I saw an ad in the newspapers for a radio newscaster, and since I knew I had a well modulated voice and excellent pronunciation (thanks to the teachers and nuns of St. Paul), I auditioned and successfully landed the job. It meant getting up real early and getting to the station before the first newscast at 6AM. I lived in San Juan and the station was in Makati Avenue, so that meant a good 45-minute commute.
I was paid minimum wage which, at the time, was P118.00 a day. Less taxes and SSS, that was just around P80 and change. Of course you have to keep in mind, this was the day and age when a jeepney ride cost only P1.50. The job itself was rather a breeze– we picked up news from the various dailies and re-wrote them for “audio-only” delivery. Many people don’t give a thought to the fact that news as read in a printed form like a newspaper is written differently as compared to news that is delivered on radio and still done differently when delivered on TV. (Okay, enough of Writing for Broadcast 101.)
My first job gave me a taste of being paid for my skills. I actually got the money as hard cash which made it all the more bittersweet. We were paid 15/30, and I remember the joy of getting my first paycheck which actually was a more fulfilling moment as compared to actually having gotten the job in the first place. I learned a lot of things in that first job — and I had my share of mistakes. I managed to hold my job for over a year until another opportunity came. It enabled me to see a lot of different people from the millionaire businessman who owned the station to the janitors, security guards and clerks. Not all of them were your typical Juan de la Cruz. I got my first taste of both the real goodness and evil in people — and I survived it.
From the get go, it was clear to me that this job was but a stepping stone. It wasn’t to be a career for me, because I knew I was there to help me achieve the bigger goal of finishing law school. Sometime at the end of my stint with this radio station, I got the chance to audition for what was then an all-female deejay station — I got the job now as deejay, but the problem was they wanted to assign me the midnight shift. It was then that my Mom reminded me I was trying to stay in law school that’s why I was looking for a job. I declined the job.
I felt I was part of the so-called productive portion of society. I felt a sense of accomplishment no matter how small my monetary gain was. I was scolded at times for having expressed an opinion when I was supposed to delivery the hard facts. I got in trouble for being involved with someone who drew the boss’s ire. I learned that a person of modest means was not necessarily a person with a kind heart. On the contrary, they can take advantage of one’s kindness just as easily as those who are outwardly scheming. I met a lot of interesting people.
Looking back now at that first job, it makes me feel proud about how far I have come. I am grateful for the lessons learned. No matter how nondescript that role was in the grand scheme of things, I know it made me a better person.
The stepson is currently on a fearless foray into the employment market. It has been an eye opener for him. The first company that responded to his submission was a company selling knives who took any Tom, Dick and Harry who applied. The catch was that you underwent training at company expense but had to put a deposit on your sales kit. After the initial euphoria had worn out and he had undergone two days’ training — reality hit him and he decided this wasn’t the right job for him. I don’t blame him — I have always personally admired sales people no matter how obnoxious they may be. Selling takes a certain kind of skill, and I knew early on I didn’t have it in me.
Meanwhile, the young man is beginning to realize the good jobs are not there for the taking for someone like him who has not even progressed beyond his freshman year. While I don’t think it will quite convince him to go back to school with a renewed zeal, I’m thinking it gave him a reality check. Ouch..
Pinay New Yorker 