I am on my bed trying to get myself to sleep as today is my first day with my new job which is a night shift. It’s my first time having this schedule and even if I like staying up so late, this 11PM-8AM schedule seems so hardcore. Time flies by so fast that I can’t believe it is already my second job. I just recently graduated college last April and I thank the Universe, God, and myself that I didn’t have a hard time landing a job.

I’m a fresh grad, yes. It doesn’t mean that it’ll be my first job after graduating, though. I was working since I was 15 as a professional writer that’s why it helped me get a job so easily.

As you may know (or not), I always send myself future messages to remind myself of my feelings from the past. Last week, I received an email from the December 2013 me. It says:

Dear FutureMe,

Kakagraduate mo lang. FFS, please… Wag ka nang magpatengga. Magpakamatay ka na lang kung hindi ka pa nakakahanap ng trabaho within 1 month. Binibigyan kita ng 3 months ha. Imemessage kita ulit para kamustahin kung ano na lagay mo. Sana naman please magtrabaho ka sa kung saan magboboost resume mo. (TV, Publishing, Radio, Print Ads)

Magpakabuti ka sa trabaho. Kelangan mo yan.
PS. Sana naman malaki din sahod mo, girl.

Basically, that is the savage me telling the future me to kill herself if she is still idle and do not have work. I also told myself to find a career in the TV, Publishing, Radio, and Print Ads. And oohh, the classic Jacklynne also reminded the future her to go for a high-paying job.

It’s funny how you’ve set your mind to get something and then later on realized that it won’t work if you chose that way.

All my life, I wanted to work for a magazine/publishing and TV companies but I know it just won’t work for me. Both the number 1 publishing and network in the Philippines offered me a job and I politely declined. For the network, the salary is too low and the work is like 15 hrs a day SO NOPE. For the magazine, ugh I love it but I know I won’t be happy there.

After countless interviews and job offers, I decided to go for Lazada. The company is known, the salary is good, and the work is totally me. I love Internet marketing and it’s perfect for me because it’s just a 2-month contractual job; meaning, I can just test the water and look for another job.

Due to performance, I got extended for another 3 months and I just have to wait another month to be a regular with all those benefits, additional salary, and more.

I was happy with my work. I was happy with my friends. I was earning. I was learning.

Still, I left. 

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BACKSTORY: 2 months before I graduated, I was talking with my friend asking if she knows any good company where I can apply. She told me that she tried to apply for this company but the job is not fit for her course. They were looking for a researcher so great ya I love stalking researching. I haven’t heard about this company so I went to check at Jobstreet. Holy fuck, they are offering a GOOD amount of money. I applied, got interviewed, but then I accepted the job at Lazada.

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After months of staying in Lazada, I received a call from them asking if I am still interested to take a job as a Content Writer for Digital Marketing. Trust me, I am asking myself and Yahoo! Answers days and nights whether I should take this new job.

PROS: 

• More than double the amount of my current salary
• Walking distance from my house
• Night shift (I am not a morning person!)
• New challenge

CONS:

• I am about to be regular in Lazada (+ year of employment)
• I love my friends in Lazada
• I love my work in Lazada
• I am earning more than enough in Lazada
• I am just probationary here for 1 month and if they hated my guts, I will be jobless after

See? There are lots of cons in taking this job but I still took it.

I am not sweet lemoning but I know that even if I made the wrong decision, I will still be happy in the end. In fact, there are no wrong decisions; it is just how you set your mind to perceive it.

I know that this is a great career path because I am now working for an American client and I’m the only one in charge of marketing their content for the whole company and their clients. Who knows what this could bring? I am afraid. Afraid of what is gonna happen, afraid of whether I can do well in this job but fear is the greatest motivator.

I am ready for this! I CAN DO THIS!

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Enough about me! Since, I said I didn’t find it hard to look for a job and I was already employed months before I graduated, I want to share some tips. I would just like to say that I am in no way a genius or well-connected for me to land a job so easily. It’s all about skills!

• During your free time or in the summer, look for a job online or a part-time job where you can hone your skills. You can put this in your CV and it will be a great addition whether it is for a small or big company.
• If you haven’t graduated yet, I suggest that you apply in different fields for your internship. We are just required to pick one but I worked for 3 companies.
• DO NOT DO INTERNSHIP JUST FOR THE SAKE OF IT. Be good at it! Prove to your superiors that you are not just one to serve them coffee. In my internship, I was already featured in three consecutive magazine issues because I worked hard for it.
• Continue building your CV and your experiences and make sure that you do well in each of them
• Contact your client/ internship supervisor/ anyone you have worked with and ask them if you can put them as reference
• Update your LinkedIn profile and look for recruiters or HRs and ask them if there is an opening. I didn’t do this but I can see a lot of HRs are now using LinkedIn as a recruitment tool.
• DO NOT BE LAZY TO CREATE A BANGING CV AND PORTFOLIO!

Check my LinkedIn profile here.

Now that you are ready, you can now apply. I used JobStreet and I basically filter them based on my liking. Here, you can adjust your expected salary which is good. Apply, wait for an interview, be on time.

• BE ON FUCKING TIME. Like, 10 minutes early!
• Dress for the job. My favorite job interview outfit is a shift dress. PLEASE DON’T LOOK JOLOGS AND WEAR FAKE DESIGNER SHITS, JEJEMON PLAIDED OUTFIT, AND JELLY SHOES. FO DA LUV OF GAD.
• Answer the interviewers’ questions honestly.
• Wait for the interviewer to stop speaking before you answer. (I find this hard cause I always want to talk)
• Be confident. Try not to stutter. If you do, just shrug it off and laugh about it.
• Thank the interviewer.
• FOLLOW UP!

I know it’s not right for me to give advice when I, myself do not know what exactly I’m doing. I am just happy to have done well in my former job that I know whatever challenges face me, I can do this.

Here’s a recommendation from my leader:

See, kids? I am brave.

I didn’t know if I am doing great when I worked for Lazada. Heck, I do not even know if I will do well when I applied for the job! I just followed my instincts, be good at work, avoided being lazy and see? I think I did great.

So, wherever you are right now — employed or unemployed, just be brave and do your shit. Stop feeling so sorry for yourself because you got rejected because trust me, in my life, I can’t count the times I was rejected. It is nothing personal and you are great! JUST DO NOT BE FUCKING LAZY AND MOVE YOUR ASS.

Love,

Jack