Does the working life scare you?
It did, for me.
I can still remember how it was when I first finished my studies. Starting off as a fresh graduate wasn’t easy for me. It was difficult to find a job as every hiring company seems to be looking for someone with working experience.
Honestly, it was really tough.
Coming from a middle class family, I felt that I could not burden my parents any longer. I had to find a job to stop depending on my family for financial support. What puts me in more and more pressure are my siblings who keep on asking me when I will ever find myself a job.
One day, I decided to look out for jobs and stop being too choosy since I do not have much of a choice. I’m broke and I think I had enough of asking my parents for money. It was high time for me to be independant and let my parents have some financial freedom. They should have the opportunity to enjoy their earnings and fulfill their dreams. I went through a really bad time for at least six months. I was even more ashamed to turn up on my graduation day since most of my classmates have already found themselves a good job.
But hey, looks like my patience and preseverance paid off. I might have felt restless and tired and most of the time I felt like giving up but I just kept on searching. It didn’t matter to me if the job paid very little and as long as I could gain some experience, I would even work as a cashier in a supermarket or an assistant in a kitchen. Finally, just at the right time, there was an offer from an offshore base company which I found through my aunt who works as a babysitter for a lady who was one of the company’s leading managers.
For starters, things didn’t go really well for me. I was paid with low salary but I kept on telling myself that I will do fine. Before I knew it, things started to get better for me. The company saw what I was capable of and I showed them that I was not merely a fresh graduate but I am one that can really work. After 2 months of working, they increased my pay up to an acceptable ammount for a fresh graduate like myself.
After 8 months in the production department, my boss called me up. He was going to assign me to another department with the promise of an increment in the salary. Now here I am, with a good paying job at my convenience. All I need do is try to keep on getting better and better each day. Be prepared that the working life is going to be hard but I’m sure everyone will get through it.
Another great thing happened last year where I had the chance to go to Netherlands for a training course for 3 months. All I can say is that getting yourself a job is easy if you’re not picky. Just give it your best shot and people will see what you can do. Have faith in yourself.
My name is Merlyn, and I have succeeded in placing my foot on a rung of the corporate ladder.
It won’t be that tough for you either. 
June 25th, 2008 at 4:26 am (#)
i was in your shoes about 2 years ago. after i graduated, mom kept on bugging me to work. i just took up any offer that i could come upon. now it’s great to know that u and i are doing well.
all the best~!
June 25th, 2008 at 4:43 am (#)
Good for you Merlyn. Not everyone get a chance to go overseas for training. I have been independent since I was 18 and I know what you have gone through. Good that now we are all doing great and perhaps we can help to inspire other youths to be more progressive and independent as well.
June 25th, 2008 at 5:03 am (#)
Yup, starting is the most difficult part. What we need is to continue living. Grow up and be mature to face anything. Even now life isn’t completely at ease, but the will to change it never faded.
June 30th, 2008 at 6:34 am (#)
Good to hear things worked out at the end! Perseverance does pay off indeed!
One of my friends advised me that instead of dumping your resumes in companies and hoping for the best, you should be proactive and research them. Show the bosses how you can assist them in their objectives and goals. If they have a specific problem that they are struggling with, acknowledge it and show them that you can use your skills to solve that particular problem.
eg:
“Sir, I realise you have difficulties in so and so. What I can suggest is that we do this and this. Using my knowledge in this, I could try implementing this using blah blah. We could delegate this work in a team, give everyone specific tasks to insure efficiency, etc”
That way, they’ll realise you are a valuable asset who already knows how the company is run, as well as be able to work in a team. Compare that to someone who babbles of how he graduated first in his class, that he/she joined hundreds of clubs, etc. Experience is one thing.. compatibility is another!
Even if you are a fresh graduate, your eagerness and proactiveness will show that you are not some lost puppy. It might be hard work, but it pays off.. especially if you are up against many others who are after that position.
Hopefully what I wrote will prove useful for those entering the job market. I’ve still got a year to go! I’m looking through the job classifieds to see what are the specific skill needed, so I can fine tune the things I need to focus on in my class
Another thing is to take full advantage of your time in internships. You might be paid for it, you might not. However, the things you pick up during your stint is very valuable: go out of your way to study how the organization is run. Even if something is not directly related to the degree your undertaking, absorb every single aspect of the workplace!
July 2nd, 2008 at 3:31 pm (#)
I think what’s brilliant about the first job experience is how fresh everything is. After that it all just goes downhill