my first job interview

I received a text yesterday morning asking me if I could come by their office for a job interview. Although the text message had the name of the one who sent it, I absolutely had no idea what company it was or what position I was supposedly applying for.

Well you see, my former bible study leader had referred the person to me. I had my share of doubts before I actually sent my resume. The only thing I knew about this was that this is a new broadsheet and they were looking for business reporters.

If my dad was given the power and the choice, he would have opted me to become a business reporter. I think he believes this beat is safer and offers bigger wages than a reporter interested in politics.

Anyway, I decided to come for that interview. I called the guy who texted me and as it turns out, the name of the paper is Philippine Gazette, a new broadsheet to come out next week. They have nothing to do with the former Philippine Gazette paper and they are in desperate need of writers. Their office was to be found at Port Area, Manila.

I went in their office, which is basically a newly renovated but not yet finished structure beside Manila Standard Today office. The guy introduced me to his boss. They looked at my resume and asked me to do a sort of rewriting the lead as an exam.

This exam turns out to be lifted from the Associated Press (AP) stylebook that describes very loaded leads. What was quite weird is that they expected me to rewrite these leads exactly how the book rewrote it. True enough, AP is AP and it has been an international standard when it comes to news writing but to expect an specific type of answer omits the idea of a writer's own style. Then again, who am I to complain?

I talked with the big boss of the newspaper once more. As it turns out, I was applying as a contributor and therefore my pay would be based on my published articles but here's the catch. I am obliged to be in their office seven times a week. I'd be in training for a few weeks as a researcher and web content organizer. It will be only after sometime that they'll decide if I can be trained for the Senate beat. After a few more reminders and stuff, they wanted me to start this afternoon.

I honestly don't mind the low pay, as long as I don't find myself spending more than what I would be getting. I'd rather write for a newspaper, like how I first intended when I took up journalism than getting a good pay in advertising.

At the same time, working as a researcher and being in training for the Senate beat sounds too ideal. I know for myself that's what I wanted to hear but I never imagined myself working seven times a week. And with an undetermined pay, I feel like I was going to be harassed!

I left the office with an uneasy feeling, as if I was getting sick, as if my knees were getting weak and my lungs are having a hard time doing its job to help me breathe. I never thought of working somewhere at Port Area. I had the image that most newspapers which are based there as tabloids (although not all of them are). As I was waiting to get a ride, I am reminded of Weng who is working for a development company in Ortigas. She's a writer working for the night shift. She has a really big pay and gets free food most of the time. If she can get a job like that, why can't I?

I was on the LRT on my way home and I felt like I literally wanted to cry. This is the same feeling I get every time I feel like there's something wrong and I can't exactly point out what is. I guess it's one of God's ways of making me realize what I'm getting myself in. It's a disturbing and depressing feeling. I never want to go back to that office again.