HR WORK: A LIFELONG ENGAGEMENT

While studying for her BS Psychology degree at Assumption College in Makati, Susie P.M. Amistoso  realized that she really wanted to be in a field where she could deal with people, especially the youth.

After graduation, she remembers sending copies of her resumé to a number of companies she wanted to explore. Among those that responded was John Clements Inc., an executive search firm where she completed part of her college practicum requirements. She thought she was being called for a possible job placement but instead, she was pleasantly surprised to learn that John Clements wanted her to be part of its  Recruitment team. After  one and a half years. Susie was invited in 1980 to work for Pepsi Cola Bottling Co. Inc., where she rose from the ranks during her 10-year stint. After gaining experience in the beverage industry, she considered moving to another  industry. That opportunity came when she joined Metro Drug Corporation, one of the country’s biggest distribution companies. Eventually, she moved to the pharmaceutical industry, where she thrived for a total of twenty years; first at Sandoz Phils. Inc.and finally at Bayer Phils.  Inc.,   from which she opted to  retire after fifteen years.

Nowadays,  aside from  assisting  her husband Joey in his architectural firm, she  remains engaged with people development through   her HR consulting projects both in the private and public sectors, and by mentoring young girls from a public high school in Las Piñas City.

Today, Susie with her husband Arch. Joey Amistoso

In "Pointers for New College Graduates," Susie shares her pieces of advice  for new college graduates:

·   Take a break. Take some time off after graduation. You need to recharge after all the stresses of exams, projects and paperworks. This vacation may take months but it must be productive. Find companies that pique your interest and send out resumés.

·   Be patient. Your heart and your mind need to agree on where you want to go. Discernment in your career choices may not come immediately after college so you have to be keen in doing your work well.

·   Be real. Seasoned interviewers can see through you. Communicate confidently and research well on the company you are applying to.

Read more about Susie’s pointers for college graduates, specifically  for those  aspiring to join the Human Resource Industry.

"Pointers for New College Graduates," by Gerry P. Siquijor. Available at Fully Booked,  St. Pauls, Pauline Bookstores and branches of Catholic Book Center.

GETTING PAST CLOSED DOORS

Raymund T. Azurin, Chief Executive, Zuellig-Pharma Corporation

He  is currently at the helm of a PhP 65 billion business with over 1,800 employees.  As head of Zuellig Pharma, Inc.-- the biggest pharmaceutical distribution and healthcare services company in the Philippines-- Raymund T. Azurin has taken upon himself a personal advocacy to  collaborate with industry players in  expanding healthcare  access to the lower income and younger segments of the population.

The beginnings of such advocacy could be traced to his high school days at Ateneo de Manila, when he aspired to follow the steps of his father, who was an illustrious lawyer. Raymund wanted a career in which he too can help protect and defend people’s rights. 

He took  up A.B. Economics as a pre-law course  at the University of the Philippines.  Upon graduation,  Raymund  enrolled in the evening classes of UP College of Law, while working full-time in a law firm in Makati. After 2 years, he shifted directions, he wanted to go corporate. He eyed the pharmaceutical industry, drawn by its stable and sustainable business.  

Raymund distinctly remembers his first  day as a pharmaceutical rep trainee.  The bus he was taking  to Makati  broke down, and consequently,  he reached the training room just about when the door was closing.   That pharmaceutical company had a strict policy on tardiness-- anyone late for training was automatically  eliminated from the program.   Raymund then found himself jobless on the day he thought he would begin a career.

Undaunted, Raymund applied to other pharmaceutical companies.  His first break came at Natterman Philippines, where he started in 1985 as a medical rep.   Four years later, an opportunity came for him and his family to move as immigrants to Sydney, Australia. There,  he was hired by Astra Pharmaceuticals.   In his first year, Raymund was awarded Med Rep of the Year -- receiving over half  of all the awards given out that year.   Looking back, Raymund  attributes his early success  to his  going the extra mile.  For instance,when the company average for calls or visits to doctors’ clinics was  less than 6 calls a day, he was doing an average of 10 calls daily.

