Happy Beerday Bebe!

Due to the birthdate discrepancy that I have in my NSO birth certificate, I got to celebrate my birthday twice this month- Oct. 20 and 26. Pero mas feel ko pa rin ung 26, kse ngayon pa rin ako nigreet ng friends ko! :)

Woke up at 8am which is very unusual for me. Tumunog kse ung human alarm clock ko --- Mama's kakairitang nag, akala mo nakamegaphone na boses dahil there's another incident brought by Cholo's antics. May dinambahan sha na bata who's riding his bicycle. Ayun semplang galore ung bata, nakakaawa. Andami nyang bruises --- right at his knees, ankles, elbows, buti na lang wala sa mukha. Sobrang kinis at flawless pa man din nung bata, mukhang rich kid. As in rich kid na nagmukha akong yaya -- kakagising ko lang, walang hilamos, walang toothbrush at ayun career ang pagnunurse sa mga sugat ng lolo mo. Hydrogen Peroxide here, betadine there. At san ka pa, pinandigan nya ang pagsisilbi ko ha, "Ate dito pa meron po oh!". So un, pero nakakaawa tlga. Cute ung bata pero geeky ang look. Don't worry, wala akong interes noh, 15y/o lang ata un. hehehe. Nakakaloka pa kse may bruise din sha under his armpit, he showed it to me para makita ko ang severity nun impact ng kaengotan nya. Tapos eh di ang sabi ng mother mo eh "Taas mo shirt mo para malagyan natin ng betadine", and he was like "Gusto mo tanggalin ko na lang shirt ko" NAKAKALOKA! Baka mademanda pa ako na nangmomolescha ako ng bata noh! So I said, "Wag na, taas mo lang." :) Hahaha! Kakaloka, what a way to start my birthday noh - sermon kay mama, bwiset na cholo at kaawa-awang bata. Wish ko lang eh nde magdrama sa nanay nya ung bata et baka sumugod dito dala ang baranggay tanod para kunin si Cholo. Hai.

Enough of that.

So tonight, ako ang in-charge to cook the dinner, with the help of Narlyn as always. I was given a budget of 500php so I decided on cooking Hamonado, Gising-Gising, Crispy Tilapia and Mechado. Mala-Recipes ang menu ng mother mo daba?!?! Of course nde nagkasha ang 500 noh, abonado pa ako ng 150 bucks. Engot tlga ako sa budgeting cheverlu. Pero okay na rin, nabusog naman ang people dito. :)

Btw, according to the logistics people eh next week daw ang flight ko, they gave me a new itinerary, Thursday Nov. 1, kaso naman I'm worried of the 1-hour interval ng connecting flight. If there would be delays on my first flight, for sure maiiwanan ako nung connecting flight. So I requested na weekend na lang - Nov.3 or 4 kaso until now no reply from the travel agency daw. So mukhang madame pa akong tambay time. I'm not in a hurry naman so chillax lang. :)

p.s. Next time na yung pictures guys. Natatamad ako eh.

Good News and Bad News!!!

Bad News!
My connecting flight is still on waitlist, therefore, we have to defer my departure.

Good News!
I get to spend my birthday with my family before I leave the country! Yey! I just hope that in the new itinerary, my stopover is still in Singapore. Para makabili kame ni ate ng gift for me! Hehe! :)

......a few of my friends, okay, mother rhea and ote in KL, have been posting private entries lately. hmmm?! and since those were private, i don't get to read them, unless they give me the password. hehehe. ote does give me her password sometimes. oh well, atleast i get to chat with them from time to time. they just had their broadband installed, so they're online most of the time. and of course, their multiply accounts are always updated. i get to see them and their new colleagues. madz, hope you get the message, since you have the broadband already, perhaps you can update your blogs as well. hihi! wala na akong mabasa eh. :) mishu!

......i mailed my contact person in logistics a few days ago to request for an earlier flight to singapore. drama galore ang email ng lola nyo, kesho "i want to spend a couple of more hours with my sister in SG" churva! oh well, proven to be effective. they booked another flight, around 7-11 am, of course within the same day. yipee! then the connecting flight has been retained, the following day pa un. bait nila ha! i've been really demanding in terms of the flight schedules and this would be the 3rd itinerary that they have booked. kumusta naman un?! atleast makakapasyal pa ako ng konti. kaso nga lang nde ko pa rin mabibisita sila madz in KL. huhu.

......the embassy had received my visa application last monday afternoon. pam monitored the package and she texted me yesterday morning na nareceive na sa KL ung package. just today, the embassy emailed me that the visa has been processed already. this is it! tuloy na talaga. ngayon pa lang nagsisink in sakin lahat. hai.

