Gratitude Log II

It’s 9:00pm as I’m typing this, and I’m tempted to make another Minute Warning post. But instead, I will take this time to be thankful and make the 2nd edition of the Gratitude Log!

So, what am I thankful for as of this moment? Well, this is going to be a long post because it’s about my current job. Buckle up!

I’m Thankful for My Job as an Admin Assistant

The End of Being a Corporate Employee (for Now)

For 5 years I loved working on web and graphic design projects for my employer Particle Six, and I loved the company like my family. But since August 2019, I can’t handle the high level of stress any longer. So after a weekend and one WWE live event viewing with my Younger Brother that gave my mind more clarity, I gave my resignation letter on September 23, 2019. My boss accepted my resignation letter immediately and I said my goodbyes to all that night.

After resigning, I planned on resting for 3 months and then looking for a new job. I didn’t expect that the latter would be more difficult.

Difficulty in Looking for a New Job

After 3 months of rest, I started looking for a new job. I’m looking for a job that is located in Ortigas, that pays well, and has a fun work culture. 3 months became 6 months because the high-paying jobs that I found were located farther from Ortigas. So I made an adjustment: I became willing to work in Makati and BGC. But that didn’t make my job hunt easier because I would always get job interviews and never job offers.

Then the tough job hunting became more difficult when the COVID-19 pandemic happened. I got a few small freelance design jobs during the pandemic (and I’m thankful for them), but I never found my desired corporate job (even until now).

And because I didn’t have a stable job, I had to be careful spending money. My Father would help me financially while I was looking for work, which I reluctantly accepted. But of course, I don’t want to keep on depending on him for much longer. I truly want a stable job so I can save more money and buy the things I want.

Should I Join the Family Business or Not?

On October 23, 2022, we celebrated my Mother’s, Father’s, and younger brothers’ birthdays at a buffet in San Juan. While we were eating, Father brought up the idea of me working for the family business full-time. Mother and Younger Brother funnily told me to take the offer. And because I don’t want to keep on depending on my Father financially and I think the company needs my help, I started considering taking the job.

And then in November 2022, I decided to join the company starting in January 2023. Because of that, I considered November and December 2022 as my final months as a freelancer. At that time, I savored every day because I was expecting a lot of work once I joined the company.

Now Working as an Admin Assistant

Finally, on January 16, 2023, I started working for the family business as an administrative assistant. The job is obviously not in line with my creative profession; gone are the days of designing social media materials and websites during the day. It took me a few months to get used to working on Word documents and Excel sheets and taking phone calls. And honestly, working as an admin assistant pays much less than my previous work. But now I have a job that taught me how to work on documents with speed and accuracy. Now I have a job that helps me financially; now I can save more monthly and spend money (carefully, that is). Now I have a job that gives me time to be creative and to rest whenever I don’t have any tasks. And most importantly, now I have a job that helps and nurtures my family’s company.

It has been almost 8 months since I started being an admin assistant, and lately, I have been looking for a new web/graphic design job on the side. I might consider working both as a designer and an admin assistant, but for now, I’m thankful for what I have now. Thank you, my family, for my current job.

And that concludes the 2nd edition of the Gratitude Log. ‘Til the next post!

Mark my f’n words,

The Deranged Writer

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Header image: Anete Lusina of Pexels. Edited in Adobe Photoshop 2022.