“There is a big difference. We are unique in our own and so as with them.”
Rewind.
When was the last time I entered the halls of Father Saturnino Urios University? Was that around four years ago? or last July 8? Oh, I remember. Wearing a black the Weekly Sillimanian shirt and a pinned Silliman emblem, I asked the guard about the entrance of FSUU.
Politely, I approached the security guard,“Guard, maayong hapon, muapply tana ko, asa dapit ng HR office dapit?” [Guard, good afternoon, I want to apply. Where is the HR office located?]
The guard showed me the way, and as he shows it, he handed a small plastic card to the metalic plate gate. In the middle of this metallic gate found a square-shape figure that acts as a detector for the ID. He swipes this plastic card to the square-shape figure and attach it like a magnet. This is what they call the Turnstile system. Its like in the MRT and LRT. Indeed, I am impressed with the system. Students and employees are monitored, attendance is checked promptly, and no student can attempt to cut classes because the information is encrypted in all data bases of the university.
As I walk through the right corridor of the College building (CB), my heart pounds quickly, dragging each arteries and veins to hold back. The way I breathe is irregular, inhaling nervousness and exhaling pressure at the moment. I don’t have any companion with me. I am alone. Alone. Alone...
I’ve found it! The office is located in a narrow portion of the right wing area of CB. The door is white with a rectangular glass is placed in the middle to serve as it window to the office. I twitched the doorknob and opened it. There are 3 employees and 2 student assistants busy encoding, answering phonecalls, and editing write-ups. I approached one of them, luckily, I was entertained by a fine-looking lady with a brilliant smile and accommodated some of my questions.
I asked: “Ma’am, is there any vacant teaching position in the high school?”
She replied: “For the moment we have to coordinate with the basic education department if there is vacancy.”
I handed down to her a white regular envelope enclosing an application letter, resume, and TOR for reference. Hoping that for the next few days the human resource director would call me and set me an appointment for an interview.
July 11
HR TEXTED MEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They replied to my application at last. I was about to send my little brother to school when Ma’am Cherry texted. By the way, Ma’am Cherry is the one accommodated me in the HR office. They set me an examination by July 12.
But she told me the only vacant position available is Research Assistant.
I said YES, I grabbed it. As long as I have a job in a moment, its fine. Bahala na.
July 12
I have my complete credentials with me placed in a brown envelope covered with plastic envelope bracing over it. Ma’am Cherry let me stay in their pastel-green colored couch for a moment. Again, MY HEART IS POUNDING LIKE A JACKHAMMER. I kept my composure to establish proper impression to the office, but my insides are tingling, roaring, and shouting. No time for a cliffhanger. I applied so I am obliged to respond to their application.
Ma’am Cherry accompanied me to a familiar and nostalgic testing room (I was able to get in there during the last year of my high school days). Entered with ease and sit to the most comfortable table to pacify the tension inside me. Before we start, she enumerated instructions for me to meticulously follow. Gave me a series of briefing and handed down a blank personal data form. And then we started. The 1st questionnaire (I guess) is the Otis-Lennon assessment. It was peculiar because Ma’am Cherry (who is the proctor at the moment) gave me only 15 minutes to answer 100 questions, ranging from English proficiency, to logic, and mathematical reasoning. What made it more peculiar is that it was pure American-standardized examination, though the questions are easy – but for a Filipina – it is soooo hard to understand, given from a Filipino context. Although, although I came from an American school but it does not mean we use dollar, dime, cent, and penny as a mean of exchange. Other questions follows:
English proficiecy: JARGON means _______________________. (LEVEL: well, this is easy)
Mathematical Proficiency: How many dime is equivalent to a penny if multipied by cents? (LEVEL: wait, what?)
Logic: 1 4 2 6 3 8 _ _ _, what will be the next number? (LEVEL: okay)
After that dreadful 15 minutes, I was able to answer around 30 or 45 questions.
The next questionnaire is more of a subjective type of test. Asked me to enumerate 3 most important personality that best describes me as an employee. I answered that I am honest, time-concious, and knowledgeable. Then the second last question is about the situation of Philippines in my context. Then I started mumbbling about federal systems and autonomy.
