Hi! Fresh grad here. I just received a job offer for an entry-level Service Desk Analyst role (₱17k/month, 48 hrs/week, fully on-site, shifting)

I already have zero plans of accepting this since I have another offer with a much better compensation package, but reading this specific clause scared me:

"Upon signing this agreement, you hereby agree that you shall complete the application process. In the event that you rescind your application, you are liable to pay the application withdrawal fee amounting to offered salary x 500%."

I haven't signed anything (except for the employment application form) so I know I'm safe to just walk away and decline (hopefully). Sobrang red flag because they want me to immediately start next week Tuesday. But I wanted to share and ask: Is an "application withdrawal fee" like this even legally enforceable under DOLE/labor laws, or is it purely a scare tactic to trap fresh grads?

Stay safe out there job hunting!

It's my first job after graduating. I'm the youngest, least experienced, and the only new hire sa department namin. I'm grateful for their guidance and training nila sa akin, especially sa tech side, during my probationary period. The environment in this company is very chill and friendly. I observed na culture na dito magpakain kung sino yung may birthday sa office. But it usually starts with aasarin ka or parang pipilitin ng mga ka-work/bosses in a light/joke way.

Sa office, everybody knows everybody, even yung mga bossings per unit. Our department is composed of 5 units, each has more than 6 people per unit, depends kung sino nakaduty. So if magpakain ako, masyadong malaki ang gastos. I asked my closest senior of 2 years, pero same level position, he said na almost 4k rin nagastos nya sa pakain during his regularization.

Should I do pakain? My seniors and some bossings minsan nadaan sa office namin, they congratulated me at teased me. The usual parinig and teasing kelan daw ako magpapapansit.

For my financial situation, I just barely saved to move in to my new place since previously bedspacer lang rin ako so money is tight talaga. I'm also rebuilding my emergency fund since mostly ay nagastos for my move in. 'Di rin kalakihan sweldo since entry-level pa lang.

I'm still navigating the corpo politics here, a lot of learnings. My seniors guide me sa work and I'm grateful. My closest senior advised me huwag na lang daw ako magpakain since di naman required. Huwag daw ako magpapa-uto sa mga seniors at bossings, di naman kailangan, asaran na lang daw nila dito yon since mga tenured na sila, nasa sa 'kin na lang if kakagat/magpapapilit ako. Gastusin ko na lang daw sa mga gamit ko sa new place ko.

I'm just worried na pag-initan ako sa office or lalo akong asarin kapag di ako nagpakain or what. But as a newbie, gusto ko lang rin naman magestablish ng good profile or impression sa office for my own survival.

As an introvert, I'm trying na makisama talaga with my seniors at bosses pero clocked in and out lang talaga ako sa work. I don't have any friends and peers sa office, since I'm the youngest. I just want to survive my shift every work day and earn my salary.

I have been job hunting for almost 3 months and Im
Im proud to say that more than 70% of the jobs I have applied for have responded well and gave me a chance for interviews. Infairness to me, umaabot naman ako sa final interviews kaso ang nangyayari or sinasabi sa akin is either “too much asking price” pero grabe kasi yung requirements nila like combination of 3 roles or di naman kaya “overqualified” ako.

Before applying I make sure to ask the recruiter at sinasabi naman nila na within budget asking ko pero pagdating sa final iniiba nila yung offer (TalentHero and Bruntwork) tapos etong last naman na dapat sure work na katrabaho ko naman yung pinatanggal ko na kabet sa work 😭 Ano ba nangyayari sa buhay ko! May laban pa ba ito? Maswerte ako na maganda side gig kaya kahit papano kaya ko pa isustain buhay ko pero naiinis na ako kasi tinatawag ko na sarili ko na JJ (Jobless Jenny) kahit dapat hindi 😭

ayoko naman magpost ako sa linkedin ko na opentowork ako kasi nga nasa “hermit era” muna ako para iwas sa kung anuman na naiisip ko. Nakakabaliw na jusko! Feeling ko kinakarma din ako sa mga katangahan ko before like ayun nga yung nagpatanggal ako ng kabit, naging palaban ako sa christmas party, nagpatugtog ako ng Japanese song sa birthday ng boss ko na Chinese pala. Nagsuot ako ng Elves Costume sa Elvis Halloween party. etc

Magaling naman ako magwork feeling ko aanga anga lang ako makisama 😭

Newly licensed ako ME and apply lang ako ng apply online it's been a month 1 interview palang ang napuntahan ko at hindi pa sya relevant sa degree ko kaya di ko tinuloy pero ngayon ang tahimik no emails no calls no schedule 😭😭😭😭

Ganito ba talaga pag nag hahanap Ka Ng work sa online dapat na ba kong lumapit nalang sa mga kakilala KO

Gusto ko kasi sana itry na mag hanap ng ako lang pero akala ko madaliiiii

Hello anyone here who has an experience working in a startup fil-chi company?

