by Florence Pia G. Yu
Published: Sun Star Daily
Cebu City, Philippines
March 16, 2001
Special Supplement, page 7
That may feel like a thousand bricks crashing down on you.
Here's the deal: You're been pencil-pushing for fifteen, maybe twenty years (March graduates-to-be, pay attention. Your life depends on it!). You've even got the callous in your middle finger to prove it. One year in pre-school. Six years in elementary. Four years in high school and another four years--or more--in college.
Add that up, you've actually spent fifteen or so years studying.
Now, you're finally out the portals of your dear alma mater. You are ready to breathe a sigh of relief when..aargh! It just occurred to you that you're a new addition to the jobless!
You could feel your ego crumbling by the minute.
In a few days, or months, questions like,'So, have you found a job yet?' are going to rain on you like razor sharp daggers. You might eagerly answer, 'Yes, I do part time work at so and so..' only to be stopped squat with the other person's unimpressed, 'Oh?'
And so you start to pick up what's left of your ego and be on your way to hunt for a job. A real job (because according to your darling sister, part time work doesn't count. Aargh! Where's the support when you need it?)
Before you begin going berserk, stop. Relax. There's no neon sign on your forehead that says, 'LOSER'. Image is in the mind.
At a time like this (nope, hide that juicy fruit, buddy) you need to re-evaluate your goals. What do you want ?
Resuscitate your gimmick life? Now that you can no longer milk spending cash from Mama, your gimmick life will be reduced to ashes. Oh, that definitely sucks.
Drive that car? But first you need to get the money to buy that wheels. Wear that Armani? Feel successful?
Re-establish your goals. Then, drive the hammer.
Refuse to wallow in the rut, and take matters into your own hands. Suddenly, become bestfriends with the papers. Peruse through the Classifieds and refuse to be called an over-aged dependent. Bum. Loser. Then, exercise those limbs and start mailing those applications.
Word of caution, though: the "perfect job" is non-existent (no use pulling out all that hair). So, you can either grab at every offer or select the jobs you are applying for in good taste. Here's where compromise sets in.How far are you willing to bend? It's up to you.
Like they say, patience is a virtue. This time, let patience work for you.
In the meantime, breathe.
So you don't have a job. Yet. Relax. Think of it as a well-deserved break.
Feels good, doesn't it?