Dating for Workaholics

I know a lot of people in different industries who seem to have just little time for recreation, let alone dating. Also, “I’m busy” holds to be a very good excuse for someone who hasn’t done much dating lately. Well, let those days be gone! Here is a quick guide for dating workaholics, or dating when you’re a workaholic.

1. Are you really a workaholic? The first step is to determine if you’re really a workaholic. Psychological studies show that all the “-holic” tendencies (shopaholic, alcoholic, chocoholic, etc.) means a compensation for something else. So if you are a workaholic you’d have to admit it to yourself. Do you ALWAYS work the extra hours? Do you have a job (a department, a boss and a company) which demands excessively from you? Are you struggling to get promoted, or get a “regular” status? Try to track if there’s something wrong in your chosen career and try to lessen it or, better yet, kill it. If you can’t then work with it and make sure the problem is not long term.

2. Prioritize well. If somebody puts you off because they’re “too busy” then it means that they are working on other things but not on you because YOU ARE NOT A PRIORITY. Yes, that’s the cold hard truth guys. BUT if you use the busy excuse to put off dates, well, you might have an issue with yourself. Maybe you’re not really ready to date and you just need a quick way out. Also, if you have more than one date lined up for the week/ month, try to prioritize which are the ones which are more important. If you are with just one partner, remember the more important dates and determine which the best dates are for your partner to enjoy them the most.

3. Pay attention when you are on the date. Switch off your Blackberries and your laptops. Hey, if you really wanna land with a partner, you better pay attention to the potential ones. Dates are the perfect times to balance your work and your personal life. When your date is talking, listen to them. Observe. Affirm. Get to know them truly. Do not half-listen while running in your mind the next-day tasks. Switch off work mode and immerse yourself in the moment. Also, try not to talk about work with your date. It’s nice to share funny and charming anecdotes but no complaining/ nagging please. If you think that you have found someone to go serious with, or have already gone serious with this person, take a breather from your day job and send them an email or a quick text message saying that you are thinking of them. Communicate well. It might sound like so much of an effort to you, but really, it’s worth it.

4. Start a life outside work. If work eats up most of you, then it must have eaten the best of you already. Avoid this by starting to have a life outside work. Pick a hobby that you’d be glad to improve and invest (not spend) a lot of time working on it. Also, try to broaden your horizons by having fun activities with people who are not from your office. It will really take your mind off work because you will talk about, laugh about and even argue (in a friendly way) about different things. So when you’re out in the dating market, you are not that boring old folk who is always talking about work and people from work. Yes, no matter how funny they are. Besides, getting out of the office is, by common sense, the best way to meet NEW people. That is, if you’re still single, okay?

Okay now workaholics, those busy excuses are all disqualified now. Enjoy dating and cherishing one very good investment—a long lasting relationship.

On the same breath, please do not use dating as an excuse to slack off at work. Haha!

Let me know what you think, workaholics. :-) And if you're not out on a date, rushing off for a date, please take time to like Your New PR Girl's page. Thank you!

How to Land the Job You Want Part 2: Acing that Interview

Last month, I talked about the right ways to send out cover letters and resumes. There were a few thank you’s; hopefully there were many successful send-outs. Now that we got that phase over with, we will discuss techniques on how to ace interviews.

I don’t really think I’m an expert at this, but I can say that I have enough experience (more than a dozen interviews, all successful). Enough to give advice about it. Of course I wasn’t able to ace those without practice and a little reading. Let me compress everything I found important in this article.

Your job interview is a psychological game. It doesn’t start the moment you open your mouth. Rather, it starts the moment you enter the office. Even if it’s only the receptionist who saw you, the moment you are already seen, that’s when the game starts. During this time, carry yourself with utmost care and professionalism.

Just before you enter, take a quick side trip to the comfort room to do a last minute check on your clothes, hair and nails. Make sure everything is pristine. Enter the room and politely ask about your appointment. Thank the receptionist for ANY information s/he gives you and take a seat.

At this time, it’s likely that you are requested to wait for a little while for the interviewer to be ready. I’ve read that many companies use this “window time” for the receptionist to do a first hand evaluation on you as you wait. There were even a few companies that place cameras on the waiting area and the  bosses do the once-over  via that.

When you enter the room, greet the interviewer, smile brightly and offer a handshake. Really be the first to initiate the handshake; it is a powerful tool for personal PR. Make that a firm handshake, with matching eye contact. A lousy one is a turn off.

Sit down as soon as you are asked to. When you sit, only sit down on the outer half of the chair. If you take the entire space up and you lean back, you will appear too relaxed. It will look like you are taking the interview too casually. Sit straight, keep your hands on your lap and don’t cross your legs. If you want to relax your legs a bit, just fold one leg at the back of another, with your legs on a diagonal position, one foot hiding at the back of the other’s ankle.

Speak clearly, maintain eye contact and smile once in a while. Remember to relax. Listen to every question carefully and take a little time to think about your answer. Rehearse your answer swiftly in your head before you actually say them. Avoid saying racist, religious and political jokes.

