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Thank You CTU, My Home



It has been seven months since I was hired to my first ever "legitimate" job. Though I was connected to various companies before my university graduation, the feels are just really different when I do not need to juggle my studies and work.

As what I have said in my before, I never really imagined myself teaching a class. I might be training some students for press conferences, teaching as a profession did not really come to my mind when I was still planning my life ahead. In fact, I thought I will be working on a corporate set-up: meeting some clients, writing copies for ad work, and socializing on a company-sponsored event. But destiny has another route for me. To be honest, it was not really a bad decision to take a different course. Going back home and sharing my knowledge to the students of my hometown has been the best thing that happened to me. All these will not happen without my beloved Cebu Technological University - Barili Campus.

The Start of My Journey

The day was June 30, 2017. Two days after my graduation, I was really frustrated that I still did not land on any job. I was already searching for work on some job marketplaces, yet the posts that I like seem to be hiding from me. My thesis partner and I even defended our paper early so that we could start our job hunting. I never knew that searching for work will be a difficult task. Before we just went to some random contact center company, submit our resumes, got ourselves some interview, and then we will then receive our job offer by the end of the day. It even offered some competitive pay. This is the time that I realized that life after graduation is indeed the survival of the fittest. We are preys in a world of predators. We are neophytes in a world full of experts. I was so blind to think that it will be easy for me to land on a job.

After I told my Mom that I just settled on a digital marketing work with above minimum wage pay, she said to me that the Human Resource Officer of the nearby university asked her if she wanted me to work as a Part-time Instructor for the university. I was then so busy preparing for the Google Developers Group Cebu I/O Extended 2017 during that time, but I managed to give her a nod. She said that someone, in the name of Mrs. Jill Aiza Gabales, my soon-to-be department head, will be contacting me within the day. Since I am the type of person that is always in a hurry, I used my stalking skills to get her number. After chatting some random people, I was able to get her phone number. I texted her about the position and then she said that I will be interviewed a week after. I was just so excited.

July 4, 2017. The day of the interview. I did not know what to do. They asked me to demo a lesson for a panel that I barely know. I just acted that I was confident in front and voila, I officially had a job! Yay! Officially employed!

Why I stayed

Few months after teaching some students that are older than me, some people always ask me: why teach? Do you still have plans to work in the corporate world? I personally do not know the answer. To be honest, I am afraid that I may be laid off anytime because I do not have the security of tenure, but the students always motivate me to work. As long as they see their eyes sparkle after I told them some random factoid, everything will be okay for me. Though we Part-times face a lot of issues with regards to some people (which I do not want to disclose in this article because I might lose my work lol), all stress will be gone in seconds as soon as my students greet me. I do not know, but I feel so satisfied when I was talking in front of my class. I believe that this sense of satisfaction is not seen in the corporate arena.

Aside from my students, I was just so lucky that I work with the best people. From our college director Dr. Callao to my direct supervisor Ma'am Jill, to my fellow teachers in the College of Arts, Sciences, and Education Ma'am Maricris, Ma'am Daisy, Ma'am Marilyn, Sir Leslie, Ma'am Gen, Ma'am Margie, and Ma'am Joan, I really felt that I belong. They made me think that we are a family. From the random eating outs to the serious advice that they have given me, I know that working with them has made me become a better person and educator. With their guidance and wisdom, I know that I am in good hands.

I know that this is just a random drama from me, but I believe that it is perfect to appreciate little things. I do not know when this will last, but what matters most is that I am enjoying this moment and no one can take this away from me.

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