Preps of a Soon-To-Be OFW

Pwede ba expat na lang para mejo shala pakinggan?! hehehe!

Get ACN backpay to be used as show money - CHECK!
At long last, I got my last paycheck! Kumusta naman, sa dame ng nagreresign eh napakarami din ang kumukuha ng backpay the day I went to Libran. When I was in the elevator, may kasama akong ACN employee and I saw her blue proxy. Naisip ko, meron din ako nyan dati at nakailang paayos pa ako dahil laging nasisira! hehehe!

Request for Bank Certificate which will serve as "show money" for the visa application - CHECK!
I used my Metrobank savings account, actually, it used to be my payroll account when I was in ACN. Requesting for bank certificate has to be on your account branch talaga kaya I had to go to Atrium pa. At kumusta na naman, pinaligiran na naman ako ng ACN employees requesting for bank certificates as well. Mga masuswerteng mao-onshore un mga un. There were some na nagenroll naman for online banking, so ako naman, gumaya na rin. Hehe! Since Metrobank has swift code, I can remit money (from anywhere in the world) to this account and pay my bills online na lang. Galing!

Borrow FedEx account to avail the 2-way service for my passport - CHECK!
Buti na lang talaga at anjan ang SDV Phils., former office of my sister. They're very nice to lend me their International FedEx account. Thanks Tita Luz and Ate.

Apply for AFPSLAI account - CHECK!
This is where I will keep my savings. Imagine, every quarter the interest is 4%, so per annum 16%. Anlaki daba??!! However, this is only exclusive for AFP folks and their dependents. Since daddy was a former officer, actually a Lt. Colonel, and mommy's a civilian employee in Camp Aguinaldo, I, as a dependent, can open an account. Ansaya nga eh. Kaso ang downside eh they only allow 30K maximum deposit for every quarter. So nde kasha pera ko! Haha! Joke, yabang! Basta un, issuance of the passbook and ID would be this Thursday. Nga pla, isipin mo passbook sha pero 1K lang ang maintaining balance, galing dba?!

Have a Medical Checkup - CHECK!
Just had this last Friday. I really don't like having these medical exams. I opted to have it at Patient First since it was a lot cheaper compared to Asian Hospital. Haller, of course naman. Nagpaquote kse ako dun thru my cousin and she estimated more or less 5-6K. Eh sa PF 2K lang. So un, the usual tests but this time isang syringe ng dugo ang kinuha sakin. Naloka ako sabi ko, andami naman! Eh oo nga pla, napakaraming tests ang required sa blood ko like HIV chuva, Hepa B and mga iba pang kaartehan. Anyway, I will follow up the results this Monday and I'm dreading it! Kapag may findings sa urine ko and xray, nakow baka maging cause of delay pa un. You know, I'm a smoker, acidic and I think mataas ang sugar chuva ko. The urine test focused on sugar and albumin content kase. Kung anuman un, I hope wala nang findings! Lord, help me!!!

Send Visa Application to KL where the embassy is located - CHECK!
Thanks to my dear friend Pam who had helped me a lot on this matter. She's working as CS kse in FedEx, she told me how to avail the 2-way service, she'll be the one to monitor the package and request to pick up of my passport from KL after the processing. Thanks thanks Pam! I owe you one talaga!

Apply for Asenso Kabayan BDO Remittance Account - CHECK!
Eto gamit ni ate ngayon so nakigaya ulet ako. Nakakatuwa kse 100 bucks lang ang deposit!

Plane Ticket
Though meron nang nabook un employer, I'm still requesting for an earlier flight para I can spend a couple of more hours with Ate during my stopover at Singapore. Sana lang tlga may available flights na mas maaga ng ilang oras. Mejo naiinis na siguro sakin si Joyce from logistics, sobrang demanding ko na ata. hehe!

Get last paycheck from Amkor
This will be available after 45 working days pa, so Nov. 23 pa ata. I need to acquire 3 original copies of SPA for this to authorize Mama. She'll be the one to get my backpay na lang.

Check things to bring
I have my list already, actually, it's on excel pa nga kaso I haven't gone through my stuff yet. Mejo natatamad pa ako and I need to buy a few formal clothes pa. Balik business wear na naman ang lola nyo! Pwede kaya havaianas dun?! Hehehe! Dating gawi, habang nagcocode, nakaslippers lang, pag tatayo na saka lang isusuot ang pumps or mules. hehe.


I still have a lot of stuff to prepare. Nakow, crossed fingers na lang talaga ako sa visa. Nde naman siguro sila maarte. Naman, gumastos na ako sa medical ha! Hehe!

Hello KL!