In 1995, he got a big break and was hired as Sales and Marketing Manager to help set up Solvay Australia— a global company based in Belgium. A few years after the successful launch of Solvay, he was hired by Merck Sharpe & Dohme (MSD), one of the top three largest pharma companies in Australia. During his tenure with MSD, Raymund was appointed to lead the integration of a $150 M biotech company that MSD acquired, a process that he successfully completed in only 100 work days. He considers that career milestone  as a competency building exercise on change management -- an experience that he would capitalize on  in his succeeding posts.

In 2002, Pharmalink, a subsidiary of Zuellig Pharma, Inc,  offered him a post back in Manila to serve as  Country Manager.  And in 2008, he was appointed as Executive VP and Chief Operating Officer of Zuellig Pharma Inc. and then promoted to CEO after just a few years.

Today, Raymund discloses that he wakes up each morning looking forward to come to his office, not to work but to pursue a passion-- to give greater access to medical products and services to as many people as possible. He knows only  too well how it is like, literally and figuratively speaking, for an important door to close right before him.  He is now on a mission to open doors;  he wants to  help  our countrymen exercise the right to  adequate and affordable healthcare. 

In  "Pointers for New College Graduates,"  Raymund shares the following pieces of advice:

·       Find your passion.  Search for the industry and role that will allow you to  maximize our strengths as individual. Do not follow the crowd.     While others go for what is trendy, or for what their parents tell them, or simply follow where the money is -- go where you know you will excel and be happy in the process.

·      Seek leadership.  Some  people  may think that if they do things  alone they can do better. From my experience, those who succeed and achieve their potential are those  who can connect effectively with others.  They are able  to harness the strengths of others, and in the process, they learn more rapidly and comprehensively, and are able to excel in tasks that require  depth and perspective.  That connectedness is, in essence, leadership.

·       Build competencies.  This is what my father would tell me, and what I would share with my own children:  Build competencies early on in your career. Take on  roles that bring out the best in you as your experience from these will serve as strong foundation for more challenging tasks.  

Read more about Raymund's pointers for new college graduates, specifically those aspiring to join the pharmaceutical industry.

"Pointers for New College Graduates," by Gerry P. Siquijor. Available at Fully Booked,  St. Pauls, Pauline Bookstores and branches of Catholic Book Center

FROM THE ACADEME TO DIRECT SELLING

Bong Isidro, with his family, at a recent Philkraft event.

"To be the best server” is a dream of young Bong Isidro, when he was an altar boy at his parish church in Pasay City. It was no surprise then to his family and friends when he decided to enter   Our Lady of Guadalupe Minor Seminary for his high school,  and San Carlos Seminary for  his AB Philosophy degree. For six years, he went through a rigorous formation that would prepare him to a life of priestly service. But before starting with his theology studies, Bong decided to explore the world outside of the seminary walls.

That exploration led him to San Beda College Alabang, then Benedictine Abbey School, where he worked as Prefect of Discipline and as the Academic Coordinator for Christian Living.

One day in 1986, a direct-selling company selling premium quality kitchenware and fine table appointments was introduced to him–Philkraft. He was so impressed with the products and the financial rewards that he decided to work for it, part-time. After school hours, he would sell with great pride Philkraft items to his friends. Realizing that he was earning more from his part-time job, in 1988 he decided to work full-time as Trainer for Philkraft.

Bong considers selling a vocation. He believes that selling is a form of service wherein one can help people make favorable choices or decisions that would personally satisfy them.

Today, Bong is the Head of Sales at Philkraft, where he has served for  over twenty-eight years now. Such length of tenure is proof that in a different context, he has remained true to his dream of being the best server.

In the book "Pointers for New College Graduates." Bong shares the following pieces of advice:

• Know what drives you. Listen to your heart. What moves you to get out of bed to welcome the morning? What constructive activity gives you meaning and focus? Your genuine answer to these questions can lead you to your passion. This will give meaning to whatever you are doing and hence, have passion in doing it.

• Give your best. Mediocrity has no place in success. "Hindi pwedeng pwede na". To drive home my point, let me share with you this poem that I read in high school that has always inspired me:

“if I cannot be a huge mountain, I will be a rock;

if I cannot be a vast ocean, I will be a stream;

if I cannot be a super highway, I will be a pathway;

if I cannot be a tall tree, I will be a shrub;

but whatever I may be, I shall ensure that I shall always be

the best that I can ever be.”