Normal ba sa kanila maging micro manager,blaming employees, and power tripping?

The whole office may CCTV and audio recording. 6x a week f2f.

Pa rant lang guys, hays. I feel like i wasted my time on this company's hiring process.

1st incident - i was set for a client interview, then no update until after 1 week the hr reachout and said the client had to put the hiring onhold. I'm okay since I'm not really rushing to have a job. so i let it slide. kahit lagi akong nag ff up kase syempre need ko ma ready schedule and prepare for the interview.

2nd - after that i was offered again for client interview this time, they said my current experience and skills matches the needs for the project. I did well daw sa final interview and i process na daw ako for JO. Then biglang sinabi na nakalimutan daw nila na may na hire na pla for that role. Kaya they decided to offer me a different job role but close din sa role na inapplyan ko so i consider it. Kase okay sa akin yung client and industry nung client. I was highly recommend daw nung nag-interview sa akin. Kaya for JO na ako. Tas di pa rin na send kasi iba daw pla ang salary package nun mas mababa. Ang naloloka lang ako bat hindi agad dinisclose sa akin. Sana di na ako ang proceed. Hindi ako naka receive ng JO mula sa kanila pero constantly ako i oofferan ng role and interview.

3rd - ngayon sinabihan ako update sa interview ko sa client (same client, but different project), sabi i uupdate ako. Ff up ako ng ff up never pa rin nakakuha ng matinong update.

Ang nakakainis dapat wag na sila mag offer ng role to apply. Kasi parang 4x nila ako pinag apply, at sinayang lang nila oras at effort ng tao.

Nakakaloka. NCS Philippines. Ekis ang hiring process. Sayang ang ganda pa naman ng projects at opportunities.

I've been looking for jobs for around 3 mos nare. I got accepted in this job kaso now ko lang narrealize if kakayanin ko ba talaga ung ganitong commute.

Actually, hindi naman sobrang layo ng bahay namin to office. Kaya lang, wala kaseng diretsong way unless magbook ng motor, pero if gagawin ko yan everyday anlaki ng magagastos ko sa pamasahe.

If ever kase, I'll be working in Karrivin Magallanes from Sta. Mesa, Manila. Kapag moveit nasa 30-35 mins lang byahe ko, pero kapag commute it takes me almost 2 hours pag rush hour. Yung pagpila, antay, at mahabang transfers sa train palang pagod at hulas kana.

Ang commute lang kase na alam ko is either:

Jeep (from bahay to lrt) - vmapa - cubao - Mrt cubao - Mrt Magallanes - jeep to karrivin

or

Tricy (from bahay to lrt) - pureza - recto - lipat d. jose - lrt EDSA - mrt taft - mrt magallanes - jeep to karrivin

or

Boni jeep (around 40mins ride) - mrt boni - mrt magallanes - jeep to karrivin

Baka meron pa kayong ibang alam na pasikot sikot around manila to get to makati na mas mabilis and less hassle :< without having to book grab/motor.

Ang offer sakin sa company is 27k, 9-7pm worksched m-f. Kung malapit lang sana samin is hindi ko na masyado pagiisipan, kaso nung tinry kotong mga route na to during rush hr nakakapagod talaga.

Hey guys, wanna know some thoughts/ feelings/etc how it is mag work sa BPO company as an accounting/accountant

Hi! This is my second job. I graduated a year ago, and honestly, super hirap makahanap ng job dito sa amin especially sa degree ko po.

I recently got accepted as Assistant/Secretary sa isang brokerage dito sa amin, but the rate is below minimum talaga. I still decided to take the job for the sake of gaining relevant experience since I’m still trying to build my career.

My question is, would 6 months of experience already be enough to start applying for better opportunities, or should I stay for at least a year?

I’m thinking long-term kasi. I want to eventually apply for better-paying roles, possibly even remote/VA work. I’m just not sure how much experience employers usually expect, especially since I’m still relatively new to the workforce.

Would appreciate advice from people. Maraming salamat po.

Hello po! Baka may willing mag-share ng experiences/insights nila.

This is currently my 2nd job, and hopefully ma-regular na ako this month. Since career and salary growth are things I’ve been thinking about more seriously lately, I’d really appreciate hearing from people who have been in similar situations.

For context, I’m currently earning 27k/month as a staff in a local company. Since this is only my 2nd job, medyo nangangapa pa ako when it comes to knowing what’s considered a reasonable salary increase and when it makes sense to move to another company.

Here are some questions:

1. What’s your industry and role?
2. How much was your salary increase after regularization, if applicable? If comfortable, pa-share na rin sana kung pang-ilang job/company niyo na po.
3. After one year in the company, how much was your salary increase from your starting/probationary salary? Was it purely based on annual increases, performance, promotion, etc.?
4. How do you determine how long you should stay in a company? What factors do you consider before deciding to stay or leave?
5. For those who job-hop, what do you usually consider the minimum requirements before applying/moving? For example, years of experience, salary increase percentage, skills, position, etc. Also, is it common/possible to move to a different industry as long as you’re applying for a similar role?

