Ms Chan's Story

     I was all along working in a tuck shop in a school. The salary was low, but it was fine as long as life was stable. I was not keen on making a fortune anyway. It never occurred to me that the proprietorship of the tuck shop would be transferred and I would lose my job. I had never been engaged in any other field, and I didn't know how to cope with the change. Mrs LAM, my neighbour next door, said to me that the domestic helper work seemed to be a possible option. At that time, I was confident in household cleaning but a bit stumped by other duties like ironing, cooking and childminding. I knew that I needed retraining to upgrade my skills if I was to find a job. So, I took the retraining course for domestic helpers to learn how to handle household chores.

     Just like any other job-seekers, I had to face keen competition after the course. None of my jobs lasted long, and I felt helpless. I felt like a dummy in such a big world and I was totally at a loss. I was scared and the sky seemed to be falling down. I became fidgety and edgy. I lost my temper even over very trivial things. My friends said that it was not the way I had been. While I was in a state of depression, Mrs LAM asked me to enroll for the Employment Programme for the Middle-aged together with her. I initially treated it as a kind of social appointment and reluctantly agreed. Then I attended the workshop under the Programme, as I had enrolled for it anyway. At first I only tried my luck, but later on I began to realize that it was quite useful. I recalled that an instructor's remarks were particularly enlightening. He said, "You can't change the weather, but you can change your mood." I didn't quite get it when it first came to my ear. After the instructor had elaborated on it, I understood what he meant was that we should not panic in face of difficulty. We should deal with it calmly. Only then would we be able to make the best of our talents." After attending a number of interviews, I finally got a suitable job. It gave me a salary and relieved the pressure of pecuniary needs.

     I knew that I was not competitive, so I was not picky about jobs. I was not good at cooking and I knew that it wouldn't help if I didn't face up to the problem, so I consulted my neightbours on cooking and tried to find a job which involved cooking. I also understood that suitable vacancies might not be available in my district, so I was willing to work in other districts or work longer hours. Now I have taken up several domestic helper part-time jobs and I can make a living. In face of difficulties, it is better to keep calm and sort out the problem than to allow oneself to be swayed by emotions. I am not well educated, but since I have experience in job seeking, many of my friends have come to me for advice on how to get out from unemployment. My advice to them is to calm down and think, consult the experts, and acquaint themselves with the employment market. There is no secret key to success. I am an ordinary person like you. I can do it, and I believe that you can do it too.

There must be a way out. Let's strive together!

"You cannot change the weather, but you can change your mood.
You cannot control others, but you are the master of yourself.
You cannot win in every game, but you can try your best. "

Ling-ling's Big Ball

My Son's Assignment

A Cup of Tea with Milk