Job hunting (part 3)

Looking for a job differs from person to person. Some may find it easier to get a job after graduation and others doesn't. Just like me it took me a while before I got my first job. My patience was tested that even my mental and emotional health  have been badly affected. I felt pressured especially because I know that I have to get a job and help my dad with the expenses in our house and pay back for what they did to us. Although I was only able to do that for a few times after XX years of working.

I think the only advices I can give you if in case you would start to look for your first job is to never give up, never lose hope, have patience and don't feel bad. Enjoy the process no matter how long it takes you before you can land your first dream job. Usually when I get my first invitation for an interview, after few days calls will keep on coming to the point that it will have a conflict with other companies. There was even a time that I had 2 interviews from different companies in a day and good thing the first one ended early so I was able to make it right on time for my second interview.

Lastly, don't feel pressured when your friends or classmates have already started theirs. I know this may be a little hard especially if your parents are also pressuring you. You just have to keep your cool and think positive. Explain to your parents that it isn't easy to find a job. Update them also with your application. Tell them that you have already applied in some companies and you are just waiting for an invite. I hope you wouldn't be affected when your parents say something to you when it comes to job hunting.

I guess as early as now, it is wiser if you can start saving money so that you'll have something to use during your job hunting, interview and pre-employment requirements. The money that I have used for transportation and meal when I was doing walk ins and whenever I went to interviews before were all from my dad. You can also include my pre-employment requirements. So if you do not want to ask money from them when you start applying for a job, I suggest you save some money.

One more thing, for me it is also best if you can get some of your pre-employment requirements before you start looking for a job like your SSS, NBI, police and/or barangay clearances. Most of my pre-employement requirements, I only started to fix them after the first company who hired me hands me the list of the requirements that I needed to submit. I think it took me a week before I was able to accomplish almost all of it. Well if you are in the Philippines, you would know how our system works. Though I have to say that getting an NBI clearance now is much faster than how it was during my time.

Before I remember when we went to the city hall to get an NBI clearance, there were already a long line of people. Some of them said that they were there as early as 5AM. My mom, my friend A and I were there at 8AM and we finished securing our NBI clearance at 3PM. Luckily I was able to get mine right away since I didn't have a hit. A on the other hand had to go to the main office of NBI which was in Manila. After I got my NBI, we went next to police clearance. Since we were in city hall, we were able to get 2 requirements on 1 day. Securing a police clearance was even easier back then. It only took less than 30 minutes abd it was just made of paper. I was able to get mine a few years ago but it took me less than an hour because there were a lot of people who were getting it as well. It was much better because it was in a card form but it still took a little longer than before. With getting my SSS number, I think I spent a day for it. My mom was so mad at me and A because we were only getting our requirements after we got hired that she said we should have done when we were idle for months. Well we didn't know that there would be a lot of documents that the company would ask from us. Good thing we were able to get our diploma and transcript of records a month after we graduated.

Finding a job is hard, staying in a company is even harder but that is just how life is. Nothing is easy. You have to start at the bottom before you can reach the top. No shortcuts. I remember my dad didn't help me nor my brother in getting a job even if he knows some connections. He saw how hard it was for me to get a job yet he never asked me if I needed some help. And I also know that it is his way of telling me that this is the path that I chose. There were nights that I cried about it but I have realized that I needed to stand on my own so I really tried my best in getting hired. Although I just couldn't stay long in one company especially if I feel that there's something wrong with the management. Though I am grateful that I was able to experience the real world and the adulting life. Now that I have experienced it, I want to go back to being a student or better yet I want to go back in being a baby. LOL.

Anyhow, I wish you good luck in your future job hunt. And for everyone who has already experience looking for a job, what advice can you give to others?