Mercury Drug Corporation Hiring Process

Location: Bagumbayan, Quezon City

How to get there? Go to Ali Mall Cubao. Ride Ever Rosario jeep, pay the minimum fare and get off to Mercury Avenue. Use the overpass.  Mercury Drug Corporation is the white low rise building. 

1. Height and weight assessment. Minimum height requirement for boys is 5'4. 5'0 for girls. Must not be over or underweight. 
2. Initial interview. Questions are only answerable by yes or no. This is such a speedy interview.
3. Second interview. You will be asked the usual employment questions about yourself, previous jobs etc. If you do well, you will be given a list of requirements to be submitted on the day of the examination.
4. Examination. Logic and clerical. Additional exam for technical positions such as Accounting clerk.
5. Final interview. For cashier and pharmacy assistant, you will be interviewed by branch supervisor. For a position in the head office such as accounting clerk, you will undergo 6 interviews (all 6 interviews will be on the same day).
6. Medical (the bad thing is you have to pay 650 for male, 750 for female, the additional 100 bucks is for the pregnancy test)
7. Dental (only for branch positions)
8. Background check (someone will go to your house and will conduct background interview, I suggest that you offer some meryenda. People who do the background checking have been in a number of houses throughout the day).
9. For branch position: Orientation for 2 days and contract signing. This is usually on thursday and friday. Monday will be the start date.
10. For head office position: contract signing and start date will be on the same day. 

Note: if you really made it, you will not be asked to wait for a call. You will be informed about the next step immediately. If you were asked to "wait for their call" it means you did not make it.

What I don't like in the process is that contract signing is in the last part. You will spend bucks (for the medical) and energy throughout the process without knowing how much you'll be paid. As for Mercury's s.o.p, you will be only considered for the job offer if you passed all the steps from #1 to #8. 

Job-hunting-by-walk-in tips

Learn preying job opportunities from the fearless huntress. Learned from experiences.

1. Bring as many resumes as you can. Bring also necessary files and stuffs like photocopy of diploma, transcript of records, nbi clearance, sss e1 form, certificate of employment (from previous jobs), id, id pictures, pen, ballpen, mini calculator, water, retouch kit.
2. For ladies, bring a nice but big ladies' bag. Big enough to put your folders and files inside. Showing the world that you are into job hunting by exposing your "brown envelopes" is so unfashionable for me. For men, bring a decent plain messenger bag or laptop bag can be. No backpacks and funky chained bags.
3. Wear corporate-ish comfy shoes. This can be non stop walking chasing preys called job opportunities.
4. Know the jungles: 

          Makati - the biggest jungle for me. Search along Ayala avenue and make Greenbelt/Glorietta as your ending point for these where the best place to relax after the tiring job hunting.

          Ortigas - be sure to visit tektite or philippine stock exchange towers, asian development bank, robinson corporate center, robinson summit? (i forgot the name of the building, i am referring to the one opposite to poveda college), san miguel corp (the banawe rice terraces turned building look)

          Bonifacio Global City/Mckinley - visit jpmorgan (free drinks! Plenty to choose from), thomson reuters, samsung,  wells fargo, net lima building, pru life uk. Make SM Aura and Market Market your ending point, not just to relax but also to ride your way home.

          Eastwood - callcenters and bpo companies. Near eastwood are coffee bean tea leaf recruitment area(between a subdivision with mcdonalds in front and dampa), mercury drug corporation head office, monark corporate office (economia street) and car dealers like hyundai. Don't forget to visit Padre Pio Parish to ask for guidance.

          Pasay city - corporates offices near MOA (callcenters, maersk, smdc, corporate offices of sm brands like sm department store, kultura, watson), PNB main office, PAL, Department of Foreign Affairs (go to the old one, not to the new one unless your going to apply for a passport). 

          Boni/Robinsons Pioneer - accenture, globe telecoms, national bookstore, emerson, nielsen, bpo/callcenters. 

5.  If possible, do not give your resumes to the guards, receptionists or front desks. Try to make palusot first if you were asked by the guard like "i need to go to the hr, i got an email/txt kasi" guard: sino pong contact person? "Walang nakaindicate eh.. Instruction lang sakin pumunta sa hr... For assessment" (kahit wala naman talagang nakasched, ang importante, guards will let you in para sa hr mo mismo maiabot yung resume mo). Another palusot: instead of saying you will submit your resume, tell the guards you will submit requirements or you need to inquire to a hr person inside.

6. Observe when you are already inside the building or in the office. If you notice someone who looks intimidating, he/she might be a big boss. Dont waste your time! You must approach him/her, malay mo! Make simple papansin gestures like smile when your eyes met, start a little talk like i never been inside this building..., i am currently job hunting. Do you know someone who can receive my resume? Are you from---? You know what i am dreaming to work in that company...

7. Explore the whole building first before jumping in to another. There are a lot of companies in one building. Take a look at the directory OR do the lucky pick. Inside the elevator, press your desired number, where its your birthday, lucky number etc. then tada! You never know where it can bring you.

8. Befriends with fellow job hunters you meet along the way. Exchange mobile numbers. You never know maybe they will become your bridge to the dream job you are aiming for! Nevertheless, it feels better to gain friends and knowledge (learn from their past experiences, share also yours) one thing why i did not feel depressed during job hunting. Its good to know people who also contribute to the unemployment rate so you will tend to blame yourself less. Haha.

9. Be in the news. Surf the internet. Join local forum sites. Use jobstreet, jobsdb etc. Update and improve your linkedin profile. Keep your eye on the job fair events and someone else's exam and interview schedules. (Be a little cyber stalker and i will tell why in tip #10)

10. Do the SULPOT style. When someone posted his/her exam or interview schedule in a forum, then  sulpot at the same place, at the same time. I did this twice and succeeded twice :D. Succeeded in a way that i was also able to take exams without being noticed that i was not scheduled.

You are lucky to read those 10 tips while i, just learned it from numerous experiences, having guts and taking risks. Wish you all the best in your job hunting!