Are You Sure?!

After the employee orientation, which lasted half the day, the new hires were one by one introduced to the HR Manager as a formality to signify that we are now under her care. The recuitment officer then turns to me and ushers me in to her Manager's cubicle to introduce me. Leaning in to take my hand, the Manager, smiling her genial smile, utters to me: "Are you sure?"

During the application procedures, it was the HR manager who conducted the interview after the tests. She confided in me that she was finding it hard to place me on any department, further stating to the effect that I don't have the usual "accountant's personality," meaning, she didn't see me as introverted and aloof enough as the typical accountant. What she's basically saying is, she does not think that I have the fortitude and patience enough to last the job.

I don't know... do I really give off an aura that tells people that I will disappear the moment I no longer like my environment? (Don't answer that!)

I remember my interview on my past job. The accounting manager for the position I was applying for told me that she is in the process of deciding between me and another applicant for the job. A couple of weeks after that interview, and with no updates from the company, I decided to follow up on my application and was set for another interview with another accounting manager.

It turns out the first accounting manager chose the other applicant over me, fearing that had she decided to pick me over the other applicant, I might, after a while, leave the company the moment I decide that I do not like the job after all. She feared that I may not have the patience to stick with the job, siting my background and my family's means.

The second accounting manager decided to take me in her group. Eight months after that, the other applicant tendered his resignation and I ended up being laterally transfered to the other department to handle the account he left. After quite a few transfers from one account to the other, I finally decided to leave that job to rest. I lasted four years and eight months. I do believe I have enough patience and fortitude for the job.

Today, I start with my new job, after four whole months of inactivity. It's interesting to note, though, that I started on this new job on Monday, May 24, while I started on my previous job five years ago on Monday, May 23. It probably has more to do with coincidence than portents of whatever things to come.