I was hired on the 25^th of August, year 2022 so I’m pretty new to RareJob (as of writing this anyway). I’ve been blessed with the role of an Applicant Evaluator. I am part of the team that screens our applicants and discerns whether or not they are fit to teach our students. I honestly like joking about how I’m basically paid to judge people, but I feel like that is a severely misleading description of what my job actually is (I have a very weird sense of humor).

Even though I’ve only been working for roughly 4 months in this company, I’ve probably already unlocked a core memory. The Halloween Event will be something I’ll remember as one of the first major things I’ve ever done in the real world (I’m a fresh graduate, so even though it might not be too much of a big deal to others, this was a pretty big deal for me). The event happened 3 days before Halloween via Zoom, and even though it was an online event, it was still pretty interactive and engaging with all the games and raffles (still really wish I won at least one item, but it is what it is). Overall I’d say it was a very fun event, especially for me since I was given the chance to be one of the hosts, hence why I said this is going to be a core memory for me.

The theme was also very fitting since the event was all about phobias. There were also some employees who shared their personal experiences and stories related to this theme. Additionally, our company doctor also held a very insightful discussion about phobias and how one can cope with it. As the host, I still had to keep the program lively and light, especially because the phobias could be a very touchy subject for some, so it was really hard to crack jokes while staying very careful as to not accidentally offend anyone. Thankfully, my co-host and I were able to still make some witty one liners that everyone received well (well, at least based off of the feedback we received).

This event was the first time in a very long time that I celebrated Halloween. As a practicing Christian, it does lead to disagreements in my faith, however I also firmly believe that our intent when I celebrate anything should always be the one of the things I must consider. I did use to go trick or treating when I was a kid in the rich subdivisions near our place. I remember having fun with my friends, running away from some people who had some very realistic (and horrifyingly graphic) costumes, eating candy till I went on a sugar frenzy, and crashing and burning shortly after… also a bunch of excruciating tooth pains.

All these things ran at the back of my mind while I was hosting the event, I even put together a makeshift “samurai” costume by wearing the kimono I bought online and just tying my hair back in a man bun. Hosting has always been something that I loved doing since it makes use of one of the activities that I just can’t stop myself from doing (sometimes): talking. My experience was great, the audience was so active and lively, and my co-host and I even had some playful banter with some of them through the chat box. It was arguably the most active audience I’ve ever hosted for, granted of course my only hosting experience was for college events where not everyone really knew me so I guess there wouldn’t have been that much interaction at all.

Nevertheless, hosting for the Halloween Event was still awesome, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat if given the chance (hopefully my colleagues won’t get sick of me). The theme of the event was very interesting to me too and opened my eyes to how serious phobias are. Listening to the stories that were shared during the event, I learned that phobias could really affect others’ lives, though the impact varies depending on how one manages the fear. It could also have physical manifestations like when a person is having a panic attack. I even shared with my colleagues that the talk conducted by our company doctor made me feel guilty for the people I’ve teased about their phobias. I promised to myself that I will never do that again after hearing the short lecture our company doctor held, and the experiences of some of my colleagues, as well as to how they’ve had to fight their phobias. It was a very eye opening event as much as it was an enjoyable one, and I’m sure everyone was able to learn something from that Halloween Event that they can apply to their lives.

Overall, I’d say the event is very helpful for both people who are struggling with their phobias and for the ones who don’t have one, as they may be able to help other people who do not know how to face their fears. I’ve never really thought of phobias much. I was aware they were an irrational fear of things but I’ve never really put any effort into studying more about phobias. It made me realize how severe the reactions one could have because of their phobias and how much they actually hinder them from doing things, but I’ve also learned more about how these can be overcome.

I myself do have some phobias. Although they’ve never really hindered me in any way, I know that they are still definitely there. From my experience though, one way to confront your phobia is to start exposing yourself to the very thing you’re afraid of. In my case, I hate spiders, but recently I’ve been taking steps to conquer that fear. I’ve started trying to get the jumping spiders I see in my room to jump on my hand. The challenge is to not flinch, then I’ll eventually move on to bigger spiders (assuming they won’t kill me of course), and while your phobia may be different from mine, I think exposing yourself to whatever you may fear will help you conquer your fears as well. You may try to face your fears in small manageable steps to avoid adverse reactions – such as a panic attack. Whether you fear something big or small, you can always seek the help of professionals in battling these phobias.