PFL BCA - The Final Exam

My apology, readers. 

I guess this is the post that most of you have been waiting for.

I have been quite busy with life and work and everything else that I haven't been able to write for such a long time. But I am now back from my hiatus. 

PFL 14

Well, I have completed my PFL Journey as of this October 2016 when I was officially a permanent employee of the Bank. I can't be happier. 

Lots of things happen during the 9 months in the branch and when you finally received the schedule of your exam, you might (like me) have this mixed feelings of joy and fear and hope.

The journey will take 2 weeks with the hardest being in the last days of the first week. 

When you finally get the schedule, you will get a table of appraisal points that your supervisor will fill in, in accordance to your performance during your OJT. 

If somehow you are not up to the branch standard yet, unfortunately you will be dismissed and your contract will be over on the last day of OJT and you will not be entitled to join the final exam. Two people from my batch, sadly, was not recommended by their respective branch. 

If you are recommended though and you are from outside Jakarta, you will be asked to booked a ticket 1-2 days before the 2-weeks-exam started (coordinated by the PIC and batch leader). You won't be able to booked the return ticket by now. You will be able to do so later on after the exam. 

You will be given training and study sessions before the exam.

The exam will consist of 2 parts: the MINI BANK and the ORAL TEST.

The mini bank is similar to your everyday task at the branch. Do not be so stressed out about it. Just make sure that you are more meticulous and careful this time, else just do as you have learned. If I may recommend, that the first half. I'd rather have a pleasant lunch than worries over my meal. 

The one that you really need to take into account is the oral test. This time you didn't know what the examiner (Services Heads and Senior Account Officers) will ask and you do not really have a long time to answer. I can't really tell you the questions as I am not sure that I am allowed to do that, but according to my friends and my own experience, study credits and please think before you answer. I was asked a lot of "case" questions and procedural tho, so study that too. Do not forget anything, review everything that you have learned during your OJT. 

Tips that I can give to you all for the test are:

1. Always come on time and leave on time (do never entrusted your absence card to someone else)
2. Study (its given)
3. Do not be nervous, take into account of your posture during oral test.
4. Rest well and eat well, take care of your health

Tips that I can give you for anything else:

1. There is a back door near the security post where you can buy food. 

2. The "tahu bulet" in front of the learning center is yummy

3. There is a game center in the learning center and lots of games are there if you have some time to spare.

4. You need to ask for hot water for instant noodles.

5. If your friends are having birthday during training time, you can actually buy a cake there.

6. Bring swimsuit

7. Go to pasar ahpoong, you wont regret it.

The Darmawan Park Hotel

Well, I guess that is all. 

I wish you good luck!! See you all on top!!

No More "Trainee"

PFL BCA - My KCP (Supporting Branch) Experience

Hi, everyone, it has been a while since I last updated my PFL journey and there are a lot of happenings since my last post.

On late February, I was appointed to be a substitute at the supporting branch office for 4 days. It happens just so sudden. I was informed around 9 am and I went there almost immediately afterwards. I reach there around 10 am. There are couple things that I wish I knew beforehand, and which I will let you know, below:

1. Placement Branch Issues.

The first and most important things are we, PFL are not allowed to be borrowed  at a strange difficult position. We are working, yet we are not belong to the branch. We are permanent employee but we are not entitled overtime payment and some bonuses.

We can be "borrowed" for a bit while, but not for long as we need to stay at the branch where our contract stated. I was "borrowed" for 4 days and like 1-2 weeks later, my Service Head was informed by the HQ HRD about our "placement at the supporting branch" and she need to whole write a report for it.
I was later contacted by our PIC, and I was informed that it was OK to be "borrowed" as long as it didn't alter our placement branch as stated on the contract.

Well, it is a long story. This is a new program and not much people have a clear idea about it yet, and it is OK. We learn my making mistakes, anyway.

2. Expectation vs Reality at supporting branch (the one I visited)

I am sure that some of you have heard that life at supporting branch are a lot easier, simpler, and more relaxing. That is true to some point, but also wrong at other points. So, what different from Head Branch and their Supporting Branch??

