MY JOURNEY INTO ADULTHOOD - Part 1

It has been a pretty busy time of my life in the past years 2016-2021. I was busy with work, trying to find what works for me in this new life. I've been through so many crossroads and choices that I had to make over these few years outside of my comfy parents laps.

Here's a bit of reflection over those years (If I can remember correctly).

OCTOBER 2016 

After I left university, I decided not to go home, but to pursue employment in PNG's most densely populated city of Port Moresby - the city of the filthy rich, the struggling middle-class, thugs and cultural and societal misfits.

For me, it was a place to find a decent job. It wasn't too long before I figured it's not as easy as it was presented to us in the comforts of a lecture room. I bet all under-grads had the same dream as I had, thinking we've made it in life going into a University and it should be all downhill from there, getting a good job owning a house a car. Well that is not the case, as soon as you leave university, a gigantic palm of reality will slap you right across the face!

NOVEMBER 2016 - PORT MORESBY

Similar settlement around Port Moresby

I started of in Port Moresby at Tete Settlement, a squatter settlement outside Gerehu. There is no running water, no septic toilet, no proper kitchen, laundry area. The room that we lived in was the basement of a semi-permanent house, meaning, the floor is the ground. My elder brother, his wife and our cousin brother were living there. We had other close relatives but I preferred living with my immediate family. From there I went on job hunting, hoping I'll get in easy somewhere through 'save faces' or 'wantoks' but it didn't work out as my 'tribesmanship' did not measure up to that level of getting employed with a whisper to the 'bossmans'.

JOB HUNTING

With the help of friends and relatives, I printed dozens of application letters, resumes, copies of my certificates and started dropping them off at company reception desks. Newspapers became my daily reader - the classifieds section. I've sent hundreds of applications, walked from office to office - I've covered the entire Gordons Industrial area on foot dropping of hard copies of applications to companies and organizations. None of which I've had any positive responses or no response at all. I used a very tiny Alcatel touchscreen phone to access my Gmail which was full of sent items with megabytes of PDF application files. It was taunting at times, feeling unworthy of being employed but at that same time I had support from my parents, family and friends with little money, food, busfare and phone credits. It was around that time that I sent a fluke application to a newspaper ad for a position at a Diplomatic Mission. I say fluke, because I have no idea what this role is and certainly not in my field of study, but I've always wanted to work at that particular Mission and at that point I just want to start somewhere.

DECEMBER 2016 - LIVING WITH RELATIVES

After a few weeks, I gave up settlement life and moved in with relatives with the hopes of being assisted with job employment opportunities. During that period, I was fortunate to have two of my awesome friends from university who had contacted me to help with setting up small offices. This was my first work experience outside school. I made sure I put in 100% into these two projects. After completing these projects I tried to find more freelancing opportunities as full time employment seems beyond my grasp. I did not land anymore projects after that. 

JANUARY TO MARCH 2017 - THE INTERVIEW

The new year pretty much meant nothing to me as January and February went by. I had almost given up looking for a job in Port Moresby. I was already planning to return home after my graduation in March when I received a call from the Diplomatic Mission - "Congratulations, you have been selected for an Interview.."! This wasn't my first interview, It came shortly after I failed an interview with a prominent telecommunications company. I was not going to fail this one. I made sure I was prepared. I found an article online about possible interview questions (101 questions to be exact) and I studied this on the nights leading up to the interview. 

On the interview day, I realised that I do not have any proper shoes to wear. All I had was a basketball sneaker and a steel capped boot - something I used to wear in school. Realizing this, my uncle - who I am currently residing with - gave me K50 to get new shoes before the interview. I dressed up, snuck into my slippers and took off to Vision City, the busiest, convenient but expensive mall that is 10 minutes away from where the interview is taking place. I went into a shop and carefully chose a shoe that fits (when I shop for shoes, I look for the size, not the style or shape because for some reason, size 12 is very hard to find in PNG). After I paid for the shoes (they were about K28.00), I wore them inside the shop, tucked in my slippers in my bag and took off. Luckily I did not leave the mall yet, as the shop assistant chased me down and pointed out that I actually have one of two different pairs of shoes on. We rushed back into the shop and got the right pair and I was off for the interview.

After a security check and a 5 minute wait at the reception, a well dressed staff greeted and led me into the interview room. I was a little surprised at first as I did not expect a panel interview - a total of three panel members were present to carry out the interview. I was a little nervous but confident after all the preparation nights before. I answered all questions with a smile because I was pretty confident with my answers. But this was just the first step - no concrete assurances yet as to whether I will be offered the job.

GRADUATION
I had to travel back to Uni for my graduation later on in the same month. My parents travelled from home and this was the first time I've introduced (or not) my love of my life to my parents. I admit, I was terrible at this. I called her down and we walked with my parents, no words of introduction, just a slow, very awkward walk with whispers up the road to the bus stop after their first visit to the Uni. I was too occupied with Graduation preparations to have noticed any reaction from my either parents or partner. After graduation, my parents travelled home and I travelled back to Port Moresby hoping to get more feedback from my job application or offered the job at the Diplomatic Mission. Finally at the end of April, I received the call and an email that I have been accepted to begin employment with the Diplomatic Mission. I was super excited!

Although you may think this is it, it is just the beginning! Stay tuned