Story & photo by Astarte Abraham
Contributor
ENGINEERING experts and motivational speakers stressed the importance of possessing a good attitude, having vision and being of service to the nation during the second Philippine Engineering Students Congress.
With the theme “Better Engineers for a Better Philippines”, the one-day congress was presented by JobStreet.com Philippines, in partnership with the Technological Institute of the Philippines (TIP). Graduating students from the country’s top engineering schools were in attendance at the TIP on March 10.
Brian Quebengco of EUDO Consulting served as moderator.
In his opening remarks, Angelo Q. Lahoz, senior vice president of TIP, encouraged the students to choose a profession or field of work directly related to the engineering program that they are currently in.
“Engineers are the backbone of the country,” he said. “It is second nature for engineers to tackle problems and come up with innovative ways to solve them. Solving problems is instrumental to the progress of our nation.”
Yolanda Buyco, regional marketing manager of Seek Asia, said there are more engineering graduates than local engineering jobs. But engineers remain highly paid as they go up the career ladder.
The market is very tough, but companies are in the quest for talent. “They want the best talent out there, that’s why they’re offering incentives a lot of good packages for the best talents in the market.”
Buyco advised students to create their online profiles, highlighting their skills and experience as early as possible—even before they have finished their course and have taken their board exam—so that they may be early on included in the data bases of companies for easy reach by possible employers. Look at market trends, know what kind of jobs are available (search online at jobstreet.com, etc.), research on the company and know it’s vision, mission, values, products they sell or services they offer.
Applicants must also know the job they are applying for and determine if they fit the qualifications set by the company and if they fit in the company culture. They must know how to respond to an employer’s questions once called in for an interview. Preparation is key.
Buyco added that in 2016 employers put a premium an applicant’s experience (i.e., internship, extra-curricular activities and part-time jobs). In 2017, however, employers are raising a premium on an applicant’s attitude and personality. One must be humble and be willing to learn and be trained.
She said, “It’s very difficult to employ a newbie—a fresh graduate—before they become productive in an organization. You have to train them, you have to educate them on the process and systems of the company, and if you have a fresh graduate or a newbie who does not have the right attitude for learning and for contributing, then it’s going to be very difficult to get this person to be productive at the onset.”
Patrick Ongchanco III of ABS-CBN said bachelor graduates should pass the board exam, because a license is one of the best ways of getting known in official and professional circles.
Alexander Infante Cachola, ABS-CBN broadcast-quality management head, had encouraging words for industrial engineering students whom he feels could very well have a lucrative career path, rising all the way up to managerial and corporate levels, as long as they have proper training and experience.
Perfecto Padilla Jr., the president of the Padilla Review Center, said “passing the board exam is not really about intelligence, it’s about attitude…what you lack in intelligence, you have to [make up for] with diligence.”
Micah Arceno, the 2015 Mechanical Engineering board topnotcher, said professions, like mechanical and civil engineering, are high risk in that a job mistake can endanger people’s lives. The board exam exists precisely to regulate professional conduct.
Joey Gurango recounted his journey in the technology start-up community, from being part of the beginnings of the information-technology revolution in the United States as an employee of Steve Jobs and Bill Gates to becoming the CEO and chief technology officer (CTO) of his very own software company, Gurango Software Corp. (GSC).
Gurango, one of the 50 software engineers who developed Excel for Windows, stated that there are less than 5 percent of people in the world who would be capable—and like him, would experience the joy—of creating a product that would improve the lives of billions of people all over the globe.
“Having a vision is one of the most important things you can have if you want to be a technology entrepreneur,” he said.
Jobs, the cofounder, chairman, and CEO of Apple Inc. and Gates, cofounder, chairman, CEO and chief software architect of Microsoft, began with a vision. Jobs envisioned “a computer in every home”, whereas Gates looked to a future with “a computer on every desk an in every home running Microsoft software.” Both men persisted and eventually succeeded.
Technology start-ups are ready to grow quickly and reach billions of people worldwide. Gurango cited Google, Expedia, Instagram, Spotify, Tesla, eBay and Facebook are billion-dollar businesses that did not exist 12 years ago and are currently an integral part of the lives of billions of people. And all of these start-ups became possible because of founders—people like Jobs and Gates—who had the fortitude to start something and go against all odds to see their vision turn into reality.
A founder has three personality types: the hacker, designer and the hustler. The hacker is the engineer/builder, the one who builds things, who in the industry are typically the programmers. The designer is the one who determines what users need and tells the hacker what to build. The hustler is the person who sells. Every start-up has at least two or three people, and a successful start-up has these three personalities, never only one. Sometimes two personalities exist in one person. But no matter which personality they have, they’re visionaries; they see what other people don’t see, they have ideas and they can think of a way to build from those ideas.
Two founder personalities—the hacker and the designer—require a software-engineering background to be exceptional. Thus, the best way to join technology start-ups is to become a programmer.
Technology can be categorized into two: the software side and the hardware side. Software makes hardware usable for the biggest number of people in the world. Hence, Gurango’s call: more software engineers/programmers to make hardware usable.
Jojo Reyes, the senior assistant vice president of North Distribution services of the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), said their No. 1 criterion in hiring an applicant is attitude. Meralco inculcates teamwork, devotion (malasakit) and nationalism (pagiging makabayan). Reyes looks for people who can grow with the company. As Reyes put it, “I am hiring a Filipino who will contribute to the welfare and development of our country.”
Brian Bilang, area maintenance manager of Coca-Cola Femsa Philippines, looks for a potential hire’s love, passion and commitment to the job he/she is applying for.
Eric Concepcion, the corporate communications manager of Makati Development Corp. (MDC) BuildPlus Inc., explained his company’s organizational culture theme of accountability, commitment and excellence, or ACE. They want people who take a great deal of responsibility for the work at hand because construction is a high-risk business— people’s lives are at stake every single day, not only while the edifice is being built, but also when people are already living & working inside. Ayala is well-known for its quality in development. Hence, they need people who will show a strong sense of commitment to fulfill MDC’s execution principles (safety, quality, timely delivery, cost efficiency and sustainability) and satisfy the requirements of AYALA’s demanding clientele. Finally, they’re looking for people who have the drive and passion to excel in their jobs because MDC’s vision is to be the world class builder of choice, not only in the Philippines but in Southeast Asia.
Paul Anthony Pangilinan, himself an engineer and commissioner-at-large of the National Youth Commission (NYC), encouraged the students to become participative in nation-building and be involved in environmental activities and ecology-friendly practices. He also urged the students to go beyond what they learn in the classroom and go outside of their comfort zone.
He said, “Let us continue to keep our dreams alive, let us continue to get inspired, let us continue to be dedicated and passionate.”
Engineering trains students to be problem solvers—to look for solutions and to explore possibilities when there seems to be none. This is according to Rowina Cielo Sonza, the marketing manager of JobStreet.com Philippines, who concluded the event with hope for the students: “While you may soon bid farewell to your academic journey, know that learning never ends…. Do not be afraid…. You have a powerful place in your society. You are the future inventors and developers of new products that would make life easier for all of us…. Take the time to enjoy your journey… never lose sight of your goal. With your talent determination and hard work, you can accomplish a lot and overcome any obstacle in your way. Take chances; dream big.”