Remembering WORK!

Just before I went to our room after dinner, I got my laptop and modem from the computer table in our sala. I have been putting my laptop and modem in and out our room a couple of times now.  OUT in the afternoon, and IN during night time. Because my laptop goes where Anevay is. If you get what I mean.

So, on my way to our room carrying the laptop and modem, memories flashes. Memories of me carrying papers, notebooks sometimes even the IP phone in my past work. Yes, and that memory is so clear to me that I have to blog about it.

It has been what ? Four months since I have left my first and only work. Do I regret leaving ? For now, I can say NO! I am happy with what life has been offering me but I cannot help but remember the experiences and time I have spent in what I have considered my second home. Those times when I have to spent so much time at the office, beyond office hours and even on weekends just to make sure that we are prepared for an audit that is coming up. Etiher ISO audit, peer review and even corporate audit. I may say that for the past eight years I have been with IBM Parts Center, I have never failed any audit. Documents and preparation wise.

I started with IBM as an on the job trainee. Yes, even if our college curriculum do not require us to undergo OJT, with college friends we went to Makati and drop off our resumes to different companies but we prioritize IBM. We really wanted to be a part of this company. I remember one time during our christmas get together, my Tito ask me where I will be applying for work. Without blinking I said IBM. Eventhough at that time I do not have knowledge about it.

When my brother told me that IBM called for an interview, I did not want to believe him. But luck would have it, it was true. I went to Paseo de Roxas, IBM’s office then and got interviewed by Homer. My would be supervisor turned good friend and kumpare. I got hired, I was elated but the happiness took a 360 degree turn when I saw where I will be working and the conditions during work. I would be working with a bunch of male OJTs and with an allowance of Php 180 per day.

I would not want to take it because I am being offered a five month contract. It was March so my contract will expire by August which means even if I graduate April I am still an OJT at IBM. Yet, I felt challenged. So I went in.

The first few days at IBM was not that smooth sailing. I am adjusting to the environment. I somehow shiver at the sight of Papa Joey. I do not know. I fear being in his presence. Little did I know that this man will be one of those that influenced my then budding career.

He honed me. He challenge me. In the end, I won the challenge, that he offered me a temporary work. A work for six months. Not under IBM but rather under the subsidiary of IBM, CITE. I was somehow dissapointed but at that time my emotions overrule my mind. I wanted to stay because I have grown to love the people I am working. In Papa Joey I found a father.

As a contractual employee, I started to shine. And somehow got notice by the ever meticulous big boss FTR. I have gained their trust that they let me handle the confidential details and presentations even if I am a neophyte.

I started to refined the processes of IBM parts center. I cannot remember how many the process are but what I know is that for every process there should be a detailed desk procedure, a flowchart and an sod chart. Because of this I mastered LOTUS FREELANCE (IBM uses LOTUS SMARTSUITE instead of MICROSOFT OFFICE during my early days ). Now, I can even come up with a detailed process for 30 mins.

Come 2000, Papa Joey resigned. His family migrated to the US. Homer went on to work to Saudi and FTR retired. With all of this loss, I took Papa Joey and Homer’s responsibility while we are being managed by a different guy.

2001, I got sick, went in and out of the hospital. Yet, even if I was sicked with LUPUS, my career bloomed. Even with LUPUS I was able to orchestrate successful peer reviews and corporate audit, program databases and even come up with processes rolled out for Asia Pacific countries. I have taken two Asia Pacific roles. And three local awards (including a BRAVO award) and one Asia Pacific award and commendation. Until now, my name is still known throughout AP. And there is one system in IBM parts Center that only i know all its modules. Yes, all this happens during the time I was struggling with LUPUS.

You see, I only mean to reminisce my IBM days but later on my entry I boasted off my accomplishment not for the sake of boasting but rather I wanted to inspire people who are like me sick. Yes, I am still sick with LUPUS. But I keep on fighting. I never ended my career because of it. Now, I am not working not because I had lupus but because I wanted to be a stay at home mom.

Being sick is not an excuse to stop striving. I would be a pity if you make it as an excuse. God sees those who help themselves.

I am happy where I am right now but I realized it won’t hurt if from time to time I would remember who I was as an employee. Then I thought my life revolved around work. That my work was my life. But now, my perspective has change. My priorities now is my family. It was nice that i have experienced all this and in the future I can tell this all to Anevay and her siblings (if god permits us to have some more children ). But for now I would be happy to be Joseph’s wife and Anevay’s Mother.