An Update on the Job Hunt

Well I could say that today's job hunt went pretty well... well not really.

I mean the only job hunting I did was search online through jobbank.gc.ca and monster.ca and although out of my resumes sent I think only 3% or less responded to my application and asked for an interview.

Although the job offers where good I realized that waking up really early in the morning and taking the bus to work was not my idea of fun.

Well call me lazy (I know) but I really did not want to work far from home with a salary that isn't worth the stress of traveling. Well after several weeks of being jobless I finally decided to apply once again to Safeway as either a cashier, store clerk, baker, or meat wrapper. I didn't really care if I earned around $9.50/hour (the same wage I got with Tim Hortons) because the work is not that stressful unlike Tim Hortons and the earliest time I have to go to work would be 9 am and the latest would be 9 pm or 7 pm.

I do know that working with Safeway means that I have to get into a Union and all but that's ok. It's also ok with me if I start as Part time and then slowly move to full time and move my way up. In Safeway the time slots for work are based on seniority or the time you worked for Safeway.

I'm actually not that confident that they would call me again since I didn't appear the last time I was called for an interview. I didn't show up since I already had a job at Tim Hortons.

But if they don't take me then I will go with Sobeys, which is nearer to my house. And if Sobeys do not take me then I have no choice but to go back to Tim Hortons. Well I think they still would take me in because my manager (actually she asked my co-worker to call me) just called this morning asking if I would want to work for them as a part-time employee. Well I would love to earn money but I really don't want to work in the morning because that's one of my reasons why I quit.

Well the job that I'm really aming for was the call center job at Convergys since it's very near and taking calls from customers (even if they are rude and annoying) isn't that hard because I don't really see them so all their hate I can just ignore since they are hating the company and not me. A call center did offer me a job but it was so far that I refused it. I went to Convergys but they were closed to the public so I didn't have the opportunity to submit my resume. I have to ask my brother's friend how his sister was able to apply.

But if Safeway does offer me a job, I'll have no second thoughts and I'll take it immediately.

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Image credit goes to imagineeringezine.com

I'm Officially Jobless!

Yup! Today is the first day that I'm finally free from the stress and extreme unhappiness that I get from my old job! I've finally resigned and this is the best thing that I have done for myself! I've actually applied to some jobs in the University of Alberta that is related to health care and the pay and time is pretty good.

There are a lot of better high paying jobs out there and resigning from my old job opens so many doors to better opportunities. But before I go out job hunting again I think I'm going to give myself a week's vacation so that I could finally have the time to study the driver's manual so that I can take the exam this week for my learner's permit! I promise myself that I will succeed! Hehehe.

Anyway this was suppose to be my last day of working but I didn't want to wake up 8 in the morning after working 3 to 11 pm. So you know what I did? I've made a deal with my co-worker that I'll buy her a pink 8GB iPod Nano if she works for me today. She hits two birds with one stone! She get paid more from her job and she gets a freebie, lucky her! Well I didn't pay that much for the Ipod. We agreed that I'll only pay $100 and she'll pay the remaining $78. I didn't pay much because I had a $45 gift check from the store that I bought the iPod from hehehe.

Yup that's what I did on my first day of being jobless. Spend money... but now I have no money hehehe. Having a credit card sometimes suck because when your paycheck comes it only goes to pay the bills. Think I'm not going to use my credit card in a VERY long while.

I Choose Money

Call me selfish or what ever you want but I just chose the practical way. You see I was going to be hired (I passed the exams and my supervisor liked me) as a customer service representative for an advertising company. I was going to go door to door to promote a child sponsorship program.

As honorable as the cause is, I still couldn't do it even if I was qualified to do the job because I thought to my self that the pay was too low for that kind of work. I mean walking around a neighborhood and knocking on every door to get someone to sponsor a kid? And the work place is too far from home too so it was best if I didn't accepted the job.

It would have been a great job but I guess that my main priority now is to earn money for my future needs. I don't want to rely on my mom for my financial needs that much. How can I help others if I can't help myself right?

Scared of Changes

In this world... the only thing that doesn't change is the fact that everything changes... nothing lasts forever...

Even if I know this fact it still strikes fear into me. I'm afraid of what may happen. But then if I don't know anything nothing will happen to me... I won't move forward. Change can be good. It may be good or it may be bad but change must happen for the world to move forward.

I'm tired of working for Tim Hortons and I'm tired of earning just $9.50 an hour. That's why I looked and searched for jobs... and guess what? A potential employer has contacted me and I had scheduled an interview with them. If I am accepted and hired I may work on a fixed schedule as a customer service representative working Mondays to Fridays at 1:30 pm to 9:30 pm. And the best part about it is that I might actually earn $20 an hour (well as they claimed). I know that it's too good to be true so I'm going to be cautious.

