This article is a little late (as usual) for the simple message I want to convey. To the new graduates, let me echo the special greetings my university friend Don said to me upon my graduation: “Welcome To The World Of The Unemployed.”

I don’t have the time to check the statistics, but it appears to me that the local unemployment rate in the Philippines is on the rise since I bade farewell from the university.

As a new graduate, should you be worried? After school, what now?

To job or not to job? That is the question (which is obviously in wrong grammar).

I mentioned I don’t have time to check the statistics. What I really mean is, I couldn’t care less what the statistics are saying and neither should you. I care more about you, my dear fresh graduate readers. (If you know a fresh graduate, please pass this on.) I believe it will be to your advantage if you scrap the employment statistics altogether and focus instead on how to make it in the real world.

The World As I See It

Now, let’s talk about the real world.

Let me give you taste of what it’s like in the real world based on my personal observations.

• The world is unfair. That’s good news, baby. If it was fair, all the money, success and happiness in the world would go, by default, to the brightest boys and girls from your school. But that’s not the case in the real world. Because it’s unfair, it’s also giving you the chance to be rich, successful and happy without being in the honor list.
• The world is round. Sometimes you win; other times you loose. Sometimes you get fired for some unjustified reasons; other times you wish you were fired.
• The world is a daring adventure or nothing. Of course, that’s a paraphrased version of Helen Keller’s original piece: “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.”

Actually, there are many versions of that the-world-is thing. You can even craft your own. Here is one to try if you enjoy the game so far.

As a new graduate how to you see the world around you? Fill in the blank and complete the sentence below by substituting your favorite word from the options provided.

The world is ________.

1. flat
2. fat
3. fake
4. f___ (somebody please stop me from typing that f word)

You don’t have to answer that one right now, but please feel free to drop me a message as soon as you personally discover the answer. The comment box is just right there at the bottom.

The Wonderful World Of Unemployed

It’s a wonderful world indeed. Being unemployed, that is. You should know by now that I am unemployed for quite a long time already. And I just love it. It’s so addicting, I can’t go back to where I’ve been before.

But please don’t get my message wrong. I’m not trying to convince you NOT to get a job right after school. As a matter of fact, you should try to get a job as soon as possible. Everyone has to work for someone at some point in time to really experience the joy of giving a meaningful service.

Haah, words of wisdom!

That is the path I have taken after my final exit from the educational factory. Not having the transcript of records did not discourage me from sending application letters everywhere I see there is an opportunity that matches my taste.

I had one ambitious goal at that time: To cut the financial umbilical cord that connected me to my educational sponsors – 1) my aunt, 2) my parents, 3) my relatives, etc.

Five years of Engineering degree, what a heck? I had to find work or else I’d be tempted to commit suicide by pricking my head with a sharp straw someone left in the empty Coke bottle. Thanks heavens, I did find work in a matter of two months.

First, You Get The Job… And Then The Money

I have reasons to believe that you, too, can do it. With the Internet, your guts, and your fingers, why not? How you are going to do it is entirely up to you. As Friedrich Nietzsche would like to put it, “You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist.”

However you want to do it, here are some friendly notes to remember.

1. Work to learn, and then to earn. The former should be a top priority; the latter, you can safely bypass at the early stage of your career.
2. Look for work that will open up possible opportunities and keep your eyes wide open. How about loyalty? Why, is your employer loyal to you?
3. Work as though you were the owner of the business, not just a highly paid slave. Your employer will love you for it. As a side benefit, you feel good about yourself making a contribution to your employer.

I’m not a career guru so I will to limit my list of tips to a maximum of three. Let me end this article with the best of wishes on your career.

To the new graduates, best of lucks to you!