My passport is on its way to KL, Malaysia. WITHOUT ME. :( Buti pa sha, lumarga na! Say hi na lang to my madz over there! :)

updates on my to-do list

kanina nag-halfday ako para ayusin pa ulet ung other papers ko. nabubwiset talaga ako sa mga ahensya ng gobyerno dito sa pinas. ambagal na, puro pera pa ang kelangan mong ilabas bago maayos ang mga requests mo. kaya napakayaman ni Gloria eh! bwiset talaga. anyway, here's an update on the processing of my papers. mejo madame na ang na-accomplish ko and i feel so much relieved. ang next important step ko na lang talaga is to shell out some moolah for my dost bond, tapos NBI and passport and clearance na sa DFA. watchlisted kase ako sa mga agencies na yun, so parang kalevel ko ang mga may kaso na tao. hai, nakaschedule na yan by first week of august. sana lang eh nde babagal bagal ang NBI at DFA pag nagpaprocess nako dun. wish me luck!

The secret of joy in work is contained in one word - excellence.

HP has contacted me for the umpteenth time. they've been trying to schedule me for an interview since last year pero laging bad timing. working in that firm seems great, according to diane there's subsidized shuttle, laptop will be issued so as you can work from home twice or thrice(?) a week. kaya nga naisip ko na if i am to stay here in the philippines and wala na sa isip ko ang migration goals eh i'd choose to work in HP until retirement na un. hehehe.

ps. sabi ni jay, ambata ko pa daw para magplano ng retirement. bwahaha!

i love love love my boss!!!

yesterday, while the con-call was on mute on our side dahil nagdedebate pa ang end user and functional counterpart...

ULTIMATE PASAWAY: sir, may sasabihin ako sa inyo.
THE COOLEST BOSS: ano un? (smiling... and siguro nasesense na nya)
ULTIMATE PASAWAY: sir, may offer po ako.
THE COOLEST BOSS: ok lang, saan? sa 24/7? (still smiling sincerely...)
ULTIMATE PASAWAY: ay sir nde po...sorry po...
THE COOLEST BOSS: local ba or abroad? ok lang...
ULTIMATE PASAWAY: abroad po pero nde ko pa ina-accept...
THE COOLEST BOSS: ahhhh, saan?
....

ULTIMATE PASAWAY: gusto ko po kse sana maexperience mag-abroad to see if magugustuhan ko, kung nde, i can always come back and work dito sa pinas.
THE COOLEST BOSS: ok lang yan, tama yan, habang bata ka pa. sige subukan mo.
ULTIMATE PASAWAY: gusto ko po sana sa singapore since andun ate ko kaso wala pang progress sa applications ko.
THE COOLEST BOSS: try mo HP, IBM sa singapore, cge kausapin ko si s** since magkikita kame next week.
ULTIMATE PASAWAY: nde ba sa Sony SG sha? anyway, thanks thanks sir! :)
THE COOLEST BOSS: wag kayong mag-alala, magtatayo ako ng company tapos liliitan ko lang cut nung company tapos mas malaki mapupunta sa developers.
ULTIMATE PASAWAY: tama sir para magi-stay ung tao. wag nyo kameng kalilimutan ha! :)
THE COOLEST BOSS: oo ba, basta pag nagbago ko ng number sabihan mo ko para alam ko.
ULTIMATE PASAWAY: thanks thanks sir!!!

xoxo

this afternoon on sametime while staying beyond office hours to support the project to go live this weekend...

THE COOLEST BOSS: uwe ka na ba?
ULTIMATE PASAWAY: nde sir ok lang, i can stay naman til 6 since punta ako festival to meet my cuz...
THE COOLEST BOSS: salamat ha, pasensha ka na, ang kulet kse nila, matagal na natin tapos to tapos ngayon lang nila tinetest.
ULTIMATE PASAWAY: sir, anu ba kau?! ok lang po noh. walang problema.
THE COOLEST BOSS: hehe, ok lang yan, 2 months na lang naman eh ;-)
ULTIMATE PASAWAY: nako sir, nde pa naman final. nga pala just in case matuloy ako talaga eh nakahanap na ako nang kapalit para nde kau mamroblema... gusto nya dito since taga-p'que lang sha...
THE COOLEST BOSS: ah talaga? sino?
ULTIMATE PASAWAY: sir, galing din *** sa project ___. :)
THE COOLEST BOSS: hmmm... i'm curious....

xoxo

si mish kse, kinonsensha ako na kahit close with the boss eh talagang poproblemahin nila kapag may nagresign at kung sino ang papalit. kaya un, nakahanap naman ako kagad ng super interested! :)

oh san pa ako makakahanap ng ganitong boss, dba!?! nag-iisa lang yan. :)

again, I'M VERY SORRY TALAGA SIR pag natuloy nga. actually isa to sa hesitations ko na tumuloy thinking na you're the one who recommended me. gusto ko lang tlga itry just in case. and i also know na you really understand, THANKS FOR THAT AND FOR BEING THE BEST MENTOR. :) sana rin po eh wag nyo kameng kalimutan kapag natuloy ung plans nyo. hihi. :)

Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.

