Maria from RISE For Youth
“I can get a thousand no’s but I just need one yes to have a job,” Maria reminded herself over and over as she applied to numerous jobs. Like many fresh graduates, Maria had to handle several rejections as she tried to get her foot in the door and start her career. Months into her job hunt she found a promising job opening through a community of young job seekers on Facebook called the RISE For Youth Career Support Group.
In the community, Maria also found career advice and online workshops that covered resume tips to interview questions. This online group is a part of the RISE For Youth (or Reducing Inequalities in Skills and Employment) Program, an initiative by the international nonprofit Makesense Asia with the support of Citi Foundation.
Along with applying for the opening shared in the group, Maria also took the time to read the resources available there. She soon heard back from the company, IKEA, inviting her to an interview. Following the interview, she received a job offer for a position under the Customer Relation Department, where she’d be starting as a cashier.
Looking back at her job hunt, Maria pointed out that the biggest obstacle in her way was herself. Wrestling with self-doubt, they questioned their fit for the desired position. This internal struggle is a common theme for many job seekers, and Maria openly shares the personal battles fought during this overwhelming part of her post-college life.
Overcoming self-doubt
“Malaking pagsubok talaga yung self-doubt,” she stressed. While this may be true, Maria added that it was also herself that helped her overcome her worries.
“Kaya thankful po ako na natutunan ko yung pag-encourage po sa aking sarili,” she explained.
“Sinasabi ko po na kaya ko at meron ding lugar kung saan need ang skills na meron ako.”
(Self-doubt really is a huge challenge. That’s why I’m thankful that I learned how to encourage myself. I always told myself that there’s a place where my skills are needed.)
Aside from having faith in herself and her skillset, Maria emphasized that another indispensable part of landing a job is knowing how to cooperate with others – a skill she developed by engaging with fellow job seekers in the RISE For Youth online community. “Kaya masasabi ko pong I’m a good team player sa work ko po,” Maria adds.
(That’s why I can say I’m a good team player at work.)
As she enters her 4th month of work, Maria faces new challenges such as learning the ropes of her role. While the learning curve may be steep, she notes that it’s her interactions with the customers that remind her how far she’s come.
“Yung favorite ko naman po is every time na makita ko na satisfied ang aking customer sa service na na ip-provide ko,” Maria stated.
(My favorite is every time I see that a customer is satisfied with the service I provided.)