• Check company backgrounds. Do not just let companies choose you. You choose your company! Companies check your personal background, so it is just fair that you check theirs as well. Choose a company that has a philosophy and mission and vision that are consistent with yours. But be careful that you choose a company that is TRUE to what they profess. Remember that you are not only looking for job, you are looking for an employer to whom you will be committed. In the end, you will be a part of that company, you will be that company.

Real more about Bong's pointers for college graduates aspiring to be in Direct Selling.

"Pointers for New College Graduates" by Gerry P. Siquijor. Available at Fully Booked, St. Pauls and Pauline Bookstores, and branches of Catholic Book Center.

THIS PHILOSOPHY MAJOR GOT TALENT FOR "FLAIR"

Larry G. Guevara, and his fiancee Sharleen, together as "Liquid Concepts"

One of Larry  G. Guevara’s grandfathers was a priest that had great influence of him while he was growing up. It was no surprise then that he decided to enter Our Lady of Peñafrancia Seminary in Sorsogon, where he completed his high school and his degree in Philosophy.

After eight years in the seminary, he concluded that he could “do more” even outside of the priestly ministry. Growing up, he was into stage acting, dancing and bands--so he decided to respond to the call of music and performing arts.

Larry remembers that once, while he was on a summer apostolate in one of the remote areas in his province, he came upon young men and women doing table skirting and preparing food inside the convent’s kitchen. He was fascinated by their tasks that he asked them about where they learned their skills. He was told that they were Hotel and Restaurant Management students from the Philippine Women’s University (PWU) in Manila. Larry thought of going into HRM himself so he headed for Manila to enroll at PWU.

His plan of becoming a chef changed when he signed up for Bar Management class. He saw some of his classmates flipping bottles—also called “flair bartending” and it completely fascinated him.

Larry began his bartending career in 2003 and worked at one of his “dream jobs”—at TGIFriday’s. There he was considered as one of the most   talented bartenders when it comes to flair and showmanship. Just three months into the job, he was selected to serve as an official representative to the Inter-store Bartending Championship. He emerged 1st Runner-up and won the Best Original Concoction for a cocktail called “Tea-kle Me Once.” That achievement became a door opener for Larry—he got invited to give talks, seminars, workshops and even had the chance to appear on national TV programs.

In 2004, a store guest invited him to work for Louis Cruise Lines. Larry fel he was ready to work abroad so he took the offer and started working at the cruise lines for four years. He later moved to Celebrity Cruises, where he spent another four years before he finally decided to return to the Philippines in 2013 to be with the love of his life,  Sharleen Antonio.

Today,  Larry  is the Chief Operating Officer of "Gilario Guevara Bartending Training Services,"   and he serves as a College Instructor.  He demonstrates his passion for music and performing arts each time he does the “flair" with those beverage bottles before his students.

Recently, Larry and his fiancee Sharleen Antonio were featured in one of the country's top-rating talent shows.  Their tandem "Liquid Concepts" was given a golden buzzer that allowed them to go straight to the semi-finals.  And more memorably,  Larry proposed marriage to Sharleen, the first on Philippine primetime TV.  See clip here.

(We  wish Larry and Sharleen all the best!)

In the book "Pointers for New College Graduates." Larry shares the following pieces of advice:

• Unlearn what you learned in school. “Unlearning” here means letting go of your ways of thinking and of doing things. You are no longer students, who will just come to class, read books, take exams and submit requirements. In the “real world,” you will realize that there are more to learn than you could imagine when you were in school. You have to seek opportunities to apply what you learned formally and informally in school. This way, you can better evaluate the new tasks and the challenges before you and make well-thought decisions and corresponding action plans. This is how you can add value to any employer.

• Adapt, be like water. For someone who has been through a lot of ups and downs in life, I realized that one of the best ways to tackle any difficult situation is to be open to new ideas, new ways of doing things to solve problems. Thus, the need to be “like water” moving to fill gaps and to expand into new spaces.

• Find your own voice. Following the crowd, conforming to what  is popular in order to belong becomes an ever-present temptation. Finding your own voice means listening to and learning from others, taking in what are beneficial and having the courage to speak up for what is true and constructive.

