[Published in Manila Bulletin last March 2011]
Way back in my college years, we had all sorts of programs to prepare us for work in the real world. Our university required us to participate in practicum, thesis and OJT programs. And I must say, I learned a lot from these experiences. It was a good way to hone my skills and get a taste of the work environment. I’m glad that these sorts of programs are still being done today.
Recently, I received a Facebook message from a junior college student inquiring about OJT work. Here is a shortened version of his letter:
Hi Ms. Jhoanna,
I’m already at the junior year of my collegiate studies and as we approach our senior year, we are preparing for our OJT that should take place on the first semester of the next school year. We are not that rich that’s why I’m looking for a company that could help us to be exposed and be trained on the real jobs in the industry with a program that could help us pay for our tuition and daily expenses. Whoa, I thought it was easy to find companies who offer such things but it’s hard to find an attainable OJT program. Some of our schoolmates have even gone through bad experiences wherein they are the ones who are paying the company for their OJT program and yet they do not get to learn from the job. Our university has many partnering companies for the OJT of its students but they do not have the contact details for those companies. So I looked for the contact details myself and sent emails to some but only one replied. How could we now achieve our longed OJT when the local college can’t help further?
That is why I’m writing to you to ask for recommendations and other things we should do. I am looking forward to any advice that you can extend to us. Thank you for accommodating my inquiry and GOD bless you. ---J. Augustin, La Union
WAYS AND MEANS OF FINDING OJT WORK
To J. Augustin of La Union and other college students who are seeking OJT work: Welcome to the Real World!
Finding OJT work is very similar to job-hunting for regular employment after college. Even if your university has “partner companies” for OJT programs or Career Placement Offices, you will most likely still have to search and apply for a company that has a good OJT program that pays.
As you hunt for OJT work, you will get to experience and learn job-hunting skills. Yes, not all companies offer OJT programs with allowances, but there are some who do. So do your best to find them and learn as much as you can from the process as the skills that you will learn will help you later on when you are actually looking for a job after you graduate.
So let me give you some tips on how you can find OJT work that pays:
Google It
This has become my all-time solution for finding things: Looking for something? Google it! And it definitely applies to job-hunting. There are many companies who provide OJT work opportunities in the Philippines. Some of them are multinational firms, but there are also small-medium enterprises (SMEs) who provide OJT work that gives out allowances or per diem. This is the first thing I did after reading your letter and I immediately found a website portal in the Philippines that publishes OJT work opportunities online for BPO companies and other industries.
Connections
Use your contacts. Ask your relatives, friends and teachers if they know of OJT work opportunities. Perhaps they can give you referrals. Better yet, if you know of relatives and friends who own businesses, offer them your services. When I was in college, I found part-time work from my seatmate whose family owned a manufacturing firm. After college, I immediately found work through one of my professors who worked for an entertainment firm. When it comes to jobs, just seek and you shall find.
Apply for It
Similar to job-hunting, you will have to send in your application. When doing so, observe proper email etiquette. Write an email message about the details of your OJT program and the skills that you have that the company can utilize, aside from attaching your resume. This will make you stand out among other OJT applicants who typically just attach resumes without any message at all. A few years back, I received an email from a college student who was applying for OJT work. At that time, my company was not looking for trainees nor did we even have an OJT program. But I was so impressed with the applicant’s email and skills (she had an online website resume) that convinced me that I had to have her. So I started an OJT program just so that I could get her even for a short period of time. She didn’t ask to be paid, but we gave her an allowance because she deserved it.
Ask for Recommendation Letters
A good university OJT program provides support for their students, either by matching them with companies in need of OJTs or at least providing authorization or recommendation letters. The first OJT trainee that I got attached a recommendation letter from her professor as well, so it formalized and authenticated her application. These documents are optional but they help.
It’s a Job
When applying for work, whether it’s OJT or regular employment, show the employer the skills that you have that will help their company instead of just telling them that you want the OJT program to provide you with the best learning experience. Employers are busy running the day-to-day operations of their business. Most do not have the time to train students who will only be there for a short period of time and leave after 300 hours. That is why not all employers are willing to pay for OJT work. However, if you can show them that you’ve got skills that can really help them, they may seriously consider hiring you as OJT with pay like what I did.
See, OJT work is a job. You may be in it to learn, but business people and employers pay for work and performance. So ask not what the employer can do for you, but ask what you can do for your employer. That’s how you can find OJT work that pays!
Showing posts with label jobs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jobs. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Job Options for High School Students
Finally got the chance to update this blog :)
Here are some more articles that were published in my column at Manila Bulletin.
Is a College degree really necessary for you to get a good job in the Philippines? What if, like many young people in the country, you have no choice but to put your studies on hold due to financial constraints? Are you doomed to a life of misery simply because of the dire circumstances that you could not avoid?