~ Proverbs 15:22

this is one of the hardest decisions that i have to make. thanks a lot to my colleagues, friends, family and to Him. :)

ps. if this isn't His plan for me, then there's a way for him to hold me back & i would accept it. ;)

There are no shortcuts to any place worth going

as i jot this to-do list down, naisip ko i'm almost halfway na. though ang naiwan eh ung mga bigatin talaga and major government agencies. hehe. i used to be this OC din when i was planning to resign in acn and it helps a lot in keeping tabs of my progress kapag sinusulat ko talaga. i revisit my notes everyday to check kung may pwede akong ma-accomplish and if available ako.

nga pla, thanks to mama who went to San Pablo, Laguna pa just to have my baptismal certificate corrected. mas mahigpit pa ang simbahan sa NSO! ako naman ang pumunta ng DOST kanina, nakapagpaalam ako kay sir ric to go to DOST-SEI bicutan to pass the requirements for bond recomputation and correction of my DOB. carry nang bayaran ang bond, mababa na lang naman sha. tinuro na rin sakin how to compute so as i can estimate the amount by the time na magbabayad na ako. acn, backpay ko, need ko na yan, NOW NA!!!!

sana lang talaga eh maaccomplish ko lahat asap. ang mahirap lang talaga is no work, no pay ako. nakakapanghinayang mag-absent several times in one cut-off. hai nakow bebe, ganun talaga, tatamad tamad ka kse dati nung madame ka pang time habang bonded sa acn eh.

mayniLA - kailangan ba palitan ni Lim ang mga ganito kse the emphasis on LA stands for Lito Atienza?

today, the epidemic weekend hangover hit me again. woke up at around 9am and received an sms from boss ric advising me that he'll be on SL. i didn't want to start the week with TARDINESS written all over my face kaya i called in sick too. sorry sir ric! :)

sayang talaga coz im still under probation so no work no pay un kaya i thought of doing something productive today. ate my breakfast and grabbed some smokes until 10am. naisip ko na pumunta na lang ng manila to change my records in mapua and request for new copies of my diploma and TOR. left at 11:30 tapos antrapik, sobra! arrived there at 2pm and met up with my cousin narlyn whose wandering manila to pass her CVs sa mga recruitment agencies. she badly needs a job abroad kaya todo rin ang support namin.

pagdating ko sa mapua, aba napakaingay. akala ko job fair lang, ayun pala eh frosh week (hmmm, walang ganito samin nun ah, gaya gaya talaga sa la salle to, por que si yuchengco na may-ari). anyway, so i headed to the registrar at nalaman kong kelangan pa pala ng joint affidavit from 2 disinterested parties. asos! kainis! so buti na lang at may notary public along muralla street. so as usual, gawa-gawa na naman ung affidavit at kame lang ang nagsign. nakow, nung una akala namin un talaga ung lawyer kse matanda na sha at mukha naman may alam, pero ayun pala eh peke rin at wag ka kame pa nagcorrect ng grammar ng affidavit ha!! hmmp! kainis. after completing the requirements eh napasa ko na rin lahat and nagbayad na rin sa treasurer. all in all, i paid 825 bucks, not bad, at least nde ko na kelangan pumunta pa ng CHED (nde na yata under ng CHED ang mapua eh).

we're finished by 5pm tapos kain sa mcdo. sobrang pagod! and of course, papalagpasin ko ba ang famous intramuros wall na maganda for photo op (kaso mejo makulimlim na nun) and perfect tambayan for smoking. hai, sobrang namiss ko ang manila (mas masarap pa rin talagang mag-aral).

kelan kaya ako magfa-fly to canada? or singapore?
peace out sir ric! bawi ako! hihi!

naabutan pa kame ng ulan... huhu!

went home at around 6pm na. kakapagod, promise.

after a looooooong wait...

at long last, my partially corrected birth certificate has arrived (see footnote). the date of birth remains erroneous though. oh well, as planned eh paninindigan ko na ang october 20. next step is to align the rest of my records starting from baptismal certificate hanggang sa employer records ko. tapos application na ng passport, yay! hopefully when a great opportunity knocks on my door (we're talking about work abroad here), then that's the time that i have to shell out some moolah to pay my DOST bond so as to clear my being waitlisted at NBI and DFA. whew! this would take me a lotta work so i gotta start movin'. ok, enough na sa internet, time to jot down some things to do on my planner then. ciao!

ps. the fixer came this morning at nagwalk-out ang lola mong galit na galit kase we were asking for refunds. we had given her 20K to fix all the wrong data including the DOB. she just processed the clerical error (for 7 long months), how about the DOB?! sobrang mali mali pa ang kwento nya na kesho may nipublish daw sha nung umpisa and just now sinabi nya na walang nipublish! bwiset.

ms. fixer, thanks for my BC but sorry dahil we won't recommend you anymore as a fixer to our friends.

