An Unexpected Change

I left the Ministry of Education (MoE). When I started my new post at the MoE a little over one year ago, I never expected that I would be making a change so soon. It should be noted that this change was not due to any negative experiences with the MoE, but rather, to an opportunity to advance my career prospects. I was happy with my placement by the MoE and the schools that were under my purview. I also developed good working relationships with the respective staff at each location and was able to gain their trust in the ability to perform in the role for which I was hired. I was proud of the contributions that I made at the schools and had begun planning future projects for the July/August break. However, it was not meant to be.

You may know that prior to being employed by the MoE, I spent around 18 months perusing and applying to job ads in an effort to find a new opportunity. One of the organizations to which I had applied during that time finally got around to inviting me to interview. Now, considering how comfortable I had become in my posting with the MoE, the potential of compensation being the same and how much of my life was centred around the location of my office, I was hesitant to accept the offer of an interview. After some deliberation, however, I decided to go through with the interview. There was no harm in agreeing to an interview, and it would keep my interview skills sharp.

The interview process occurred in two (2) parts. The first part was a technical assessment, which was done in person, while the second part was an online formal interview. I must admit that I felt more at peace with the interview process due to my having a job that I enjoyed at the time. There were three (3) other candidates that underwent the technical evaluation while I did. I was the first to finish but could not complete the task assigned due to some trick configurations. I performed enough with the technical assessment that I was called back to do the panel interview, which occurred approximately one (1) week later. There were four (4) people on the panel, and they each took turns asking me both technical and non-technical questions. I was doing well up until one of the panellists asked about platforms supported by the organization. I was only aware of one (1) and I was criticised for not taking the time to research the organization.

I left the interview with mixed feelings about the experience. I understood why one of the panellists scolded me for not being more knowledgeable about the organization. I guess I felt a bit too relaxed due to my current employment with MoE and as such was not as thorough in my preparation. I was told that I would receive feedback regarding the outcome of the interviews in a week or so. I went back to my routine with the MoE, and as a week passed, I began to think that I was an unsuccessful candidate due to my not having done enough research on the organization. I thought to myself that I need to do better when presented with another opportunity.

After three (3) weeks I received a call from the HR assistant, who informed me that I was successful with the interviews and that I was being offered a position with the organization. That was unexpected. What do I do now? I responded by thanking them for the offer and stated that I would provide them with my answer after some consideration. This put me in the position of having to choose between two (2) employers and job opportunities for the second time in the span of twelve (12) months It was not an easy decision, and I had to explore the pros and cons of both options.

Expected positives of taking the offer

• Larger scale systems
• Higher compensation
• More opportunities to learn through large-scale projects
• Working with a larger technical team
• Increased technical skills through practical experience

Expected negatives of taking the offer

• Less autonomy
• More demanding responsibilities that may require working outside typical working hours
• Starting over in a new organization
• Increased travel time to the office

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Ultimately, I decided to accept the offer. Although increased compensation is nice, I am taking a chance at the potential opportunities a large organization’s ICT infrastructure in experience and exposure can bring. I look forward to this new challenges ahead of me as I make contribution to the Judiciary of Trinidad and Tobago for then several years and continue to grow my skills and competence in the ICT field.