My 3-month career break finally ended this week, when I started my new job as an economic specialist. I came to the office really nervous about everything: about being late, about fitting in, about meeting the hiring manager again.
Soon, all my fears dissipated one by one as I got to know my new team and new environment better. And I must say it is a very good team.
Vernon, our boss, is from the US. He is in Manila for the week to train us. He is quite possibly one of the smartest person I know. He knows stuff. One time, while we were working on a group project, we thought we were doing very well with our reports and all. Then we read a sample of something he did before. BOOM. Paradigm shift and revision time.
The grueling interview and hiring process gave me an inkling about the kind of job I was getting into. It certainly stretched me and challenged all my powers. But I know I will love it. For months (years?), I kept thinking how great it would be to have a job that would include both research and writing. I did a lot of this in college, then briefly in Malacanang. Now I have this chance again. Wow. Now I believe that if you really want something so bad, you will eventually get it. This is a dream come true. 🙂
Aside from me, there were two others: Kevin and Vic. It is a good mix. We came from different backgrounds and Vernon said we were hired for different reasons. (Interestingly, our age brackets are also different).
Kevin came from an equity background. He also went to UST — he even went to the same building I went to. Like me, he was an Economics major but unlike me, he has an AB degree. Of course, I graduated way ahead of him.
Vic held a job in the government’s economic agency for a long time. I felt he did look familiar; maybe I saw him in one of those Cabinet meetings when I still worked in government.
Another guy, Karlo, will be coming on board in December.
This week is all training. Vernon wanted us to start working as a group and leverage off each other’s strengths and expertise. Already, we are gravitating towards different things. Vic is the econ data guy, Kevin the equities guy and me the risk and policy person. Karlo will be for fixed income.
As you can see, I am the only female in the group. But I am not worried at all. I discovered early on that they are great guys. They are smart and they love to share what they know. And they are so funny!
In fact, I didn’t expect Vic to call the boss “Uncle Vernon” out of the blue. Vernon was very cool about it and called Vic “Filch”. Then they ganged up on me and called me “Moaning Myrtle” because of my glasses. Hello? I am more Bellatrix and Tonks and Luna than Myrtle.
Later in the week, V introduced us to David, who also flew in from the US to train another team. He joined us on the team’s first ever drinking session. He is also a cool guy. Big movie buff. We all agreed that “White Chicks” is a must see and that there is wisdom in “The Karate Kid”. Wax on, wax off.
My teammates and I have a long road ahead. Lots of stuff to learn in the next year as we try to build the team. I know it will not be easy — the interview process was just the preview. But I also know that this is that job I’ve been wishing for for a long time. I am here now — I will give it my all and I will have fun. So help me God ^_~
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The view outside my window. OK enough but I am wary of places developed by Megaworld 😀
Instagram cliché but I just have to have a picture of my very first meal at the lunchroom: ginataang kalabasa at sitaw! It was very good too.
Agness
I could die for this food right now, so hungry!! 🙂
catchan1980
Dumpling time, Agness! 😀