Showing posts with label work. Show all posts
Showing posts with label work. Show all posts

Friday, July 10, 2009

I'm an Aspire Trainer.

I like my new job. I honestly do.

For the last three weeks, my time, my energy, my life has been devoted to this company called Aegis Aspire.

So what do we exactly at Aspire?

Basically, at Aspire, we do pre-employment call center training. In other words, we train Aspirants in the skills and abilities necessary to get a job in the BPO industry.

Every day, I spend 7 hours with my current class. And every day, they surprise me with their skills, abilities, and experiences. The seemingly shy ones come out of their shell and start sharing more. They tell me stories of adventures they have gone through and what they have achieved in life. And they're there in hopes of fulfilling their dreams of getting a good paying job to support themselves, their families, and their loved ones.

Sometimes they're brought to tears out of frustration or the feeling of helplessness. I always gently remind them that they are capable of doing anything they set their minds to but not everything is easy, especially those things worth doing. Every little success or achievement they have moves me deeply, sometimes to tears.

These people take steps out of their comfort zone every day and I truly admire them for it. I know that for many of them, coming to training every day is a sacrifice. They get up at 4 AM , sometimes 3, just to get to training on time. They commit to an entire month of training with no salary or income in hopes that their hard work will pay off. And their stories. I always learn so much from their stories.

Some of them speak of spending years away from their families as they were overseas Filipino workers. Somehow, they were able to save and buy a piece of land, perhaps a house even. Some speak of studying and supporting themselves through school. Others leave home and come to the big city at a young age. So many stories. So many experiences.

As early as next week, some of my trainees will already start applying for jobs. I truly hope and pray every day that their hard work will pay off. I also pray that God will give me the skills and abilities I need to train them and help them.

I don't regret not having taken that job that paid more. This, is where I'm supposed to be right now.

I'm an Aspire trainer.

My days are truly amazing.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Here's to you, Mrs. Robinson.

It's 11 in the evening and I just got home from work. No, it's not as bad as you think because I start work at 1 PM. Still, I am honestly more of a morning person and I love the sunshine. If I could teach English outdoors half the time, I think I'd be very happy with that arrangement.

But yes, it was my second day on the job. Though yesterday may have been a bit of a struggle, today was definitely a better day. I was kind of thrown into the deep end of the pool but I managed so survive. Not wonderfully, but I survived and I think I did ok.

No contest, the best parts of my work day were these two moments.

I work at the IT Park here in Cebu and it's nice to walk around when it isn't too warm. There were actually signs of a typhoon today and the rains and winds were really strong.

At about 7 PM we had a forty minute break. I put on my rain jacket, brought out the big umbrella, and took a walk around the area. It was just nice being out outdoors, enjoying the scenery, and feeling the wind on my face. Those few moments of tranquility were a much break from the stuffiness of being indoors the whole day.

Work finished around ten and as I stepped out of the office, I heard strains of "Mrs. Robinson" being played by an acoustic band in a cafe across the street. I stood there, in the dark, and I realized how much I had missed listening to live music like that. I was tempted to walk in and order a nightcap. Maybe I should have.

Maybe next time.

So I'm working again and of course, it's always an adjustment. But I am already learning a lot. And hopefully making a difference. After all, that's why I became a teacher right. To help people learn, in one way or another.

On a side note, I have to teach phonemes! I really need to brush up on that.

Next week, I start work at 6 AM.

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