After 10 Years, I'm Once Again an "Ex-Con"

After 10 Years, I'm Once Again An "Ex-Con"
十年后，我再次成了“Ex-Con”。

Friends have been asking me how work has been, and I would update them that I'm no longer working since the contract role was only for 6 months.
朋友们一直问我最近的工作情况，我就告诉他们我已经结束那份工作了，因为那只是六个月的合约。

"Did they not want to extend the contract?"
“公司不想续约吗？”

Before I answer that, let me explain why I'm an “ex-con”
在我回答之前，先解释一下为什么我说自己是“Ex-Con”。

The company's name is Convertium. When I left it years ago, I became an ex-Con. Returning a decade later, I leave once more - now a 2-time ex-Con Project Executive.
这家公司叫 Convertium。几年前我第一次离开时，半开玩笑地称自己是“Ex-Con”。这英文词原本是“前科犯”（ex-convict）的简称，但我用它来形容自己是 Convertium 的前员工。 十年后再度回归，如今又一次离开---也算是“再犯”的项目执行了。

So, why didn’t I continue?
那我为什么没有留下来呢？

Frankly, I finished most of the core work roughly around 3 months in. The remaining time I helped in other areas. Even tasks beyond project management, almost functioning like a resource team member.
说实话，大概三个月内我就把核心的工作完成了。接下来的时间，我协助了其他部门，甚至接触了超出项目管理范畴的事务，几乎像是支援团队的一员。

When I met up with my superiors, they said they didn’t think they want me to stay just as an Executive, they’d rather I do bigger projects but it came with expectation of longer hours.
后来和上司聊过，他们表示不希望我只是当执行人员，他们更倾向让我负责更大的项目，但这也代表必须投入更长的工时。

It still amazes me how a small agency has clients like Marina Bay Sands, Singapore Institute of Management, Singapore Economic Development Board, National Gallery Singapore, and many more under their portfolio.
我仍然觉得惊艳，这样一家小公司竟然服务滨海湾金沙、新加坡管理学院、经济发展局、国家美术馆等知名客户。

That kind of exposure and the idea of having worked with these companies in my portfolio would be tempting, however…
这种机会和与这些客户合作的经历确实很吸引人，不过…

…The thought of putting in more hours instead of time with loved ones feels like a losing trade.
一想到要拿更多时间去换工作进度，而不是陪伴在乎的人，就觉得这笔交换不太划算。

While I was there, I was one of the rare few who would arrive and leave on time. Occasionally I’d stay back to finish up, but I no longer see a need to stay back extra hours because everyone else was still in the office.
在那儿工作的时候，我是少数会准时上下班的人。偶尔会留下来完成任务，但我不再觉得“别人还没走”是我加班的理由。

I respect those who choose that path, I just don’t subscribe to it.
我尊重选择那种生活节奏的人，只是我不认同那种方式。

Now that I’m back to doing things on my own, it’s once again like being dropped into a wide, unfamiliar location and told: “Go”.
现在回到自己一个人行动的状态，感觉就像被丢到一个辽阔又陌生的地方，只听到一句：“走吧。”

Go where?
去哪呢？

That’s the question I’ll be tackling on this part of my journey.
这是我这一段旅程要思考的问题。

I’ll keep walking.
我会继续前行。

I’ll #KeepTryingUntil
我会 #不断尝试直到 找到我的方向。