This email made my day. WOW. God blessed me with a very loving and supportive family. :) Thank you Daddy! I love you lots! ^_^
Hi Beloved Keren!
Are you already SGV-bound?
Congratulations uli! Walang kataposang 'high' kami lahat sa sobrang proud sa'yo, hehe… akalain mo CPA ka na ngayon! Nakakagulat how time flies, kasi parang kahapon lang yun na nag-skul hunting tayo (UST, San Beda) after you decided to leave LaSalle to follow your dream to become a CPA. I remember, medyo tulala ka pa nun but I'm thankful to the Divine providence na nagkataon naman na nakabakasyon ako para samahan ka. Sabagay, kung di ka lumipat ng skul ay graduate ka na din naman sana ngayon sa La Salle sa course na FINANCE… pero in hindsight, which do you prefer ba – to graduate in an ordinary non-board course, or to pursue Accounting and become a CPA? At that young age, you made your fateful decision to leave behind a fancy school and now, you reap your rewards and the credit are all yours!
Alam ko sa juncture ng buhay mo ngayon, guidance is very crucial for you to have a clear way ahead. So, I will give you some unsolicited advice… xenxa na di ko mapigilan magbigay ng maliit na advice just to make sure you have a little headstart on the options available to you and provide general direction in life.
Your First Job
You've got only one job for your first job. Isa lang ang option mo sa bagay na ito – that is to be an Auditor in a reputable Audit Firm. Wala ka ng ibang dapat i-consider na first job mo… kahit alukin ka pa ng supervisory o managerial job kaagad sa ibang kumpanya, doon ka pa rin sa pagiging simple Auditor. Why? Because that's what you studied during the last 4 years. You are adding building blocks to those 4 years and to your new title as CPA. The height you can reach in the future, the price you can command and the limitless choices of jobs available to you down the road depends a lot on how 'faithful' you have been on building those blocks. Na-mention mo ang Punongbayan at SGV… go go go ka na kahit alin dun.
How long should you stay being an Auditor? Around 5 years plus (2-3 years hilaw pa yun), depending on the 6th year onwards when you feel the next job offer is irresistible already and 'reason enough' to jump. Don't worry, when that time comes, you will definitely know it. By that time, you would probably reach as far as Sr. Audit Supervisor or any other position short of being an Audit Manager. If you become a Manager (in an SGV-like firm), probably you belong to a select few destined to overstay their audit life and maybe groomed to be a Partner someday. Not that I underestimate you but this is a long shot given only to a few mortals, na-mention ko lang to give you a bird's eye view.
But for most of the many ordinary-mortal-auditors, 5 years plus stay in the audit firm are enough to mature and know everything there is to know. Also, na-handle mo na rin by that time ang iba-ibang clients na mga malalaking kumpanya. Your clients (belonging to different businesses – Manufacturing, Financial Institutions, Services, etc.) will be your future jumping board. That early, have an eye kung saan ka hiyang at magiging happy balang araw na mamasukan. Pagdating ng time na yun, around 28 years old ka na siguro at ready to jump ship. Imagine yourself being a Manager or Comptroller to any of the big companies that you see around you now. Yup! Come that time, marketable ka na kahit alin sa mga kumpanya na pipiliin mo, lahat yun puwede ka na at the managerial level pataas. And the irony of it all, they will be the one's chasing you.
You can put some variations on this… just like your Tita Ayeng did, pag hindi mo nagustohan mga audit assignments mo (kunyari, na-assign ka lang palagi sa mga 3rd or 2nd liner companies na io-audit), have an eye to jump to another audit firm who can give you the 1st class companies for your audit assignments. Magiging maganda pa rin bio-data mo kasi tangay mo na ang pangalan ng SGV plus kasunod ang isa pang audit firm… the point is approximately 5 years pa rin ang target stay mo sa mga audit firm sa kabuuan.
Remember, your first job will define the remaining jobs you will have for the rest of your life… "so, your first job should be thatone job which is the right job"… haha that's may special orig phrase just for you!
Create your Edge
Being a CPA does not make you special already. Huhu sorry pamangkin for this quick reality check. Mahigit kayo 3,700 na pumasa ngayon, many thousand more will pass next exams and there are another hundred thousand more who passed years before you. Sa madaling salita, you're just one among many. That's why you have to create your own edge among the many. Sa SGV, they will create your edge in the area of your profession - marami kang audit training dun, self development training, career development, etc.. But you will undergo all these together with many other CPAs like you, so tabla-tabla pa din kayo ng alam… wala ka pa ring malinaw na edge.
