Jobseekers' Dilemma Strikes Again | Narrowband.org There is an important decision to be made. One which could potentially determine which industry I’ll be in for the next 30-40 years of my life. I am now smacked right in between university life and working life, and I have mixed feelings about being where I am. The various possible routes seem promising in their own right, and I’m hearing and reading this same line more than ever before: “It all depends on what you want (to do) in life”. Frankly, sometimes I even feel a tinge of regret for having applied for more than one position. But that’s really what everyone does these days - it’s an art of survival in this unforgiving rat race.

The interview experiences have been invaluable. There is much to learn from each interview opportunity, which is useful for future interviews. I have, however, stopped applying after realizing the complications I’m throwing myself into. Salary is obviously taking a backseat here, because if I were to decide based solely on that criterion, my life would be so much simpler. I wish I had someone to turn to for advice, someone like Isaac Mendez who could paint the future. By the way, I came across an interview by Guy Kawasaki with Penelope Trunk, titled Career Guidance for This Century. It’s a great interview, although I disagree with the Sexual Harassment part (#3).

I also have this strange inclination to believe that a more selective recruitment process would provide a more rewarding career path. A few of the companies have a very tedious and lengthy recruitment process, in which candidates are put through several rounds of interviews, group activities and individual assessments. This recruitment process may be used for both technical as well as non-technical vacancies but in any case, I somehow believe that the job prospects will not disappoint. If only someone could tell me otherwise.

On the other hand, one of the interviews I attended was pretty easy. It’s a big MNC but I got in without many questions asked, besides the usual ones. I recently learnt that they’re undergoing some agressive recruitment exercise - that explains how graduates could easily get in. I can’t help but feel that such recruitment exercises will compromise the quality of recruits, which will in turn affect services rendered to customers. I also feel indifferent, because I believe I have qualities that distinguish myself from other candidates. That said, the pay is still comparable to what most freshers are getting. In fact, it’s not bad, really.

But I’m looking at the bigger picture. A saliva-inducing starting pay may just be the pay you’ll be stuck with for a long time to come. So it really doesn’t mean anything at all. Besides, I’m still living with my parents so I guess I can still survive with a lower starting pay, but has better advancement prospects. Waitaminute, does this mean I’m ready to ditch the offer with the higher pay? *Wipes sweat*. Yes, at this point in life I’m already looking at advancement opportunities. I’ve been told to discard my idealistic mentality and get real. Hardwork, in any career, could always earn you a place at the top. Or could it, really?

In the interview, Penelope Trunk said not to worry about the first job (#10). But for my case, it’s more like choosing an industry, so I think there’s still a reason to be cautious. Anyway, I’ve come to this crossroad and I’m wondering where should I turn. Voice echoing: “…It all depends on what you want to do in life, narrowband…”. Argh…!

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