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| My ID at Rex Group of Companies |
This company ID is now 20 years old! :D I got this around April 22 or 23, 2004 from my first job in the book publishing industry, and I thought it would be nice to celebrate my 20th anniversary in this exciting field! And I am celebrating it with this new blog post on Labor Day!
My first publishing job was with Rex Bookstore, Inc., now known as Rex
Education, a champion of holistic education by providing top-quality
educational materials in different forms. It wasn’t my first job after college.
My first job was a few months earlier as a call center agent for Globe Telecoms. This job lasted only a
month because I quit a week after passing the training – I realized I couldn’t
handle the night schedule, despite being so young and supposedly energetic at
that time (I miss that feeling!)
In my case, I realized that I have a 20-year “anniversary” coming when
singer Christian Bautista celebrated his 20th year in
the showbiz industry last year. To clarify the significance of this peculiar detail, Christian
Bautista’s milestone became a marker because it coincided with the time when I was
looking for a job and also began admiring him. Everyone in my department knew
that I was a huge fan of the then-newest singer sensation Christian Bautista.
My boss even gave me a CD album of Christian B. for our Christmas party. He did
not know I already have three of the same album!
So going back to the first question, should I celebrate this 20-year
“anniversary?”
If I had stayed in one company continuously for the said number of
years, I should of course! Most companies reward their employees for their
loyalty, with a plaque, perhaps some monetary bonus, or even all-expense paid
vacations if the company is extra generous.
I only remained with Rex Bookstore for two wonderful years, from April
2004 to April 2006. (That time, my primary reason for leaving was the six-day work
week). So, of course, I am not eligible to receive any award. However, I am immensely
grateful to Rex Bookstore for providing me with projects years later when I transitioned
to freelance work by fate.
But still, yes, I think it would still be nice for me to commemorate this
milestone for many reasons.
One, my job at Rex Bookstore has allowed me to enter the world of book
publishing, and as a book and reading enthusiast, it was a dream come true. It
was the perfect place to hone my editing and proofreading skills as well as
other soft skills needed to thrive in the world of book production. After Rex,
my next jobs all involved book publishing, in particular, book editing. And
then, with the help of my fellow editors and great friends from another
esteemed publisher, I too became a book author myself.
It all started with that fateful day at home when, while I was probably
writing a movie script or a novel (a young girl can dream!), my mother showed
me a job advertisement for Rex Bookstore, Inc. in the Classified Ads section of
Manila Bulletin. (That’s how we searched for jobs 20 years ago!) Having already
experienced the challenges of working outside Quezon City, I found the job
opportunity in an office situated between Manila and QC worth pursuing. Naturally,
I had reservations about whether I was qualified to work as an editor in a Law
Department. But yeah, QC jobs related to my field were quite rare, so I seized
the opportunity head-on.
So, I am forever grateful to my mom for always being my number one
supporter and helping set the direction of my career. Back then, the options
for Communication Arts graduates like myself were limited. Fresh graduates
would usually only try broadcasting stations, newspaper and magazine outlets,
and advertising companies. I only tried broadcasting stations because the other
two options were in Pasig or Makati City. I got a job offer from ABS-CBN but I
was already two weeks in at Rex Bookstore when they called. Thank
you, mom! If I had been given an award, I would dedicate it to you of course!
I am also deeply indebted to my boss, Atty. Ernesto Salao, whom I
greatly admire for his intelligence, excellence, and charming wit (pengeng
pamasko, Atty. Hehe!). I remember, nearing the end of the interview for the
editorial assistant position I was applying for, Atty. Salao asked if I had
questions. I simply inquired about the work schedule and then concluded with
“No more questions, your Honor.” To this day, I believe that particular small
moment may be the thing that convinced Atty. Salao to hire me―a newcomer to book
publishing with no legal background, but with a dash of humor!
I am also grateful to Mr. Juanito Fontelera for giving me a chance. During
the final interview, he asked if I were a law student. I informed him I was
planning to enroll in law school. He replied, “Plano lang yan, matagal pa
yan.” “Yes, sir, it is. But my immediate plan is to do my best in the
law department, learn well, and apply my gained knowledge when I study law. Then,
vice versa, I can apply what I’ve learned in law school in my role here at Rex
Bookstore!”(A bit like a Miss Universe answer!) So, we all know the
ending. I got the job. However, I did not pursue law due to emotional exhaustion
from reading about bolo hacking and sexual assault cases almost daily (cry
emoji), and getting tired of reviewing long administrative cases, petitions
for certiorari, and failures to pay docket fees. Instead, I
enrolled in a Master of Development Communication program at the UPOU two years
after I left Rex Publishing.
Another reason to celebrate this event is the resilience gained and
character built from working 8 to 9 hours a day and enduring a 2 to 3-hour daily
commute. The first day at work experience brings so many challenges, especially,
not knowing anyone there. You pray for a kind seatmate (Ate Ling! Thank you for
welcoming me and helping me settle at my new desk!), caring officemates who won’t
let you eat alone at lunch (They were! Ate Amy, thank you!), and the ability
not to doze off in the afternoon while waiting for your turn to use the
internet (the room only had one PC for all the editorial assistants) and the
Black’s Law Dictionary located at the back center end of the room. This is a
very humbling and solid character-building experience for anyone. (A month
later, we were each given a Macintosh and then taught Adobe Pagemaker to help
input corrections on the layout versions of the documents we edited).
Then a week later, I met one of my best friends for life, now kumare,
Ate Meann! She was on vacation because she had just gotten married a month
before I started at Rex. Now we both wish I had started working a few months
earlier so I could have attended her wedding.
Third, it’s
worth celebrating and reminiscing about my first publishing job because of the
wonderful friends I gained, those mentioned above including Kuya Cris, Charm,
Fritzie, Kuya Ronnel, and of course my
immediate supervisor Kuya Elbert. I’m also grateful for friends outside the law
department Ate Rose, Mildred, Diosa, Ma’am Lai, Ate Abby, Ate Liza, Ate Glo,
Apol, Ate Weng, Ate Lydia, Ate Ne, Ate Quel, Ate Nhor, Ate Sonya, Sir Gab, and
then as a freelancer, Jessa, Eve, Almar, Micah, Atty. Ria, Ms. Ruth, Raquel … and
many more, I hope I did not forget anyone.
For me, celebrating important moments like a first job is meaningful. While
I may not receive a plaque of appreciation or a bonus, I celebrate through this
reflection knowing that, as mentioned by an article from Medium.com, “Even if
your first job was/is not your dream occupation, there’s always something to
take away from a work experience.”*
I invite you to celebrate and cherish your first jobs, as well as your
future work anniversaries (I hope they weren’t so bad!). If you haven’t
graduated or found a job yet, don’t worry, your time will come. Even if you don’t
land your dream job right away, please try to stay present. Have a backup plan
because time slips away, but don’t forget to absorb the learning and enjoy both
the adventure and the mundane aspects of your job. Discover more about yourself
as a person, a colleague, a friend, and even as a leader. Any decent job is an
excellent opportunity not only to improve your skills and increase your earning
capacity but also to make new friends, embark on a new life chapter, and create
beautiful memories to look back on 20 years from now.
All
glory to God!
*https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/first-job-important-your-career-chanjuan-pan