I do have fears with this big move... like what do I do? How do I quit my current job without burning bridges if Ace 1 Advertising and Acquisitions hire me? How do I get to my job since it's very far away. Will there still be buses available at 10 pm? Will I like my new job? Will I even be accepted?

Anyway if I'm unhappy with my current job and if I want to preserve my dignity and sanity well I better grab any good opportunity that appears right?

I'm the Baker

Yup you heard me life. I'm officially the baker... well for today anyway. Yup I'm a trainee baker but I was able to do some solo work back in the kitchen.

I actually love being the baker because I don't have to serve any customers face to face. I don't like dealing with people... but then how can I be a nurse huh? But being a nurse is quite better than being a food store employee because most stupid people think that just because we are low earners we are uneducated.

Anyway on with my rantings. One thing that I don't like about baking is the cleaning part (aside from the going into the freezer to get stuff). Yup I hate cleaning the oven because the oven cleaner is so noxious and it's too bad that my employers don't even bother providing us with gloves and masks.

Anyway I told my manager that I couldn't work mornings anymore because I had a second part-time job as a call center agent (which of course is a lie). Good thing that it was my good manager that was working and not my bad manager who we Pinoys call Jessebel which I don't know why... maybe I'll ask tomorrow.

Well that's all for my updates today as a hard working person living out my life and slowly dying... I'm so dull sorry but that's plain old me. Simple and boring... peace out!

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Photo credits to ciaprochef.com

I Don't Want to Work Mornings

You know what? I have gone through hell and back when I was working 11 pm to 7 am and now they once again are giving me morning shifts (7 am to 3 pm). What's so bad about morning? Well I work from 3 pm to 11 pm then I go to work the next day at 7 am in the morning. It's ok if it was school I can deal with it but no, it's work where I am pushed to the limit being forced to work faster and where I have to serve some cranky customers who hadn't have their daily dose of caffeine.

I'm going to tell my manager again today that I don't want to work morning shifts. But this time I will work the 2 days she gave me without even asking my consent if I want to work morning (what am I? a slave?). I'll tell her that I can't work the weeks after because it will be in conflict with my second job (which I wished I had so I can quit this one).

If she gets mad and fires me then she's actually doing me a favor. Geez! I was hired to work at 3-11 and I am comfortable with that shift and I work great in this shift so leave me alone and let me do my job. Geez.

My Bike Was Stolen

One of the reasons that sparked my desire to quit was when my bike was stolen. Yup it was stolen and I blame Tim Hortons for it. It was because of them that I forgot my bike chain that's why it was stolen. Well I know that it was actually my fault for being so forgetful but Tim Hortons played a factor in the loss of my bike chain.

Anyway, what's stolen can't be reclaimed so I've bought a new bike since I really need it to go to work fast and effortless. Anyway, I was able to buy a new bike that is better than my old one in many ways for exactly the same price.

So this proves that some bad things do happen to make way for better things.

I Stayed...

Well, I did plan to make yesterday the official start of my jobless life but guess what? I'm still have my job because they still need me. They finally agreed to go with my demands of placing me back to the evening shift (3 pm to 11 pm) and I don't have to work night shift (11 pm to 7 am) when I threatened them that I was quitting.

Well I'm quite happy with this outcome really because I never really wanted to leave Tim Hortons because I was paid well. I should have also asked for a raise while we were bargaining for my employment.

Oh well. At least I have now learned to say NO and I am now able to protect my happiness and be selfish and mean once in a while. I will not be pushed around any longer. I have learned to say NO!

Finding My Happiness

My managers know that I hate working night shift (11 pm to 7 am) but they still made a schedule for m saying that I'll be working 11 pm to 7 am for 4 straight days!

I am quite unhappy with this situation and I know why this has happened to me... I don't know how to say NO! to people. That is why they take advantage of me. They think I'm the kind Filipino guy who they can boss around well they have another thing coming.

They must not know that I am not a contract worker and I can quit anytime I want. There are less stressful jobs out there and I am very unhappy with my job.

A saying goes once said that if you're unhappy with what you're doing then don't it. It's counterproductive to the job, it's counterproductive to yourself, and it's counterproductive to everyone else involved.

I believe that my employers are abusing me. Imagine, today they're sending me to another store location just like last week. But the thing is why only ME?! Why can't they send anyone else? Well the answer may be because others don't want to be sent to other stores and they refused. Well I will refuse too... I will say NO!

