Employee VS Entrepreneur

Tuesday, May 14, 2013


I graduated Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurship and I left school without the intention of applying for a job. First, I didn't need to and second, I studied for four years to become an entrepreneur, not an employee. Throughout college, I learned the pros and cons of being an entrepreneur and it inspired me so much. But as we all know, starting a business is not a joke.

One of the most famous entrepreneurial stories is probably Henry Sy's way to the top. Henry Sy being one of the richest, we should always keep in mind that it is not as easy as they make it seem. The speakers I listened to whenever there are Entrep Talks in school inspired me as well. The activities such as fashion shows, entrep corners, Galleria, etc. all made me steps closer to being an entrepreneur. But there's something missing...

I am currently working for an IT Reseller company and this is way out of my league. To be honest, my first months were tragic. First, after being a bum for quite some time, I got culture-shocked with the schedule, and the loss of freedom made me lose time with Chuck and so we broke up. Second, are you kidding me? The only "techie" thing I can do is customize the html of my site. Other than that, there's Photoshop. But then again, you don't need to be techie to be able to perform that. Third, the pressure around me started to rise especially after my first evaluation. Around December last year, I actually made a pact to myself that if I don't enjoy even just a little bit, I'd resign. Then came my big boss' offer: some million peso worth quota. I was like, ARE YOU KIDDING ME? It was very hard for me to even understand what my products are and then I was given an annual quota. Then it hit me. My bosses probably saw something in me that I never saw. Whatever it is, I would never know... or maybe when I reach my quota? I don't know. But that's still it. They have faith in me. 

If you're wondering why I actually rooted for a job, it's simple. I was an irresponsible spoiled brat. Yes, I finally admitted I was a brat. Not to the point that I'm a pain-in-the-ass or something. I was semi-responsible when I was in college, okay. I wouldn't have been an officer for two years, one being an HR person and one being the General Manager; and I wouldn't have received a couple of "Student of the Month" awards if I wasn't responsible in a way. Maybe the perfect term would be: "not ready for the real life". Yes, that's it. I wasn't ready.

I, along with my brother, were given the chance to start up our own business as early as 2011. It wasn't just a buy-and-sell kind of business. It was a legit one, DTI and BIR registered. It was something I thought I wanted. A photography studio. Being the spoiled kid I was, nothing happened. I had the "business" buy me a high-end camera (better than my personal Canon 40D), a Macbook Pro, a bunch of gadgets I never thought I'd have, etc. We've had a few clients, and it paid well. Guess what, where's it now? It's probably flushed down the toilet. Long story short, I needed to learn the value of money and I wouldn't learn that from asking for money from my parents to start a business. I needed to work for the money to start my business. That's what I'm doing now.

I'm finally having fun at work and although the pressure is still on, I'm really enjoying every minute of it. There are times I get so stressed that my emotions just get mixed up and people around me get affected, but I am so proud of myself for turning into the person I am now. I still impulse-buy sometimes, but I can proudly say that I've learned how to control myself. I'm looking forward to more years with this company, and soon enough, looking forward to having my own business, out of my own money.
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