How to Keep One's Job According to My Subconscious

Photo credit: brethollander.me

Pardon my use of character from EL James' 50 Shades of Grey. See, this is part 1, where my Subconscious, my "id", justifies the things a Pinoy/Pinay does just to keep his/her job.

A lot of us complain about our jobs. The most common complaints are the following:

   1. my job doesn't pay a lot
   2.  my job sucks
   3. my boss sucks
   4. my workplace is too far from home
   5. my co-workers suck
   6. I'm being made to do work outside my job description
   7. my job makes a slave of me


A survey was conducted by the National Census showing that unemployment rate in the Philippines is at 7.2% while underemployment rate is at 18.8%.  Unemployment refers to the absence of a job, underemployment means that one has a job, but the job pays below the minimum wage as required by law.*

So, with these statistics, it is clear that it is so hard to find a job here in the Philippines.

Here are a few tips and justifications to keep a job according to my "Subconscious":

1.  Try to see the good things about your job, whether it's your job itself, the office, the co-workers, the receptionist, the pantry, the vendors you pass by on your way to the office, your cute boss or co-worker, your trendy office phone or computer or whatever.  If you feel that your work is too far from home, then bring something to do while in the bus, jeep, train, taxi or even colorum van.   Just think positive and  the negative things you see about your job may be cancelled off by the good things.

Photo Credit: funtoosh.com

2. Try to be yourself.  Don't try to please everyone.  If you become too friendly, people will find you plastic.  If you're too professional, people will find you a snob. If you're too smart, people will say you're a know-it-all.  If you do your job well, somebody would think you want to be promoted and bypass all the others who came in before you.  If you don't do your job, people will say that you're lazy.  Wherever you put yourself, there will still be people who will find fault it no. So whatever you do, there will always be someone who won't like you or your guts so try to be yourself but maintain composure and courtesy all the time.

3. If you're not doing anything, idle chitchat with your co-workers is ok. But idle chitchat the whole 8 hours in the office is NOT okay.  Try to find something else to do: find out more about your office's history, your co-workers' jobs and offer your help to them if they're swamped with work while you're not. Filipinos are well-loved when they work abroad because the employers swear that Filipinos go out of their way to do more than their call of duty.  Filipinos seldom or don't complain at all even if we are asked more than what our job entails us to do.  Doing this won't hurt you, it just might take up some extra time, but think of it this way:  you might learn a lot from helping and your superiors might notice that you have a potential.

Photo credit: cartoonstock.com

4. If you make a mistake at work (or feel that you did but a big chunk of it was the fault of someone else), admit suck mistake (no matter how tiny and that it's merely contributory), apologize and suck it up. Try not to get "national census" from everyone in the office to tally who was right and who was wrong.   It's just your ego trying to justify yourself.  Instead of getting the sympathy of everyone, clarify whatever the issue is with your superior in order to avoid doing it again.

5. Make friends.  Our offices are our second homes.  Sometimes, we even spend more than half of our waking hours in the office.  So try not to look at your co-workers are your competitors.  Look at them as your potential friends.

Photo Credit: http://www.superenlightme.com

6. So you have evil co-workers. Giving in to their wickedness would make you a wimp.  Stand up and be strong. Don't let them put you down.  I saw somewhere that there's a good saying in case your co-workers and/or your boss are the meanest of the mean: "They'll die too!"

7. If you feel that you are getting bored with your job, try to find ways to liven it up. Or maybe, you need more social activities to make up for the boring job. Ask to be transferred to a different department, if you can.  Ask your human resources department for skills training or schooling for employees so you can avail of such benefit.  If you feel that you are so overburdered with your job, ask help. Use your leave credits, if you have any. There's no law prohibiting anyone from taking a leave from work, once in a while. Otherwise, that's involuntary servitude and is against human rights.

8.  I still have a lot of suggestions in my mind, but I feel that "8" is a lucky number so this will be my last advice.  Always remember that there are a lot of Filipinos out there, who would like to work, just so they can have money to buy their daily food.   So feel lucky that you are employed and you are contributing to the government's coffers with your taxes.

Seize the day!


*http://www.nscb.gov.ph/secstat/d_labor.asp

sMiLe!!