March 2007 was the day I met unemployment. It was stressful moment and very frustrating. You know you have accomplished something but you couldn’t prove what you’ve accomplished. It’s like saying you are a fisherman but you don’t even get the chance to catch a fish. The pressure is there but as time passes by you’ll realize that you are losing your patience and just grab whatever opportunity there is.
My mindset is that I wanted to be a programmer; I want to experience the real world of software engineering and also to use what I’ve learned during college. My patience was tested when I got a job offer from a local IT company as a programmer trainee. Yes, it’s a programmer position but I really don’t know or have any background on what language they are using. I asked for my parents and others opinion on this matter but they told me that it’s just their opinion, I still call the shots. I turned down the job offer.
Months after that, I got another offer from one of the biggest IT company. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to show up on that day. Maybe it’s just not for me. Another reason why I was hesitant to get that job is that my father really wanted me to go to abroad where there is greener Pasteur and everything. Just a few months after, I went to Riyadh. It wasn’t actually my dream to work abroad. My friends know that but I have to obey my father. I stayed there for almost six months doing nothing. I attended a Cisco training which my father wanted me to take from the start. I passed the Cisco certification but I still feel that my fate is with software engineering. My father tried to refer me to his bosses and everyone from their MIS department so I could work there. But I think fate is really with me, it took them months to process and do the talking. I was really becoming impatient that time so I asked my father if I could just go back to Manila to pursue my dreams.
February 2008, I returned here in Manila. I was busy applying for every possible job that is related to programming. I went to different places and attended some job interviews. It was the first time that I feel confident about myself and my capabilities. I think my stay in Riyadh shaped me to have self confidence.
I was having my break after my pre employment exam in Makati when another IT company called me. A friend of mine referred me in their company as a Technical support analyst, I really don’t like the job because it’s a shifting job and I wanted a day shift job and of course, programming. During my phone interview, the HR asked me if want to apply for java boot camp. I said yes immediately. I attended the interview and was told the wait for their call. I wasn’t really expecting at all because I know that there are other people who are more knowledgeable than me.
A week after that, the other company called me and scheduled me for a job offer for QA position. I was desperate that time and I told myself to grab every opportunity that may come. I signed the contract. A day after that, the other company which offers java boot camp called me and told me that I passed the screening and scheduled me for training agreement. It was a confusing moment because I already signed a contract with another company but this another company is what I was waiting for for the last 18 months. I asked for guidance.
I am decided that I’m going to get that job. I told the other company that I am withdrawing from the job offer because of some reasons. I know I made some wrong decisions but I really wanted to be a java programmer.
Hello Work!
Last week, result of the training was released and luckily I, together with my two co-trainees, passed java boot camp training. Sadly, the other two didn’t make it. Now I’m saying hello to work and goodbye to unemployment.
It’s true that Patience is virtue. Our patience is tested and it helps us to shape ourselves which we will use in the future. I dream of becoming a software engineer and I won’t easily give up on that dream. Patience helped me get that dream job. It boosts my self confidence as well as my morale.