The point I would suggest to you is find that 'edge' that would set you apart and give you an advantage over the others. This is usually some personal skills that you develop 'outside' of your work, but related. Madami ka puwede maisip na side activities that would interest you like perfecting certain hobbies na puede maging negosyo balang araw, pursuing specialized skills to support your core know-how tulad ng pagiging techie (learn for example web design skills, di lang puro facebook) halimbawa baka kunyari maisipan mo magkaroon ka ng website na consultancy balang araw, etc. Another worthwhile side activities you can do is learning and doing 'stocks' – learn about listed companies, its stock price, when to buy/sell, its support & resistances, how to make fundamental & technical analysis, etc. Since 2006, the ticker tape (streaming price quotes from PSE) mesmerized me, I have to wake up every day at 4:00 a.m. just to watch it, nagka-eyebug na tuloy ako. I've started late on this activity and there is one wish since then that I always have - that someday one of my pamangkins will pick up the interest on this and elevate their generation to a new level of financial literacy (kayong 2 ni Pre-pre and may potential na manguna dito). I firmly believe, this is one BIG way forward para sa generation ninyo.
Let's conjure a future scenario like this: the new generation of Mallari-Canete-Rasona clan sitting over coffee discussing the latest about the stock market, what stocks they're holding, the stocks they bought and sold and comparing their stock portfolios. Di ba cool? During our time, we can talk only as far as Savings Account deposit and even very little about Time Deposits. But during your time, you can be discussing things of a higher level. Kung sa panahon ng mga lola mo ay mga magsasaka lang, sa panahon ng mga parents mo ay ordinary office/ workers lang… sana sa panahon naman ninyo ay to da next level na kayo.
The edge you make is not really to outdo others… but to equip yourself to do more for others.
Have an Eye to Set up Your Own Practice
Your generation have the advantage compared to ours. Lesser na ang baggage ninyo sa buhay. Kami noon ay nag start sa negative, pre-occupied with finding money to have food on the table. Kayo ngayon di na masyado, more or less nasa positive na starting position ninyo. This translates to more freedom on your part to do other things and experiment.
One good experiment is the idea of setting up your own practice down the road. Tadtad na yata ng CPA ang angkan natin… try mo kaya magkaroon ng "Mallari, Canete & Co., CPA's". Why not, libre naman mangarap, di ba?
This is just a thought… but beware, most of the things you see today were mere thoughts yesterday.
Be the 'Glue' to Your Own Generation
Kami ng Mama mo magkarugtong sa pusod… but in reality, we are poles apart personality-wise. Mahilig siya sa tao (nakuha niya sa Lolo Ever ninyo)… ako naman mas gusto nag-iisa (magkalaban kami ng Lolo Ever ninyo kaya di niya ako inambonan ng pagiging politico niya). Your Mama was a 'glue' that bound us, she can adopt flexible views for the sake of harmony and could retract position on issues para lang di mag-away… ako naman, I'd better walk to the edge and fall off the cliff rather than accept something I could not take. This is just an example of personality differences that will be replicated among you na magkapatid at magpi-pinsan. Someone among you need to act as 'your brother's keeper.'
The way I see it, you're one good candidate (together with some others, madami kayo na nakikita ko sa inyo magpi-pinsan) to be the next 'glue'… or better still epoxy naman para mas matibay. Always protect the honor of one another… if you have differences, settle it directly among yourselves kesehodang magsabonutan kayo okey lang basta kayo-kayo lang, but never betray the honor of one another to other people because that will be the time you'll start to drift apart. The point is, kaming mga elders ninyo, we hope all of you will progress together and do good in life… accommodate one another, respect each other and see to it no one would fall back to the status of landless magsasaka. Though to be a magsasaka is honorable, but I've been there and found out the options in life are just too limited… it's like being at the bottom of the food chain, yukkkk!
Make Your Life
No matter how high you have climbed up your career ladder, at the end of the day you need to go home to your family. Career and family should be grown up together, so when the time comes that you reach your career- high, you have already a family of your own that is just as strong to provide you the much needed support. Keep it in your mind not to neglect one over the other and be conscious always to strike the right balance.
Love, Respect and Honor for Your Elders
The day is not far when the hands that held yours when you were young will grow weak and become infirm, the once-sharp minds that provided you guidance will itself run dull and devoid of any sense. .. such is the irony of life. When that day comes, remember that material things, money and achievements will not matter to us your old folks anymore.
What matters to us on that day for our joy and happiness to stay will rest only in the thought and assurance that you and our other pamangkins, for whatever successes and achievements they attain in life, their feet remain grounded and their love, respect and honor for their elders will only grow stronger. Kaya nga sabi ni God, honor your father and your mother… pati na rin titos and your titas, hehe! Wherever life takes you, wag nyo kalimotan na may Papa pa kayo na dapat nyo pagbuhusan ng pagmamahal at pang-unawa sa darating na mga taon.
Finally, Keren, as more blessings come your way and successes pours in such abundance that you are confused with what to do, just remember what Spiderman said. Ang sabi niya, "with great power comes great responsibility. " To me, this is the best guiding principle in life. Be careful with what is given to you and use it with compassion. Remember, all these – material things, career, success – are just 'vehicles' to get you thru this life… and when you reach near your final destination, you will not need them anymore. What will stay with you is your own humanity and your own kind of person you are… so don't let those things corrupt you. Be considerate to the person next to you, the success you attain should not be fueled by broken feelings and tarnished honor of the person next to you.
We wish you good life, health and happiness in the days to come. Salamant for making your Mama and Pala proud… salamatfor making us all proud!
Daddy
^_^
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