career path and stuff

i am writing as somehow, a response to kats' blog entry

she enumerated some tips on getting a job nowadays and i'd like to add some other things.

1. i believe a big reason why someone is considered for a job is his/her performance in school, whether academically or through extra-curricular activities, especially for fresh graduates and we can't blame HR people for doing so. how well you are in school reflects the kind of work that you produce and the way how a person will perform in his/her career. i am not concluding though that only the bright gets the job. it is always a combination of the bookworm and the street-smart. so for those who plans to get serious only after school, think twice. being qualified for a job is not an overnight process, it is a lifelong one. you plant today, you harvest tomorrow. HR people has a way of knowing whether you're telling the truth or not through the way you talk, especially when you don't know what you're talking about (if so, just be honest to tell them you don't know a thing). the only basis of HR people in hiring someone is their recent performance, which in our case, is school. so to those who said that the thesis meant nothing, the 5s and 3s won't matter, i wouldn't be needing all these lessons in the future, think twice. lessons are not meant to just teach us, they are there for discipline. and again, i am not saying that all you need is to be a nerd, you have to be dynamic.

2. courage to try out new things. i applied for my job right now as an editorial assistant without really knowing that majority of our work will be about online gaming. of course, i had doubts when the job was offered to me because of so many fears, particularly that of what if i fail them and what if i can't get along with different nationalities. thank again, im impulsive. i immediately signed. now i am glad that i accepted it. why? because i get to do what i studied for three years and what i love too. i do get bored at work when there's nothing to do but i get hyped up when tons of work are given to me. sometimes, one should be courageous enough to go beyond, and cross the lines than stare at it forever. courage is the only way to prevent what if's in one's life.

3. knowing what you want. well, it's hard because i for one thing don't know what i really want. but, knowing what one wants is a process, a long one. because for you to know what you want (redundant, i know), you should try different options. as they say, collect and collect and then SELECT. of course, do this only up to a certain extent.

4. wanting to work. if you aren't ready yet, just don't. its unfair to your employer and to yourself. set for yourself a deadline when you should start.

5. a path. set goals. say, after ten years, where would i want to be and what would i want to be? is the place where i am now helpful in achieving this goal or not? am i on the right track? not knowing where you're going is like being lost in the middle of the woods trying to get somewhere. of course, there are starts, stops and unexpected turns. what's most important is, you find a way to get to where you want to go.

6. discipline yourself. that's it, DISCIPLINE.

7. humility. it's hard to get a high paying job? why? first, because we just graduated without any experience. second, you're in a third world country. according to jobstreet, a typical graduate earns around Php8000 to Php13000 unless of course if you're on a call center job. so when you're offered that amount, don't brag about it. instead, take it to add to your experience. in the workplace, it isn't just that you work for your company, your work (if it's a good one) will teach you a lot of things as well, if of course you're open to it. considering that there are a thousand other people dying to get to your job, be thankful that at least, you made it.

8. luck and reason. you should be lucky and there is a reason why you're there.

9. pray. need not discuss. but if you want a job, pray for it.

10. and lastly, choose between job and career. they are two different things.

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i don't know if i am in the position to say this because i got hired the day after graduation and i didn't have to go through the bum experience. but one thing, it is always SIPAG and TIYAGA, KAPAG MAY TIYAGA, MAY NILAGA, KUNG ANO ANG ITINANIM, YUN ANG AANIHIN. cliches they are but true.