For the past three years, Guiller John Inocencio has been working as the restaurant manager for Happy Grassland Shining Restaurant in Sharjah, UAE. The Filipino has been in the food and beverage industry for the past 13 years.
Guiller John took up a Bachelor of Science in Nursing; however, he knew it wasn’t his passion. He thought that it was just an impulsive decision his family made since nursing jobs were in demand at that time.
When his family could not handle the expenses of a nursing student, he had to look for part-time jobs. It was at that moment he started working for a leading fast-food chain in the Philippines as a dining crew.
“That’s was when I realized that my passion is in the food industry,” he said.
From then, all the jobs he was involved in were in the food and beverage industry.
It also paved the way for him to work overseas. His first overseas journey was in Bahrain, wherein he worked as a waiter and barista for a cafe. Guiller John knew that working in the food industry doesn’t pay much for beginners, but he also believed that putting his heart and soul into everything he did would be all worth it in the end.
After his employment contract ended in Bahrain, he decided to work in another country, and that was when UAE came into the picture. It was 2013 when he first arrived in UAE, and he had several jobs over the years.
He first worked for a leading American restaurant chain. After that, Guiller John worked for a hospital sourcing firm under Air Arabia. The management saw his true potential and after working for six months, they immediately promoted him to restaurant supervisor to lead a team.
After a few years, the company had to announce bankruptcy. Although the restaurant he was handling was doing fine, the company couldn’t keep up with the expenses, so they had to close down, leaving him to look for another job.
Perhaps the odds were really in his favor, a booming restaurant contacted Guiller John to spearhead one of their branches in Sharjah. After putting his heart and soul into the restaurant, it eventually became one of the most popular restaurants in the emirate.
When the pandemic happened, the restaurant had to close down temporarily.
“It was very difficult to gain customers again, but God has his way, and he indeed works in mysterious ways,” he said.
One of his loyal customers showed intention to buy the branch and asked him to manage it and become his business partner.
One of the things that Guiller John likes about working in the UAE is he can easily manage his expenses.
“You can even survive a week or a month with AED100 in your pocket. Another thing is you to get to meet many people with different life stories; some will inspire you and leave you with a lesson,” he added.
The ‘best advice’ he can give to his fellow Filipinos abroad is ‘to put God first in everything that you do, and He will direct your path and your efforts with success.’
“Most of the time, we think of God as our last resort when we face struggles or with the situation is already worst, but we should always keep in mind that if we put God first, He will guide, protect and lead us to the right path,” he further added.