Life as a Research Assistant

I had been complaining about my job ever since I got here on July 16th 2013, knowing that my friends have "cooler" job titles, like "copy writer" and "publicity officer". The fact that the company I'm working in right now is a new and small company got me insecure too, moreover that I'm the kind of person who tends to compare my situation with my friends'.

"Where do you work?" is my less favorite question to answer about my career. Others (referring to those friends of mine) would answer proudly with "RCTI" (a big television company in my country), "Rolling Stone Magazine", or "Allianz". Mine, if I have to answer, would be, "just a small company in West Jakarta. An IT company in property field, stuffs like that."

Then people would go like, "So your company sells houses and buildings, yes?" ARGH. We're an IT company, not a property agent, or broker, or whatsoever company! It frustrates me at times, when some families of mine keep on asking when will my boss give me a free house to live in. Like what the actual fuckery, man? Zzz.

So... My title for this company right now is "Research Assistant and Administrative", sounds cool, yet so rare I hate it when people questions about it. Because the more I explain them about what I'm doing, the less cooler it will be. So what do I do? I'm collecting data, as much as possible, as much as I could, as much as time would let me, just so I could calculate the exact number of how much each land per square-meter costs in each region in big cities in my country. Sounds so simple, yet it's a hell lot thing to do. It takes times and a great concentration. Well, actually, it's something anyone who's willing to learn can do, one doesn't have to reach a bachelor degree (moreover a literature student like me) to get a research done.

That's why I feel a bit of... Well, what's my three and a half years of studying English language, linguistic, and literature for, then, if I end up doing math here instead? Then I ran across this blog, and I read it carefully, "Research Assistant" is described as something more interesting than it did on mine up there just now. It says:

Being a Research Assistant is very similar to being a detective. You have been given an objective - to uncover as much information you can about a subject - and you must go to any means to retrieve this information. Sometimes this will include wandering through libraries for hours, collapsing in defeat between the stacks, carrying copious amounts of books which obscure your vision, and other courageous acts of research. Often you must be stealthy and exploit all the resources available - even if this involves assuming another identity, picking up on the smallest clues left behind and following these leads meticulously. You must be dedicated, you must be tireless, and most importantly you must have an abnormally long attention span.

And still, from the same blog, added up below the paragraphs are:

The experience of research has its own unique joys and frustrations which I believe are universal, no matter the topic of study.

It makes me realized that, actually, I'm a detective after all these times! Really! I've been in phone calls as a made-up identity, just to collect data from brokers about the cost of certain lands in the cities, act out as if I have the interest to buy it myself. It's tough, especially when they call you back to follow you up about it. I was like, "I don't even have money fml."

The blog, thankfully, has opened my eyes for a new perspective of my job, that it isn't as boring as I thought. Even more, I gained a lot of knowledge from this job regarding property industry! Not forget to mention the research skill increased.

I feel better right now, knowing that what I'm doing isn't just something anyone could do. One would need a hell lot of dedication, concentration, and stuffs to conduct a research. And I have survived almost a year doing this thing every day. I named my office's computer "Jawn" as in John Watson, for he is my best friend and source for my research and many other "cases".

Okay then, that's all about it for now. Detective Q is out!