William

It doesn’t come easy. Who could have imagine that William will obtain this designation in less than 1 month? In this world, having experience is not enough, certification is very important. Especially in technical field.

A good friend of mine suggested me to explore and look for the possibilities to gain a trainer status before I move on to ACSA (Apple Certified System Administrator). In fact, it is not easy to choose either side.

Trainer Status required me to go for T3 (Train-The-Trainer) Class and pass that course. ACSA required 7 credits, where I need to take different modules.

Paper-chasing is not easy. Though I hate it, but this is the real world.

One of the worst thing in life is to have a Department Head who is perhaps, the most in-sensitive women you had ever met in your entire life.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind women heading the show. I’d met women who are both strong in character and, equipped with excellent leadership. During my NS days, Mdm Jennifer as my Officer-InCharge, my work in Mac Donald with Geok Eng and Ching Ching who were both my mentor. My Ex-Operation Manager, Pearl Ng. There are too many to be listed here.

However, this particular women really demo the power to boil my blood within split-seconds.

As mentioned in my previous blog entries, I went for 2nd attempt on ACHDS as I need to pass them at Instructor-level (85%). I am glad to get good grade on my 2nd attempt. However, someone rained on my celebration parade when she opened her mouth and asked the first most in-sensitive question:

“97%? Wow.. oh, 2nd attempt. 97%.. You have materials?” She asked, giving me a crooked eye.

I controlled my anger and replied: “There is a authorized guidebook to follow the syllabus..”

Before I can finished my sentence, she cut me away and asked the 2nd most in-sensitive question: “Is the book, hmm.. Thick?”

No, not thick at all.. I felt like slapping her.

If Dreamweaver CS3, one of the software by Adobe can take up to 500 pages easily, what makes you think that the book for a Computer System is less than that?

This morning I passed my Apple Certified HelpDesk Specialist. It is not easy, especially when I need to achieve my exam at at least 85% (Instructor Level)

The thing about Mac OS X Exams is they are very “technical”. They are not the usual troubleshooting questions you get from normal consumers, they are more in-depth than anything else.

By passing the Mac OS X Support Essentials test, you are really qualify enough to apply for any Customer Service Job in Macintosh Related Field.

Experience by itself is never enough! Just when you thought that you are good enough, exams like these will bring you down. This might also be a good explanation why people always treat you 3rd class as long as you are:

1. Not from Apple Inc.

2. No Certification to back you up.

So don’t get carried away when you achieved certification. You are still 2nd Class. :s

Singapore is a unique country. The Government will always remind us of our limited-resources-but-first-world-wealth. However, I like the colorful language more than anything else.

I am not only referring to Singlish, but also pointing at the interesting ways of our language combination.

I once had a interesting conversation with a customer over the phone.

“Thank you for calling epi…” Before I can finish my sentence, the customer cut me by shouting over from the other side.

“Mine Pork Cannot Work!!”

“Sorry?” I asked innocently.

Then I found out that he meant “My iPod”, not “Mine Pork”.

Try another one. I recalled one of my conversation with my colleague they told me that there was a conversation with a lady friend and she commented on a handsome guy.

“That guy.. got juice..” she said

I was rather shocked when I heard “Got Juice”, it directed my imagination all the way to the guy’s hip. Then later, they explained to me that the lady friend was trying to use the word “Gorgeous”. I had a good laugh. Try saying “Got Juice” quickly and you will hear the similarities.

Another funny incident occurred this afternoon when I gave a call to a school. Now this is not new to you if I say most job designation now are in short form, especially in Service and Technical industries. A few good examples:

IC= Inventory Controller
TA = Technical Assistant
SA = System Administrator
CSO = Customer Service Office

These are the general terms, most of us will figure that out within a few seconds. And these short terms are not new. However, things happened a bit different over the phone…

“Hi, may I speak to *** regarding ***?” I asked.
“Oh, for this matter, I will transfer you to my S O.” She replied quickly,

I controlled myself before she transferred the line over. Found out that SO = Support Officer.

Wise people always advised the others to look forward and leave the past behind.

True indeed.

However, sometimes we just like to stop and look back. To be sure that the goals and objectives we have now is right. To slow down and reconsider if we are dashing too fast ahead.

It happened too fast, too darn fast. Just less than 3 years ago, I was working for Apple Flagship store as a part-time sales person. Today after leaving them as a Training Manager, I am currently working for another company as their Trainer/Consultant on Macintosh Development.

The very same batch of people I’d worked with, have already moved on to another level. All holding at least supervisory positions in different Apple Reseller Stores.

Though we hate to admit, but it is a true testimonial that most Mac Addicts (in Singapore), had a rather mixed relationship with this flagship store. Love it, hate it, bash it, we still cannot deny the ties we once had with this store.

So much thing we had done, to get to the position we are holding now. For most of us who set our eyes on the Mothership, we just want to get the “fame” we need to generate enough influence.

Q: Why not join now?

As far as we can see now, Apple Inc in South-East Asia has a bigger needs for Sales and Marketing now. Don’t get me wrong, there are System Engineers there. However, there is also only a handful of them who knows how to use a Macintosh.

As long as it is not dealing with retail, we don’t see ourselves fitting there really. We want to touch the toys, the new stuff, try the new software, smell the fresh open retail box of the new iPods, feel the texture of the new material if a design has changed, take the first photo with PhotoBooth on the Mac that comes with iSight and wait together in the middle of the night for Father Steve Job to release new stuff.

These are what we will be doing.. Even when we left, no longer working together.. We will still share the message, wait together online, swear and curse together when the new products don’t fall within our expectation, and more…

We are the crazy ones, the outcasts, because we all see things differently from the rest. We had all contribute to the Mac culture we have in Singapore.

Looking back, the best moment we’d in our Apple days are still the days we had when we were only normal sales staff. Love to serve, explain, address the needs and spread the gospel of Macintosh.

And I always smile, thinking back…