Plan purposefully. Prepare prayerfully. Proceed positively. Pursue persistently.

there, i've just hit the send button. bye bye my used-to-be '1st choice'... :'( but i have no regrets, i had to consider a lotta factors.

the game plan had changed again --- this had happened thrice! (mish, nagagaya nako sau, hehe) i will be out there in HIS perfect time. :) just like what had happened to roya. magkikita rin tayo dun! :)

“The reason most people never reach their goals is that they don't define them, learn about them, or even seriously consider them as believable or achievable. Winners can tell you where they are going, what they plan to do along the way, and who will”
Denis Waitley quotes

thanks mga madz.. :)

ang buhay Expat...

i've just read the recent post of kwentong tambay wherein nakwento nya na he was featured as the PINOYexpat of the Month in the PINOYExpats site.

mga mothers - ote, diane and rhea, check out the article, madame kayong makukuhang tips! :) and magregister na rin kayo kse malapit na....... :) goodluck!

on H1Bs and SAP careers in America

H1B’s have been eating my lunch for years. I’m an experienced I.T. professional. I have 2.5 years of ABAP experience, but have some holes in my ABAP skillset, because companies would rather hire an H1B than invest in growing my skills. I even asked a couple of large high profile companies to let me come onboard and work on ABAP, FOR FREE, so that I could grow my skills and plug the ABAP gaps I do have. Guess what, these companies would rather have / train H1B’s than me. I’m a USA citizen, served 4+ years in the US Navy, paid plenty of income taxes over the years, but no company wants to help grow me at a very modest rate of pay.

I’ve worked at large corporate I.T. shops who laid me off and a bunch of other US I.T. workers. On our way out the door, I’d see new H1B’s walking in smirking at me, knowing they were taking my job.

Bill Gates and his corporate buddies have ‘lobbied’ DC politicians. Since they want more H1B’s they will get them no matter … not to worry about me and other US I.T. workers that just want a chance to work and grow our skills.

I would advise current and future USA college students to flee I.T. careers.

it's very interesting to see that there's an ongoing debate on H1B visa in SAPSearch.com. apparently, the US consultants have a a lot of knee jerking reactions on the recent increase of H1B visas. but of course, it's good news for us, Pinoy IT Professionals, who are working our asses off just to have 1/3 of our salary come to waste. san napupunta ang binabayad naming taxes GMA???

D for D i g i t s and D e c i s i o n

$$$ D i g i t s $$$

every week nde pedeng wala kameng lunch out. so kanina nag-ATC kame since jay had to meet her fiancée, mai. we had balot-balot at the foodcourt. ako nag-add pa ng ice monster for dessert. we took pictures pero baka tom. ko pa ipost sa multiply ko. after lunch, since mai's there, naglaro na kame ng digits. nanalo si mai ng 120 bucks (she's been wanting to join this game yesterday pa, hehe), sabi nga namin beginner's luck. ang galing, nakakatuwa, so sa dame ng laro namin lahat nakaexperience na manalo. hehe. when we came back at the office, work na ulet. tapos by 4pm nagyaya magdigits ulet si arjie. lakihan daw ang bet. so we agreed sa 50php. i was chatting with lalen at that time so i asked her for 3 numbers from 1-6. she suggested 2-3-5 and guess what, i won! thanks ganda! in an instant meron akong 250 bucks. san ka pa?! hehehe. bawi-bawi kagad ung expenses ko during the lunchout and may tubo pa. :) sabi ko nde muna ako sasali tom., pahinga muna. harhar! (as if pwede)

??? D e c i s i o n ???

bakit ba ako nahihirapan magdecide. eh isa lang naman ang sigurado, pero andame pa rin naman na ibang options and i just have to wait and take my time. ung sigurado needs negotiation na nde ganun ka-sure. i'm leaning towards the decision of declining it pero nakakapanghinayang. eto na eh, eto na ba lord? tapos eto pa si fitz and rhoi, may good news na naman. but i have to wait for 1 year pa pero maganda un pag nakapasok ako. may other *blip-blip* on the side din ako pero walang kasiguruhan. eto ang options ko.

a. grab the opp and learn how to be independent
b. take my time and see what happens with the other *blip-blip*
c. do not hurry, wait for 1 year or so and if everything goes well, there comes my dream!

hai, buhay.

