The Interview

It was one sunny afternoon when I was interviewed by the branch manager of {insert company name here}. I waited for that opportunity for quite a long time and I was nervous I might mess it up big time! I thought he’d asked me about their company’s background, mission, vision, etc. like any other companies I applied to before but I hit it wrong. [I was thankful anyway ‘coz I wasn’t able to do research and I only had a handful of info about them that time.]

So there I was, sitting in front of him feeling like he’s gonna eat me whole. Okay, I was just kidding. :p

He started with the usual questions asked during interviews. “Tell me something about you,” he said. I composed myself and uttered the words I memorized [yes, I prepared some kind of speech to introduce myself. Haha.] the night before. I said my name, my experiences, achievements up to that moment and what I can contribute to their company. I wanted to elaborate more when he asked another question, “How would you compare your first employer to the second, then the two to the third?

I paused for a while, ‘is that a trick question?’ I asked myself. I wondered and am still wondering what he really wanted to know in that question. I came up with a safe answer; I compared the facilities, the employees and the working environment in each company I’ve worked for. I just told the truth and I guess that is enough.

What really surprised me were the questions he asked after that. “Why do you think the government isn’t hiring more nurses? You said that the ratio of nurse-patient in your previous employers were 1:50, or more.”

I felt like he was no longer interviewing me. We were just talking as I may call it. “What do you think is the real problem here, too many patients or too little nurses?” I knew by then what he was trying to point out. I kept on telling him earlier that there were too many patients in the hospitals I’ve been. So I answered, “I think the root cause of the problem is, there isn’t enough workforce in the hospitals.”

Q: Then why are they saying that there is a surplus of nurses?

A: Thousands of nurses are unemployed.

Q: Why wouldn’t they hire?

A: Coz they are taking advantage of the volunteers.

VOLUNTEERS (noun): registered nurses who pay the hospitals so they can work. [It’s more fun in the Philippines!]

Then his questions turned into something like those asked during beauty pageants.

Q: If you were the governor of your province, what would you do to reverse the situation?

A: I would create more items for nurses if feasible.

FEASIBLE. I know that there is lack of budget to hire more nurses. Perhaps because, most of the money go to their own pockets. LOLS.

I backed my answer up. I said that the government can’t even provide adequate fund for each Filipino’s health. One Filipino=P1.25 for health. How could P1.25 help you recover? Can it even buy a tablet of Paracetamol???

There were a lot of questions asked after that and I don’t want to put them one by one here. It’ll be just between me and the interviewer. :p

I know I shouldn’t put all the blame to the government why a lot of nurses here are unemployed. BUT the government is one great key to solve the problem. I am in no position to say how they should allocate their budget, but I atleast have the right to make suggestions.

Instead of producing nurses they can export to other countries [yes it feels like we are mere commodities they can sell], why don’t they create more opportunities here in OUR country. While it’s true that they currently have programs for nurses [and I am thankful I’ve been a part of it], it’s just a temporary relief of the problem.

Anyway, I’ll just end this post with this quote:

"Let whoever is in charge keep this simple question in her head - (not, how can I always do this right thing myself, but) how can I provide for the right thing to be always done?"

~~~Florence Nightingale

P.S. If you're wondering if I was hired, the answer is not YET. Final listing will come up hopefully by second week of April. Pray for me! :))

UPDATE: I was hired! Read the details Here or Here. :)

photo credits: Google & Yahoo

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