***This post is too long, I know. Haha you guys don't really have to read everything. I just wanted to write everything down so maybe years from now I'll go back to this and laugh at myself. Laugh at my first few steps haha. If it interests you but don't have the time, you could just go and read the last paragraph- it has the stuff I really want to say anyway.

I started sending out resumes last week, May 25 to be exact. Just that day last week, for the sake of trying. Haha I did that on purpose, I wanted to see if someone would call me up on my birthday the next day. No company did, though. But one firm replied 3 days after.

That firm asked me to go to their office Monday, Monday first of June. First job interview ever. Ever in my whole life! And yeah you guessed it right, I sucked at it hahaha! I went home thinking maybe it wasn't that bad but recalling the stuff I told that nice lady, man my thoughts were really incoherent and vague. Good thing she was nice. Plus the Cad exam they made me take was a complete disaster. I'm only familiar with the 2009 version and they made me use 2004 I think. I hate hate hate the controls of that version! O wasn't Offset and DI wasn't dimension. I can't even Pan and Zoom using the mouse!!! Do you have any idea how frustrated I was with it? They just asked me to make a detailed plan of a freaking small room and I wasn't even able to deliver well because of that freaking loser of a versionnn!!! How shameful. Plus the interview. Okay can we please forget it now. I knew all along anyway that I have this big chance of messing up first times. Hahaha.

By the way the very nice lady {She's one of the firm's Senior Architects} offered me an apprenticeship job, since that's what really fits fresh Architecture graduates anyway. She was like waiting for an answer and I tried to explain my thoughts regarding that... but failed. Haha! I then had no choice but tell her straight that I'm not really sure if money from apprenticeship can sustain my everyday expenses in terms of working there. They're very far, hence transpo fee, they're very far I'll get tired, hence big food money needed. Haha. I didn't say that part though. Hahaha. She just smiled and almost laughed but she understood me. She told me I could just call them up by the time I make up my mind about it.

Tuesday, the next day, I received an SMS from this Engineering/Construction company. They're just in Greenhills so yeah they're near enough, they scheduled an interview 1PM the next day.

Wednesday. I woke up around 9AM and received 3 calls, each call a matter of 15-30 mins from the other. All were Engineering/Construction companies. I decided to drop the first 2 and maybe go to the third caller the next day. Which I did. But lemme talk about Wednesday interview first.

I came in earlier than scheduled, so I had to wait, good thing I brought a book to keep me company. The company was actually looking for Civil Engineers, I just took a chance that maybe they also needed an Architect, or an Architect-to-be at least. Haha. All the other applicants, my gaddd, were men. Men, not boys. Men who meant serious construction business they made me look like some little girl lost. The office was small, and it had people not my age. They had very few women. After almost an hour a guy interviewed me and haha what an absent-minded guy. I wasn't sure if he knew what he was doing. Until he gave me my Cad exam... He made me plan a house, with elevations. He said maybe I could do it in less than an hour. That was when I confirmed to myself that he really didn't know what he was doing.

The next scenes were very dragging. Then I went home tired, really really tired and annoyed with what he made me do. He was out of his mind! He asked me to come back the next day to speak with the owner. He scheduled me at 10AM and I said I wasn't sure, remember the third caller? That caller scheduled me at 9AM and I wasn't sure if I could make it at 10AM with them. They weren't my priority anymore, since I didn't really like their office anyway. Older people, boring environment. No sign of growth.

Anyhoo Thursday came and I went to that 9AM thing. Man what a waste of time. I didn't like the place, and I didn't like the people in it even more. Well yeah the place is ok since the company's just starting but the staff- oh no I wouldn't be friends with them. I don't know how to describe them... I just don't like them. I sat there hurrying, thinking of a way to get out fast haha until a girl came to me and asked for a copy of my resume and gave me some paper to answer in return. I did and told her I had to leave soon because of an emergency. After answering the thing the owner showed up and he talked with me. He was actually nice! Finally someone decent in that place haha.

Turns out he's an Engineer, and a husband of an Interior Designer. He asked me stuff, I told him what I needed, and he was very nice in the sense that he was very willing to make room for my growth. He was saying I could do this, do that, assist in this, learn from that, blablabla. It was very tempting only if his staff were as nice as him, I know I know I haven't even talked to any of his staff yet but ugh. UGH. So anyway he was done with opportunities, he was going to make me take the Cad exam next which I conveniently escaped through the magic word- emergency. He said maybe I could just call them up and let them know when I could continue their exam. I felt bad for leaving too soon, he really was nice and the offers were nice too but I just didn't see myself working in there. Hence I won't continue, I won't call.

