I used to work here at Jurong Town Hall in the year 2010. Back then it was known as iHub, and it was a commercial venue for startups growing in Singapore. I have fond memories of the place, because it was my first time joining a startup company then known as Greenwave Reality Pte Ltd.
My career background so far has been full of setbacks and also nonevents, and my stint at Greenwave while short-lived, was one which was peppered with enthusiasm and passion. I still remember being headhunted by a recruitment firm to join this startup, and I was the second employee other than the Managing Director to come on board. As a startuper, I had to get involved in plenty of logistical work, and I was part of bits and pieces of everything back then.
I left the company once it was good to go, because I was surplus to requirements after I helped the MD relocate the office to Science Park Drive. It was a good experience la, except that the company itself was also quite transient, by now you can try searching for the company name and nobody remembers it. It's history, not really lasting for very long.
One of the most impactful experience I gained from the past 20 years of my career was that there's really no permanent jobs in the commercial world out there. Some like Greenwave Reality might offer me a good purpose and rousing meaning to my résumé, but the company restructures or closes shop faster than I expect. So if a recruiter asks me what experience I bring with me, my answer is nothing, just impermanence.
I am somewhat envious of my mother because she used to work at a factory as a seamstress, and her boss hired her for 20-30 years at one shot. These days where on earth can we find such a lasting employer - employee relationship? I wanted to stay at my first company Fujitsu Asia Pte Ltd for a long time, but I was unable to reverse the retrenchment process which the management imposed. I wanted to stay at Greenwave too, but the company was short-lived. Even the management itself is transient, so how to expect employees to stay for long?
Still, I do miss my time working for Greenwave at iHub, I was never the success I hoped to be, but it was a stint which I really enjoyed myself.