Newbies' Guide to Faraway Employment (or, how to look for and settle in a condo or an apartment)

Welcome to the metro!

Working in an office far, far, away… From home

Fresh graduates, new job seekers, vets, I welcome you all to my first blog article.



As you can see, most of us are looking for work since it’s hard to be stagnant at home, and being a burden to one’s own family, so yeah we’re looking for ways to have income.

The problem is that when you live in the province, work that pays well is pretty much far from home. Lucky you if you find one relatively close and if you haven’t found any, it’s off to Manila we go.

Metro Manila and yonder as we all know is a treasure trove for both new and veteran job seekers alike. It’s the land of opportunity; unfortunately it can be quite taxing in economical and physical ways especially when you live that far from the Metro.

I myself experienced that lots of times, I was a fresh graduate this June 2017 and before that I was already looking for a job. Friends and relatives told me to look for work in nearby places but how could I? Most of the classified ads I’ve seen online mostly directed me to QC and beyond while some are close but needs tons of experience in order to get hired.

Though it pains me, I had to go to Manila to find work, pretty much a trial by fire if I do say so myself.

Good thing is I found one in Bulacan and it’s where I work right now so don’t give up hope looking for work near you.



So let me recount my experience anyway. Let’s start with me, finding work at first.

I had lots of choices for work so I checked them all out from Accenture, Convergys, PLDT, and also Teleperformance. Passing their tests and requirements is one thing, but even if I did pass, could I sustain myself once I start?

I’m sure you did ask yourself that too at some point, and yes it is quite the problem especially if they don’t have sleeping quarters for you to stay in.

I honestly hate having debts and I dislike being impractical too, some might call me picky if I told everyone here that I declined their offers in the end because of such inconveniences, but if I ever will oblige, I’d have to find a place to stay in, and that my friend is where apartments, boarding houses and condominiums come in.



Now, hear me out. I know some would prefer going home daily since renting a spot or paying to own one in a per month basis can be expensive.

But, when you think about it, are you willing to go back and forth commuting, facing traffic, standing in long lines, waking up very early for work and sleeping late because you went home late? I sure am not.

Thinking it’s okay would only work for the first few days, then it gets tiresome.

The hard part is that your funds can dwindle fast and believe me, it is unnerving when you got a mere thousand bucks to start with, so it’s practical to think about the long run.

So yeah, why not rent a spot? Sure!



But how would you even? It’s a no brainer that finding and even paying for one is pretty much hard and it’s not even news anymore.

Well, I’m here to make some suggestions based on experience and of course I’ll try to target a broad range of people here. ;-)



Let's get started, shall we?

Work for small jobs first, build up some startup cash

For starters, it’s a tall order looking for a condo or an apartment to stay in because of how much it’ll cost but it’s a sane idea to look for a low paying job near you to get you started with your funds, just tell yourself it’s not your permanent job so you don’t feel bad about it and that you’re doing it to start yourself up.

Besides, it’s good for the resume too!

Call a friend, ask the audience

So assuming you already got the dough to make you last for a whole month or two for work, why not try to ease the monetary burden you carry?

Simple, before you carry on looking for a spot to stay in, why not ask experienced people first so they could tell you about some good spots to look for relatively affordable condos or apartments that’s near your AO (Area of Operations) trust me, you’d gain some valuable insights.

Found a spot? Slash the monthly rent rate, if you got a friend who’s gonna work near your spot or near where you’ll stay in, why not invite them? You’ll do yourselves a nice favor with that decision.

The where and what now?

To draw up some ideas for budget planning, of course you have to know what kind of tenement you are planning to stay in, how much does it cost and how easy or tough would it be for you to maintain in a monthly basis?

Budget aside, how close is the place you’re planning about to your workplace? Is it real close? Relatively near? Location of course is a crucial factor.

Know thyself

Knowing yourself also works, you can ask yourself these when thinking about how you'll pick a spot.

• Are you the not-so-picky type that can stay anywhere so long as it’s cheap? 

• The economical yet picky type who wants a quiet and neat place to stay in? 

• Or, the luxurious type who can afford a condo unit like this one?

These questions can make the selection process a bit easier. You just have to set your own standards depending on your financial situation.

Settling in

So at this point let’s say you’ve already picked a spot and decided to plant your roots already.

Hello independent life or living alone but actually is with a friend, or not?

There we go, near the office but away from your real home. For some there might be a feeling of homesickness when you first start out.

Yes, that’s true for some, maybe less true for others. When you decide to go down this path, it’s necessary to remind yourself why you did it, what’s your purpose in doing so.

That aside, you can also make your newly rented or owned spot feel like home in order to enjoy your stay. Say, bringing your favorite things with you when you move in?

My pal lives in a condo near the Boni MRT Station and from what I saw, he brought his PS3, TV, PS Vita, and etc.

Does he go home weekly?

No. Why? Because he enjoys staying there and he made his place feel like home. So trust me, it's effective.

Also, that is a good question!

How often would you go home anyways? Never forget you also got your own family to go back to. If you’ll ask me, I’d probably stay in my rented spot for 2-3 weeks and go home for a nice weekend with them.

So never forget to visit home too. Set a schedule, that way you won’t risk alienating yourself from your own real home.

And lastly;

Keep an eye on your budget

Congrats! You’ve already settled in the place of your choice!

But be reminded that you’re on your own from here. Budgetting is a huge factor when you’re far away from backup so tread lightly on your spending.

Remember to prioritize what’s needed and the last things are stuff that you only want. You’ll be spending more on maintaining your rent, or probably bills and also food for the whole month so use that salary wisely and efficiently.

A short farewell, for now.

So, ready to conquer the places inaccessible long ago in an address far, far away?

(Yes, I’m also a fan of Star Wars, high five if you are too! May the force be with y’all.)

I do hope these tips would make it a bit easier on all of you, and these might, or might not work for some, but all in all, they are all based on experience so you could also improvise and experiment on your own.

It has been a pleasure writing for all of you, and if you do have suggestions please drop em off in the comments section below!