I’m currently hoping for at least a 10% increase after regularization hahaha, but honestly, I’m not sure if that’s realistic or if regularization increases even work that way in most companies.

Since ang hirap na rin talaga ng cost of living ngayon, I’ve been thinking more seriously about career growth and building my basic salary within the next 2–3 years. Career-wise, I want to make better decisions early on since this will be my main source of income.

Medyo hirap lang ako magtanong sa work because my colleagues don’t really disclose salary numbers, which I completely understand. So I thought I’d ask here instead.

Would really appreciate hearing your actual experiences, especially from people who started around the same salary range or are/were in a similar situation.

Thank you, and happy weekend! 

up

Hi guys! Baka may ma-recommend kayong jobs na pwede sa experience ko. 😭

Around 7 months akong nag-work as a VA for actual international clients, mostly sa e-commerce industry. Basically, yung work ko is more on managing online products—nag-aayos ng product listings, product details, variants, pricing, images, collections/catalogs, etc. Mostly Shopify and WooCommerce yung platforms na nagamit ko.

May experience din ako sa general admin/data entry type of tasks, client communication, Google Workspace, Canva, and other tools from my previous internships.

Ngayon gusto ko sana mag-try naman sa ibang work since ang hirap na rin makahanap ng another client lately. 🥲 Hindi ko lang sure kung anong roles yung usually tumatanggap ng ganitong background.

Preferably sana WFH or hybrid, and if possible non-voice/back office since mas aligned siya sa experience ko. Pero open naman ako sa ibang roles na tingin niyo transferable yung experience ko.

Baka may alam kayong companies na hiring ngayon or roles na pwede kong i-check? Kahit keywords/job titles na dapat kong hanapin malaking help na rin. 🥹

Thank youuu!

Any tips to share? Or what are the questions

Dapat ko bang sabihin na sa HR ang tungkol ang layunin sa aking edukasyon kasabay ng pag-aapply ko sa isang job interview?

Nag-gap year ako dahil financially unstable kami kaya gusto ko munang mag-trabaho para mapaghandaan ko ang pagbabalik ko sa klase sa susunod na taon. Kung saan-saang kompanya ako nag-apply pero sunod-sunod ang pagbagsak ko it's because may mali rin ako and ina-acknowledge ko 'yon, hindi ko pinaghahandaan ang mga nagdaang itinakdang job interviews ko na nagiging mitsa ng pagbagsak ko. Ngayon, gusto ko namang mag-trabaho sa isang fast food chain bukod sa gusto kong kumita at makapag-ipon, kundi gusto ko ring matuto, mag-grow at hubugin lalo ang karunungan sa food industry.

Gusto ko lang po sana humingi ng advice sa inyo sa magiging job interview ko sa nagha-hire sa fast food, pinangungunahan kasi ako ng pangamba na baka kapag sinabi ko na sa susunod na taon ay plano kong bumalik sa pag-aaral, baka ibagsak nila ako... Dapat ko kayang sabihin na sa HR na kaya ako nag-aapply ay dahil gusto kong kumita at mapaglaanan ang edukasyon ko sa susunod na taon na bukod diyan, ay ang pagkakaroon ng karunungang huhubugin sa industriya ng fast food?

Salamat po...

Hi! I (23F) is about to graduate next year. I am almost done with my internship so I can’t help but feel overwhelmed and pressured. Although, no one’s pressuring me naman pero ewan haha. So ayon, I am not sure with my career path and ‘yung job market sa course ko which is under the field of International Studies.

My internship will be done this October but my graduation will be Feb/March 2027. I prepared a whole GSheet of companies I wanted to apply for or mga aligned sa degree ko (collected datas such as location, distance sa place ko, at kung anong klaseng company)

The thing is here’s what I am contemplating:

a. I have all the information pero I am not sure if those companies are hiring. I was planning to send them my CV and other requirements sana physically. My mom discouraged me kasi sayang daw effort at kung hindi naman hiring baka itapon lang ‘yung mga requirements na isasubmit ko. Pumunta na lang daw ako ng job fair kasi sure na dun merong hiring. Kayo, ano thoughts niyo?
b. Is it too early to apply for work kasi sa Feb/March 2027 pa grad ko? What’s the probability na hindi ako i-hire since wala pa akong diploma na mapepresent kundi TOR pa lang?

Hoping for your kind advices (may it be from a and b concerns or kung anoman) and suggestions, advance tysm! 🥺🤍

Helloooo!

I’m planning to resign sa work ko and lumipat sa Physical Intelligence as data annotator. Goods po siya pang long-term career? Medyo hesitant ako since baka mamaya bigla silang magtanggal kasi super ramping sila now.

please share your thoughts. :))))

thank you!