Author: jong

Fact: It’s hard to move on. But it’s possible.

Another friend-slash-colleague resigned from the company I’m working. It’s kinda surprising when he told us. I was a bit sad but then I realized that he did what is best. He left the company not because the company is bad, but because he needed to explore. Explore the world and grow with another company. In our situation today, one needs to be practical. But of course, I am not going to resign yet, I have yet to learn a lot of things and gain experience for me to easily face the reality.

It’s different now. They leave and we learn to move on.

What? The hell, I couldn’t even understand the words that I wrote here. darn!

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.

I had a really bad experience with my friend last week when we were drunk. Actually it happened so fast I didn’t even know why I reacted badly. Anyhow, we were talking about our lives how each of us are growing up and how we turned up after we graduate. And suddenly one of my friends kept on asking me how does it feel to be a bummer for like a year and etc. I felt bad because out of all people, why them or him. It’s just that they are my friends since high school and I need their support not their criticism and I hate it when I hear them pulling me down.

I responded by walking out and think. And then my friends came up and asked me what happened blah blah. I told them what he did and I just can’t believe that he’ll say something like that about me. They kept on saying that I should take it lightly and that maybe he’s just drunk. But for me its just too personal.

Anyhow, after a few minutes he talked to me and he’s sorry for what he said and that he’s just knowing. yeah right. Maybe it’s just that I over reacted and that we haven’t joked around for almost 8 months.

how about you? how would you react if someone tries to pull you down?

Remember those days when we were a little younger and all we’ve got to do is to have fun, fun and more fun. But what happens when all of a sudden everyone gets busy, so busy we even forget to have fun?

Life after college is somewhat confusing to everyone. We get more responsibilities and with that we even forget what fun is. But what others do not know is that we could work and at the same time have fun with our friends.

Having fun with friends , for me is a stress reliever. After working five times a day and even going beyond your time is really stressing and it will make you feel even more stressed if you will just stay home and sleep. What I’m trying to say is that, once in a while we should go out with friends and have fun.

Wei, I’m talking nonsense here. Maybe I’m just too excited because we’re gonna have fun tonight somewhere in paranaque. Tis’ gonna be fun!

p.s
Happy weekend everyone. Leave work at your office and go out and party with friends.

I’ve been attending Java Boot camp since last week and from then I kind of feel pressure because of some reasons. One of them is being chosen as one of the trainees for a large global IT company, I mean out of so many candidates five of us were chosen to attend the trainee. Second is that we need to pass the training in order for us to be hired full time. And last, since our training is not in house, we have other co trainees from different IT Company and most of them are really good like a rock star coder. Anyway, I always feel the pressure every time our instructor gives us our exercises or more commonly known as machine problems or MPs for short so I made a list on how I handle pressure during the training.

1. Bear in mind that you are good. As what I’ve said, the company wouldn’t choose me if I don’t have the potential. So every time I go inside the room, I’d think and tell myself “man I’m good!”

2. Always ask questions. Do not pretend that you know everything. I mean, we are there to learn and not to brag about how good we are or how fast we code but how we do our best to enhance and grasp every modules that were being discussed. The instructor might even think that you are good enough and expect so much from you. Asking questions does not equate to stupidity but try to not ask the obvious.

3. Relax. I always advise people to relax in every situation. Just remember that we are there to learn and not to compete.

Well, this does not apply to everyone but by following these three points I’ve made, I think you’d be able to handle the pressure that you’re getting especially from the training.

Oh, I forgot to include this one. Enjoy and have fun. If you get too serious with the training, you’d be more pressure but if you just enjoy what you are doing and have fun while coding then I guess the pressure will be a lot less.