Some people make it look as easy as pie. I’m talking about the fortunate handful we know, who, even before tossing their grad caps up in the air, have already managed to queue prestigious job offers from corporate giants that most of us can only dream of (Well, that secures their conversation icebreakers for next year’s class reunion!).
For us who belong to the greater chunk of the population pie, however, we gear up: a bag of mustered confidence, a driving ambition, and a whole lot of resumes. Off we go for a job hunt.
Some of you who are reading this probably fall into one of these categories. Which one are you? A fresh grad ready for the corporate jungle? A career shifter in search for greener pastures? An employed yet somehow employable searcher? Let’s hope you’re not a (gulp!) laid-off employee.
No matter the reason for your hunt, you can bet that job seeking is an obvious contrast to the steady hum of a daily schedule one may feel over a period of time at work. Sure, you’ve probably visited that place of tension between bright hope and fear of rejection. It hits us in those lagging moments of waiting for an interviewer’s phone call or email, or when your name is finally announced after a lengthy interval, and the hr officer asks you to sit on a chair (electric?) while he or she flips through your resume with an inscrutable countenance.
Yet you’ve got to admit, there’s that hidden fun that goes with the hunt.
Some people get a cheap thrill with good old page-flipping through freshly printed newspaper as they sip coffee in their kitchen at 11am, disheveled hair and all. Just a little action with a yellow green high lighter and voila! (like that satisfaction you get in playing crosswords) … a promising job could be well on the way.
Personally, as shallow as it may seem, I love rummaging through my closet (or the malls) for that professional look (I’m usually just a shirt- jeans-and-flat shoes kind of girl). After all, one has to be presentable and sharp for job interviews.
Others, like a friend of mine says he gets a boost out of meeting and talking to new people while job hunting. I agree. In fact, another friend just recently told me of a funny story about her sister, who finally makes a new acquaintance out of a fellow job seeker/applicant after serendipitously seeing each other three times at three different companies with that same intent of landing a job. What are the odds?
Sometimes too there’s a whole other level of fun when you try career searching with a good friend. Back when I was a fresh grad my best friend and I scheduled a “Let’s Apply Day.” There we were, combing the streets of Ortigas unknown to the term “walk-in applicant.” We passed out our stack of resumes like flyers to company receptionists and guards, which of course, in retrospect, was quite thoughtless. Yet we had a blast laughing hard, exchanging inside jokes as we walked from one building to another, welcoming chances to prove ourselves to the working world. We checked our emails more regularly and thought twice about answering unknown numbers flashing on our cell phones. No, we didn’t get any calls from that “recruit-me rampage” as you might have expected. But it did teach us tenacity and, thankfully, wiser ways in job hunting (I take a more current approach now— speedy searching online, speaking of which, OMJ-coming soon!).
What’s your take on job seeking? What fun things do you like about it? We’d love to hear from you. Go ahead and dish out your thoughts and funny or unique experiences!
Article by Jobberwacky
7 comments:
I remember my job hunt experience; it was a year ago after I graduated. I had to look for a job that suits my academic knowledge and of course my interests. I have undergone the time consuming preparation of my resume, the revision and the updating. I remember there was a time that I copied my classmate’s curriculum vitae, haha coz sometimes we have to match our resume with what was needed by the potential employer. I hope this site will post some articles or some tips that will help us, how your readers can come up with a more presentable resumes.
On the other hand, since I was a first time jobseeker, I found it difficult to apply. I had to find employers which need inexperienced jobseekers. I visited a lot of jobsites, newspaper, classified ads, job fairs, job magazines, flyers and etc.
Also, being a job seeker will encounter a lot of expenses, including photos, photocopy, printing, transportation fares, meal allowance and of course, attire! I remember when I was applying for a job in Makati, I tend to go to areas where foods are cheap so, my advice to those are applying for a job now, save your money to sustain the expenses that you will encounter in your job hunt.
Ako naman nung una ako nagapply grabe dalawang araw straight, pareho lang suot ko! sacrifice talaga yun kasi i went straight from the province. hindi na lang ako umuwi kasi the next day may scheduled interview. ang maganda sa job hunting eh natututo ka self restraint hahaha nacocontrol mo sarili mo dahil alam mo na may goal ka na dapat makuha.
I used to practice in front of the mirror before going to the job interview para hindi masyadong kabado hereI used to practice in front of the mirror before going to the job interview para hindi masyadong kabado.. :)
Naku anO ba yan pti ba naman yan kelangan pgusapan?? basta apply lang ng aply!
What I like about job hunting is the adventure na meron sya! Naka2thrill magdiscover ng new places or at times u knew that place pero wla sya significant syo but after a job hunt u kinda get this feeling of familiarity. Lalo na kung may nakakatawa or worst may something unforgettable moment dun, well for me it’s a joy in either way.
U also get that yabang feeling when u retold the story saying "yeah, i know that grabe nagapply ako dyan dati alam mo ba dyan and so on...". Nakakatuwa lang kasi u kinda remind urself how brave u are to go and try to find ur place in the so-called corporate world.
Tips for girls: don't forget to bring an extra comfy tsinelas if u plan for a job hunt swear kakaylangin mo tlgang maglakad nang ilang metro or kilometro.ehehe!
Tama! Kahit na may work na ako. Parang gustong-gusto ko pa rin ang nag jojob hunt! It's fun kasi. You are missing a lot kapag di mo pa na experience. Kaya enjoy lang! Don't get pressured much. Kung mag-fail, eh di charge to experience lang.
I think it's great that people are sharing their comments here on job hunting. When I was a fresh grad I didn't really know how to start.
It's not a matter of just sending out resumes to any company, really. It's important also to research: You have to know about the job position, the company, and its culture or work values so you can see if that job will benefit your long-term career goals.
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