Adrienne.



     Everyone has a passion; be it writing, painting, or even making leche flan. I remember that my Lola Coring was obsessed with making the perfect leche flan --- it had to have just the right creaminess and texture, with the right touch of vanilla and raisin to keep you asking for more). Her passion took on a life of its own when she retired from government service. She would often sigh and say that if she had a second chance, she would have gone into baking earlier, as it was her one and true passion. But alas, she would wink and sigh. There were grandchildren to dote on.

     Other people are luckier. Not many are lucky to be able to reconcile their passion and work. Quite a few people have been lucky enough to start a career and be able to pour out all their passion, creativity and energy into their chosen professions. When I asked Adrienne, CCT trainer (Culture and Communication Training) of Convergys, how she kept her passion alive despite the challenges her job poses, she simply smiled and said, “There is no such thing as an impossible dream.”


     Working with twenty impressionable young adults or so, for eight hours a day, five days a week (and sometime on the graveyard shift at that) is a lot of work. But she doesn’t seem to be daunted by it all. “I start my ‘day’ by preparing my ‘weapons’ for class,” she begins. “Working for a call center means that sometimes, your "day" could actually begin late in the evening, because even trainers go on different shifts. My ‘weapons’ include my training guide, manuals, handouts, and my toolbox, where you’ll find goodies like whiteboard markers, crayons, pencils, a stapler, a timer, and a 50 First Dates CD, which I have to have with me to keep me going!”

     Adrienne’s CCT classes involve the basics of American culture and exercises for speaking in the Standard American Accent (more commonly known as the neutral American English accent). “These lectures, discussions and exercises enable my ‘babies’ to communicate effectively with our American customers and understand what they mean,” she says. She adds that her favorite part in the classes is the one-on-one exercises with her students. Equally challenging is finding ways to make the lessons easy and understandable. No small feat for a young woman who says her first job was helping out at her aunt’s sari-sari store, and yodeling to The Cranberries till dawn. Apt training ground for facing twenty or more young expectant individuals.

     But how does teaching American culture and contemporary communication skills translate into something you can pour your passion into? Isn’t work, just work and passion, something that you dedicate your whole being into? “I guess I want what everybody looks for in a job --- good pay, a good working environment, a lot of room for professional growth and most important of all, something that will enable me to hone my God-given talents.”

     And that according to Adrienne, is the crux of what keeps her going. “I really love my job. It's not just a means for me to make money. I actually have passion for what I do! I actually want to be excellent at something!” she smiles. “I was really an underachiever before, even in school. I didn't care about being first. I just wanted to enjoy the ride. I guess I only get inspired to do something great if I really like what I'm doing. It's like when I'm drawing: I'm a perfectionist; I don't show off work which I feel is substandard.”

     “I also feel that I'm stronger and more determined now,” she adds. “I used to be such a cry baby. I would get so easily disappointed in myself. Now, I just keep telling myself, ‘Fight, fight, fight!’”


     Adrienne says that she’s very proud to be part of the best. “I love the people I work with and the work place is great! Majority of the people working in Convergys are young people. Some are fresh out of college and some are even still studying. I find it interesting to be able to interact with so many young people from different backgrounds. As a trainer, I've been trained well and equipped with everything I need for me to be effective at my job.

     But not everyone is equipped to be a trainer. Sure, training and equipment could give you the tools, but the confidence and knack for standing in front of twenty or so students is not for the faint of heart. “The biggest challenge for me is to always put a smile on my face when I'm in class,” shares Adrienne. “As a human being, sometimes you have personal problems. During these times, it can be really difficult when you have to go in front of your trainees and give them your best smile. My boss once told me that every class is a performance. And that's really true. There were times when I would cry in the ladies' room during breaks and then touch up my makeup and go back to class like it was the most beautiful day! It's really important to learn how to compartmentalize. And being able to set aside your emotions and keep the faith, is one of the many things that keeps me going. Besides, I have Teddie to lean on.” (At this juncture, Teddie, the buff BF, enters stage left, right smack into a double shoulder pinch that would have shamed any lobster worth his claws).

     “The greatest high I get from working as trainer is seeing my ex-trainees excelling at what they do, getting promoted or simply getting pats on their backs,” Adrienne beams, the blue cigarette smoke whirling around her, framing her, dreamlike. “It gives me a sense of satisfaction in knowing that somehow, I contributed to their success because they learned something from me. In the classroom, I not only impart to my trainees what I learned from the books, I also show them how to work well with others. I really stress on values like respect and integrity. I always tell them, "There will be no superstars in my class, except me." (laughs with Teddie) “It's just my way of telling them that they should really learn to work as team players.

     As the interview winds down, she glances quickly at her watch. Her shift is about to start. I couldn’t resist asking her one last question. She ponders on this one (a toughie, she confesses) before tilting her head up and answering: “If I didn't work as a CCT Trainer, I'd be an artist or a ROCKSTAR (all caps on that one)! Singing is really my number one passion. Maybe part of why I love my job so much is that I get to take center stage --- even if it's in the training room of Convergys (Laughs out loud). I really love being onstage or being in front of the camera. I guess that's why I love working for RCTV where I'm a part-time VJ. I also love drawing. I've done portraits and still lifes. These are the things I really love doing. Who knows? Maybe one day I'll get to pursue them professionally.”

     Adrienne and Ted get up, mouth their goodbyes, and walk away, hands entwined. One could see the familiar movement; the confident lilt of the shoulders, the open expression of the eyes that capture that spark the rest of us, mortals, wait near lifetimes to experience: The perfect melding of passion and dedication, once only found uniquely among artists and poets, now, among trainers.




Penumbra:
           - This is an article that I sent but didn’t get published. Something, perhaps, was lost in the translation. But my wife liked it, and I liked it, too... in a not-so-narcissistic sense --- d’oh!
           - Photos taken from her Friendster account --- thanks, Adrienne!