Right after College, students decide to either continue with their education for those who want to pursue a degree in Medicine or Law, study in another country, and take some time off before plunging into the world of professionals, or head straight to applying for employment.
Graduates end up in jobs that were not even what they took up in school. There are nursing graduates who are call center agents. Why? Higher salary. There are Information Technology students who find it hard to be hired by a Tech company. Instead of finding IT work, they end up in the BPO Industry (Business Process Outsourcing).
For others, there is a “brain drain” in society because many Filipino workers go abroad for greener pastures. Admittedly, what attracts people to work in a foreign country is how it would give them financial stability not only for their gain but also for their family. Most Filipinos nowadays can only buy their dream house because they have an OFW (Overseas Filipino Workers) family member. If not for their big earnings, a typical Filipino would not be able to afford that.
Employers might have different thoughts about my resume. Some might appreciate my colorful job history, which allowed me to accomplish different kinds of work. But those who look at it on the down side would say that I cannot even last for so long at work. I don’t have a good tenure when it comes to longevity at employment.
TIPS TO STUDENTS
For somebody who has shuffled quite a bit in my career, could I give a tip to the students who are about to graduate? While you are still young, fresh from graduation, find all the time you need to follow your dreams. You are only young once. Go where passion calls you. Dare to dream!
I am now in my 50s, and even though I cannot confidently say I have a solid career, I can say that I was already able to accomplish the different paths that I wanted to as a child. For example, I looked up to my teachers as a young student and desired to become a teacher from childhood. Even if it was not in my plan because I did not have all the credentials, I went on to send my application to a nearby school. Initially, I did not intend to apply as a teacher or work full-time for it but as it turned out, they saw potential in me. The Dean interviewing me saw I was adept enough to be part of their faculty. I dreamed it and achieved it. You can too!
There was also a longing for me to be a writer. It took me years to build a strong portfolio that would be good enough to be hired as staff in any publication. While in between different jobs, I kept on writing. I continued to write on any topic on any platform I could find. I was also attending workshops that would help harness my talent. I did not give up.
A tip if you are in between jobs: Don’t be stagnant. It is hard, especially when you do not receive good compensation or if they offer you a job that does not have the credibility or financial stability you were looking for. In the beginning, I worked for free but was given freebies. At that time, that was enough for me.
KNOW YOUR WORTH
Another tip? Know your worth. If you know that you can give value and productivity to your employer, do not settle for a mere miserly amount. Do you want that promotion? Go for it! Pitch yourself! Lay it on the table to your boss or your superior and let them know you deserve that promotion.
One way to climb the ladder to success is to step up. Nothing will happen if you just sit on the corner as a standby. Take action. Take those steps towards achieving your career goals. If I had not taken the initiative to ask the World Mission editor if I could write for them, you would not be reading this!
Success is not achieved overnight nor given to you on a silver platter. You might think it comes with a big paycheck. That’s NOT the way to measure if you’re successful or not. Are you happy? If you can answer that constructively, you have achieved more success than any executive officer of a big-time mogul who works hard but misses quality family time because you are doing what makes you happy.