Monster's Interview Self-Awareness Quiz

so i took the interview self-awareness quiz from monster. yes or no lang ang options. here are the results.

Question:

I have examined what I want to do in my career, my area(s) of interest, and the job and company traits that are important for me.

Your Answer:

Yes

Monster's Feedback:

Charging ahead and applying to jobs before truly figuring out what you want is a classic mistake. The result is wasting time on opportunities that aren't really what you want to do or perhaps even accepting a suboptimal job offer. Without proper introspection, you may also be ineffective at interviewing, because you don't demonstrate the proper focus.The more focused you are and the more you know yourself, the more successful your job search will be.

Read these articles for more information:

• "What Motivates You?"
• "Tell Me About Yourself"
• "Why Do You Want to Work Here?

>>>> as of now, i am already decided to pursue my career in SAP. since 2.5 years pa lang ang experience ko, i think highly that i should focus more on the technical and functional side. eto talaga ang career ladder na target ko dahil mas attractive sa market kapag expert ka technically. pero i'm not closing my doors for management side, there will come a time that i'll be able to handle a team. nagawa ko na un before eh. pero pag nangyari ulet un, gusto ko meron pa rin sa ABAP side. mala- Sir Ric or Ralf na ABAP IS Director of Danone. mala-consultant ang dating, nde ganun kabigat ang workload sa coding pero can be consulted on the feasible technical approach or designs sa requirements.

Question:

I have a good idea of the kinds of environments I can be successful in.

Your Answer:

Yes

Monster's Feedback:

Consider this basic truth: You cannot be successful in every environment, no matter how smart or talented you are. Different industries have different cultures and operating environments. And companies within the same industry can have different atmospheres. Even teams within the same company can be drastically different from one another.

You should never accept a job where you can't succeed. Figuring out where you fit is key to determining whether you should proceed with an opportunity.

Read these articles for more information:

• "Assess Company Culture to Find the Best Fit"
• "The Corporate-Culture Conundrum

>>>> marami akong nicoconsider before accepting a job offer --- the team, the management and the company's processes, and the like. there was one time, may job offer ako, maganda sha at higit na mas malaki ung offer kesa sa nakukuha ko now. at isa pa eh supervisory level daw ako. pero nun malaman ko na 2 lang kame sa ABAP team eh nadisappoint ako. mukhang susulitin nila ako. yes, i am very competent in handling challenging and toxic workload but in that case i don't think it's worth it. mapolitika daw ung company na un at before ako pumasok eh nagcrash pala ang production nila kaya thanks but no thanks na lang ako sa kanila. hihi!

Question:

I have practiced my answers to common, predictable questions out loud, but I don't sound rehearsed

Your Answer:

No

Monster's Feedback:

You should practice, practice, practice for inquiries like:

Tell me about yourself.
Tell me about your most significant accomplishment.
Tell me about a time when you had to deal with conflict and how you dealt with it.
What would you do if ____? The catch is, it's best if you don't sound like you have memorized your responses verbatim. In fact, in any interview, you should be prepared but flexible based on the nuance of the question, the nature of the job and your relevant strengths.

In any case, you can't possibly prepare for every question. Go for the most probable, and remember to have examples eady.

Read these articles for more information:

• "Think of Your Big Interview as a Simple Conversation"
• "Interviews Are Like First Dates

>>>> oo may common answers ako na nde ko kinabisado pero dahil sa dami ng interviews na na-attendan ko eh nauulit talaga ang sagot ko hanggang sa maging template ko na sha. hehehe. sa lahat ng ni-enumerate na questions above eh alam ko na kagad ang isasagot ko. kaya ang tangi kong tip ko sa inyo ay magtry ng marameng interviews, nde ka na kakabahan at magiging madali na for you dahil paulit ulit lang naman ang tanong nila. hehehe.

Question:

I know what behavioral interviewing is and how it works.

Your Answer:

No

Monster's Feedback:

Behavioral interviewing is now the norm, not the exception. The behavioral interview starts with the interviewer structuring questions based on the competencies required for the job. These questions ask you to prove your level of competency by providing specific examples from your background.

These are essentially stories. Draw the raw material to answer behavioral interview questions from your work history -- stories about when you have succeeded and failed, complex or big projects, conflict you have experienced and difficulties you've overcome.

