This past week, I did a lot of thinking over my current employment after I had an opportunity to assess another job by chance (I swear I didn’t go looking for it, it just happened! =p). I realized that even though there are things that I dislike about my current job (namely: having Saturday work, having too many tasks/projects at once, and having to deal with colleagues who do not know the definition of “teamwork”) it also has its plus points that I can’t just neglect if/when presented with a fatter paycheck, generally speaking. In a span of a week, I’ve learned to appreciate it more due to the following reasons, most of which are actually pretty shallow. But we all know the small things matter when viewed collectively. :)

Things I Love About My Job:

1) Our big boss is very admirable. As the SVP of our department, everybody looks up to him and really values every word that comes out of his mouth not just because he is boss, but because he just makes total sense every time (no BS!). He is not the bossy and power-tripping type, instead he acknowledges people and takes time to listen to them without being condescending. He also has his moments where he puts too much pressure on everyone that it makes you want to scream your head off, but you know that he doesn’t do it just for the heck of it, but for the good of the company.

2) My immediate superior is a smart, resolute, and supportive mentor. She makes it a point to guide us every step of the way, and once we get the hang of it, she lets us go like a mother would her baby birds, hehehe. And because she is an all-around digital and management person (web marketing, design, development, analytics, etc. ) I learn a lot from her everyday and I aspire to be like her someday.

3) Combining #1 and #2, my bosses are both web-savvy. They believe ONLINE is the “in” thing today and that it would drive more revenue to the company with lesser cost. I can run an idea by them and they will welcome it sincerely, questioning only if necessary to enhance and further challenge the idea. In other words, we all speak the same language. I imagine if I have to report to a traditional sales and/or marketing person who hasn’t fully embraced “online” yet, I will have to waste time and energy explaining something as simple as pay-per-click or web analytics every time!

4) There are so many materials to promote online. Based on past experiences, it is an online marketer’s problem to think of content and ideas on how to promote a particular website that, more often than not, leads you to a dead end if you have very few available materials. The “brand” I handle now is so diverse that my problem is actually how I can cover everything. More content = more ways to possibly attract traffic (and hopefully convert them).

5) Employees get a 90% discount on cruises. Sounds good to a semi-traveler like me! This discount also applies to my immediate family and the spouses/children of my siblings. 50% off for friends I share a cabin with. Kaya tara na, let’s cruise! :) I also like the fact that the company I work for is in the travel and hospitality industry. My secret dream is to work for this particular airline company whose online marketing campaigns I’ve always admired. (Hint: it’s not any of our local airlines! Lol.)

6) It only takes me 10-15 minutes to get to work if I take a cab from my place. I can get out of bed as late as 8:00am, leave the house at 8:50am and still make it to work on time, thanks to the SLEX Skyway! And our 15-minute grace period! Downside is, it is pretty difficult catching a cab in the morning and it hurts my wallet terribly. But this is my preferred commute the past two months because it is just so freakin’ hot outside! (Dear car, please come sooner…)

7) The company, particularly our department, is pretty lenient. We can come to the office late, leave early, take a leave of absence on short notice, and find that these are still acceptable. But only to a certain extent. Fortunately, my colleagues and I don’t abuse this “privilege.”

8) Salary is on time (sometimes even early), sick leave credits are convertible to cash, and HMO coverage is wide. Someday, I hope they can also arrange auto/housing loan for us employees and extended health benefits for our families.

9) I love my teammates and the bond I’ve formed with them. I get at least one hearty laugh with them everyday and an exchange of interesting personal stories over lunch/coffee or in the middle of work. I also realized that even though I can be a “one-man team” if need be, I work more effectively and efficiently when I’m in a team where collaboration is something that happens naturally. I value the times our team can all just sit down and share ideas.

10) And THIS JUST IN! Something that made me go “Hooray!” today (thus the title of the post) and made me open my blog. We were called into a meeting earlier this afternoon to break the news that starting this week, we will have a compressed 5-day work week, which effectively eliminates our Saturday work day. Can I get a YAY?! YAY!! I am so happy about this news that I’ve decided it’s definitely another concrete reason to stay in my current job. Or at least, a reason not to leave yet.

Of course I had to write this in my Happiness Project. It’s the highlight of my day. :)

As I’ve mentioned in a post before, work stuff for me can change drastically so I’m always watching out for surprises. But at this point in time, I’m just glad I was able to ponder on what I appreciate about my current job because it inspires me to be better at what I’m doing and be hoping for the best. But let’s see what happens in 3-6 months. After all, this one’s not written in stone.