So yeah I dashed to that 10AM meeting next. I was a few minutes late, and there were even more men this time. Scaryyy haha. I sat inside the room, waited for the owner since he was the one supposed to talk with me, and yeah he arrived after almost an hour. He did what I think was his routinary check of the office, asked for coffee and stuff, I was actually scared at first because he sounded masungit but when he called me in, he was actually the opposite.

We then talked and talked and in the end he gave me scenarios. He said he wasn't really sure if he needed someone like me since Engineers were their immediate need. Nevertheless, he told me that if I get hired, I'm gonna do this scenario 1 or maybe do scenario 2. Both opportunities were great, I expressed my interest, especially with scenario 2 and he was like "Bata ka pa, hindi mo alam ang sinasabi mo," Haha I practically laughed, I knew then that he was thinking I was too young for his projects. Too young, too inexperienced. Anyhoo he gave scenario 3 which was if he wasn't going to hire me, he'll refer me to the architectural firms that he had tied up with before. Now that part's too good to believe! Haha. But I thanked him anyway. 

I went home tired, really really tired that I slept after eating. I woke up around 6PM and I got another call. This company's listed in Architectural Practice but their website showed interior spaces / design only. The person on the other line asked me to go to their office 10 or 1030 AM the next day.

I checked my email after a few minutes. Apparently this company replied in my email, maybe hours before, thanking me for my application but said they don't need an Architect at the time. The message said they'll call once they do. That got me confused but I decided to stick with the phone call and come anyway.

10AM. More than 12 hours ago. I went to their office and there was this nice girl who knew I was coming and let me in. The receptionist saw me, she was probably the one who replied to my email, and asked if I were the Architect-applicant. I said yes and all heads flew to my direction. She was smiling and I saw the hesistance in her- they really weren't sure if they needed someone like me. More like they were 80% sure they don't need an Architect at this time! Haha! She made me sit anyway and told me to wait for the person who insisted to call me up. That guy came and the girl said "Ayan na, ayan yung pinatawag mo," I followed the guy and he gave me to another guy, who asked a few questions and made me do an elevation.

Which was, of course, a section to me. He was asking me to do something Interior Designers do. It was elevation to them, section to me. I reflected the section of perpedicular walls, he said it wasn't needed. I took the initiative of injecting some designs, he said it was the boss's job, and not mine / theirs exactly. The whole thing took long and when I had the finished product, man was that way easier than I thought. I kind of feel ashamed he had a hard time explaining things to me but I'm pretty sure he understands- he knows I'm an Architecture graduate. He even said that if I were going to get hired, I would do some big adjustments.

Oh bummer. I liked it there! Their office is nice! I mean the environment looks good, the desks are ok, the people in it look fun. That receptionist looks fun. The man who called me up looks ok. The guy who supervised me is fun too, along with the guy next to his desk and the girl wearing sleeveless who smelled like a baby. Hahaha! I was kind of sad that they don't need an Architect at the time. And even sadder that I didn't perform well in trying Interior Design stuff. To tell you guys honestly, it got me confused. I didn't get the sense of not reflecting the perpendicular wall! Hahaha!!! Boo. I would have loved it there. Among the offices I went to this week, that office was the best, hands down. It would be a bit wrong for me to work there though because if I go with them I won't get to practice Architecture that much. But I like their office. Hmm I'm now thinking if they just wasted my time or what. What's the sense of making me go there if they don't need an Architect anyway? They just made me feel bad for not being needed there :( I really would have loved to work there. Aww too bad.

~

So yeah, I got a taste of everything this week and I think that's good. I was able to taste a bit of real world Architecture, real world Engineering and real world Interior Design. And may I just say that I am very proud because I realized that I made the right decision 5 years ago. Architecture really is where I want to go. See back then I was torn between Civil Engineering and Architecture- good thing I went this way. Of course I also have a heart for Interior Design, we all know that aside from growing with cartoons I also grew up with Lifestyle Network's Room for Change and other shows which do makeovers of rooms. I actually attribute the trigger of my love for spaces through those shows. In order of dreams, it was Interior Design - Civil Engineering - Architecture. But now, in terms of interest, Architecture of course takes the cake while Interior Design comes next and Civil Engineering last. Geez it's just too bad that I screwed up that Monday First of June Architecture Firm opportunity. Anyway I'll just try other firms next time. Soon. For now, I will rest. Haha I intend to enjoy the weekend, because this week sucked a lot of energy from me haha.

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