Happy 20 Years in the Book Publishing Industry!

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!)

Time flies quickly, and as we all wonder where it went, you’re probably reflecting on your first job too. How long has it been since then? Is a first job anniversary worth celebrating? Perhaps you’re also assessing if it turned out well and has served you in later years, especially now. Or if given the chance to live your life all over again, would you apply for the same job?

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.”* My takeaway from working for Rex Bookstore, Inc. is the skills and character that I’ve developed. These gems greatly benefit me as a freelance editor and writer, helped me survive the pandemic,  and set me up for other freelancing opportunities. I cherish the awesome friends and those memorable moments at Sto. Domingo Church near the office, where I prayed for a good future that is now unfolding (Thank you, Jesus!), and many more. So, yes, if I had a chance to live my life all over again, I would apply for the same job in the same company. Sometimes, I even dream I still work at Rex!  

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