Real more about Larry's pointers for  college graduates aspiring to  join the Hospitality Industry.

"Pointers for New College Graduates" by Gerry P. Siquijor. Available at Fully Booked, St. Pauls , Pauline Bookstores, and branches of Catholic Book Center.

LOVE OR CAREER: A TEACHER MADE A HARD CHOICE

Being the youngest in the family, Aurora "Au" Enriquez,  felt she received so much attention when she was growing up that she decided to take up a college course that would prepare her for a caring profession.

Au considered becoming a nurse, but eventually, found herself at the University of the Philippines - Diliman taking up B. S. in Social Work. Her course opened her eyes to social realities— the poor, the oppressed and the disadvantaged—which further deepened her resolve to be in community service.

At UP she met her best friend and eventual husband, Victor, who would eventually change the course of Au’s life. He left for New York to finish his college studies, while Au stayed at UP. 

Upon graduation, Au worked with the Philippine Red Cross, where she encountered children with special needs. These children were abused in their homes. They had to be taken out of their conditions and brought to Department of Social Work and Development and to some non- government centers. At that time, the temporary homes did not offer any alternative education for those children. Such sad realities inspired Au to design and implement new alternatives to regular schooling. She enrolled in UP’s Master’s Degree Program in Special Education with focus on Behavioral Disorder. While she was working at the Philippine Red Cross and while pursuing her master studies, she was nurturing a long-distance relationship with Vic—who later on offered her marriage. Au followed her heart, she accepted Vic’s proposal.

In 2002, when Au boarded the plane that would take her to the US, she had mixed emotions. She was excited to be with Vic yet she was sad that she would leave her home country. Au consoled herself with the thought that given her local teaching license, she could keep the door open to the Philippines for her to continue in the future her work with disadvantaged children.

Today, Au is a Special Education teacher in New Jersey, where she helps high school students with cognitive impairments. She and Vic now have four children, whose smiles remind her of the youth on the other side of the Pacific, still waiting for her return someday.

Au Enriquez, with her husband and four children.

Au’s pointers for new college graduates:

• Learn to listen. One of my favorite pieces is Desiderata, from which I find a line resonates in me:

                     “Listen to the dull and the ignorant. They too have their story.”

Take this to heart. In any type of work and in any setting, you will meet different types of people: who have different sets of values, beliefs, history and cultural backgrounds. Do not be quick to dismiss their personal narratives and life stories. There is much to be learned from other people, especially the ones who have no tolerance of human differences. Remember, you may one day find that you have turned into the exact person you vowed never to become. Close- minded people were once open minded- but became set in their ways.

• Seek out experience. Find out what you are truly passionate about and try to get as much experience in that field as possible.

• Establish a good work ethics. Early in your career, regardless of any industry, come to work on time and finish projects before due dates. This will establish you as a hard worker that is dependable and professional.

Read more about Au's  pieces of advice for those aspiring to have a career in Education.

"Pointers for New College Graduates" by Gerry P. Siquijor. Available at Fully Booked, St. Pauls and Paulines Bookstores, and branches of Catholic Book Center.

FINDING ONE'S PASSION TAKES TIME

RJ  David and  his wife Arianne happily stand behind OLX Philippines.

RJ David goes to an elegantly furnished office high up in one of the tall buildings in Ortigas Business Center.  Every day, he has a commanding view of cities and towns east of Manila including the chain of hills northwest of Rizal Province. The affinity to those hills could be traced to his youth spent in a rustic part of Angono, where he was raised by his  frugal parents.

Growing up, his flair for new and useful ideas began to show. RJ realized that he loved math and he saw himself as an inventor of equipment and machines that could be of great help to many people. He graduated valedictorian at Angono Private School and was admitted to the BS Mechanical Engineering program at the  University of the Philippines-Diliman. Upon graduation, RJ served for a year as part-time instructor at the College of Engineering of UP-Diliman. During his free time then, he found himself drawn to programming and website creation.

RJ gained full-time employment in a bio-mechanical engineering firm that designed parts for hip replacement. His task was to design those mechanical parts, but even then, he would devote more of his time at work to web development.

Eventually, he found his passion.

