I’m a little fortunate.
I had the opportunity to study in a school that has higher standards.
But before you scream at me for being an elitist, I wanted you to understand that higher standards simply mean…
That the school is STRICT AS FUCK.
And as a result, we were FORCED to STUDY HARDER and to PAY MORE ATTENTION or else we will experience SERIOUS and PAINFUL CONSEQUENCES.
I studied in a strict school and a not so strict school.
In a regular school, we’re able to do whatever the fuck we wanted.
No pressure.
People who study in higher standard schools face a harder form of HUMILIATION from teachers, students and parents.
So when you make a mistake or you get distracted or daydream about a life question or spend too much time just thinking about your favorite TV show, you’re dead.
The teacher will insult you.
The students will bully you for being stupid.
Your parents will be called in and you’ll be humiliated by the teacher in front of them and you’ll get a second and third round from your parents in the form of both a public and private scolding when you get home.
And if you live with a big family, expect your other family members to take a few more shots at you.
Small mistakes are usually blown out of proportion.
Failing grades are a big deal.
Failing grades mean that you are a dishonor to the family.
That’s because your grades are the measure of your value as a person.
At higher standard schools, I regularly received close to failing grades in English. (76-79)
It is not uncommon to encounter news about a student from a higher standard school who committed suicide because of depression triggered by the pressure.
At higher standard schools, I’m Kevin the autistic kid for not paying enough attention to the teacher.
At higher standard schools, I’m Kevin the loser because I didn’t own branded shoes or clothes.
At higher standard schools, I’m Kevin, yung bakla because I tried to avoid fights with students because I learned the hard way that I can’t win fights against bullies who had martial arts training from early childhood.
I lost a lot of fights when I was a kid.
I often went home with a torn shirt and blood dripping from my nose.
And while I became a punching bag at higher standard schools, as I write this, I smile because I am thankful for this level of abuse.
I am thirty-four now and as I look back, I realized that I’ve been unstoppable for most of my life.
At regular standard schools, I received average to unexpectedly high English grades (82-89).
Here’s the point.
One thing to remember is that at higher standard schools, I regularly received attention on ALL my mistakes.
And that, I believe, gave me an advantage later in life.
I got used to doing poorly and trying anyway.
I got so used to studying my answers.
I got used to writing everything down and reading almost everything out loud and listening to whatever I said that sounded wrong.
I’m used to trying to change what’s wrong with me and finding a better approach to what I’m doing.
And I know whatever I’m doing, is supposed to be hard.
And the higher the level of the skills required, the more rewarding that job can be.
So in my mind, I am 100% convinced that easy jobs are low paying jobs.
And I rejected my mom’s suggestion to take a job as a sales clerk in a store or a fast food place.
I accompanied Matz and Ton to their first few call center interviews.
As we were walking toward the office building, I gave the both of them a background to BPO and Call Center work.
I told them about everything that I know so far.
I also encouraged them to speak to me in English.
I reminded them of their goals.
We discussed how they can introduce themselves to the interviewer.
We talked about what are good stories that they can share.
Examples include stories about them accomplishing goals and a stories that involve dealing with difficult people.
I tried to get them to talk about their favorite things so when the interviewer asked about those topic, the flow of English will be a lot smoother.
I got them to think about and express their career goals and as a result, they were able to give their best answers during the interview.
I learned early that rejection is a normal part of the process when you’re looking for work.
When I was younger, my mom shared a forwarded email about the law of the seed.
Out of ten seeds planted, usually, only one will sprout.
Out of ten sprouts, usually only one will become a tree.
And so on.
So when I look for work, I expect ten interviews to go wrong and one interview to go well.
When you’re new at applying, rejection feels personal.
When you’re alone, it’s more difficult.
That’s because our negative thoughts are stronger when we’re.
Our self-doubt screams louder.
Our mind gets filled with all the horrible and discouraging words that we received.
In a lot of situations, when I’m outside applying, often, while walking toward the office where I’m about to have my interview, I generally have a lot of negative thoughts and feelings.
That’s because as I approach companies and attempt to sell myself, all the mistakes that I made and all the bad decisions I recently did begin to flood my mind.
So sometimes, even if the interviewer is nice to me, the questions are easy and I’m 100% sure that I’ll pass on a normal day, I’ll still say something incredibly stupid and as a result, waste my opportunity.
It’s not limited to that.
If I’m applying alone, the message “I’M UNWORTHY” is screaming the loudest.
And as a result, if I get hired today, I’m likely going to negotiate poorly and sign a contract that’s actually a bad deal for me.
And that has certainly happened many times.
Real talk.
It gets depressing when you fail an application process.
You invested time and money, and you go home with nothing.
If you are not physically, mentally and emotionally 100% well, you are likely not going to perform well.
Not doing your best or carelessly saying something bad about yourself, your previous employer, your school, your parents and so on, will likely ruin your opportunity to find a great job.
Whenever you’re looking for work, it’s always a good idea to get a job that pays higher than your previous job.
So if you’re earning Php 18,000 per month, you shouldn’t get a job that pays lower.
You deserve it.
Your family deserves it.
If you feel unworthy…
Just keep improving your skills.
That’s what I do.
I didn’t finish college and I know I’m competing with people who finished college and studied in reputable schools.
And I need to do something and have something special so I can win against job applicants more qualified than me.
And the way I see it, the way I’ll be able to do better is to continue learning more and more skills.
I learn new skills.
I work on improving my current skills.
I sacrifice some leisure time.
I fight my urge to spend a lot of time on Facebook, YouTube or playing games on my phone.
I sacrifice time spending with loser friends.
I buy books and pay to spend more time with people who are smarter than me and have achieved MY dream life.
And I try to improve my life and make myself a better person in the process.
Over time, I am able to ask for a higher pay.
Whenever I guided someone before an interview, they always get hired after a few attempts.
The reason, I think, is because it’s not very common for Filipinos to discuss career, work, money and personal goals with friends and family.
Many Filipinos that I’ve met personally are too prideful or too disinterested in discussing work, career moves, strategies and skills.
Not many Filipinos are intentional about building the life that they want and would rather depend on luck.
The primary reason, I believe, is that talking about these topics involve opening up and talking about your weakness.
So as far as personal practice goes, many Filipinos lack REAL practice with another person on the EXACT topics being talked about during job interviews.
Unless you’re fortunate enough to study in a nice school or come from a well to do family.
So if you’re having trouble getting hired, I encourage you to get help.
It’s usually a great idea to give something in return when you get help.
After all, everyone is in the same position.
We all trade time for money and enjoyment.
If someone is helping you, they are trading business time and personal time to help you out.
So getting help is not a right but a privilege.
Successful people are often happy but not obligated to help you.
If you’re asking a friend, treat them to a meal and offer cash.
A call center agent earns approximately 200-300 pesos an hour when they do overtime so it’s important to consider this when you decide how much you want to pay them.
Be respectful of people’s time.
If you’re dealing with a successful mentor, the least that you can do is offer to pay the bill (if you’re having lunch) and buy them coffee.
Prepare your questions in advance.
Write your questions on your notebooks.
Ask your questions and take notes.
If you want to win, it’s a lot harder when you’re going alone.
Don’t allow your arrogance to be the primary reason why you don’t have a job.
Thank you for reading this far and thanks for your attention.
I am praying for your success. God bless!
If you made it this far, you should introduce yourself.
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