Things I learned when school ended...

Hello there graduates of 2015! Are you done printing your resume? Are you preparing for job interviews?

I graduated last 2010. Can’t believe it’s almost 5 years already. I’ve been working for a couple of years and to tell you honestly, I can’t wait for my retirement. haha. Sure it’s fun to receive salary. It’s even more fun if you receive 13th and 14th month pay… but working is really exhausting and sometimes you wish you are a college student again, when everything seems so simpler. 

I must tell you that you only use less than 10% of what you learned when you are already working in a corporate world. Well, unless you are in a medical field, an attorney or any profession that has board exam. To tell you honestly, I don’t or should I say can’t use the things I learned in college in my field. My course and current field is a little bit of mismatch. I am Commerce  major in Information Systems graduate in HR field (payroll).

Anyways, here are the things I learned outside the school that I think they should include:

1) Kissing ass really works. Maybe not all the time, but it will really have an effect in your career. 

2) You must learn how to use Vlookup. Is it just me or am I absent in my computer class that I did not learn it in school? It is very useful to me (maybe just to me).

3) If you think you already encountered different types of people in school, wait till you step in the corporate world. You will meet thieves, whore, ass kissers, drama queens and other types of people in a different level. 

4) Even if you will stay until 4 am, if your boss doesn’t like you, you won’t receive an increase or  a 200 pesos Starbucks gift certificate or even a “Good Job”.

5) Managers are not necessarily the best in their field. I don’t want to elaborare (wink wink)

6) Just find a couple of office mates that you will trust and you will be ok.

There… I spit it out… Just enjoy the unemployed life… because I did… I was unemployed for 1 and a half years… well almost 2… 

But if you want a real advice please read this:  http://thoughtcatalog.com/brianna-wiest/2014/01/18-things-we-should-have-been-taught-as-teenagers/

SO HAPPY GRADUATION BATCH 2015 :)

Heaven knows I’m miserable now

“In my life why do Ismile to people I much rather kick in the eye?”

I am an introvert since birth. When the doctor slapped mybutt I didn’t react. They thought I am not alive. They slapped my butt again,but this time it was more painful.  So of course I cried. I gave what they want.

Anyway, fast forward to today, who would have thought that I am now working in HR Department as a payroll assistant. How the hell did I land the job? I didn’t apply that’s for sure.

I applied for Data Analyst position around 2011. I stayed for 3 months since my manager said I am not fit for that position. If you will think about it, that position really fits an introvert like me. You will just surf the net, cut, copy, paste… that’s it. You will do that for around 5 to 6 hours since 3 hours is allotted for lunch, morning and afternoon breaks and day dreaming.

Upon checking my resume and my perfect math test, she suggested that I can transfer to the Payroll Department or IT Dept. (since  in my resume I put that I made a Payroll System). So yeah, I was transferred to Payroll Dept. as a Payroll Processor. Another job that really fits an introvert like me. I stayed in that position for 3 months and then I was the “lucky”(?)  among others  to be sent to the client. They need a Payroll Support because their Payroll Processing is crumbling. So I was sent to save their payroll and timekeeping dilemma.

I didn’t know that they are sending me to HR Department of an American IT Company. The worst idea ever. Well of course at first. Being an HR practitioner is the last position in my “What do you want to be when you grow up?” list.  Being in HR means talking to people a lot. I mean a lot. I  diagnose myself having social phobia, social anxiety , asocial or even being autistic.

Too much human interaction is really hard for me.  Who would have thought that introverts and shy type  like me will find a niche in a department where talking and being around stranger is a must.

Today, I am working for almost 3 years as Payroll Assistant in the HR Department. Just recently, I am tasked to orient new hires about our Bi—weekly Payroll schedule and using our Timekeeping system.   I must say my first try was so bad. But when I did it again last week, I think it was better.

So hello there introverts! you can take a job that’s ultimately for extroverts or people person. You just have to try.

PS. My subject doesn’t connect with this post. I just used it since my opening line is from The Smiths song. This post is about the irony of life. (naks!)

Old and New Favorites

This post is still related to H&M close the loop event. 

So I was with my brother when we went to Megamall to watch the H & M Close the loop event. We went to see Up Dharma Down. The last time went to Megamall was to see who else, but still UDD. But we were late. We arrived around 5 pm and they were to perform around 4 pm. Buti na lang naabutan namin ang “Oo”. 

Anyway, we left earlier this time, afraid that we might be late again. We left around 3 pm for a 4 pm gig. Lo and be hold, when we were already inside MRT, there was no signal or whatever so we have to wait for some time until they will resume the operation. Of course we can’t wait. Damn you MRT! Why now? So we decided to take refund of my stored value cards and walk for how many meters to ride the bus. We ride on a non-air conditioned bus because, well we have no choice.

So to make our travel story short, we arrived around 4 30 and I think they were just performing their 2nd song. Our goal is to be in front, but of course we were late, so we can’t do that. 

