Caution:15th Flr Robinsons Bank Bldg. Ortigas, Pasig /15th Flr. Octagon Bldg. Ortigas, Pasig

Source: Caricature


I'm a bit creep out yesterday when someone suddenly called me from my cellphone saying that he is from an American owned company and they're hiring people right now for an administrative position. Well... at least that was his opening statement that kind a caught my interest. It just so happened that I am currently still looking for a job and since I'm hoping someone would actually call me (due to me sending my resume to different NGOs) is a good thing.

So we kind a talked for like 3 minutes or so and he went like this:

Hi, is this Jhemarie Bernas? You are Jhemarie Bernas? Ok.. I got your number from the St. Benilde's Alumni page. Are you currently working for any company at this moment? We would like to actually set you on an appointment on our office so we could discuss this more clearly. OK lang ba sayo un? Pwede ka ba pumunta dito sa office namin sa 15th Flr. Robinsons Bank Bldg. Ortigas, Pasig? Isisingit kita sa schedule ko ng around 3pm. By the way, this is Sam M. Do. Just look for me once you reached the place. Please be sure to be there... I expect you to be very professional... you'll be on time naman siguro nu? Please also wear a corporate attire ok?

Well... that's mostly how the conversation went... I kind a answered yes and no to most of the questions.

He sounded a bit off... I asked questions for him to further elaborate the details but he seemed to want to cut the conversation short. I also kind a thought on why can't he just text me the address so I could get it all right...

I was a bit overwhelmed and it kind a got my hopes up.
But since I got to run off somewhere just after the conversation... I wasn't really focused...

It was when I replayed the conversation in my head that I realized he got it all wrong... I sensed that something is just not right.

I experienced a sudden phone interview from John Clements so I kind a compared them.

I mean you just got to start with the NAME OF THE COMPANY! And then introduce yourself and your position... and then the small details would follow. Also, I was the one who first contacted John Clements... and this call from Mr. Do (or whoever he is) just came from nowhere.

When I got home I immediately researched the place... I thought that I just didn't heard the name of the company, so I could probably just type the address and something would actually come up.
I was so freaked out when these links showed up:

15th Flr. Octagon Bldg. San Miguel Ave. Ortigas, Pasig City

The 26th floor Trafalgar Plaza story

I got totally freaked out... So I decided to ditch it all together...
I don't know if it's a real scam or so... but more or less the blogs and testimonies that I've been reading stated that I had the same experience as they did.

I've researched further and I found out that Nu Skin Enterprise is the one occupying the place... the "positive reviews" came from this blog: Nu Skin Enterprise

Though here are my thoughts ok:
I don't know if it's really a scam... however, one would really suspect that something fishy is going on due to:
(1) It's an international company who doesn't have the best HRs? As in HRs who doesn't know how to properly introduce themselves and their company? An out of order sequencing for a phone interview with the most vital thing missing... the company name! I wouldn't know it's Nu Skin Enterprise without me searching it through the internet... ahm.. duh, I'm not impressed. *strike!*. Also... what company sets appointments at around 3pm-6pm? I mean rarely would companies do that right?

(2) I always believe that satisfied people would not spread rumors as creepy and as image damaging as this for a supposedly "international company". It would leave you wondering... if it's as good as some said it is (or at least one person's blog)... then why is it that in comparison there are more who were outraged and would even go to a point of warning off people?

I'll let you people decide.. but count me out of it. I wouldn't risk it... besides, I'm not up for a job to sell products...

Frustrations of a Fresh Graduate

Source

I recently finished my Bachelor's Degree in Consular and Diplomatic Affairs. I luckily graduated as a Cum Laude along with the Student Leadership Award given to a graduating student. I managed to polish my resume with all of the extra-curricular activities that I participated and organized for the past three years.

Yet.

I'm still having a hard time looking for a career.

Most people, unaware of the Odyssey for passing the Foreign Service Officer Examination would recommend that I try for it.

Honestly? Applying for the FSE as a fresh graduate would probably traumatize me from ever taking the test again. I believe that passing the FSE is not just based on answering simple questions or problems presented upon you. EXPERIENCE is a must.

Now that we're at it, Experience.... experience... what a nasty little bitch you have in effect to my chances of being hired.

I would summarize my points of hardships at the moment when it comes to looking for "THE CAREER":

(1) B.A Consular and Diplomatic Affairs, as good as it sounds, in the Philippines it is really hard to acquire a job that fits my field of study without: (a) a higher degree; and (b) working experience. Also, being vague and broad my finished study as it is... makes all the uncertainty and ignorance to the possible work opportunities out there all difficult. Applying for the Dept. of Foreign Affairs is also a no-no. I would probably work out of the government for now. Not that I don't like it... it's just that with all the reshuffling within the different committees and departments... it'll take a while before things actually settle down into normalcy.

(2) Advertisement issues - well... the thing is that there are NGOs and International Organizations who actually a few openings. However, the only positions that they advertise are those that are for a higher positions. How do you actually apply for a staff or researcher position for NGOs, IOs, Embassies and Corporate Social Responsibilities (department of a company)? Well... luck I guess... you licking your finger then held it up high testing the wind and feeling in the air the needs of each to probably have a "season" of having a possible job opening for a not so high position. Luck and intuition.


Having been said that I am having a problem with looking for a career... looking for a job is actually not that hard. Though the irony of achieving much in college kind a suck at these times.




Source

I applied for a call center job in Makati. I easily passed the English Proficiency and the typing test.... however... I kind a sucked at the hiring interview.

Interviewer: Oh, you're a Cum Laude... how come you're applying for a CSR position ONLY?

Apple: (soooo I could apply for another opening?) ahm... temporary job? For the moment at least.... (ok now you get the picture... panicked and thrown off-balanced... well... a bit... I dragged myself to hell with it... lols)


For a CSR I am overqualified they say....
for an NGO/IO I am under qualified....
ok...
yeah right... ahaha...
Well I guess instead of a CSR I could try for another job...
haiz....
English Teacher perhaps?
Just enough for me to save money and finance my grad school...


Where are the good old days that people think that when you graduated with honors companies would probably swarm after you? Or... was it because my finished study is simply of no use to them? Or... how would they ever know of me in the first place?


As good as our program is at the college... it kind a lacked that last step... that guidance and partnership of assuring their graduates would have options with difference paths of career to choose from. I love my alma matter but... I'm a bit frustrated that no help is coming from them. From the simple provision of possible list of employers (or organizations) or path options other than proceeding to law... haiz...



Frustrations of a Fresh Graduate with a well equip paraphernalia...
how much more for those with none?


P.S I tried to relate my school organization experience in exchange for my lack of proper job experience... ahm... they're not really buying for it though.. hehe...