i started my first real job when i got out from law school. i realized that being a lawyer is not what i was meant to be, really. di kaya ng powers. I was lucky to be assigned in the human resource department of a telecom company and i felt luckier when i was placed under the direct supervision of an Asst. VP of Labor Relations.
He was strict. He didn't mince words to me when he felt I needed them. when he saw i fell short of his expectations, he would be direct with his disappointments. "Stupidity has no place in my office." i never took it personally but instead i worked harder to meet his expectations. Life itself was hard and it wont make any sense if he would sugarcoat his words.
when we attended meetings in hotel which were often, I always had this big document bag because his instructions included bringing my "office" (bond paper, clips, stapler, puncher, lots of pens and pencils, money etc). when i was dressed up inappropriately, he would not hesitate to give snide remarks. "Mukha kang kilyawan".
he taught me to be on my toes all the time. he would bring me to his meetings with the company bigwigs and even allowed me to talk to them. I remember one time, he sent me to the COO (Child of the Owner) who happened to be his best friend (couldn't recall why I was there), when she saw me, all she could tell was "Oh, you are Edmer's staff? Kawawa ka naman". :) it's either i looked so "basahan" to her (she was a ramp model) or i looked so stressed out and haggard.
he was from San Juan, Batangas and during light moments we would speak in our native punto (accent) while using the "strangest" words in the universe which only the two of us could understand.there were times when out of the blue he would ask me to go with him to Greenbelt (GB was not like what it is now) just to stroll around, "Tayo sa Greenbelt para mabawasan ang pagiging ulaga mo sa Makati." those moments were precious because there he would tell me bits and pieces of his life and career.
so why i am telling this now? perhaps because i see young and new employees in our company who have lots of potentials to achieve more and go far but they are badly in need of career guidance. it's sad that mentoring is not part of our culture and everyone can do his or her own way. kanya kanyang diskarte kung baga. life here maybe is a lot easier than being in other companies so there is really no necessity to be serious about careers. but i believe anyone who dreams big needs to have someone to look up to as his/her goal. to serve as a model, a guide and an inspiration.and that someone must be "real" and reachable.
this morning, i was having a chat with an office friend thru ym and we were exchanging "hinaings". i am fond of her because she seems to have a deeper sense of the world, whatever that means. and she is for me the most beautiful girl in the company, she wears no make up, she looks pretty even in whites, she goes to the gym, she talks with substance and she speaks English really well. she's lamenting that she feels like she is a "highly paid" clerk in this company. I told her its just fine to feel that way. there is no urgent reason to be bibo, after all mediocrity is the name of the game here.
although i don't see my future here anymore, i still hope there will be transformations along the way. its maybe too late but who knows.