Up Dharma Down never fails to amaze me. The sound was very clear, not “wasak” or “basag” sound like an ordinary band sound like. I think that’s because they have a personal sound engineer at the side maneuvering technical stuff. Other bands didn’t have this kind of sound control so their sound was not as crystal clear as UDD.

They sang “Oo”, “Tadhana”, “Indak”, “All the Good things” and “Sana”. Armi was funny in between songs. She was making jokes.

I will never ever get tired of watching UDD. I just can’t. 

Maybe the biggest surprise of the night, well, one of… is The Cheats. Prior with this event, I never heard their music. Because, well as I mentioned before I’m old and stuck with the 2004-2010 bands and has no energy to listen to new bands. Thanks to H & M I was able to see and know the Cheats. As of this writing their debut album is played repeatedly on my Ipod and Spotify. 

The bad thing was unlike UDD whose sound was so clear, the guitars and other instruments  of The Cheats were overpowering the sweet voices of Candy and Saab and Jim’s rocking voice. I can’t understand the lyrics. But what’s good was their energy. They were so engaging and I know that the songs seems good.Well Ely Buendia is the producer of their album, nonetheless so they must be really good. They kept moving and moving around the stage, head banging, and just well, rocking it out for a lack of better term on what they are actually doing.

As you can see in the pictures, they are moving around or closing their eyes like they really feel the song they were singing.

In between songs thy were doing their spiels in a coño way but it was quite cute and funny. Even though I never understood the lyrics during their live gig, I downloaded their songs (legally!) and they are actually good. I am loving “Summer” and “Newspaper Girl”. I am just hoping that next time when I will see them again live, the sound is better because their songs are worth the time to listen to.

So if you have time, please listen to The Cheats. They are worth your memory space on your Ipod and unleash your head banging skills.

Pupil version 2015

I’m getting old. The last concert I’ve been to was the New Year Countdown at Resort’s World Manila where Ely Buendia was so close to us. Approximately half a meter away and a 3 feet stage. 

I never thought that I will be so much closer to him. Thanks to H & M, the distance was shockingly half a ruler and maybe a 12 inch stage. As what Ely said this was the closest they have been while performing or in a gig. I was so close that I could count his white hair… so close I can read their setlist. 

To be honest I was a little bit disappointed when I saw the set list. Most are from their new album “Zilch”. If they released this when I’m still in college, I already purchased it and I can sing along with the band. But no, I am already in an age where quarter-life crisis is predominantly popular. Sayang, I can’t show him that I know the songs. We made eye contact pa naman.

The first two songs were “Firewall” and “Why”. The third song was 20/20 from Limters of the Infinity Pool. At last I know the song and was able to sing along. Next was “Resonate”. Then some group of teen age boys were requesting for “Monobloc” from Wildlife album. Ely joked that Jerome Velasco (their new guitarist replacing Yan Yuzon) is still learning their songs. So I blurted out “Nasaan Ka” from Beautiful Machines. He said “Yun. Yung mas madali na lang”. Haaay… it was surreal. It was beautifully sang. I sang along, and surprisingly almost all of the people knew the song. Ely maybe became happy to know that people still know songs from Pupil (and not just his old band). Then maybe he was hyped up, someone requested for Magasin. He joked “Mag aasin?”. So yes, he performed it with a different flavor. Different from the Eheads, solo Ely Buendia style. It’s slow but still with heavy riiffs of Pupill.  Ang ganda lang. Magasin is the song that I didn’t like at first but just grew on me. I really liked the version of Ely when he sings this on his solo gig. At some point he said “Kayo na lang kaya kumanta” because we were all singing we beat the sound of his voice or even his guitars. Ang saya lang. 

Because he was so close and it’s my first time to use my Canon S 140 in taking pictures during concerts, I am practicing using aperture, shutter speed and ISO or whatever. haha. Anyway, some were requesting for “Hey Jude”, “Hey Jay”, Ely gamely do the intro riffs if those songs. Then the they also requesting other songs from his old band. I like to say“Please stop it!” since Ely is quite in a good mood so don’t ruin it. He already played “Magasin” and I can feel that he is really in a good happy mood. I think that every time he is with Pupil, he is more comfortable with them. Unlike being a solo artist (he sends really different vibe when he is performing alone), and the Oktaves, I can really see the passion and happiness when he is with Pupil. It’s his comfort zone. After that nostalgic songs, they performed new songs like “Cheap” and “Out of Control”, At the end, he throw his guitar pick while saying “Sa inyo na lang”. I don’t know if I’m imagining but he’s looking at me. Sayang! I almost got it, pero there was a taller guy eh. So yun, I told you, iba yung vibe niya that day. The happiest performance I’ve seen him during their gigs.

Wendell Garcia, the happiest drummer boy ..but not seen in this picture

                                Dok Sergio fixing his effects

                                           his signature pose

Ely wearing polka dot polo while showing his white hair…still looks good.

The disadvantage of being close is not getting a complete band shot 

Haaay… with this gig I rekindled my love affair with the band music and scene.
Thank you H&M for the giving us literal  “CLOSE” the loop experience.