No, definitely not. I do not believe for one second that lack of higher education dooms a person to hardship and poverty. I know of many successful people who only finished High School or didn’t get to finish college that found success beyond their wildest dreams. And it pains me to hear woeful stories of people who feel limited and hopeless simply because they did not finish college. Such is the case of the daughter of my friend’s laundry lady. For several months, the mother lived with a heavy heart because her daughter angrily blamed her for not being able to provide her with a college education. Although the laundry lady’s daughter has a decent job as a warehouse clerk, she felt that she could have gotten more from life had she been given a chance to pursue and finish college. She is only 24 years old and has not yet realized that she has her whole life ahead of her and it’s not the end of the world. And yet, she does have a point, limited though it may be…
The truth is, a College degree does help. Most corporate employers require job applicants to be a graduate of a four-year course. From an HR practitioner’s point of view, it makes sense. The additional four years of training would logically prepare an applicant for work. So it has become a standard requirement in the Philippine white collar job market, but that doesn’t mean that those who only finished High School are not employable.
On the contrary, there are many ways and means to find a good job despite your lack of a college degree. There are also many job options available for High School graduates. For today, let’s explore and open our minds to a wide world of possibilities---here’s what you have to look for…
Open-minded Employers
Believe it or not, not all employers require a 4-year college degree. I for one have employed people who are not college graduates for general office positions. I have found that High School graduates are as dedicated and hardworking as their College counterparts, sometimes even more. For me, experience and attitude are more important than plain academics. So if you want a white-collar or office-based job, look for employers who are willing to hire working students or trainees. You might have to start with a slightly lower pay during your training, but once your employer sees your value and potential, they can immediately up your salary once you get regularized.
On the Job Training or Apprenticeship
Some companies hire OJTs who are not necessarily college graduates. They offer an On the Job Training program and they provide allowance. Although the allowance is not that high, it nevertheless will help tide you over while you are learning and proving your worth to the company. If the supervisor sees that you are diligent and have good common sense, he might recommend you for further employment. If the training program ends and you don’t get hired, at least you can put that in as OJT work experience which adds a new dimension to your resume.
Sales Jobs
Sales is one job that does not discriminate against lack of academic degree so much (unless the company you are eyeing has lofty image standards). It is a career that is performance-based. The more you sell, the happier your employer will be and the higher income you will earn. Most companies provide training and basic allowance for their sales team, as well as commissions for every sale. It’s not an easy job for the weak-hearted. But for people who are driven or who dream of one day starting their own business, it can be a truly rewarding experience. Look for companies who carry products that you believe in and that you can easily sell to your network. There are products that are easy to sell and there are products that are difficult, so choose wisely.
Vocational & Technical Jobs
There are many exciting vocational and technical jobs that are available for High School graduates such as Call Center Agent, Medical or Legal Transcriptionist, Animator, Consumer Electronics Service, Heavy Equipment Machine Operator, Massage Therapist, Barista, Cooks and many more. If you have no experience in this field, that’s not a problem. Our government has a “Training for Work” Scholarship Program under TESDA. This can help you develop the necessary skills and competencies that are needed which are directly connected to existing jobs for immediate employment, locally and abroad. You’ll need to have the time to complete the training and be good enough to be hired by companies after the training. And should you want to pursue higher education later on, TESDA even has a Ladderized Education Program that can give you credits for college. To find out more about these programs, visit www.tesda.gov.ph.
Many insanely successful people didn’t have the privilege of attending college. But it has not stopped them from attaining fortune and a better life for their families. They refused to believe that their lack of academic degree makes them any less of a man or woman than their privileged counterparts. They continued learning on their own though experience, books, mentors and short course training programs. For them, it hasn’t always been easy but the more they strived to solve their financial problems and learn along the way, the better their life has become. So you see, degree or no degree, you can achieve great heights. Believe in yourself. Open your eyes to opportunities that abound. High School graduates have job options.
About the Writer:
Jhoanna O. Gan-So is president of Businessmaker Academy and the managing director for HR Club Philippines. Her company conducts seminars on Business Management, Human Resource, Sales and Marketing Courses. They have also recently launched the INSTANT HR TOOLKIT, a service that provides HR practitioners with over 100 ready-to-use downloadable, customizable and printable HR manuals, contract, letters forms and templates. To know more about HR seminars that they offer, you may visit www.businessmaker-academy.com or call (632)6874645. To know more about the Instant HR Toolkit, you may visit www.hrclubphilippines.com. You may email your comments and questions to: mbworklife@gmail.com
Here are some more articles that were published in my column at Manila Bulletin.
