It was November 2017 when I experienced the most interesting and challenging event in my life as an IT professional.
I was an IT Instructor back then when my student and I were preparing for a Zonal Skills Competition 1-month prior to the actual competition.
“When opportunity comes within your reach, don’t hesitate to grab it.”
-Me
Being an IT Professional, before I entered the field of academe, is an advantage in the sense that you know what you need to teach to your students and in what approach you need to do it. Also, you have an understanding of what kind of IT professionals the industry would be needing because you have the actual experience of doing it.
Due to my background in the IT industry as a programmer, my boss told me that our institution sponsored an international pageant and we were asked to provide a “Tabulation System” for the event which will happen the following month which will be simultaneous with our zonal competition.
“WOAHHHH”
-my brain
The first time I heard it, my brain began to branch out thinking different scenarios while my fingers start to look for a keyboard without even accepting the task I can’t even decline and I don’t want to if I can.
“Can I create a tabulation system that can generate an actual result in less than a month?”
“Can I do it while training my competitor?”
“What are their rubrics or criteria of judging?”
“When will I have the mechanics of the program?”
“How many judges will there be? How old will be the judges?”
“How can I make my system easy to used by the judges regardless of age?”
There was a lot running in my mind back then as if I don’t want to sleep until I develop the core functionality of the system. I want to finish it as soon as possible to have it checked by the Official Partner Auditors.
“Overwhelming”
-my feelings
As I was developing the system, my mind is working like crazy because of the fact that I’m doing a system that will be used for an “International Pageant” which will be participated by beautiful ladies with different nationalities representing their countries.
“What if?”
-my brain
Of course! I felt that too! the feeling of anxiety! Woaaaah! The what-ifs, I asked myself back, then doesn’t help me to develop the actual system.
“What if the system doesn’t generate a valid result?”
“What if the auditor finds a discrepancy between my result and their result?”
“What if my system will cause a delay on the actual results?”
“What will happen if everything fails?”
Those what-ifs really put stress on me while developing the system, but deep inside my brain.
“I don’t care! I’ll just do my job the best I can do so that those what-ifs won’t happen.”
– my brain
So to make the story short, I did the system and the last challenge for me was the date of the “Opening Ceremony” of the Zonal Competition and the “Grand Coronation Night” of the Miss Asia Pacific International.
The date of the Opening Ceremony of the Luzon Zonal Skills Competition 2017 and the Grand Coronation Night of the Miss Asia Pacific International was on the same day. It was November 29, 2017!
And so, everything was in the past, everything worked well and successfully. I attended the opening ceremony for the Zonal Competition as the Chief Expert (good thing we have Deputy Chief Expert to work in place of me), and after lunch of that day, I went to Resorts World Manila to set up for the 6 PM event. (Shocks, the traffic from Taguig to Resorts World also hit my anxiety trigger).
Everything worked well for both events. The MAPI Organization crowned their Miss Asia Pacific International 2017 Winner Ms. Francielly Ouriques from Brazil. A week after, we were announced as winners in the field of Web Technologies for the Luzon Zonal Skills Competition 2017.
Thanks to my former Informatics students(from Northgate, Eastwood, and Manila) who assisted me well on the technical stuff while setting the coronation venue, and to my former colleagues who assisted me on the data and criteria I needed from the client while developing the system. I also thank my boss for trusting and giving me the opportunity to do the system.
Lastly, I’d like to give thanks to God who gives me everything I need, to do my job properly. I know that He’s the one who’s giving me opportunities within the scope of my capabilities. Even though I feel I won’t be able to finish it, I know that He won’t give me any responsibilities I can’t handle.