Confession 5.0: Hullabaloo Hereafter
Camille Anne M. Arcilla, special to The Journalese
"No one makes a name by sheer luck. Hard work produces it."
“Sana grumaduate na ako. Ayo’ko na mag-aral.”
So... are you one of those who cannot wait any longer? You already want to get on that stage and grab your diploma? Itching to get out of school immediately?
And after earning a bachelor’s degree, what is next for you?
Last March 2012, an estimated 180 Thomasian Journalism students successfully ended their four-year endeavor in college. Finally, stressful days from academics are over.
No more recitations. No more reporting. No more quizzes. No more projects. No more major exams. No more dealing with (insert adjective here) professors. No more sleepless nights brought by those just mentioned.
They are now free from the clutches of the academe and its requirements which are boundless as the stars. But they could not so easily escape journalism. They are expected to apply for a job which is in line with their chosen course.
Those who end up in the media industry are fortunate. As for others, well, let us just say that they earned a job that could “pay the bills,” not to say that it is wrong though.
This year, the number of underemployed Filipinos increased. In the first quarter of last year it numbered 10.5 million and this 2012, the figures rose to 10.7 million! After graduation, what’s next?
Perhaps you started college life believing that you are destined for greatness; that right after graduation, you will become a reporter in a widely known broadcasting company or a writer perhaps for a national daily.
What most of us are not aware of is that right after we receive our diplomas, there are more difficulties that lie ahead, such as the tedious work of getting a job and settling for one.
Job hunting may be easier than it was before because with the help of the Internet, application could be done with just a few types and clicks. By merely uploading a copy of your résumé and answering some basic questions, or sometimes depending on the company, essay questions, presto! It’s done. No need to walk in to the company’s HR department to submit that paperful of achievements, which you hope would elicit good impressions.
However, there is still the agonizing wait for the employer calling you for an interview. Online applications are like raffle draws; you really have to have a lot of patience while waiting for your name to be drawn.
So you got the call, now facing the exam and interview is your dilemma. Some employers conduct a one-on-one interview while others prefer it with a panel. The interview is composed of questions from what you may find easy, hard, and silly. It matters to impress but there’s no substitute for being natural.
After the “grill” session, you wait yet again for another call, which would say either you “passed” or they regret to “inform you that you might want to consider other job opportunities outside the company.” It’s like acing or flunking your final exams, but times ten the difficulty.
When you finally get the job, the most important thing you have to consider is staying. Find your personal growth, at least. That way you also have a reason to settle for that work enough to sustain yourself and your family.
Taking one step at a time helps us fulfil our dreams. No one gets to be an editor without passing as a writer first. Even news reporters of famous television networks we look up to were once researchers or production assistants.
And your professors in major subjects? They also worked hard as practitioners (Editor’s note: some of them) and had to take a Master’s Degree (Editor’s note: again, some of them) just to impart their knowledge to their students.
This writer was in the rush to exit school during my last year in college. I was always thinking that maybe after graduation, I could already earn money for myself and do all the things I want. Not to mention, I was expecting grand opportunities because believed that I am qualified for the job I always wanted; may it be in a national broadsheet or on broadcast television.
However, after earning my bachelor’s degree, I became stagnant for four months. No job, no money, and nothing to do. Nada. I took all the efforts and confidence I could muster with me wherever I go just to get my dream job.
That “quarter-life crisis” that people say they have in their 20s also got a hold of me.
I took trainings in some companies only to realize that those kinds of job do not work for me; either they are too far away from my home, or I was looking for my own “personal growth,” or whatever reason there may be.
When I got accepted as a staff writer in our alma mater, I thought it ended there. Until that long-awaited call came. It was a one-shot opportunity that I would not miss in my entire life but it also meant that I had to leave UST.
The decision was not easy but when you are already done with being a student, every decision you make afterwards will hone your professional life.
So I took a step forward and made the decision.
No one makes a name by sheer luck. Hard work produces it.
There are a lot of stories our journalism graduates have, may it be their stories of success or failures. We should learn from them.
So you want to get out of school right away? Think about it. There is no turning back. J
Ms. Camille Anne M. Arcilla is a 2012 AB Journalism graduate and was last year’s managing editor of The Journalese.
