Finding Employment Is Difficult But Not Impossible
Finding work in the Philippines is not easy but it is far from being impossible as I explain in my book, “Making A Living In The Philippines”. I lived in the Philippines for a number of years and found employment with a number of different jobs. If you are seriously interested in finding work in the Philippines in order to live there then reading this book is a must.
The most important thing to have is the right mindset or attitude. There is work to be had. You do have skills someone will pay you for. Never lose track of these thoughts and you will be successful. To ensure success you might have to adapt what you consider as a suitable job, good conditions, fair pay etc.
The locals work longer for less and put up with more than we would ever suffer. In many ways we are spoilt back home as far as our working conditions are concerned. But you are not ‘back home’, are you? The whole reason for being here looking for a job is because you wanted to change your circumstances and take some chances.
The next important thing to have is a ticket home. Always have enough to get you back to where you came from and NEVER spend it. In 2004 I had to decide whether I hung in there a few more weeks and hopefully the man I was working for would come good with my salary and back pay… or cut and run back home for a few months to find a job, make some cash and keep the family alive. I took my airfare out of the bank and used it for that purpose before everyday living would have eaten into it and left me with far fewer options!
Look for a job long before you need it. People can sense when you are desperate and your chances of success drop dramatically for some reason. If you are in the fortunate position of wanting a job but not yet needing one, for some reason you get swamped with opportunities. It’s a bit like when you are single and can’t get a date then you meet a nice girl and all of a sudden every woman in town is after you.
Timing is everything and what usually happens to me is I get one job offer while still waiting to hear from the better job I applied for at the same time. You can avoid this by going for just the one position at a time, but then you need the luxury of not needing a job right away as mentioned above.
When you do have a job, don’t abuse it. Make sure you save at least 10% of your salary no matter how low the pay is. Pay yourself first, then your debts and then live with your means on what is left. Cut your cloth to suit and you are a free man. You can always resign when you want to and not fear being fired. I try to have three months living expenses stashed away so I can be flexible whether working for a salary or working for myself like I am doing now.
Finally, don’t be too proud to accept things are beyond your control and get the heck out of there. Get back to the States or wherever you can get a job, save up some money and then go back and give it another go if you feel you must. When I had to bail out and head home for four months in 2004 I copped a lot of nasty flak on the bulletin boards I posted on. So what? Remember, those that mind don’t matter and those that matter don’t mind.
