The bottom line of all the procedure you’ve gone through but considered as the very important question to be answered by an applicant in able for him/her to be successfully hired in the company.
I was thinking before that the most rigorous process was to undergo an offline examination. I had it before the year 2021 approaches. But believe me, there was more mind boggling process than that. Allow me to share this unforgettable experience I just had recently.
Coming from a different companies whom from a past experience rightsizing in the 1st quarter of 2018 from CNN Philippines as an Associate Producer; suspension of the operation from The Manila Times Television acting as an Executive Producer in the 2019; a supposedly game show terminated before it even went to air as Segment Producer/Assistant Head-Writer; and if the mentioned experiences aren’t enough to show to everyone how I became so unlucky, the last job I was with Tony New Network as News Reporter/News Presenter stopped its operation due to lack of funding on the 1st quarter of 2021.
LIFE MUST GO ON
Like any other applicant, I’ve signed-in to numbers of job application sites available in the internet. Browsing for any available post that suits my credentials are some of the many jobs I applied for previously. But just like the rest of you there, I have received many job rejections.
Like there was also a time, I wanted to delete/inactivate some of the job sites, I joined in, for I came to the point that I found them unreliable, useless, and outdated.
Recently also, I have been seeing myself on the computer, often times updating my resume for the job experiences I acquired previously for their life-span never lasted that long.
Aside from the usual browsing of available jobs, I think I’m qualified for, I have been sending email to my former boss for possible work opportunity, sending messages through friends in Facebook via messenger, and also checking my email almost every day.
Not most of the applications I sent and applied for was a story of failures. Some of it, after being submitted had a direct invitation to have an examination. I remember, I had an examination for the Social Media Manager post I applied in the city where I was currently residing. But the result, was not favourable on me.
I even had an interview through Viber for the same post in a different company, but again it never gave me a favourable result I’ve been longing for.
THE NEW JOB OPPORTUNITY
I was recently approached via messenger by a former co-worker in one of my mentioned work that never take-off sometime in 2019. It was an invitation to teach online for Chinese students with an age duration of 5 to 12-years-old. I was interviewed using Skype and luckily passed the initial assessment stage. I was instructed to do the technical examination but failed to move to the next level due to a very slow internet connectivity.
As to my assessment, no matter how hard I try, as long as I do not have a wired connection at home, the possibility of being hired would be very impossible.
After that event, I must say that my moral was really down. The clock is ticking and literally monthly responsibilities and other financial obligations are hunting me.
I don’t know, maybe out of desperation, or maybe from my determination, I heard my wife telling me to try to apply in one of the job posted in one of our common friend in Facebook. I just said send me details and right then and there, 14th of February, I sent them my resume including the letter of intent.
It fell on Saturday, weekend, I just had a mind-set that if ever they’ll find me suitable for the post, they will reply on my email. It was noon of Monday, 16th of February there was an email invitation that was asking me to attend the initial interview screening.
I was then very mindful of the day and time, getting too excited went to the interview venue. Never knew that the invitation was for a video conference via Microsoft teams. The beauty of coming there was mainly to have an ocular of the venue, to check also for the time that I will consume and the travel expenses. Another advantage was coming prepared two hours before the interview, gave me more time to look for a better venue for the job interview.
THE STRUGGLE AND SUCCESS
Literally, I was then situated at Manila. I wanted to look for something very much convenient for me for the interview. I thought of QC. Yes Quezon City!
I rode a train for convenient, affordability, and most of all for speed. Imagine, I commuted from Recto to Cubao. Quite unsure about where exactly I would settle for an interview, a strong voice from within said, why not in Cubao?
From there, what I had in mind was my favorite coffee shop. Stayed and settled there. I was then inside at the beginning but noticed that when they were preparing for drinks, there was so much noise they were making. So, I moved in outside. Thinking that I already found a perfect area for interview, a group of adults who gathered around also chose the outside coffee venue. They were having a meeting and eventually making noise out of their conversation exchange. Again, I went back inside the coffee shop and finally settled there.
I remember, I was told to be online 10-minutes prior to the interview proper. A bit nervous but when I finally heard the voice of the person who will interview me, later on, I became relax and answered every questions she was throwing me at the time. As the interview progresses, I found myself comfortable and was laughing at her. I think at this very time we were able to develop the so called rapport with each other.
I was never given the privilege to see her, while she has a window for the audio-visual component on my end. But I never mind at all. That was Tuesday, I concluded that it went well for the following day, I received a notice on my email for another interview.
Wednesday, 18th of February, on another venue this time inside a mall’s food court in Quezon City. I just spotted a specific corner in the area where there was a cosy look and feel, but very much free from noise barriers and other unnecessary movement from the public.
I remember, one question that lingered on my mind and it was regarding how will I treat a supervisor younger than me? I just cited a real work experience I had before, where I worked mostly for people who was older than me. I told him that this was a normal thing for their ages would probably translates the number of years they were in the broadcast industry. Then went back to his question and answered, I don’t mind at all working with people younger than me. And reiterated that age don’t matter for me at all.
Then, that was the signal to end the interview and were told to check on my email. That also gave me the same conclusion that it went well as well. After a few minutes, there was another interview scheduled Friday, 20th of February.
From the very first interview, I remembered, I was cross-examined with the question of why most of the jobs I had before were for short tenure only. This made say, I was the bread winner of the family, and my primary obligation was to provide for them and meet daily ends. But also added, that the previous jobs thought me many things like discovering new skills and performed also many multi-tasked jobs.
I went to the same venue and exact same spot where I had my 2nd interview. This time I think the toughest question I had was what will be my plans if I will be considered for the post I applied for?
I answered, the institution I was applying for was an established one. We will then focus on the strength of the organization especially at this time of pandemic. We will be using the power of the internet to make a very good impression. We will concentrate on what we can offer, and what makes us different from the rest of the other organizations. Right then and there, I was told that there was also another candidate qualified for the same post I have applied. And that I have to wait for their email if I will be moving on for another (fourth) interview.
It was Friday, I understand that weekend was approaching. I was checking for email on Monday then came Tuesday there was none. I personally send them an email about the status of my application but were told that I should be checking my email regularly for updates.
The days that I was having no response at all, was comparable to a song that was entitled… “Killing me softly.” Whatever the result, I told myself I should be ready. But really no matter how I convince myself, I still have so many questions at the back of my mind including maybe I wasn’t hired.
And even on Friday, February 26, there was no email yet from the said institution. I tried convincing myself maybe they will send me notice on Monday instead. This particular thought also entered my mind, that another candidate they were saying also qualified for the post was being interviewed, the very week, I don’t get any feedback from them.
I think that I was overthinking the whole scenario at this time. But I believe that this experience I’m going through is just normal to feel.
Should I be starting looking at new job again? On my end now, I feel that I am in a very hard situation. If just intuition would be enough to answer all the questions bothering me. But that one, even do not give me a precise feeling about this thing.
Then, came in another week, still no response until 5th of March. And by looking at this very day, Friday, it marks the 2nd week of my application, after I was scheduled and interviewed for the third time.
I am a very optimistic person, I do not give up easily. I wanted to think that whatever it is I put into, every tiny or big effort will be bringing me the same outcome.
But on the other hand, what if the way I wanted it to be, do not manifest? I have to admit that I do not have a direct control of everything that’s going on right now.
I remember a certain message I received from God when I attended the mass to ask for prayer. I was told from the scriptures that He was testing my faith.
But no matter how strong I am, at some point I have to accept that maybe this post I applied for wasn’t for me. I will soon discern the reason why, for now everything is left unanswered.
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