• The customer's mentality, the type of customers are different from Main Branch (MB) in at least 3 ways:

• Time: They are more time sensitive. They know that supporting branch (SB) are less crowded, therefore those who visit the SB are more likely to want the transaction to be done ASAP, less waiting time, and less time to do other things (cross selling) as the queue is pilling as times goes by. The SPVs (kabag) are also shared, especially when one of them is on lunch break, you have to wait for them (or other divisions' SPVs). 
• Formality: The time factors play a big part in this. Due to the demand of having less time, they are unlikely to wait until they are called. They will just barged to your table right after the previous customer leave (or even during their transaction!). You barely get toilet breaks or drink your water in between. There are less CSO (sometimes only 2) as well, so you have to bear with it and be considered to both your colleagues and customers. 
• Engagement: This is especially true for tellers. Customers are more engaged at SB as the person doing the transaction comes frequently/repeating . (I hope you get what I mean)
• The cases
• The cases are easier to handle and there are less variations. Nothing complicated like "Name Change/ Signature Change", less fraud cases.

• Our jobs
• Our jobs however, are at a larger scoop. We have to take care of all the credits applications, Opening Giro account, Deposito opening forms, All the Cheques and BGs, Prepping forms, Desk cleaning, almost everything. 

Placement at SB is a bitter sweet experience for me, personally. I do feel that I am growing in those short time, as I am more independent and confident, yet I miss the busy MB and the friends and the comfort of "fotocopy OB". If I have to choose now, I will still choose my placement branch tho. <3

5 Things to do to be Happy

Of all things that happens in our lives everyday, there are things that might makes us happy or unhappy. Not to let the unhappiness clouding our lives, I am presenting these couple tricks to overcome the unhappiness that might occur whether we want them or not. 

1. Stop Caring Too Much

"Those who cares doesn't matter and those who matters doesn't care"

I just stop caring all together.

Stop caring too much of what people talk about you. Those who wonder about your life and are commenting to all your actions all the time are most probably just want something to talk about. In short, they do not really care. They just want to know and want something to talk about (gossiping). For me, this kinda people is the negatif people that you should get rid of from your life. 

2. Be Grateful of Your Choices, Stop Regretting Things Could Have Been Better.

In our lives, there are no right or wrong answers. The only thing that you can do is to:

"Make the decision that you take the correct ones"

Do not think too much about what-ifs. There will be endless of what-ifs and you might never be happy because you will always think about how things will be different if that time you are doing a different action or take different choices. Do not think too much about things that all ready happens. More over, those things in the past that cannot be change. This takes us to the next points: Live in the Present.

3. Live in the Present

This is a cliche, but true. Think about it, we are only living in 3 time frame: The past, The present, and The future.

The 3 of them are equally important.
You need to look back into the past to learn from your mistakes and experienced.
You need to look forward to the future to have hope, dreams, goals, and to improve and achieve more than today.
However, many of us today forget the fact that we are living in the present, Now. This moments, today. Many of us look to much into the uncertainty of the future that makes them a worrywart.
Many of us who are not happy with our condition, comparing and regretting the choices that we made to come to this point in life. They live in the past.

These people are not enjoying NOW.

You can learn more from Master Oogway - Kungfu Panda

Today is a gift. 

For me, personally, today is a redemption for yesterdays mistakes and the foundation for tomorrows success. 

Cherish it, Use it to the max. Because tomorrow might never come and yesterday cannot be repeated. 

4. Choose your inner circle carefully

Have you heard that your personality is a mixture of your 5 closest people?

Well, your circle of friends does influence you directly or indirectly. Now the problem is will they be the good, better, or bad influence for you. 

As they are the one who will influence you the most, shouldn't you be more selective? 

You can have many friends, but trust those who you "feel" can be trusted. Sometimes, our heart is much more sharper than our brain for things like trust.

5. Accept yourself, all your strengths and weaknesses

The final and most important things to do, for you to be truly happy is to be yourself. This way, you will not have to try to be someone you are not. It is tiring to wear a mask all the time. You will also find people who like you for who you are. 

However, this is kinda impossible if you cannot accept who you truly are. 

You have to acknowledge that you are imperfect human, living in your own imperfections. 

Some of us are able to inspire others from how they deal with their imperfections ex: Nick Vuijic. 

How awesome is he!?

Well, as a plus points, Share!

Do not be stingy. Share everything that your heart allows you too. They more you give, the more you receive. Believe me.