Finding Your First Job
Finding Your First Job
You’ve scanned the classified ads and checked out the company’s profile. You have created well-written and attractive résumé and rehearsed your lines on why you should get hired. Equipped with the knowledge and skills you’ve learned for about four to six years in the university, you set out to face the “real” (corporate) world. Yet, after all those years of hard work, trying to learn the ropes of your chosen field, they still seem insufficient.
Here you have two marketing graduates. One is a top-notcher and the other is an average student. They will apply as a sales person in a pharmaceutical company. You might say that the top-notcher has an edge over the average student. Apparently, no; still, both are starting at ground zero. The glaring fact is, in the real world, everybody is equal. Thus, how do you get from starting your first job? I will share with you my three principles in finding a job which I’ve learned throughout my job hunting and work experiences.
First, let me tell you about these two terms – job and career – which you will find mentioned in this article frequently. You might say that these two terms are the same thing. Job and career are often used interchangeably. Actually, it is interesting to know that while they are similar in many ways, they are not the same. Job is a piece of work; a task; a position in which one is employed. Career is a chosen pursuit; doing what one does as a permanent occupation or lifework. Later, I will present to you how these two terms actually affect our notion of working.
Principle # 1: Find out who you are
Most newly graduates struggle in finding the kind of work that suits them. For that reason, I came up with four kinds of worker that one may become.
We should not be misleading that working is merely for financial reasons – but emotional and mental too. Having had worked for a Korean company for almost two years as Online English Teacher, I know and have felt how it is to be simply working just because of getting high salary. I was not happy. I did not feel the excitement, the challenge, the passion of working. It was not what I wanted. As you work, try asking yourself these questions:
Do I like my job?
Am I fulfilled with what I am doing?
Do I utilize my knowledge and skills?
Do I contribute something good for my community?
Don’t let time pass you by. You are not getting any younger. You would want to use your time in the best possible way, aren’t you?
Find out who you are and let it direct you towards your goals. Whatever kind of worker you become, it is important that you learn to love your work.
Principle # 2: Know where you are heading
In Nelson T. Dy’s Your First Job. A Practical Guide to Survival - Success, he tells a story about a man and a shooter. A man was walking down the street when he saw a fence that was painted with circular targets. At the bulls’ eye of every target was a hole where a bullet had pierced through the fence. He saw a man with a rifle and a bucket of paint. Impressed, he approached the shooter and said, “Wow, you have uncanny workmanship! What’s your secret?” The shooter just shrugged and said, “Easy. First I shoot at the fence and paint the circle afterwards.”
Many people treat their work like that of the shooter. They shift from one job to another, toiling away without any real target. You may aim at nothing and still land on something, but you will not find happiness and satisfaction. Think about this. What makes you excited? You probably enjoy working with numbers, perhaps you may want to be an accountant or something related to it. Or are you the type who likes to work with kids? Then you might want to be a preschool teacher. Whatever job you choose, be sure that it is what you want and not what others want for you to do.
Finding rewarding jobs don’t phenomenally happen. They are a product of careful planning and continuous learning through good mentors. Combine these elements, and later on they will turn out to become career. This is what I was talking about at the beginning of this article: the difference between job and career. Job is merely what you do, more often than not, something that you do for the purpose of gaining something. On the other hand, a career is your permanent calling. It is something that you build along the way, while slowly discovering your lifelong profession.
Listen to your calling, and surely, it will lead you to the right direction.
Principle # 3: Bloom where you are planted
You might have heard the expression. “Bloom where you’re planted.” This will be our final point of discussion. Now that you know who you are and where you are heading, you must know how to bloom where you are planted.
A man was shipwrecked on a desert island. Making the most of a bad situation, he set up a grass hut and lived on fish from the ocean. One day, while he was out fishing, his hut was caught on fire. Returning on a smoldering pile, he fell on his knees and cried out, “Why, God, why?” Hours later, he saw a ship coming across the horizon. The ship arrived and rescued him. He asked the captain, “How did you know I was here?” The captain replied, “We saw a smoke signal and decided to investigate.”
Sometimes, even the best-laid plans can go wrong. You may be comfortable where you are standing in your job, thinking that you have already achieved what you want. Yes, you have found your lifelong career. But little did you know that there’s a lot more opportunities waiting for you. You may have been a pre school teacher for so long; you are happy and relaxed sharing your knowledge with children. But in your heart, you may have wanted to reach out to the unfortunate young ones. In that case, pursue it Bloom where you are planted. Change is inevitable. Face it. Live with it and enjoy it.
Just as no one can learn things on his own, no one can prosper his career by himself. In choosing the kind of work you will do, remember to give importance to your advisors –parents, mentors, and friends – for they know you well. Best of all, have faith in God for He himself is a Worker. Look at the last part of the Creation story in the book of Genesis:
Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. (The New International Version, Genesis 2: 1-3)
Finding your first job is like being lost in a dark, trying to find the light. It won’t be easy. But hard work promises fruitful reward. Have faith in God and believe that along the way you will find your lifelong career.
You’ve scanned the classified ads and checked out the company’s profile. You have created well-written and attractive résumé and rehearsed your lines on why you should get hired. Equipped with the knowledge and skills you’ve learned for about four to six years in the university, you set out to face the “real” (corporate) world. Yet, after all those years of hard work, trying to learn the ropes of your chosen field, they still seem insufficient.
Here you have two marketing graduates. One is a top-notcher and the other is an average student. They will apply as a sales person in a pharmaceutical company. You might say that the top-notcher has an edge over the average student. Apparently, no; still, both are starting at ground zero. The glaring fact is, in the real world, everybody is equal. Thus, how do you get from starting your first job? I will share with you my three principles in finding a job which I’ve learned throughout my job hunting and work experiences.
