The Story of my Life

I turned 6 years in ADB this March. But to be more accurate, I actually have been here for 8 years already. Wew! This company has seen the best and worst in me. I am thankful, though, because ADB has provided so much for me and my family. If I weren't here I don't know where I'd be.

I'm happy where I am now. It's not as glamorous as advertising, events and marketing. Nor is it as high-paying as the IT industry. I'm happy here because the people are nice, the pay is just right for my needs and the facilities are well maintained and up to date with recent technological developments. The company promotes work-life balance so your time for yourself and your family is untouched.

I love it here because I get to meet people of different cultures. I've had several bosses in the last 8 years and most of them are big-hearted people. One person I really love and miss is my previous boss, Caroline. We worked together for more or less 2 years until she moved to Nepal. And 2 years after she left, we're still in touch, thanks to Facebook! And recently, she left this message for me.

Of course, the thought of NY got me (and the husbo) excited! But more than that I am thankful that she appreciates the work I have done for her. And despite the years we've been apart, she still remembers what we have and what we've shared. I hope she gets NY, not because I know it's a great deal for me, but more because she's great at what she does, and a very hardworking and passionate woman who pursues development by all means. I won't be surprised if I see her in the UN Headquarters one day.

I've been with ADB for 7 years now. 2 years in another department and 5 years in the current. On my second year in my current department, I've already started applying for a promotion. At that time, I didn't know that, aside from skills, senior staff are given priority in terms of promotion – senior meaning their length of stay in the organization. The longer you are in your current position, the better are you chances to get promoted. Another plus factor is that you have to continuously apply because it gives Management the impression that you seriously want to move up. So I applied and applied, but to no avail.

When a position opened up in our department, I thought about it several times. I had to consult other people whether I should apply or not, most of them said I should go for it regardless of who the contenders were. But what really convinced me was when I consulted my former boss, who's now in Nepal, of what would be the best thing to do. Coming from her I know it would be a little biased, considering that we've had a very good working relationship while she was here, but I also know her to be fair and straight forward. And that she'd tell me, honestly, if there was anything I should improve on. Her opinion gave me so much to think about, and more importantly, she made my self-esteem move a notch higher.

Thankfully, all the preparations paid off and I got the promotion (I almost didn't apply for this promotion, would you believe?!). Finally! After more than four years of waiting, I got the promotion I wanted. The icing on the cake is, I was going to support a cool guy. Then I realized it was good that I didn't get promoted in all the positions I applied for in the past, because God has something better for me.