Why I Decided to Find a Job after Graduation

Why I Decided to Find a Job after Graduation

• Posted by COACH KRISTINE 

In a transformation course that I took, the distinction between “choice” and “decision” was given. To decide means to select while considering past and present circumstances / to kill of all other options (-cide from suicide, genocide, homicide) while to choose means a free selection, after, but not based upon, reason or consideration.

From this context, “deciding” to work after graduation was literally killing off other options of becoming financially free. At that time, I was considering the history of my family and what I saw in the present. After grad, there was no way to go. I didn’t grow up in a family of entrepreneurs. As a kid, I saw my mom leave for work and then go back at 5pm to prepare dinner for all of us and the same goes for my dad. Employment is the “normal” path to take. It was the picture that I grew up with and I was already groomed (or programmed?) to lead that same quality of life. From what I can see now, this is the typical set up in most Filipino households. It’s almost automatic to be in a job after graduation and there’s nothing wrong with it.

My parents were able to sustain our lifestyle with their jobs, send us to school and made our lives relatively comfortable. They also showed us the value of money – that it’s something you should earn. It’s not something that you’re just entitled to because of your last name, position or status in society. All these will be enumerated in a separate blog entry.

I’ll just end this piece with a question. Most Filipinos may not yet be aware about the distinction of deciding to be in a job and choosing to be employed. A thought-provoking question to ask yourself now is “Given a choice, what would you be doing now? Will you still be doing your JOB?”