two years? was it that long already?

I’ve been working in Etel for two years now… yes, two half-empty years spent on being awake until dawn and receiving calls from snotty American callers who cant get a life. Record-breaking? Perhaps. Because truth to tell, I never really expected things to end up this way… to stay for too long in such an industry where resignation and AWOL are nothing but a day-to-day scenario. But don’t get me wrong, I am not a company pet, not even close. So don’t expect me to tell you about adoring the policies, the drastic changes, and the overly-sensitive security people in the company. That’s why it still amuses me to think about myself as an SME… training the new hires once they hit the floor in operations and helping the program adjust to their learning curve – because it’s really out-of-character for me to be all these things and more. Right, friends?

I’ve been to so many things for two years. I’ve embraced changes – about people that you’ve become friends with come and go – like something so natural that I don’t even seem to notice at all. Working in etel eradicated my fear of changes, my fear of the day after tomorrow and the succeeding weeks when someone leaves. Yes, I’ve wept for these friends who finally chose to change careers and I also have my fair share of some trivial soliloquies about what’s life out there. But hey, im still here… and is already on my two years of tenure.

The main reason why I love eTel is because of its culture and its people. I love how I’ve built friendship with these people who shared with me my “overnight coffees and morning beers”. I love staying with the team i've been with since my day one of taking in calls - Team Phoenix. I love the idea that our team is sooo fun that work on a graveyard shift doesnt feel that morbid at all (well, maybe, just a bit). Yeah, sure, I also love my TL Eryk who never fails to make fun of everything i say or do... who's day will never be complete without scaring me or making fun with the way i walk and talk. Yes, I value the team so much that when i learned that our team will be dispersed because TL Eryk was tasked to handle training bay, I cried, literally. and the humiliating part of the story is the fact that my blabbermouth superfriend/teammate re-enacted everything to TL Eryk - on how i cried about missing the team - which gave TL another reason to make fun of me everyday when he came back from training bay. But that's fine, me and TL Eryk arent ourselves without him pointing and laughing at me and me getting too victimized by his crazy antics everyday. These things give me sufficient reason to say that Etel's culture is light and friendly - it doesnt dwell too much on hierarchy and subordination. My life in eTel is a fine mixture of caffeinated laughter and overnight bliss.

And things in my life took a slight curve when i became an SME. I never really expected to make it because of the fact that i am never really into leadership and all that because of the fact that i've always just been a lowly follower. But TL Eryk was insistent, on one of the few serious coaching moments we've had, he said that he sees something promising in me so i should atleast give it a try. and there, the rest as they say is history. And that part of my eTel history is more fun than i actually thought. I love those moments when you really feel like you're helpful and valuable to other people. It was also fun to see the newbies stutter during calls and receive calls with damp and shaky hands...because they all remind me of myself two years ago, on my very first day of taking in calls. I love it when we do trainings and coaching sessions because i am able to discover that i can also lead and inspire other people to do their best without becoming too preachy or self-absorbed. I love learning about their personalities and whatnot. it was also interesting to know about their personal/too personal stories without me asking (well, sometimes.haha) like they've found their new best friend. Needless, to say, i sooo love the newhires and is also inlove with the idea of helping them get through with this industry that is so stressful to function in more ways than one.

But there are also some unbearable moments and times when i really thought i've had enough. I’ve been to sooo many second thoughts of resigning. I’ve been lured by my friends to quit the job and go to other companies that pay more. “cza, day job. same rate din” I’ve been tempted by my college friends to pursue writing. Which is, of course, a different story, by the way. By all means, someday, I will write. But time and again, let me just tell you that I’m still waiting for the perfect timing. I am still hoping for some cosmic proportion to finally enlighten me to give my heart back to my one true love. So for the time being, I would let my writing, my true to love to fool around elsewhere until that perfect timing.

and until that moment surfaces, i am still bound to working at 3am and saying "i'll be happy to help" like i really care. haha. that's my life in eTel...my history under construction. and for the nth time, let me just say that im still loving it. =)