Skip to content

Job Hunting

job huntFebruary is Lauren’s last month in college or school at that. Her graduation is still on March though. When she wailed that she had 28 days left before school ended, I wailed along with her. “That means I am old. You’re not my baby”. Every milestone is significant in our children. Their first smile, their first walk, their first day at school and all the first firsts. Did time fly that fast? Wasn’t it just yesterday that I held this adorable little cutie in my bosom? That I held her hand on her first day of school? That I was her whole world. That she could trust me with her future?

That little girl is now a woman , I know. Lauren will be the first grandchild in both sides of our family to graduate. I can feel her confusion over her future. At this stage of her life, she is [tag]job hunting[/tag]. She is on her road to getting her first real job where someone other than me pays for her bills.

“Where will I go? I don’t have a direction.” I often hear her say this.

Just because one doesn’t have a job yet doesn’t mean one doesn’t have a direction. She wants to go into business . I advise her (through years of research with entrepreneurs) that being employed is a training ground before one embarks on a business. Sure , there is the webhosting business but that was so manageable when it was small. (I have since taken over).

Most graduates don’t really know where their field of interests like until they start on their job hunt. My only parental advise is just send resumes, inform friends of your job hunt and grab opportunities when they come.

I held her hand. I assured her that her special gift in creative writing and winning appeal will get her places. She bewails the fact that most job offers are management, accountants or business positions. There is always a market for other careers. It’s just that high paying jobs are in management or Information Technology , none of which interests her.

You could be a lawyer like your dad, if you wanted? If ever, you will be the fourth generation lawyer. Think about it.

That also got her into thinking.

As parents, we can only give our unconditional love and support thatour adult children can manage these hurdles.

I emailed her 121 Jobs that don’t suck and true enough……..

Lawyer – People may not like you, but the paycheck is nice.

5 thoughts on “Job Hunting”

  1. Hi Noemi ,buti ka pa may graduate na. I think your daughter would do good in opening her own small business first like doing websites for other people(which is a good sideline and pays high) or she can be a full time blogger and might start a consulting business. But she has to start out with some friends ( a group of them) para may dating . I think she will be lucky in this area. If she will find a full time job, she can also do this on the side(sideline).

    My sister started out with a small(group of 10 pre schoolers)in our garage 15 years ago, now her preschool business has grown to big time .–she now has her own school from nursery to High School) in cavite with close to a thousand students.

    Another case in point is the lady boss of Jimenez Advertising(my sisters classmate),she started out with Ace Compton and after a few yrs started her own advertising business with her husband…now Jimenez controls Purefoods, Jollibee Ad accounts.

    Good luck to your daughter! She is intelligent and she should not even think about it…surely after graduation job offers will come her way.

  2. @betty- I don’t think she wants blogging as full time. She’s earning from it. You know how it is when one is young and have options . Eventually she will go into business but working and learning from corporations is a stepping stone.

  3. Hi, Noems!

    Lucky Lauren!!! Please remind her about how blessed she has to have understanding and supportive parents. That she knows she can make choices. I don’t think Lauren knows that I was bound to family duty after college. I wanted to spread my wings in Manila BUT at that time I felt I had no choice. Mom had just died the year before. After college, I was needed in Cebu at the family bakeshop… There are no regrets, though.

    I think you can share with Lauren that even if she defers her passions and focuses on her economic empowerment, she will eventually go back to the work she truly loves. I remember when Mommy yanked my ears because I told her that I wanted to major in Speech and Drama — and she told me that I was going to manage the bakeshop and major in Hotel and Restaurant Administration. I hope all of you learned from that lesson. My life experiences brought me back to my original passion: public relations, marketing, sales, and event organization.

    We may have decided on a destination — but we can take detours along the way and thoroughly enjoy ourselves. We just need to be be observant about our driving skills.

    I am assuming the Lauren is a skilled networker. If she needs a review of the basics, please send her to my website and look up the title, “Shana’s Crash Course in Networking 101.” Here’s the link:

    http://radiantview.com/index.php?p=11

    In one of my e-mail newsletters that I subscribe to, I found an article that might apply to Lauren (and all of us). Since Filipinos are considered a minority in the United States, there will be some sentences that won’t apply to her situation.

