The Big J

no, this is not about the living legend of philippine basketball Robert Jaworski, i'm talking about the other big j, or more appropriately the quest for a big j, a job.

now that my academic life is over and the licensure exam is in the bag, i'm now pressured to look for work. don't get me wrong, it's not that i don't want to work and help out, it's just that i don't want to rush this, this could make or break my life. but i guess i don't have that luxury anymore, the effects of my 2 year college extension are taking its toll on me.

like my career choice in college, i'm going in blind. i was accepted in ateneo de manila in their BS math program, and though math was my thing, the location and the tuition fee scared my parents. next stop was mechanical engineering at UST. i was all set until my grandpa persuaded me to take a different path. apparently UP manila reconsiders UPCAT examinees who didn't make the quota but still had high scores. with UP's less-than-a-cellphone's worth tuition fee together with promises from my parents (which by the way were never fulfilled), i took the chance and put my future in the hands of the UP manila registrar. industrial pharmacy was where i'm headed but in time i have grown to love this course that i used to despise. and now here i am, a registered pharmacist.

after sending out my distress signal, helping hands were aplenty. job openings here and there, tips from experienced colleagues, the support was overwhelming. and though the most common advice was to decide on where i want to be, whether hospital, manufacturing or whatever, bottom line is, i don't have to think about it carefully. another ear-popping "look for a job" speech would make me ship out of this joint and take whatever job there is just to say "you happy?" when the real question should be "am i happy?"