"No one makes a name by sheer luck. Hard work produces it."
“Sana grumaduate na ako. Ayo’ko na mag-aral.”
So... are you one of those who cannot wait any longer? You already want to get on that stage and grab your diploma? Itching to get out of school immediately?
And after earning a bachelor’s degree, what is next for you?
Last March 2012, an estimated 180 Thomasian Journalism students successfully ended their four-year endeavor in college. Finally, stressful days from academics are over.
No more recitations. No more reporting. No more quizzes. No more projects. No more major exams. No more dealing with (insert adjective here) professors. No more sleepless nights brought by those just mentioned.
They are now free from the clutches of the academe and its requirements which are boundless as the stars. But they could not so easily escape journalism. They are expected to apply for a job which is in line with their chosen course.
Those who end up in the media industry are fortunate. As for others, well, let us just say that they earned a job that could “pay the bills,” not to say that it is wrong though.
This year, the number of underemployed Filipinos increased. In the first quarter of last year it numbered 10.5 million and this 2012, the figures rose to 10.7 million! After graduation, what’s next?
Perhaps you started college life believing that you are destined for greatness; that right after graduation, you will become a reporter in a widely known broadcasting company or a writer perhaps for a national daily.
What most of us are not aware of is that right after we receive our diplomas, there are more difficulties that lie ahead, such as the tedious work of getting a job and settling for one.
Job hunting may be easier than it was before because with the help of the Internet, application could be done with just a few types and clicks. By merely uploading a copy of your résumé and answering some basic questions, or sometimes depending on the company, essay questions, presto! It’s done. No need to walk in to the company’s HR department to submit that paperful of achievements, which you hope would elicit good impressions.
However, there is still the agonizing wait for the employer calling you for an interview. Online applications are like raffle draws; you really have to have a lot of patience while waiting for your name to be drawn.
So you got the call, now facing the exam and interview is your dilemma. Some employers conduct a one-on-one interview while others prefer it with a panel. The interview is composed of questions from what you may find easy, hard, and silly. It matters to impress but there’s no substitute for being natural.
After the “grill” session, you wait yet again for another call, which would say either you “passed” or they regret to “inform you that you might want to consider other job opportunities outside the company.” It’s like acing or flunking your final exams, but times ten the difficulty.
When you finally get the job, the most important thing you have to consider is staying. Find your personal growth, at least. That way you also have a reason to settle for that work enough to sustain yourself and your family.
Taking one step at a time helps us fulfil our dreams. No one gets to be an editor without passing as a writer first. Even news reporters of famous television networks we look up to were once researchers or production assistants.
And your professors in major subjects? They also worked hard as practitioners (Editor’s note: some of them) and had to take a Master’s Degree (Editor’s note: again, some of them) just to impart their knowledge to their students.
This writer was in the rush to exit school during my last year in college. I was always thinking that maybe after graduation, I could already earn money for myself and do all the things I want. Not to mention, I was expecting grand opportunities because believed that I am qualified for the job I always wanted; may it be in a national broadsheet or on broadcast television.
However, after earning my bachelor’s degree, I became stagnant for four months. No job, no money, and nothing to do. Nada. I took all the efforts and confidence I could muster with me wherever I go just to get my dream job.
That “quarter-life crisis” that people say they have in their 20s also got a hold of me.
I took trainings in some companies only to realize that those kinds of job do not work for me; either they are too far away from my home, or I was looking for my own “personal growth,” or whatever reason there may be.
When I got accepted as a staff writer in our alma mater, I thought it ended there. Until that long-awaited call came. It was a one-shot opportunity that I would not miss in my entire life but it also meant that I had to leave UST.
The decision was not easy but when you are already done with being a student, every decision you make afterwards will hone your professional life.
So I took a step forward and made the decision.
No one makes a name by sheer luck. Hard work produces it.
There are a lot of stories our journalism graduates have, may it be their stories of success or failures. We should learn from them.
So you want to get out of school right away? Think about it. There is no turning back. J
Ms. Camille Anne M. Arcilla is a 2012 AB Journalism graduate and was last year’s managing editor of The Journalese.