Nics and TCHS, YOU CAN OBVIOUSLY SCORE YOUR A1s BY STUDYING BY YOURSELF. You want to pay through your nose (or otherwise) for a tutor for reassurance of your A1, by all means do so. Where's the glory in helping students who SHOULD BE SCORING A1 get A1?
When I was teaching in JC, the Science HOD told me that the Biology Subject Head was good because she achieved 100% passes for Biology. Last year, I had 100% passes for English for my English PSLE students. Yes, those who started out getting 18/95 in their neighbourhood schools managed to pass their PSLE. Yes I'm proud. Not of myself but of them.
On a parting note, I'd like to share what my husband once told me when I said I was afraid his (lol) kids might not be smart enough and may need tuition. He said, "Why would my kids need tuition if their mother is Sophia Yong?" Then he said realistically, "Maybe for Chinese."
I guess that's why I'm married to him.
Huh? Got meh? I seriously don't remember.
OHHHHH. He didn't say 'Science Park' after all. What he said was the name of his tuition centre. I shall not point any fingers here. It's prob my fault for mishearing right? As I say so often, you have to trade something off for being able to wake up and see clearly instantly.
Sidetrack: Yes, this is going to be kinda a rant post. But unlike certain people who have nothing better than to proclaim they do not wish to waste their time and their 3000 words on a person (and then proceed to do so nevertheless), I shall first clarify that I am using the time between burger cooking to type this post. I must persevere. 10 000 burgers is an attainable goal. 823 and counting! I've even downloaded Google Chrome so I can cook burgers on 2 accounts! (Obviously coz IE CMI!)
Ok back to the Science guy. So he says well, he knows I'm from Raffles and so is he. Er ok. I don't see how that scores him any points (if he was even wishing to do so) but whatever. (On hindsight, it could be a 'don't act smug about your academics I've got the same qualifications as you' thingy but hey, does it really matter?) He for some obscure reason thinks I have first class honours. HUH? Oh. It's coz I managed to get into the Dean's List.
I am seriously wondering what this ex-Rafflesian did in uni if he didn't manage to get into the Dean's List at least once -.-". Oh yes, perhaps he went to a uni that didn't have Dean's Lists. Silly me.
He then proceeds to tell me some facts about working for his centre. Such as having to work on weekends.
Hi, did you read my resume? Which tuition centre doesn't require education staff to work on weekends?
Fine, he wants me to work BOTH weekends. So I kindly inform him that I can't work on Sundays.
He then reveals it's a 6-day work week.
Eh. Unless you pay me Gideon's pay I'm not going to work for you (or any other company for that matter) for 6 days a week.
Ok, so his centre caters to higher-end students. I don't know. I'm not interested in giving tuition to people who don't need it. I didn't need tuition when I was a child. Neither did my classmates. And schoolmates. Ya I had tuition. CHINESE tuition. I'm not a genius. I could only score A*s for the other 3 subjects without studying. And I didn't want my mother to teach me nonsense so I got her to hire me a tutor -.-".
I protest at Jason running away from his restaurant at random intervals. Stupid bug need to refresh for him to reappear. 925 and counting =D.
Whatever it is, he asks me down for an interivew. And here I am thinking, huh, I refuse to work on Sundays, refuse to work 6 days a week, and you STILL want to offer me an interview?
So I do the all natural thing and ask 'why'?
956 only??? SO SLOW! The waiters must be eating the burgers! ABIGAIL! ALISON! MEIXIU! You eating burger! Maybe it's the cook, Jason blah.
Back to Mr-Raffles-Science guy. He gets all defensive here. And says that he doesn't (shouldn't? I can't really recall) have to answer questions because he's not the one on interview. Hmm?
Let's make it very clear here. I have a job. It may not be the best job in the world. It may not even require me to do things that are relevant to my degree. But I am getting paid a monthly salary, my colleagues are fine people and I (oh horrors I have to admit this????) like my students. I have promotion prospects and the pay is NOT THAT BAD. In addition to all this, I only have to work till 9 on 2 weekdays and I work only one weekend. Plus, my company has a proper HR department. That doesn't scold me when I ask 'stupid' questions. Therefore, I'm not going to waste my time going for an interview for a job that doesn't meet my requirements, and isn't likely to meet my pay request.
Sidetrack again: my student's mother helped her harvest her food this morning while she was in school! OMG wad a cool mother. AND WHAT A COOL JOB HER MOTHER HAS THAT ALLOWS HER TO GO ON FACEBOOK! =P Time to consider working at MOE HQ =D.
Needless to say, the conversation ended after that. A cursory check of the website shows that they charge 30-45/hour/student! (some courses could cost more, I didn't bother to peruse the entire website) Wow! I didn't know parents trusted the "Raffles" name so much, considering their staff don't appear to have NIE-diplomas, the much sought after qualification for tuition teachers these days.
So does the thought that my pay, if I had decided to go for the interview and was offered employment, might actually have increased by leaps and bounds due to the sheer amount of money they get from each class make me sad that I didn't at least go for the interview? Obviously not -.-. I'm not so stupid as to believe they'd offer me decent wages to start with, judging from the phone call. And even if they did, I already have my sources of income that compensate for my pay at my current full-time job. Without me having to work on so many weeknights or on Sundays =D.
I would have never fit in with their company culture anyway. Please. I seriously think if you are of it IP/GEP standard, or if you manage to score well enough in the PSLE to enter schools like Crescent, CHIJ St Nics and TCHS, YOU CAN OBVIOUSLY SCORE YOUR A1s BY STUDYING BY YOURSELF. You want to pay through your nose (or otherwise) for a tutor for reassurance of your A1, by all means do so. Where's the glory in helping students who SHOULD BE SCORING A1 get A1?
When I was teaching in JC, the Science HOD told me that the Biology Subject Head was good because she achieved 100% passes for Biology. Last year, I had 100% passes for English for my English PSLE students. Yes, those who started out getting 18/95 in their neighbourhood schools managed to pass their PSLE. Yes I'm proud. Not of myself but of them.
On a parting note, I'd like to share what my husband once told me when I said I was afraid his (lol) kids might not be smart enough and may need tuition. He said, "Why would my kids need tuition if their mother is Sophia Yong?" Then he said realistically, "Maybe for Chinese."
I guess that's why I'm married to him.
Burger update: 1108 and going strong!
posted by Shelly at 8:26 PM
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