Dear Graduates,
You may or may not know me personally, but I am extending my
heartfelt congratulations for making it a job well done. However, seeing you
graduate is a bittersweet feeling for me, ‘cause this simply means I’m a fresh
graduate no more. My famous excuse of being a newbie to this working industry
every time I make mistakes comes to an official expiration. It seems like
yesterday since I last wrote my graduation blogpost to thank everyone who took a
ride on my roller coaster journey inside the four sturdy walls of St.
Scholastica’s College. And now, it is your time to prove the world what you’ve got!
I will never forget the key message of our homily during our Baccalaureate Mass last year. Archbishop Tagle (he is now our Cardinal today), made me realize that graduation is indeed the grandest event we can attend to in our entire student life; when actually it just camouflages the big responsibilities and the most challenging roles we have to play in the society. You may walk on the red carpet with the surrounding music of victory, wearing your expensive graduation dress and shoes partnered with great pride and honor, and the looking so-intellectual togas, but when you wake up tomorrow, you'll get to realize you are now a part of the unemployed sector. So "KJ" it is, but it's a bitter fact. However, as you are still at the peak of euphoria, let me tell you some experiences I had during my year of being a fresh grad, the year when I actually felt I already know everything when actually, I still know nothing at all.
I was unemployed for 6 months from the day 1 after my graduation until September. And I got to realize that I had wasted half of the entire year collecting all the anxieties that the world accumulated for not being able to look for a perfect job for me. Dear friends, do not absorb the urgency of securing a job right after graduation. Most of the time, we are landed to the jobs that we do not like or does not fit our interests at all because of just forcing ourselves to seek jobs right after. Result? We cannot express our productivity anynmore. See to it that you choose the job that you love doing. Having that, I assure that you would not require yourself anymore to go to work every single day. Makes sense, right? But after all, I suggest you put all your career anxieties aside and pamper yourself with a vacasion grande. Go to beach, flaunt your bodies, party hard, YOLO. :) You deserve it.
When you are already landed on a job, you might encounter this "overworked and underpaid" kind of setup. That's when you realize you should have enjoyed reading Com Res materials because it might be easier to handle the stress than working after a deadly deadline at work. But after all, this is a mere reality. It is still a part of our continuous learning, so get used to it.
Sometimes you feel that you own the world already by proving you just know everything, hence the reason why you graduated. The truth is, our minds will reset to zero knowledge by the time we finish school. Theoretical concepts that we learned in school will never be a part of the working industry and most of the time, our diplomas just act as a way of employment formalization process because it's actually the experience that teaches us at work. And starting with a zero knowledge makes us even more emasculated. It happend most of the time, but as a sleeping giant you know your potentials, so know the right time when to wake up. Bottomline, we may feel humiliated by the hierarchical system, but keeping your feet off the ground is still the best revenge we can show them.
When I graduated, I felt I became so old. No more student discounts in public vehicles and Cinemalaya movies, no more cancellation of classes due to heavy rain, and no more time for socials. But I have to tell you that the best time to feel young is actually after finishing studies. The lunch outs, the company launching events, new friends, your own money, excusable mistakes and a lot more. Enjoy the world while you're still young! Explore you horizon, learn anything, do everything, so you'll regret less in your life soon.
There are three aspects to a perfect job: A job that you like doing, a job that is legal and a job that pays well. Sadly, you can only have two from these three aspects unless you're that lucky to have them all. You may have a job that you really wanted, and a job that is legal, but does not pay enough. You may have a legal job and it pays well, but it may not be the job you really love doing. Worst that you may have a job that both you love and pays you much, but is illegal. It is merely up to you on how to draw your career path and grow as a young professional.
There are three aspects to a perfect job: A job that you like doing, a job that is legal and a job that pays well. Sadly, you can only have two from these three aspects unless you're that lucky to have them all. You may have a job that you really wanted, and a job that is legal, but does not pay enough. You may have a legal job and it pays well, but it may not be the job you really love doing. Worst that you may have a job that both you love and pays you much, but is illegal. It is merely up to you on how to draw your career path and grow as a young professional.
Lastly, never ever be afraid to get out of the comfort zone. Though I admit that I am still currently working on this aspect of my life, I understand that it may take time in conquering our fears of unknown. This day marks a new chapter of your life, a life where no more red marks to signify if you're on the right track or not, a life embedded on a world of anxieties, a life of survival of the fittest. It may be a tough ride for all you, but I'm pretty sure you've had a proper training to get used and fight all the hazards of it. But do not forget, I am just one Facebook message away if you need something, be it a random job interview question, proper attire, makeup tips or just widening your network. :)
Congratulations, goodluck, and keep on practicing Ora et Labora!
Welcome to the world!
Always,
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