Most of the interviewers ask you many personal questions. This is because they already know what you finished and what you have achieved—it’s in your resume. What they don’t know is how you behave, what your immediate environment is like and how you respond to it, and what kinds of attitudes you display given different circumstances. Most of these interview questions include: What is your greatest fear? What is the scariest thing you’ve ever done in your life? If there’s one word to describe yourself, what is it? What is your greatest achievement? Rehearse possible answers as early as when you are still sending out your cover letters and resumes.

For you to really relax, just treat the interview like a normal conversation. Yes, no matter how much you need the job. The more relaxed you are, the more presence of mind you’ll have, and that’s gold during interviews.

When the interview is over, smile, let them know that you’ll also be in touch, and finish off with another firm handshake. Thank the receptionist when you go out and hold your “professional countenance” until you’re out of the building.

I know interviews can be really nerve wrecking. The best way that you can leave (emotionally) unscathed is when you know you did a great job, no matter what the outcome is. So practice, practice, practice. Also, there will  be employers who really like you but they won’t be able to afford you, so practice a speech for turning offers down also. You pretty much know what you deserve, don’t you? Gah! Much ado about interviews!

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My First Marketing and PR Consultancy Project: The Royale House Travel Inn and Suites

Last year, October 2010, I was hired by The Royale House Travel Inn and Suites as a writer. They wanted someone to write brand new content for their website (not constructed yet) and they also wanted a facelift for all their print collaterals. My good friend and oh-so-talented multimedia artist Kenth O’bajo brought me to this client. After a couple of meetings, my boss, Sir Bobby, found out that I am a Marketing Graduate and had a knack for advertising, public relations, internet presence management, and all that jazz. And voila, I became the hotel’s marketing consultant.

I had many output-based marketing projects with Cube Pixels Design Studio but my affiliation with The Royale House was my first regular marketing consultancy gig. It was a tough ride at first. We wanted to do so many things in so little time.

Our first goal was to build a website and use our magic to catch and sustain high traffic. We picked the domain name www.theroyalehouse.com so that it’s short and, therefore, easy to remember.

In less than a month, we finished the website’s design, content and the coding. Our website was good to go. Of course our internet efforts didn’t stop there; that was just the beginning. We also created a Facebook account for the hotel and we started adding up our friends to gain a little presence on Facebook. We linked our FB updates to our website and with some articles scattered all over the web, we got checked out by many local and international tourists who are planning to visit Davao city.

When I shifted my focus on Events Management, I also planned a few events for Royale House. I planned some gigs, a Speed Dating event and other little campaigns on the side. What is important is that we were consistent on our marketing efforts.

Earlier this year, The Royale House opened Dormitoryana, a ladies Dormitory located beside the hotel. It promised the same comfort and security at a much lower price. I jumped to that project too; and with Sir Bobby’s innovative ideas and Kenth’s amazing graphic designs, the dorm was already overflowing with inquiries and reservations. In less than half a year (a.k.a. a semester), we decided to build a second batch of rooms for Dormitoryana.

Today, The Royale House boasts of 70-100% occupancy ALL THE TIME. And here’s the thing: we were able to hold that percentage through the (supposedly) lean months of June and July.

Future plans and projects with The Royale House:

*Renovation (still ongoing but the front office looks nicer already!)

*Rebranding of the Restaurant (a new name and a new menu)

*More events and promotions for One10FM, undoubtedly one of the best mid-range bars in the city

Your New PR Girl Went to the Abreeza Food Tour

So yeah, I was there.

I didn't think I'd finish so much food in 4 hours but hey, I did it. And I'm alive. Possibly some pounds heavier but I'm alive. Haha! Ria, one of Davao's pioneering bloggers, arranged this event for the members of the official Davao Bloggers group. For this event, blogging veterans and greenhorns got to experience a restaurant spree courtesy of (some of ) Abreeza's yumminess capitals. Here's a summary of that food-filled day:

Our first stop was Taters. Fastfood with a healthier body and a prettier face, that's what Taters' food is all about. All of their products contain Beta Carotene; never mind if they looked like your long time fastfood regulars. They serve Chicken Turkey burgers, nachos with an amazing line of dips, some upscale popcorn (note: not overpriced) and unique drinks. My favorite Taters food is Cheddar Munchers. It's like a hashbrown with melted cheddar inside! Yum!

Taters is located at 3rd floor, Abreeza Mall. It sits near the cinemas. Best cinema combo is white cheddar popcorn + sugarfree lemonade! Try it sometime!

After the oh-so-tummy-filling Taters treat, we headed on to Cafe Mediterranean. I didn't eat anything there. Not that the food wasn't yummy. It's just that my pants felt like they're going to burst any minute. Their servings were colorful; they smelled yummy too. I opted to down a glass of wine instead and watched my group mates do a Mediterranean boodle fight.