And if they don't respect me and my wants, and they don't give me my happiness back... I will QUIT! No regrets at all... just a sense of relief that my stress from my job is finally over.

Nasty People

I don't know why some people could be so nasty. Why can't people be more civilized and be more human when they deal with other people. What is it with people who live in western countries that they stop thinking of other people and be very selfish and only think about what they want every single day.

I have dealt with rude and disrespectful customers at my work and I showed them that they can't step on me. Don't they think that I'm just some poor Filipino contract worker who will take their crap because I'm afraid to lose my job. Because I will really take them on!

But there are also very nice customers who are kind, understanding, and patient so I'm not always on the guard putting up my I'll-Kill-You face. As I have gained experience with dealing with people I have learned not to displace my frustrations to my kind customers.

I've learned to treat people the way they treat me in a case-to-case basis. If you treat me with respect, I will respect you. if you don't, then go to hell, I won't take your crap.

Imagine a world where people will think of other people's feelings before their own... if they have feelings to begin with that is.

M.I.A. & Work

After annoying a certain someone to tell me what she meant by M.I.A. I finally am able to blog again after being Missing In Action (MIA) for so long.

Well not that long, I was able to make the pathetic I'm so depressed and want to kill myself post. Finally, after being given two straight days of vacation (thanks to a co-worker who wanted more hours of work) I am now able to take a break and appreciate the beauty of life with work out of my mind.

After thinking things through I now realize why I had such a nasty breakdown. Well as the saying goes, "If you're too nice, people will step on you", this is true in my case. I don't know why I am able to say no and be awful to my family who I love yet I am able to allow complete strangers to take advantage of me and to step on me. You see I had the power to say NO to my manager but she was nice to me and she needed someone to work at 11 pm to 7 am because no one in their right mind would agree to work alone at night doing everything.

But because of my stupidity I worked 11 pm to 7 am even if it was my day-off and the following day I had to go home at 7 am and go back to work later on at 3 pm to 11 pm. I was truly pissed at myself for being Mr. Kindy Ass. I should have let the answering machine take her call but when she (my manager) called for the second time I picked up thinking it was important, now I truly learned my lesson. I will not pick up the phone if my work is calling for me when I'm on day-off. And if they ask me to work at night the answer would be a definite NO! No more Mr. Nicey Pants.

If you think that I'm over reacting well you are definitely wrong. Did you know that even in my sleep I still dream that I'm still working. And I totally get no rest at all because in my mind I outside my bed room is the store where I work in. I have to remind myself that I am in my bedroom and I am sleeping.

I have sacrificed enough for my work, I don't want to give up my sanity too.

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Picture credits to clipartof.com

Being A Good Man

One thing that I like about Canadians is their ability to express themselves. If they hate you they can really be nasty but if they like you they can say the darnest nice things. There are already several times that I have been called a good man. I was quite touched by what they said and of course I had a bit of hepatomegaly episode (in other words "bukad atay").

I am quite thankful that I am able to give this impression to other people but the truth is there is nothing good in me. I'm very selfish and self-centered. I'm just like any other man on this planet. The only reason that I was respectful and nice to them (as I said HERE) is because they showed me the same thing. So I was only mirroring what they were showing me.

So the truth is, they are the good people because I was only showing them what they showed me. If they were nasty, I can show them the proper way of being nasty and hostile.

But hearing those words were very rewarding indeed. I really like it when people know how to appreciate rather than just seeing the bad things from other people. So it's better to see the best in everyone right rather than lingering on people's imperfections because in this world no one is perfect (except me, JOKE!).

Last August 12

Last August 12 was actually my birthday... but due to my very busy and tight schedule of my career in the food industry (char!), I wasn't able to blog about it that much. Well my birthday was plain and simple. Just spent my whole morning alone in the house and waited to be picked up later in the afternoon by a family friend so that I could set-up their wireless internet connection in their brand new gorgeous mansion. The word house doesn't give justice to their extravagant home.

Anyway, I was still touched by the actions of my mom when I arrived home. Even if she didn't know how to cook and she didn't have much time on her hands she was still able to prepare a feast for me. We had a wonderful chocolate-strawberry cake, freshly-delivered pizza (yup all we do is take-out since we don't have time to cook), chicken, and ice-cream.

I didn't have a party or a huge gathering but being at home with my family was enough for me to be happy.