Behavioral interviews aren't easy, but the beautiful thing about this methodology is that if you prepare for them, you will be prepared for traditional interviews, too. Read these articles for more information:

• "You Can Survive the Behavioral Interview"
• "Tell Me About a Time When...

>>>> ah un pala un?! so ibang term lang siguro for situational interviews which i am used to. hahaha!

Eight Tips To Negotiate A Higher Starting Salary

i've been google-ing a while ago on how i can negotiate wisely with prospective employers and i found nothing until i got disconnected from the VPN and so i re-logged in at AIM. luckily, an article from AOL Jobs popped up and voila! here it is --- the exact material that i've been looking for... :)

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You landed the interview, you impressed them with your credentials, skill set and enthusiasm, and now you've been called back for a second interview. You know they want to hire you. The problem is, you'd like more money than they're prepared to offer. How do you convince the decision-makers to offer you a higher starting salary without taking yourself out of the running for the job?

It's all in the preparation, attitude and presentation. Here are some tips.

Use Your Marketing Skills

1. Do Your Research
Learn as much as you can about the pay scale of the company that wants to hire you. Find out the industry average, as well. You may aspire to a career in scheduling at a major airline, but if their practice is to hire from within, you might need to accept an entry-level position. Union constraints may limit any flexibility on salary levels, no matter how many university degrees you have.

As part of your research, you need to have a clear idea of what your minimum salary expectations are. Do the math in advance and decide what your deal-breaker point is. There's no point wasting your time -- and theirs -- interviewing for a low-paying job in a company or industry that may not be able to offer the wages you need.

2. Don't Tip Your Hand
Leave the salary expectation question blank on application forms (?? -- does not apply for SAP Opps), and don't mention a specific salary level in your cover letters. You want to get past the paper screening into the "to be considered" file without anyone thinking your anticipated salary is too high. You also don't want to lock yourself into accepting an offer of $55,000 per year if the decision-makers had budgeted up to $70,000 to fill the vacancy.

3. Understand Your Value

Consider whether you are in a position of power. If you're in high demand elsewhere, you have leverage. Draw attention to it, but be careful not to emphasize it too much. Avoid acting overly confident or cocky. It's okay to mention that you have interviews at other companies, but don't try to force a favorable decision. (totally!!)

4. Let the Company Bring Up the Salary Issue
Avoid being the first to propose a salary figure. (??!!) Tell them you're interested in a mutually rewarding career with the company and you're sure you can agree on an acceptable compensation package. If you're backed into a corner, introduce your salary range, but make it clear that it is "up for discussion." Don't ramble on. Say what you have to and then be quiet and listen.

5. Emphasize the Benefits of Your Skills
When you talk about your last job, describe your accomplishments. Quantify your successes in terms of cost savings, increased productivity and overall contribution to the company. This will help the interviewers recognize the benefits of having you join their team, and will help boost the salary offer. If you earned performance bonuses or incentive awards, mention those so that you'll be viewed as an achiever, well worth top dollar.

6. Don't Blink
Listen to how the offer is presented. When the interviewer or prospective new boss states a salary figure, nod your head to signify you're considering it, but keep quiet. If they're low-balling you, the figure could make a quick jump in those few moments of consideration.

7. Be Reasonable
From your research, you know the offer is low. What do you counter at? If you choose 10%, you may have to accept a saw-off at 5%. Don't be confrontational. It's a calculated risk to walk away from a job offer. They might call you back with a revised starting salary or they might just close your file and hire someone else if they feel you've been greedy, arrogant or overly demanding.

8. Be Prepared to Be Flexible
If you want this job, consider agreeing to start at the salary level they're offering, so long as they offer additional bonuses for specific accomplishments. Be prepared to define them. Money is important, but consider the complete compensation package. Negotiate other perks and benefits and get them in writing. Ask about the frequency of potential salary increases. As with any negotiation, your goal is to create a win-win situation.

Believe in Yourself

Sometimes the only way you can get a higher starting salary is by being actively sought for your position. Other times, you may have to demonstrate that you have the exact skills the company needs and, if you play your cards right, you may land the job you want at a salary level beyond your dreams. In all cases, being well prepared, using a little psychology and practicing your marketing and negotiation skills will help you maximize the salary offer.

Urgent requirement for SAP ABAP Consultant In Orange County, CA!!

so eto may nag-email sakin 2 days ago and ayan ang subject nya. na-excite naman ako kagad, kse nga sabi ni ote eh aim for the higher opp. so un, i read the mail and to sum it up...

+ client is in orange country, CA (huwaw!)
+ 18 months contract opp (sorry, i'm looking for a permanent job, lalo na US yan)
+ ABAP Programmer/Analyst (ok fine, this is my current title here in amkor)
+ target start date is 7/2/2007 or sooner (haller? kumusta naman yan?)
+ senior ABAP resource with a minimum of 6 - 7 years (errr, 2.5 years pa lang po ang experience ko)

tapos yan na nagdagsaan na...