First, let me tell you about these two terms – job and career – which you will find mentioned in this article frequently. You might say that these two terms are the same thing. Job and career are often used interchangeably. Actually, it is interesting to know that while they are similar in many ways, they are not the same. Job is a piece of work; a task; a position in which one is employed. Career is a chosen pursuit; doing what one does as a permanent occupation or lifework. Later, I will present to you how these two terms actually affect our notion of working.
Principle # 1: Find out who you are
Most newly graduates struggle in finding the kind of work that suits them. For that reason, I came up with four kinds of worker that one may become.
- Professional. This is the kind of worker who looks for something that is related to his course of study; something where he has been trained for years; something where he can excel. Let us say he is a teacher. Teaching could be his lifetime work, then.
- Realistic hand. A kind of worker who thinks in practical conditions: money over dreams. In the Philippine milieu, where there is high unemployment rate and low-paying jobs, many, especially the youth, are lured into the booming call center businesses mainly because of its attractive salary. The call center industry is now considered the biggest employer in the Philippines, in terms of growth rate. The trade and industry department said call centers are hiring 1,500 to 2,000 people every week (http://www.bulatlat.com/news/5-7/5-7-graduates.html). The realistic hand can also be someone who joins the bandwagon because he thinks that this is the easiest and fastest way to get employed, considering that even if you are an undergraduate, you can be qualified.
- Servant. This is the kind of worker who has a heart in doing something for the benefit of other people; one who willingly accepts a job without thinking of something in return. Take for example public servants and those working in non-government organizations.
- Businessman. A worker who works for himself. He is his own boss. You will certainly agree that this is the best job in the world. Imagine, if you are the leader, you have your own work schedule and you can wear anything in your “office” – that’s the funny reality of it, though. Of course, if you are the boss, this means earning more than what a usual employee could get. This means having the chance to be like other successful businessmen in the world.
We should not be misleading that working is merely for financial reasons – but emotional and mental too. Having had worked for a Korean company for almost two years as Online English Teacher, I know and have felt how it is to be simply working just because of getting high salary. I was not happy. I did not feel the excitement, the challenge, the passion of working. It was not what I wanted. As you work, try asking yourself these questions:
Do I like my job?
Am I fulfilled with what I am doing?
Do I utilize my knowledge and skills?
Do I contribute something good for my community?
Don’t let time pass you by. You are not getting any younger. You would want to use your time in the best possible way, aren’t you?
Find out who you are and let it direct you towards your goals. Whatever kind of worker you become, it is important that you learn to love your work.
Principle # 2: Know where you are heading
In Nelson T. Dy’s Your First Job. A Practical Guide to Survival - Success, he tells a story about a man and a shooter. A man was walking down the street when he saw a fence that was painted with circular targets. At the bulls’ eye of every target was a hole where a bullet had pierced through the fence. He saw a man with a rifle and a bucket of paint. Impressed, he approached the shooter and said, “Wow, you have uncanny workmanship! What’s your secret?” The shooter just shrugged and said, “Easy. First I shoot at the fence and paint the circle afterwards.”
Many people treat their work like that of the shooter. They shift from one job to another, toiling away without any real target. You may aim at nothing and still land on something, but you will not find happiness and satisfaction. Think about this. What makes you excited? You probably enjoy working with numbers, perhaps you may want to be an accountant or something related to it. Or are you the type who likes to work with kids? Then you might want to be a preschool teacher. Whatever job you choose, be sure that it is what you want and not what others want for you to do.
Finding rewarding jobs don’t phenomenally happen. They are a product of careful planning and continuous learning through good mentors. Combine these elements, and later on they will turn out to become career. This is what I was talking about at the beginning of this article: the difference between job and career. Job is merely what you do, more often than not, something that you do for the purpose of gaining something. On the other hand, a career is your permanent calling. It is something that you build along the way, while slowly discovering your lifelong profession.
Listen to your calling, and surely, it will lead you to the right direction.
Principle # 3: Bloom where you are planted
You might have heard the expression. “Bloom where you’re planted.” This will be our final point of discussion. Now that you know who you are and where you are heading, you must know how to bloom where you are planted.
A man was shipwrecked on a desert island. Making the most of a bad situation, he set up a grass hut and lived on fish from the ocean. One day, while he was out fishing, his hut was caught on fire. Returning on a smoldering pile, he fell on his knees and cried out, “Why, God, why?” Hours later, he saw a ship coming across the horizon. The ship arrived and rescued him. He asked the captain, “How did you know I was here?” The captain replied, “We saw a smoke signal and decided to investigate.”
Sometimes, even the best-laid plans can go wrong. You may be comfortable where you are standing in your job, thinking that you have already achieved what you want. Yes, you have found your lifelong career. But little did you know that there’s a lot more opportunities waiting for you. You may have been a pre school teacher for so long; you are happy and relaxed sharing your knowledge with children. But in your heart, you may have wanted to reach out to the unfortunate young ones. In that case, pursue it Bloom where you are planted. Change is inevitable. Face it. Live with it and enjoy it.
Just as no one can learn things on his own, no one can prosper his career by himself. In choosing the kind of work you will do, remember to give importance to your advisors –parents, mentors, and friends – for they know you well. Best of all, have faith in God for He himself is a Worker. Look at the last part of the Creation story in the book of Genesis:
Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. (The New International Version, Genesis 2: 1-3)
Finding your first job is like being lost in a dark, trying to find the light. It won’t be easy. But hard work promises fruitful reward. Have faith in God and believe that along the way you will find your lifelong career.
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