Is a College degree really necessary for you to get a good job in the Philippines? What if, like many young people in the country, you have no choice but to put your studies on hold due to financial constraints? Are you doomed to a life of misery simply because of the dire circumstances that you could not avoid?
No, definitely not. I do not believe for one second that lack of higher education dooms a person to hardship and poverty. I know of many successful people who only finished High School or didn’t get to finish college that found success beyond their wildest dreams. And it pains me to hear woeful stories of people who feel limited and hopeless simply because they did not finish college. Such is the case of the daughter of my friend’s laundry lady. For several months, the mother lived with a heavy heart because her daughter angrily blamed her for not being able to provide her with a college education. Although the laundry lady’s daughter has a decent job as a warehouse clerk, she felt that she could have gotten more from life had she been given a chance to pursue and finish college. She is only 24 years old and has not yet realized that she has her whole life ahead of her and it’s not the end of the world. And yet, she does have a point, limited though it may be…
The truth is, a College degree does help. Most corporate employers require job applicants to be a graduate of a four-year course. From an HR practitioner’s point of view, it makes sense. The additional four years of training would logically prepare an applicant for work. So it has become a standard requirement in the Philippine white collar job market, but that doesn’t mean that those who only finished High School are not employable.
On the contrary, there are many ways and means to find a good job despite your lack of a college degree. There are also many job options available for High School graduates. For today, let’s explore and open our minds to a wide world of possibilities---here’s what you have to look for…
Open-minded Employers
Believe it or not, not all employers require a 4-year college degree. I for one have employed people who are not college graduates for general office positions. I have found that High School graduates are as dedicated and hardworking as their College counterparts, sometimes even more. For me, experience and attitude are more important than plain academics. So if you want a white-collar or office-based job, look for employers who are willing to hire working students or trainees. You might have to start with a slightly lower pay during your training, but once your employer sees your value and potential, they can immediately up your salary once you get regularized.
On the Job Training or Apprenticeship
Some companies hire OJTs who are not necessarily college graduates. They offer an On the Job Training program and they provide allowance. Although the allowance is not that high, it nevertheless will help tide you over while you are learning and proving your worth to the company. If the supervisor sees that you are diligent and have good common sense, he might recommend you for further employment. If the training program ends and you don’t get hired, at least you can put that in as OJT work experience which adds a new dimension to your resume.
Sales Jobs
Sales is one job that does not discriminate against lack of academic degree so much (unless the company you are eyeing has lofty image standards). It is a career that is performance-based. The more you sell, the happier your employer will be and the higher income you will earn. Most companies provide training and basic allowance for their sales team, as well as commissions for every sale. It’s not an easy job for the weak-hearted. But for people who are driven or who dream of one day starting their own business, it can be a truly rewarding experience. Look for companies who carry products that you believe in and that you can easily sell to your network. There are products that are easy to sell and there are products that are difficult, so choose wisely.
Vocational & Technical Jobs
There are many exciting vocational and technical jobs that are available for High School graduates such as Call Center Agent, Medical or Legal Transcriptionist, Animator, Consumer Electronics Service, Heavy Equipment Machine Operator, Massage Therapist, Barista, Cooks and many more. If you have no experience in this field, that’s not a problem. Our government has a “Training for Work” Scholarship Program under TESDA. This can help you develop the necessary skills and competencies that are needed which are directly connected to existing jobs for immediate employment, locally and abroad. You’ll need to have the time to complete the training and be good enough to be hired by companies after the training. And should you want to pursue higher education later on, TESDA even has a Ladderized Education Program that can give you credits for college. To find out more about these programs, visit www.tesda.gov.ph.
Many insanely successful people didn’t have the privilege of attending college. But it has not stopped them from attaining fortune and a better life for their families. They refused to believe that their lack of academic degree makes them any less of a man or woman than their privileged counterparts. They continued learning on their own though experience, books, mentors and short course training programs. For them, it hasn’t always been easy but the more they strived to solve their financial problems and learn along the way, the better their life has become. So you see, degree or no degree, you can achieve great heights. Believe in yourself. Open your eyes to opportunities that abound. High School graduates have job options.
About the Writer:
Jhoanna O. Gan-So is president of Businessmaker Academy and the managing director for HR Club Philippines. Her company conducts seminars on Business Management, Human Resource, Sales and Marketing Courses. They have also recently launched the INSTANT HR TOOLKIT, a service that provides HR practitioners with over 100 ready-to-use downloadable, customizable and printable HR manuals, contract, letters forms and templates. To know more about HR seminars that they offer, you may visit www.businessmaker-academy.com or call (632)6874645. To know more about the Instant HR Toolkit, you may visit www.hrclubphilippines.com. You may email your comments and questions to: mbworklife@gmail.com
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