+ experience in dialog programming and ABAP Objects (dialog carry pa, OOP la pa ko experience)
+ UI design and development experience (madame ako nyan...)
+ Strong in Interfaces and enhancements (user-exits and BADI) (ahem, meron ako nyan)
+ Experience in SD and MM modules preferred (carry-ing-carry!)

so un, pinaexcite lang ako, patikim lang. hehehe. i didn't respond to the mail. bakit pa?! wait for me, will you?! hahaha!

must read for job seekers...

Six Job Hunting Myths Debunked

Source: Robert Half International
Posted: 2007-02-02 11:17:09 @ AOL

Everyone wants to give job seekers advice, and while much of it is useful, some guidance may miss the mark. Because the employment market is constantly changing, ideas that once worked well may no longer be effective. This doesn't mean you have to second-guess everything you hear, but do be aware of common job-hunting myths, like the following:

Myth No. 1: You should keep your resume to one page; any longer, and hiring mangers won't read it.

Few employers are so rigid that they'll toss out your resume because it's more than a page long. What's more important is that the document is interesting to read, tailored specifically to the position you are applying for -- and perhaps most important -- error free. In fact, 84 percent of executives polled by Robert Half International said it takes just one or two typographical errors on a resume to remove a candidate from consideration for a job opening; 47 percent said a single typo can be the deciding factor. While a one-page resume is preferable for entry-level candidates, those with five or more years of experience may require an additional page to describe their work history and accomplishments. Keep in mind, however, you never want to lose a hiring manager's attention by providing irrelevant details.

Myth No. 2: It's pointless to request an interview with a company that isn't hiring.

Even if a company isn't planning to add staff anytime soon, chances are you can land an informational interview. Look to set up a meeting with someone -- preferably a hiring manager -- who can tell you more about the organization and provide answers to questions you can't find online or in the company's marketing materials, such as its short- and long-term business goals. Many employers will be willing to sit down with you if you show genuine interest. An informational interview probably won't result in a job offer, but you will build your professional network and, in the process, may learn of future opportunities with the firm.

Myth No. 3: If you've applied for a position and haven't heard back, it's safe to assume the position has been filled.

Just because a company hasn't contacted you doesn't mean they aren't interested. It's not uncommon for hiring managers to be so busy they delay contacting candidates for as long as two months after posting an employment ad. Don't let this discourage you; instead take action to see where you stand. An overwhelming 94 percent of executives surveyed by Robert Half International said candidates should contact hiring managers after submitting application materials; 82 percent of respondents recommend doing it -- whether by e-mail, a phone call or personalized letter -- within two weeks of submitting a resume.

Myth No. 4: The most-qualified candidates always get the job.

While employers want to hire professionals capable of doing the job -- and carefully compare candidates' education, skills and experience with the requirements of the position -- they also depend on intuition when making a decision. Forty-six percent of executives surveyed by Robert Half International said they rely heavily on instinct when making hiring decisions; another 49 percent follow their gut at least some of the time. The traits that make an employer intuitively want to hire someone often involve soft skills -- that is, your ability to get along with the rest of the team. So, if you're interested in a position for which you meet only the minimum requirements, don't immediately dismiss it. Your personality may put you on par with someone with more experience than you.

Myth No. 5: There's no room for salary negotiation in today's job market.

Demand for skilled professionals continues to outpace supply in a number of specialties, and candidates with industry experience and expertise often receive multiple offers. Researching how much those with similar qualifications in your area are being paid will help you choose the best opportunity and negotiate a reasonable rate. The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Outlook Handbook is an excellent resource, as are industry publications, such as Robert Half International's annual Salary Guide.

Myth No. 6: When times are tough, take the first job offer you get.

An extended job search can put pressure on you to accept any offer that comes your way, but do your best to avoid accepting a position that may cause more heartache than happiness. Tolerating a job you hate -- whether for a week or year -- can set you back professionally and take a toll on your well-being. You may have to accept a "less-than-perfect" role in certain situations, but don't feel guilty holding out for a position with maximum appeal if you have the financial means to do so.

Tapping a variety of sources for advice during your job search often is a smart move. But, like any investigation, you may come across clues that are somewhat misleading. Recognizing common myths early on will make your job-hunting efforts far more effective and help you land the position you seek.

Robert Half International Inc. is the world's first and largest specialized staffing firm with a global network of more than 350 offices throughout North America, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. For more information about our professional services, please visit www.rhi.com.
Copyright 2007 Robert Half International.