Yesterday, June 27th, was officially the first day of my unemployment.
Nope, I wasn’t fired, though my boss should’ve done that a long time ago. I quit the full-time, daytime shift. Yes, that’s right. Only the full-time position, because I know that the office manager will be desperate for experienced people.
I finally found an accounting-related job! After two years of praying, hoping, wishing, and struggling to trust on God regarding my career, my prayer has been answered with a YES!
You see, the company depends on the jobs that clients send. When my boss gave birth, the clients assumed that the company will temporarily shut down while my boss is on maternity leave. They didn’t realize that there are other people depending on the work that they send. And, so, there was a bit of a downtime. Something like a month without work – this also meant no income for most of us, except for the permanent employees.
So I sent out my résumé to different companies. Two of them gave me favourable answers: Compass Group Canada and Focus On The Family (FOTF) contacted me for interview. So the interviews were set a day after the other: Compass Group on a Monday (April 24th) and FOTF the next day.
I really wanted to get in FOTF, because
- the job is accounting-related (can’t remember the exact position);
- it’s in Langley – like, three or four blocks away;
- it’s full of Christians;
- it has a bookstore (hehe); and
- it’s in front of Campus Crusade for Christ HQ!
On the other hand, I didn’t really care how I did in the Compass Group interview. I was myself. I was very honest, telling Jodie (the lady who interviewed me) everything about my life in Triage, including the bit about me getting pissed off at some of my co-workers. I told her even the negative things about me. I totally didn’t care about getting the job at Compass Group.
So I was surprised – yet super delighted – when my office manager told me that a guy from Compass Group phoned her. She said she gave me a “good reference.” And she said she didn’t lie. Hehe.
Over a month after the FOTF interview, the guy who interviewed me sent me an e-mail saying that they gave it to somebody else. And I didn’t hear from Compass Group so I assumed that I didn’t get the job. But at that time, I was back at Triage so it was all right. I was disappointed but what could I do other than try again?
Then Ate Emy, the sister-in-law of a friend of my sister’s, told me that she was leaving the company for an accounting job at Best Buy. That was on June 9th. On the same day, I learned that her friend, Ate Mildred, was also leaving. I was really frustrated, angry, and upset. I complained to God. I even cried. And, of course, I went on shopping therapy.
Imagine how I felt when I checked my e-mail the night of June 13th. Jodie sent me an e-mail telling me that she was offering me another job! I didn’t get the accounting clerk position, but she offered me the accounts receivable clerk position.
Obviously I accepted it. It’s an opportunity for me to move on and obtain an accounting work experience. I’m smart enough to grab this opportunity.
When I told my office manager, Seema, that I was leaving, I felt relieved that she easily accepted it. But then, she was worried because only one person would do the database checking. So she chose (kinda) another Filipino – a good friend and church mate of mine – for me to train in database checking.
So last Monday, June 26th, I only did administrative work for Seema, writing a data entry training document and starting a generic coding guidelines document. Then we had this little “beginning-of-summer” party, with sandwiches and salad. It wasn’t a going-away party for me. (That’s OK. I didn’t want one ‘coz I don’t deserve it.)
It felt so good that they wished me luck, hugged me, and made me feel that I contributed something to the company. I knew I had a lot of screw-ups when I was a new to the company, but the boss, Johanna, felt she had to keep me. I will be forever grateful to her, and to Seema, Ate May, and Mary Anne.
So when I finally walked out the door, I was emotional. I almost cried! If not for the lady in the elevator, I would have cried my eyes out. I even wanted to cry on the SkyTrain.
Those people love me and I love them too. Platonically, of course. Hehe.
I am very happy that I got the job that I want (actually, not quite, but it’s a start). But two years’ worth of experience at Triage made it hard for me to leave. Well, from the professional perspective, it was easy. But I built relationships – friendships – with the people I worked with. I may be a snob and mean at times, but for me, my co-workers are great. (Well, not all of them, but that’s another story… wink wink).
I only pray that they will hire people who value quality of the work over quantity.
God bless y’all at Triage. I’ll pray for you guys everyday. And I’ll try to come in once in a while, not only to work but to visit. I love you guys, and I’ll miss you!
