The analogy between job hunting and..

...ROMANCE. The idea started when a friend of mine was getting 'hints' from a guy who happened to be in a relationship with another girl (Please don't condemn the guy. This blog is not about his story). I teased my friend being the guy's 'part-time job' and I didn't let go of that analogy since. Our comparison between employment and romance developed. Actually, the ideas we formed took a series of telebabad sessions as my friend's love story progressed. You may find this silly, lame, shallow, unoriginal, or whatever. If so, stop reading because I'm just about to list them down.

Seeking for a job is like seeking for a partner. Ergo, unemployment means singlehood.

Passing resumes/CVs is similar to choosing prospects. In job hunting, you try out at the companies you like before anywhere else. You may not end up there but you know you would die of regret if you didn't try. And later on, you pass your CVs to other prospects. And if you get really lucky, you may not end up where you intended to be, but you end up somewhere better. You only settle for kahit ano later on. The same goes in choosing a partner. You know that already, right? Hmm not too sure?

You show the best version of yourself in interviews. Job interviews make or break your chances of getting hired. You get the job by acing your exams and interviews. Sometimes, the cover letter and the sample works do the talking. This is the dating part in relationships. You gotta display your 'skills and abilities' and build a good chemistry with a potential partner. Duh. No need to explain this.

Wait for the call. In job hunting, this the HR's line after an interview. There are companies who will get back at you as soon as they can. There are times when you'll never hear from a potential employer ever again. And last, there are employers who make you hope (or guarantee) as if you get the job but turn out to be a sham. In relationships, this is the stage after/between dating. Results vary: You become a couple, get straight rejection, or hold on to a false hope. Whatever the outcome is, you charge it to experience. There is also an alternative scenario and it's when...

You get the job, BUT. This is a problem when you bag the job in a company you THOUGHT you wanted but suddenly had a change of mind. This is normal, I guess. Settling for a job is closing doors to other pending applications. In romance, it's like finding the right person after a few dates but still hesitate to commit because of other opportunities that could be missed. The latest Smart TV ad says, "there are many fish in the sea." There are many ones out there, indeed.

Hired! Finally, you're employed. But it's not a happy ending yet. The story is just about to begin. You prove your employer that they made a good decision in hiring you. You work hard. You build a good relationship with the boss. In love affairs, you try to make the relationship work against all odds. You resist other temptations that could ruin the relationship. The drama begins. 'Love conquers all' is your favorite motto.

You're employed, BUT. You have a job and you're not content with what you do. It may depress you, or maybe you just want something more. Or you are just plainly bored. At first, you seek for part-time job opportunities. But if the frustration gets worse, you start looking for a new employer. In romance, this is where INFIDELITY unfolds.

Losing grip. Resigning (or worse, being terminated) is like breaking up, is it not? And the cycle goes all over again.

(Originally posted in 2008)

My ideal guy

I was reading something on ideals the other day. My thoughts ended up on the ideal guy.

I have not much to say on boys due to my very dull lovelife, especially right now that work has taken over my life. I mean, before I even get really started with a potential it wraps up on a sour note already. No big deal anyway, since I can honestly say that love, that serious kind of love, has never been a priority. Not yet.

I don't set standards on men but I am inclined to arrogant, smart, dominant types. Those fictional guys like Gregory House. In real life, I don't think I'll be compatible with one, though.

My ideal man is a combination of qualities in men I have known, whether a family, friend, acquaintance, or a guy that got away:

Funny. Do I have to explain this? Would you not want someone to laugh with and laugh at?
Thoughtful. Little acts mean so much. It's just too CUUUUTE when they make an effort.
Sweet. I don't know if I should demand this trait because I'm not a sweet person myself. Hahaha!
Well-rounded. Because I am not!
God-fearing. It says a lot about one's values.
Patient. Again, because I am not.
Someone who will stay. Because I get cranky a lot and I have a tendency to be impossible to deal with.
Loyal. I resisted taken guys because I'd rather be single than settle with a cheat. Do you know how hard that is? :)
Hardworking. Someone with a goal and works for it. I want someone just as ambitious as I am. :P

Sooo...is this kind of guy ever coming around? Is he not gay? Are we on the same lifetime? Actually, I have more qualities in mind, but these are the non-negotiables. I will shut up now than turn this entry into one sappy epic.

UST @ 400

University of Santo Tomas just turned 400 years old.

And because as they say that 400 years is a long story, I'll lead you to my alma mater's history here. In this blog entry I will pay my own personal tribute to my home of four years in college.

I don't have a fairytale story why I ended up at UST. During my time, the most in-demand career choice was Nursing. I never saw myself as a nurse so I've had that already crossed out early on. My cousins who were in the IT field expected me to take up an IT course. But I didn't. I took up the UST Entrance Test and I didn't pass my first choice which was Advertising (I'm pretty sure it was because of my poor drawing skills). So next in line was Journalism.

I've always wanted to write. I loved leafing through magazines in highschool. It made my Journalism course easier to love. But in senior year and during my internships, I found a new love in the news industry. I was now more interested in current events than cutesy features stuff.

But more than the realization of what I wanted to be, UST gave me other things. It prepared me to the 'real life' I have now. Everything I wanted to become in my career, I'm slowly getting it because of my education of four years at UST. I've also had many experiences, firsts, and unforgettable moments that I happily look back, or snort at, that all happened at UST. It will take another entry to note them down.And all these four years of various experiences are much more fun to look back because of the people I've experienced it with. They say you meet your best set of friends in grade school and high school. While it may be true, I also found great friends worth keeping in my college years. It's been like seven years of highs and lows with these people. They may not be there all the time as I am not there all the time, too. But they're just a text message, or a Facebook chat and a tweet away.Character-wise, my four years of education taught me values and personal ethics that I have with me today. If any, alright. Teehee. Kidding aside, UST also taught me to dream, and not just dream, but to dream big. In highschool, I was so carefree and comfortable that I didn't think of the future (Heck, I wasn't even passionate in getting into college). Most of my dreams and ambitions all happened once I was at UST. And I wasn't only full of dreams, I also learned to work for it. Thank you, UST. No doubt you're still around, 400 years later.