I'm a big fan of Cafe Mediterranean. My college friends and I would always put their pizzas in mind whenever we're game for an afternoon snack. It also helped that their first branch, the one in Sales st. (Chimes Specialty Store compound) was a stone's throw away from my Alma Mater. (Now I don't know which one I missed more: Ateneo or Cafe Med Pizzas with the barkada.)

Cafe Mediterranean is located at the Ground floor of Abreeza Mall, Davao city. Try out their value meals! Tasty tummy treats for less than a hundred!

After the hearty entree, we went to Grab-a-Crab for some seafood goodness. The food was so yummy that it made me consider about transferring to a beach house. Seriously. I wish life was THAT easy.

They served us HUGE, healthy looking crabs that looked to marvelous to eat. They tasted twice as marvelous too. My favorite Grab-a-crab dish is the steamed shrimps. Best shrimps ever. I'm not exaggerating.

Grab-a-crab is a restaurant owned, conceptualized and ran by Michael Wee, a businessman from General Santos city. The first Grab-a-crab branch thrived in Gensan and then entered the rest of the Mindanao scene through Abreeza. Great choice, Mr. Wee! Davao is home to many seafood addicts. Not to mention we have awesome malls in the area now.

Grab-a-crab is located at the rooftop garden of Abreeza Mall, Davao city.

After an intensely sumptuous lunch, we all rubbed our palms together and waited to be escorted to Maitre Chocolatier. It's a quaint chocolate boutique/ cafe that sold cakes, drinks and snacks all derived from everyone's favorite poison: chocolate. They served us chocolate pizza, chocolate drinks and a variety of chocolate cakes.

If I could die and go to heaven, I'd expect to see a plate with a slice of Maitre Chocolatier's Ferrero Rocher cake there. Hear that, God? No more, no less. :P

This Chocolate paradise is located at the Ground floor of Abreeza Mall, Davao city.

Davao Marketing Jobs, Open!

As a Marketing Consultant, I will need minions. Just kidding.

Anyway, here are some of the best Marketing jobs in Davao that you can land on:


Marketing Officer
The Royale House Travel Inn and Suites
CM Recto st. Davao city
*The Royale House Travel Inn and Suites boasts of decades of experience in highly satisfactory food and accommodation in prices that won't break your heart...or bank.

Marketing Assistant
Market Researcher
JoBS Academy
Bangoy st. Davao city (across BDO Acacia)
*JoBS Academy is the leading graphic design and multimedia school in Davao city. They're also the first in Davao to offer a diploma in Events Management.

Marketing Staff
Monster Ads
Jacinto st. Davao city
*Monster Ads is an up-and-coming outdoor advertising outfit in Davao city.

Marketing Assistant/ Account Manager
Cube Pixels Design Studio
Wheels N More Compound, JP Laurel Avenue, Bajada, Davao city
*Cube Pixels Design Studio is a top-of-mind company when it comes to logo making and design in Davao. They also cover cross-media projects and outdoor advertising with their sister company, Ad Effects.


All of these companies allow walk-in applicants. Please bring your resume with you. Good luck! :-)

Western Digital Hosts Davao End-User Media Forum

Western Digital, widely known as a producer and distributor of end-user storage devices, delights Davao with their series of workshops that will cover useful multimedia input. This event will happen on August 5, 2011 (Friday), at Garden Oases Convention Center, Bo. Obrero, Davao city. Doors open at 3:30PM as the event is slated to start at four in the afternoon.

Initially, it was planned by the hosts to be a hard-selling event promotion. As time went by, it became more of an educational event.

“We didn’t want them to just go ahead and buy the products. Instead, we wanted to host an event that will really make people, especially business owners, appreciate how great it is that their backend hardware are fully reliable. We wanted them to realize that great hardware and great skill do not just create great projects, but also masterpieces. Most of the corporate outfits in the IT and multimedia industry depend on the products that Western Digital produces, and so we came up with the main framework for this event.” This is the statement of Mr. Ray Rubio, Chief Creative Director of Cube Pixels Design Studio, one of the leading names in Davao’s design and multimedia scene. Sir Ray, as he is fondly called, is also one of the producers of the event.

To give you a little background on the host, Western Digital, they provide products and services for people and organizations that collect, manage and use digital information. They design and produce reliable, high-performance hard drives and solid state drives that keep users’ data accessible and secure from loss. Moreover, Western Digital’s advanced technologies are configured into applications for client and enterprise computing, embedded systems and consumer electronics, as well as its own consumer storage and home entertainment products.

Aside from the free-flowing food and beverages during the event run, there will also be talks and forums about photography, film making and the IT industry in general. Business owners and multimedia professionals are all invited to come.

Speakers for Davao’s 1^st end-user forum are no less than Wit Holganza, ICT Davao President, Kenth O’Bajo, Convenor of the Mindanao Film Festival and Mr. Paul Borromeo, a famous Davao-born and Davao-bred hobbyist photographer.

For more information, you may call Cube Pixels at (082) 225 0362 and look for Dhew or call/ text Kath at this number: 0932 122 5044.

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This event's Public Relations efforts are contributed by Your New PR Girl (karlastefansingson@gmail.com).