    In any case, job-hunting is not a case of desperation. It is a two-way street. When the employer is the prospective buyer and the job applicant is the seller, once the buyer feels there is a match, the roles are reversed. In the end, the ultimate buyer is the job applicant.

    Here’s the link to “Find the Right Job in Three Steps,” written by Ellen Alcorn.

    http://diversity.monster.com/articles/environment/?WT.mc_n=MNL000306

    EXCERPTS:

    Before accepting a job, it is important to be at least reasonably certain you will be treated fairly and with respect. Although there are no guarantees, here are three steps you can take to get a reasonably good sense of a company’s environment.

    1. Ask Good Questions During the Interview

    You’re much better off asking more general questions, such as:

    Why do you like working here?
    How important a role does teamwork play in your company?
    What opportunities for advancement exist in your company?
    What makes people want to stay here?
    How open are managers to differing viewpoints?

    2. Take the Tour

    This will often answer at least as many questions as the interview does. Keep a mental checklist of the following:

    Do the employees look happy?
    Are the offices clean and well-lit, or are they dim and sloppy? Often, the visual culture is a good indication of the healthiness of a workplace.
    Does there appear to be some diversity among the employees? Bear in mind that a diverse pool of employees is by no means a failsafe guarantee of a good working environment. Mitchell suggests observing people to see if they appear to really want to be there. “Don’t look for people who look just like you,” she says.

    If possible, show up a few minutes early and talk to the receptionist. “They’re gold mines of information,” says Mitchell. Pay careful attention to small details, such as whether or not you’re offered something to drink while you wait, or whether people smile and say hello as they walk by.

    3. Do Your Homework

    Often, you can glean the information you need without asking pointed questions during the interview… look online, as company Web sites increasingly offer detailed descriptions of benefits packages.

    Look carefully over the company’s literature. For instance, employee photographs can give a good indication not only of a company’s diversity, but also of its promotion practices. A company with several African American employees but no managers might properly send off warning bells.

    If possible, employ the “six degrees of separation” strategy. That is, see if you know someone who knows someone who knows someone who works for the company in question. Getting the inside scoop on company politics can often be enormously helpful, both during the interview and in your own decision-making process.

    *

    Hope this helps! After all, I change my industry focus once a year— that I’ve reached a point wherein I have a solid base of prospects in my e-mail address database. I imagine myself as a virtual store selling several of my products and services to the same clientele — like a broker.

    I’m never bored with whatever I do. In fact, I believe I’m doing a lot of exciting things. I do a lot of “harmonizing” work (used to be known as “trouble shooting”) in the Asian American community. My favorite challenge is: how to get our local Asian American politicians get elected to office. I ask myself, “What message will appeal to every voter? What will make them sit up and take notice of my friend as the candidate of choice?” Sigh. I think I see another career coming up by 2010. Political consultant.

    Please direct Lauren to http://www.myspace.com/radiantview so she can check out my interests. Creative writing has evolved to many careers including writing media kits, profiles about people, places, and events — and my favorite is my work as a documentalist who helps people (with English as a Second Language) write their narrative before they start seeing a lawyer… I feel for them. It is such a pleasure being able to interview them. It is a blessing to serve as a “pain reliever” when they can tell their story — so there is hope for them to seek justice in the workplace.

    My perception of Lauren is that she wants the HOT, glamorous jobs! Well, they’re out there for the taking!!! For example: If she wants pop or alternative music, then she has to master the technical and artistic processes.

    Lauren might want to consider embracing her life experiences to-date — and live her life like an experiment. Sometimes, you miss. Sometimes, you hit it on the mark. Keep trying, anyway.

    The most important thing to remember is that she doesn’t lose sight of a basic truth: She is not her job. She is not her economic status. She is not her boyfriend or her parents. Although Lauren is special, her life as a precious human being is interconnected to all of us. I would like to see her unique and authentic brand of humanity and divinity reach out to all of us — so that we may all be inspired to achieve our highest potential.

    May my niece, Lauren Dado, aspire to be the best that she can be wherever her adventures take her — and to remember that she is a messenger of our collective hopes and dreams. May she always be grateful!

    Now, I’m getting mushy! Lauren’s new milestone is about to start — and I might not be there physically to reflectively enjoy her celebration. I’ll be there in spirit!

    What’s Marielle up to nowadays?

    love,

    Lorna

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *