A Career Change - Johnny Wong - MTC2509

SPEAKER 1 It is often said that there are no miracles performed these days. Well, I like to challenge this idea with my story of a career change. Welcome to Miracles in the 21st Century. I am Johnny Wong. You know, I worked in corporate life in the area of software, and I was blessed to work for a company in the area of aviation software. I always liked planes. I always liked the interesting facet of providing software for aviation. Software for aviation is very interesting because in the airlines you pretty much see everything is automated. I worked there for close to 10 years, rising up from a young programmer and all the way to team leader, to project leaders, and eventually to be a group manager. It was such a good experience. We saw the competition for deregulation. The Lord blessed my job there. But you know, after a period of time when you work in a workplace for a while, you see that it's just a routine. You see that perhaps it's just every Monday, it's back to the same old. The novelty of the early days has faded away. And perhaps it came to a point where I was looking for a new challenge. But the thing was that I was working for an airline. And in Australia, there was only two airlines. One was based in Melbourne, one was based in Sydney. The airline that was based in Brisbane was eventually shut down. So where would I go from a career perspective? I enjoyed working what I did, but as the airline began to expand internationally, I also enjoyed developing the work for the international business. I always enjoyed something new. But at times when you come to the point at work life, you may realize that it's just a routine. and you might realize that it is the same old, same old. So I was praying, Lord, where do I go in this job? Do I stay in the same company forever until I retire? Or can you find me another position? I've already taken different positions in the company. Do I really want to go to another position? It's still the same company. Do I move to the competition in Sydney and work for the other airline? That was all the questions coming through my mind. And I said, Lord, can you find me a way? I prayed for a few weeks. After praying for a few weeks, I asked, Is there any answer? There's no answer. So I began to ask God, Where is this leading to? In the airline business, I was in charge of vendor relationship, that is relationship with software vendors that are providing software to the airline. And one of the vendors that was providing software was a company called Oracle Corporation. It is a Nasdaq revenue driven company. And it was at a time where technology was going through a boom. And they were selling software to the airline and I wasn't too happy with their service. I realized that they were often quick in selling, but with very little support after that. So I decided that we will change the trajectory. We will find another supplier. Oh, of course, Oracle managers were not too happy with that. But I said, look, we needed to find a change because we were not happy with the service. But then the executive from the Asia Pacific office flew in and said, let's have a meeting. Can we recover this business? I'm telling you this story because this is how God works. God works the situation in our life to show us how He answers our prayer. I was praying for a change of job, but I was feeling stuck as well. Anyway, the executive came from Singapore, and I intentionally kept him waiting in the waiting room after he had flown 10 hours to get here. And I wanted him to know that we mean business. We're going through a change. of supplier. He came in and he wanted to persuade us to stay with them. I told my admin to my admin assistant to say, come and interrupt the meeting at the right time so that we can cut off this meeting. And she did come in and told me that I've got another important meeting to go to and cut off this meeting. Oh, that executive from Singapore was not happy at all. And go like, I flew all the way here trying to recover the business. And I said to them, I'm sorry, that's how the situation is. Then he said, well, can we meet? Can we meet? Can we discuss about this problem? I said to him, Look, I'm too busy now. I don't have time. Well, can we meet for drinks? Can we meet for a dinner? And I said, no dinner, no drinks, I don't have time. Well, can you stop by to the hotel and we can have a quick chat? Just one-on-one, you tell me what the problem is. So which I did, after work, I drove my car, parked in the basement of the hotel, met up with him one-on-one, and I told him what all the challenges are the issues that we face. And he said to me, if you were to fix this problem, what would you do? So I gave them five issues, and I told them, this is the five strategies I'll take to fix this problem if I was in his shoes. And he thought about it, and I thought nothing more. And he said, why don't you stay for dinner? I said, no, I'm not staying for dinner. I don't have time. I go back home. So as I was walking into the lift, going down to the basement to my car, the lift door was about to close, and he yelled out and said, Johnny, come and work for us. We will... you will help us to set up a new business to fix this problem. and we would pay you well to do so. Now, when the door of the lift closed, before it closed, I yell out to him and said, I think you are, you're having too much to drink. It's not something, I thought it's just a joke. So I joked back with him and said, why don't you send me an offer? And then the door shut. I didn't think any further because I thought it was just a jovial conversation. a banter. But later on, unbeknown to me, he was quite serious. He went to his organization, created a new job, a new director position, and he sent me a letter saying, Here's an offer. And it was an offer that doubled whatever I earned to come and work for them. I was so surprised because I thought I was stuck in one organization, one airline in Melbourne. I have nowhere to go. But God opened up a door for me to go and work for an American global company and place an offer on the table. I said, you, don't even have my resume. You don't even have done any interview. He said, It doesn't matter, Johnny. We know who you are and we would like you to come and work for us. Send us your resume anyway just for our human resource department to keep record of. and which I did, no interview, no meetings, and I was given a job to lead a new organization, running a business for Asia Pacific region, being a new director for that work. It was an amazing miracle that God has provided. And this miracle of providing a place to work and a change in my career could not happen locally, could not happen by human effort, because I was stuck. There was nowhere to go in this career. But God opened another door for me to learn and work in Asia Pacific, learn in multi-country, multi-geography, multicultural, multi-language business. And today, my friends, it reminds me of Philippians 4:19 the Bible says, and my God shall supply all your needs. How much of our needs? All your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. We can be confident that God can supply all our needs. And if you read earlier in chapter 4 of Philippians, verse 6, it says, Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, With thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God. My friends today, if you are in the crossroads of your career, if you feel stuck, you don't know where to go, you feel like there is no more pathway to take, the power of prayer and praying consistently, believing that there is a God who knows better, who can supply all your needs, but according to His riches, in the glory of Jesus Christ. So God brought me to Singapore, not just for my job, but also to help to develop my character and to revive my soul to be closer with Him. So therefore, my friends today, be not anxious for anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God.