I also gave myself a gift. An HP m9350f desktop computer with an AMD Phenom 9850 Quad-Core Processor (2.50 GHz), 6 GB RAM, 750 GB Hard Disk, and it comes with a 24 inch LCD screen for only $1900. This is the computer of my dreams. What i like about this baby is not only is it good for extreme gaming, it comes with a remote control so that I can watch TV on it and listen to the radio. Heck I even use this baby to play with my PlayStation 3. I'm happy that my hard work as a lowly donut shop employee who cleans the bathroom and serve customers and all of that is able to afford a desktop like this. If I worked in the Philippines, I would never afford this.
The bottom line is. We may be living a simple life here in Canada but we are still lucky because many of our relatives and friends back in the Philippines are really working so hard just to get by. I just wished that we didn't have to leave our home in the Philippines just to get a better life and a better future.

Anyway... damn it I'm old! I can'tr believe that I'm already 20 years old. I'm still edgy about my future because until now MacEwan hasn't finished evaluating my transcripts and I've checked my application status and it still shows there "Acknowledged". I wish they'd change it to "Documents Lacking" or something so that I can do something about the things I lack.

Anyway, on with my life.

RESPECT: A Two Way Process

I really don't appreciate it when customers raise their voice or try to belittle me thinking that I'm inferior to them because they are the customer and I am the lowly servant. Well they should think again. I don't anymore bother calling them "ma'am or sir" because here in Canada only a few does. Why? Because every one here are equal. No one is above the other.

People like me who work in the customer service department are here to help them and we are not here to be trash talked to or abused. So if they want respect from me then they should give it too.

But the kind of customers that really bug me are the Indians. They don't speak clearly and they get mad when you ask them to repeat what they said because their English is not only bad but their pronunciation of the words are all wrong. But I don't say that all Indians are arrogant and self-absorbed. It's just that there are these people who think that Filipinos are inferior to them and that we are only here in Canada as contract workers. Excuse me but I happen to be a permanent resident here in Canada and in 3 to 5 years time a CITIZEN of CANADA. Besides, even if I was a contract worker, I still deserve respect.

There are some rude and nasty customers who come into our store each day but I don't let them get their way because I always show them that I am not the person they should mess with. But there are also times that I'm tired and I just don't care anymore. But when I am in the heat of the moment and ready to fight back, well... they should watch themselves.

Oh well. We can't really say that the world is a perfect place. But we should also remember not all other people are as rotten as some people out there. The point is even if a nasty customers try to ruin my day, I still smile and treat the next customer with respect. But if that customer is like the previous nasty one then I switch the way I relate to them appropriately too.

Oh my... why am I ranting again? Sorry about that guys, just releasing some steam.

The World is Full of Crazy People

I know that the world is full of crazy people. But I haven't really grasped this fact until I started working and seeing so many different people everyday. Just yesterday, I was happily serving an old man who was a regular at our store when he was approached by this old lady. I was shocked because all of the sudden they were fighting and the old man almost hit the lady because she hit him and she made him spill some of his coffee. The old man was already saying "You saw that right? Call the police!" and I was like oh my I need to hide. I really don't like these things when fights happen.

What's more awkward is that the old lady was also a regular so I'm going to see them every single day... awkward...

But I don't know if the old lady is mentally disturbed or what (or she could be just genuinely nice...) because she always brings cups and plates from the tables to our store front and cleans up the tables. And guess what? She asked for a broom and she swept! I should have given her the mop so that she could mop too! Hehehe. Well I did try getting the broom from her and she suddenly said "Do you think I'm some sort of cream or something? I can do this." When she said I suddenly backed off because she has a broom people and she's not afraid to use it.

I have seen her with a fight before with another customer and this time the police did come. But seems like she's friends with the police so no charges were made against her.

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For the next crazy person, this is a girl in her twenties this time and she would come to the customers and say, "Hi! Can I give you my name and number?". Some customers would obviously say, "No thank you." The girl would then reply, "So you don't want any new friends?". She must be a "special child" with autism or something.

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The last crazy person would be this lady who goes in line but when you ask her if you could help her she would just glare at you then leave. There's also this time when she ordered a donut she just gobbled it all up upon giving it to her making such a mess on her face and on the counter. She then slept on the tables for the whole afternoon. I was about to call the police but I'm not really sure if she's crazy or if she's having some emotional problems...

The thing is there are a lot of crazy people in the world doing crazy things. You might be crazy. I might be crazy. We all might be crazy! What is normal anyway? Who defined what is normal? Society does right?

There are so many crazy people in the world. And most are very good in acting normal...

The Attack of the Talk-a-ter!

