Perhaps commitment is one of my strongest personal traits. I have been unwavering in my support for Our Telekom, its objectives and its work. Disagreements are part of life but all in all I remained firmly loyal to the company so it is quite difficult for me to envision life after Our Telekom. But I am leaving and like many before me, I have found myself wondering what life would be like after Our Telekom.
The Company | Our Telekom
Our Telekom remains the largest telecommunications company in the Solomon Islands. The liberalization of the telecommunications market in 2009 brought with it significant changes for the company. I am leaving at a crucial point in the company’s history. A time when Our Telekom will step out into a new environment and meet many new challenges. Our Telekom was a monopoly that had provided all forms of telecommunications since its early days as the Post & Telecommunications, P&T.
My career began in 2005
I began my career with Our Telekom in 2005 after returning to the Solomon Islands from the University of the South Pacific in Suva, Fiji. I began as Assistant Engineer – Webmaster with the Sales, Marketing & Operations department then after a year, I was transferred to the Information Services department as I my responsibilities become more technical. It is the only job I have held since graduating.
Why am I leaving
So I am leaving but why? In 2008, I participated in the United Nations NCRE and sat the exams in Honiara in February. I was convoked for the second stage of the examination, an oral interview in New York in January of 2009. In February 2009, I was among 28 candidates finally selected and placed on the UN roster for possible employment. Then in May 2010 I was interviewed for a position in Geneva with the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. I was offered the position and now I am ready to make the move to start work with the United Nations.
So what will life be like after Our Telekom? I can only foretell that it will be different in many ways. The culture, work ethic and colleagues will be all different. Geneva will be millions of miles ahead of Honiara. For me it will be a rather daunting experience but I suppose challenges provide opportunities for success, so I am taking this one head on.
When reflecting on what I have achieved here with Our Telekom in web development, I can safely assume that I have left the company in a better shape then when I first came. There will be massive room for improvement but I am glad I have set up a basic framework on which the company can build on.
However, in many ways, it saddens me to leave. But this much I know; life goes on and Our Telekom will miss me one day and move on the next; I must simply face that reality and look ahead to the challenges that await in my new job. Until yesterday, I must have been living in denial; that I will still be here for a while yet. Perhaps everyone leaving a company feels the same way too.