A chance to experience Japan with RareJob
Employee JournalsBeing nominated for the Employee Awards Program was something I was very thankful for because it’s the company’s way of telling me that they have recognized my effort and contributions.
Hence, when I received a message notifying me that I was part of the finalists, it made me think if the message was really intended for me.
The first notification I received was through a private & direct message, I was still in doubt since my name was not in it. Maybe it was because the idea never crossed my mind, as I knew that there were also other staff who were nominated in that category. Besides, I have been doing almost the same tasks for a long time now, and though I have been part of some projects, most of them were just intradepartmental projects. I rarely had the chance to be exposed to other departments, which made me believe that it would not be possible for me to get the title.
As finalists, we each had a 15-minute interview with the bosses, and I would say that it was the longest 15 minutes of my life. At that time, what I had in mind was that in order for someone to get the Employee of the Year Award, they had to be involved in big projects first and lead several projects. But I guess I was wrong,
RareJob has been loyal to their vision to: “Chances for everyone, everywhere.”
As long as you are giving your best in everything that you do, the company has its ways of recognizing your effort and contribution.
Weeks passed by and it was finally time for the year-end celebration of the company, where the announcement of Employee of the Year winners would take place. As part of the finalists, we were already informed of the program and that we would go up on stage as our names are called. At that time, I was very happy and thankful just to be part of the finalists. But how exactly would you feel if the golden envelope was opened and your name was in it? Of course, I was really in awe and had a mix of emotions! It was an intense feeling, something that would always be difficult for me to describe, but certainly involved a feeling of gratefulness. That night, I was just overwhelmed to the point that after I left the stage, I couldn’t focus on the other things around me because I was trying to absorb what just happened. It was indeed a superb experience.
I wouldn’t deny that being part of the finalists made me feel excited as I waited for the announcement. If you knew that you could have the chance to experience Japan for free, who would not be thrilled about that? Yes, the company will cover all the expenses! How awesome would that be?
So now, let me share with you my observations, feelings, learnings, and takeaways from the whole experience I had.
I’ll start with the RareJob, Inc. office. Before this trip, I was already asked the question “What do you want to know about or experience at the RareJob, Inc. office?” The first thing that came to my mind was its appearance. I was curious about the interior design; how its conference rooms, pantry area, lobby, and work stations look like. That is why on our second day, which was our first scheduled visit in RJ JP office, I was really excited. I told myself that I should really take some photos even though I’m not really fond of doing it. Another thing that crossed my mind was if our department here in PH had a counterpart in JP office. I was curious to know about our counterpart’s operations and how I would be able to learn from them and apply them in PH operations.
When we had an office tour, I learned a few things about the RJ JP operations. We also had the chance to meet and greet some Japanese staff and attended meetings to give us some background of the tasks and responsibilities of different teams and departments.
The company also held a mini general assembly for us; the goal was to present the Employee Awards Program and motivate even the Japanese staff to perform at their best. It was indeed a good experience for me as I also had the chance to share with them our team and department’s tasks and accomplishments. It was a great privilege for me to be able to speak in front of RareJob, Inc. office staff and share something that I believe they are also curious about. Moreover, it’s another way for me to challenge myself to talk in front of many people, as I consider it as one of my weaknesses. But I felt really proud after that, as I knew that I did a good job.
I know that I still need to improve and learn more, but I would say that it’s really a great learning experience for me.
That experience would always remind me that you will never know unless you try.
Before the presentation, I had a lot of doubts and I was anxious if I would really be able to clearly share with them the information that I wanted to impart. However, when I saw their reactions during and even after the presentation, I felt relieved, and I knew that I made it. It was rewarding!
Though the time I spent in RJ JP office was very short, I have discovered a lot of new things about the people, the company, and of course, about myself. There may be some differences—for instance, the language—but as long as both parties are willing to bridge the gap then we will all be able to reach our targets. It may be difficult, just like when trying to learn something new, but with continuous effort and proper communication, everything is possible.
This experience was really a great opportunity for me to learn something new. It is indeed true that experience is our best teacher, and the best way to learn something is to experience it firsthand. I’d like to humbly and confidently tell everyone that it was my first time traveling abroad, and RareJob made it possible for me to experience it this year.
2019 is surely a lucky year for me and because of my Japan experience, I gained new knowledge and discoveries about another country’s rich culture. And because it’s my first time abroad, it’s also my first time to experience a lot of things such as seeing a Sakura tree. Though there were just a few of them when we visited, it was still something that I will always remember every time I think of Japan. We also went to some of Tokyo’s famous tourist spots such as the Toyosu Fish market, which replaced the old Tsukiji Fish Market. It’s actually the world’s largest wholesale fish and seafood market. Tourists like us can observe the market on a second floor viewing deck.
We also visited Ueno Park, which is a famous park in Tokyo. This was where we had the chance to take some photos of cherry blossom trees. I think we were lucky when we went there because it was not the season for the flowers yet but we were able to spot a few in bloom. The park was really big, and I think a day would not be enough to go around it. You should really plan ahead which area you’re going to visit because there are also a lot of must-visit museums here.
Next, we went to the Tokyo National Museum, which is located inside Ueno Park. If you love taking photos of artworks and archaeological objects, then this place is for you. Since it is the largest art museum in Japan, there were also a lot of tourists when we went there despite the rainy weather.
Another popular place that was part of our itinerary was the Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, Tokyo, one of the most popular Buddhist temples in Japan. I would say that the place is very colorful and it’s one reason why the place is so beautiful. When you enter the place, you will immediately see a big symbol of Asakusa, which is one of Tokyo’s districts. The place was crowded when we came. We walked along a shopping street inside the area where we were able to buy some souvenirs. We also saw some local and traditional snacks before we reached the temple. When in the area, you should really try fortune telling. To know your fortune, you just have to shake a small container that has sticks in it.
According to locals, you should wish while shaking the container, and once a stick comes out of it, you just have to find the drawer that has the same number as your stick. Once you find it, you should open it and you’ll see paper containing your fortune. If it’s good luck, you may bring the paper, but if it’s not, you may opt to leave it there.
To complete our day, we went to another well-known tourist spot, the Tokyo Skytree. It is the tallest structure in Japan, and the view from the top is really heart-stopping. Rising 350 meters above the ground, you will really have a 360-degree view of Tokyo. It’s not every day that I could have the chance to see such an amazing view. That’s why when we were there, I tried to absorb everything, as the view was really breathtakingly beautiful.
The experience as a whole was something I will value forever.
It was truly a humbling experience for me because I learned a lot of new things from the office tour, the people I worked with during the trip, the places we visited, and even from the locals. I always read from books that you should never stop learning, but because of this experience, I can really say that it’s true that learning is a never-ending process. Learning has different avenues, and you will always have the chance to choose which way to go. But no matter which path you take, every stop and encounter will bring you to new discoveries and learnings, be it good or bad, and you just have to make use of it to help yourself grow.
To the management, I will always be grateful for the recognition you gave me. It was truly an honor for me to become 2018’s Employee of the Year, and aside from the recognition and the prize, I’d also like to thank the management for your continuous effort in motivating the staff and ensuring that we are being appreciated and valued. It was definitely a wonderful first time experience for me!