I have shared an incident HERE about a customer who was always yapping on and on with his life and work. Guess what? He attacked me again with his very long autobiography of his life and work. I was shocked when I saw him at the counter because I thought that he would start again with his Talk-a-thon (my new word for talking marathon) but he didn't. I was already excited to go home from a day of hard work when all of the sudden someone approached me when I was about to ride my bike. I turned around and it was HIM!

Oh my God, I cursed so much in my head but I still was courteous and flashed a little fake smile (evil little me). This time he showed me his certificates and cards of all the construction courses he took and he once again repeated everything he talked about the other night and I was like "Hehehe... wow... that's nice..."

Aah! I swear! If I see him again tonight I'm going to sneak out the back door so that I won't have to stay out late out there in the cold listening to him yap and yap. Oh my... my dilemma. Guess I can categorize this person to the irritating customers list.

Ah... Ok... Yah That's Good

That was all I could say to this customer last night when he kept talking and talking on and on about his life. It's not that I don't want to listen but I didn't want to listen for 30 minutes! Like I have work to do. I wished I had never said "How are you today?" to him because he wouldn't have started talking.

I had a hard time saying no to him and that I didn't want to listen because I wasn't really interested in his life autobiography but I didn't want to be rude. And he didn't give me a chance to say "Sorry, I need to go" because he kept on talking on and on without any pauses.

My co-workers said they pitied me for being in that situation and my other co-worker was sly enough to leave my side when the customer started talking about construction work and stuff so she wasn't stuck to listen.

And you think that my predicament couldn't get any worst well it did. Because the customer actually waited outside for me and he continued yapping about his life once again and he made me listen to his voicemail which said that his construction worker union was once again needing people. He was going to show me his construction tools and stuff but when he turned around to walk to his car I got on my bike and said that I had to go already so I was home free. I arrived home at 12:30 am because of him and to think that I went out of the store at 11 am.

The next time I see that customer I'm going to play hide and seek... I won't let him find me at all cost...

I know that we should lend an ear to people who have no one else to talk to so that they could express anything that they are keeping inside but that was just ridiculous. Well maybe next time I'll set up an office and people could talk to me on and on about their life and I'll charge by the hour. I'll just pretend to listen but I'll still earn. But that would be mean right? Well i guess so.

Starting My Financial Life

I can't believe that I'm already doing something about my financial status. I mean I've just went to my bank today and just got my self a credit card. Yup I was approved instantly (because I invested $500 as a security deposit) and I am now on my way to make a credit rating.

A good credit rating means being approved for future loans and a bad one means goodbyes to your dreams of buying a car or house. Well you could always pay in cold hard cash but having a credit card thus have its benefits.

One of my reason for having a credit card is that I want to buy stuff over the internet which I could never do with my debit card. And if ever I need cash immediately the credit card can help me with that department.

But I should be wise in using my credit card because it's like a double edged sword. If I over use it I could end up under debt and this will not look good on my credit history.

She Quit!

I have written here that I was training someone to replace me for my night shift because I really didn't want to work at night shift and the promise of a night differential or premium for my paycheck is not that a motivator.

The Night Shift (11 pm to 7 am) is super tiring! Why? Well I have to serve customers at the cash register (till) by myself and clean the tables, sweep the floors, refill and restock the papercups, cream cheese and anything else that needs filling.

Well I think my manager got the point that I don't like night shift so they didn't even bother asking me if I want to go back to night shift and now I'm back at my normal shift at 3-11 pm, the evening shift.

But I do pity the two Indians who will work 7 days this week to fill up my spot. Hmm... well not really hehehe. Because one of these Indians always complain that we evening shift don't do our jobs and this is entirely untrue. Oh well on with our lives. ^_^

I Got Tipped!

Well, I should have included this in my list of reasons to stay at Tim Hortons. One reason why I don't want to leave Tim Hortons is that I have met several great regular customers. And they sometimes give me tips too! I could have gotten almost $10 now if I didn't play a role of a martyr and as a good employee by placing my tips in the till (cash machine).

But I've learned my lesson. I've realized that I'm not actually being paid much (maybe I'm being too demanding here hehehe) and that the customers gave those tips to me so it should be mine.

So how do I know if the customer tips me? Well they say "This is for you". But what if they say "Keep the change". That means I literally keep the change right? Well, we were told that we should place the change that the customers leave in the Tim Hortons Camp donation box but maybe I'll just keep the Loonies ($1) and the Toonies ($2) and the rest of the coins goes to the kiddies at camp hehehe. But they have video cameras set up at the till so it would be better if I don't get the change. But if the customers hand the money to me after I closed the till then I sure will get it hehehe.