Venus Veridiano – Test Product Engineer

I am Venus Veridiano, 39 years of age, a mum of 2 kids, and a wife of an OFW. I am an Engineering graduate and have worked in a semiconductor company for almost 14 years. Due to the pandemic, I was retrenched from my job in November 2020.

I grew up in San Pedro, Laguna with financial struggles. We are three children in the family and I am the eldest. I had a very strong determination then to change my situation and to become successful, so I took the chance to get a scholarship to be enrolled in an exclusive school to have a high-quality education. Luckily, I got the scholarship I wanted and was able to graduate with good grades.

The secondary school I went through was exclusive for girls. All expenses were free such as tuition, clothing, shoes, dormitory and food. Money is not allowed inside the campus since everything was free. The nuns served as our parents during our stay on the campus. Our main tasks were to study, pray, work and play. After graduation, the last help they gave was to find a job for us and be financially independent so we could help our family.

My desire was to finish school and never stop from there. I decided to take another scholarship for a Bachelor’s degree. I got a full scholarship in college, but I had to work in the University’s office in return for the free tuition and monthly allowance.

My journey wasn’t easy since we had a maintaining grade despite being a working student. On top of that, we were also required to join in extra-curricular activities such as donation drives, cheering squad, quiz bee competitions, etc. I was an officer then of our organisation on the said scholarship grant. Our adviser told us that learning happens everywhere not just in the four walls of the classroom. We have to be flexible people by gaining knowledge and experiences outside the classroom. The tiring moments were fruitful. Believe me, though I was financially tight at that moment, it was the happiest and most meaningful moment of my life. Then graduation came – the final moment where I was able to conquer the challenges.

I landed a job in a semiconductor company as a Test Product Engineer for almost 14 years after graduation from college. That was another chapter for growth and learning. I was able to have a career where I applied the lessons from my course in college. I got promoted twice, gained a lot of friends, was recognised by my manager, respected by my subordinates, and received trust from my customers. That phase of my life was a career-high where I can say that my professional life was at its peak.

But the right time came that I should settle down. I got married and had children. I got pregnant with my second child in December 2019. It was a blessing for me since I was at the final age for pregnancy. In March 2020, I experienced unbearable pain in my lower abdomen while at work. I was rushed to the hospital for an emergency case due to threatened abortion. My world shattered for that incident. But luckily, my baby was saved. The ultra-sound result was good and my baby still had a heart-beat. But I had to take bed rest and needed to temporarily stop work. Then March 14, 2020, came where General Community Quarantine was imposed on the whole country.

Due to the pandemic, my OB-Gyne doctor advised me to have bed rest until I give birth. I was supposed to be fit at work in December 2020, but our company had a retrenchment last November 2020. I was one of those retrenched employees.

Right now, I am looking for a home-based job so I can enjoy being with my kids while working. My next goal in life is to become a super-mum, a mother who is financially independent and continuously growing professionally while seeing my kids growing too beside me and witnessing their milestones.

For a copy of Venus’s resume please click here.