I was one of the resource speakers for the career options symposium of the Student Affairs of UP Manila this afternoon. I didn't prepare for the event, as in. Jacs and I brought only ourselves while the others brought vcd presentations! But I would like to think I did well, despite not having remembered now what I had blabbed in front of 30+ OrCom freshmen. I just know it basically contained how I got in the field I am in now, how the course helped me, the perks and downside of my work (the most awaited segment, I think---I used to watch out for the same when I was a freshman myself), and of course, the motivational spiels to discourage them from shifting two sems after this.
I got over the insecurity over my course, Organizational Communication. UP Manila and DLSU are the only universities offering this course. While DLSU's is more on the audio-visual side, we would like to think we are more than that. And yes, we are. See, the fields that we have gone into are quite diverse and it's basically because of the flexibility that the OrCOm curriculum itself offered to us. While many people stay until now that we will just be call center agents and glorified secretaries forever (and there is NOTHING wrong with being any of those, in the first place), the eight speakers are living testaments that you basically what you make of your career path. You chose whatever you wanna be, although there is never really total satisfaction with everything (just like mine now). Aminin nyo yan!
It was nice seing people whom you've interacted before...this time, there was no lower and upperclassmen thingy; we were all proud alumni in the workforce, putting our course in a good light, and at the same time reinforcing the freshmen's choice of getting into OrCom. I felt really proud being with these guys on the speaker's table.
First we had a batchmate, Motts Agulto, who's with ABS-CBN and ANC. She's come a long way talaga, and she had the Bantay Bata team and Korina Sanchez for mentors! Then Jacs--my Jacs, hehe-- who's now second in command as Assistant Editor of People Asia magazine. There was also Anne Ybanez, Marketing and Promotions Coordinator of Gandour Philippines, her batchmate Inah Samson (they were seniors when we were freshmen), the Training and Research Specialist of Smart Communications, Ingrid Cudia of GSIS-- the one who has been responsible for keeping GSIS and Winston Garcia's image afloat-- who has always been very impressive talaga. I remember her from internship seminars and debate trainings, she's so good. Apart from doing government work, she also started her small company called Sieg Web Solutions, and they are subcontractors for foreign companies that are small enough to have their own PR department, but big enough to subcontract that kind of service. Galing. I also had as co-panelist Jimuel dela Cruz, a program specialist for GMA-7, na I dunno if it is a good thing or not that Motts had to go early so she did not hear the stuff that he said. Lastly, there was also Atty. Jen Sagcal, who just passed the bar, and is now Junior Associate of Castillo Laman Tan Pantaleon and dela Cruz. And of course there's me.
I may rant over and over about my present job but moments like this speaking engagement makes me realize that I am in a good place right now. I just have NORMAL bouts of discontent and disillusioned career ideas, but hell, I have been to, or am in, something that I can be proud of naman di ba? Plus, I felt I am really an adult a while ago. While my only other exposure as a speaker or someone like behind a table for the others to listen and ask questions to was when training Embassy call center agents, this one's a welcome change. I found out I like talking and being interviewed by people pala. :) And with the totality of this experince, I now more greatly want to have a part-time research work (or let's call it raket) for the government (I am a professional civil service exam passer) and pursue higher studies on the side. I just hope that this will not wane. I hope this experience is the start of the spark that I've lost long ago.
miscellany stuff...
Apart from the guys (you still are, technically!), Jacs and Jimuel, I was the only female panelist who showed up in a boho get-up. While all of them looked their best in their corporate attire with matching AV presentations, I showed up looking like I was off to a bohemian party while delivering a speech on what I have become. I truly hope I inspired them, despite the fact that I was the only one without a business card (a downside of being a consular employee! the higher the degree of anonymity, the better!).
I really wanna thank Rachel for being so nice despite our boxing night being postponed. I got off the event quite late and she suggested that we do it tomorrow. I'll really make it up to you, sis. Mwah! :)