He wanted to become a programmer.  RJ shifted jobs. He was hired as a software engineer for a company that served the back office requirements of no less than an agency of the Hong Kong government. At night, he would take on the role of a freelance programmer, which became so lucrative that after a few years, he was ready to give up his day job. His freelancing stint turned out to be a blessing in several ways. It gave him the opportunity to hone his skills in marketing, negotiations and time management. And it changed his perception of himself, from an introvert that he was, he realized that he could be outgoing as needed after all.

In 2006, RJ decided to go on his own. He and his wife Arianne, who interestingly wanted to become an interior designer but became a programmer instead, founded Sulit–which is the Filipino word for the phrase “worth it."

Sulit-–which evolved from a husband and wife team to workforce of 130 personnel—became  the undisputed leader in free online classified ads in the Philippines. It  underwent  a number of transitions in recent years. Naspers, the biggest media company in South Africa, acquired majority share of Sulit in 2009. Consequently, Sulit was renamed to OLX, the global online classifieds brand of Naspers. And in 2013, OLX absorbed Ayosdito, the industry’s challenger brand.

These days, when RJ looks though the glass panels enclosing his office, he is reminded of how far he has literally moved up and away from his ancestral home in Angono. From his vantage point, he can also see the clear sky and the bright clouds billowing above the hills of his youth.  He may not have invented exciting new machines and equipment that he dreamed of as a boy—but on hindsight, his journey so far as an entrepreneur has been just as fascinating.

In "Pointers for New College Graduates,"  RJ shares some pieces of advice:

• Make yourself “hirable.” I am certain that many other employers like me would like to hire candidates that can readily solve problems and can easily adapt to their work environment. I want to hire candidates that are coachable, those who are willing and able to learn quickly new concepts and ways of doing things, and can unlearn those that are no longer relevant. 

• Demonstrate independence. We train our people but we also want them to take responsibility for their own professional development. 

• Do not be afraid to fail. Growing up, a number of us are thought that failure is painful and therefore should be avoided. We are conditioned to avoid risks. In reality, some things just do not turn out the way we expect. Accept that failure will be part of our individual journeys. It is there to teach us lessons we missed along the way. 

Read more about RJ's pointers for new college graduates, specifically for those aspiring to become entrepreneurs.

"Pointers for New College  Graduates, by Gerry P. Siquijor,  available at Fully Booked, St. Pauls and Paulines Bookstores, and branches of Catholic Book Center.

AN EXECUTIVE YEARNS FOR HER HOMETOWN

Ella with the products she helped develop & launch at CCPI.

While growing up in Moncada, Tarlac, Ella Marzan imagined herself putting up her own business someday. During her younger years, there were only small businesses in her hometown--the typical neighborhood stores, bakeshops and pharmacies—and commerce was centered at the public market.

With a dream of getting into something bigger in business, she enrolled at Ateneo de Manila, where she earned a BS Management degree. After graduation, Ella decided to go corporate specifically in FMCG Marketing (fast moving consumer goods), which she felt at that time would prepare her in putting up her own business. However, her corporate career flourished and it brought her to various multinational corporations in Manila, Jakarta, Singapore and even in Leverkusen, Germany.

Ella’s employment track record of more than twenty years includes stints with some of the biggest names in consumer marketing: Johnson and Johnson, Avon and Bayer. She was eventually tapped by a local company to set up its consumer business—where she took charge of product development, preparing the business plan, setting up the organization and market launch. She said this was her most challenging job ever as she set it up from scratch.

Today, she is managing Consumer Care Products, Inc. in Pasig City, responsible for a portfolio of household brands such as: Kwik Insect Killer, Splenda Furniture Polish, Solbac Disinfectant Spray and Guard Insect Repellent.

In a way, Ella says she has partially fulfilled her dream of being an entrepreneur, that is, when she set up Consumer Care Products, Inc. It may not be her own company yet but she considers her brands like her “babies” and she is happy to see them doing well in the market.

Currently, she resides in Quezon City, where on weekends, she enjoys strolling with her dogs around her village to view the hills of Montalban. To Ella, the green scenery helps relish her dream of moving back to Moncada one day to put up her own business--a garden café--and in the process, help further propel her hometown’s progress.

Some of  Ella ’s pointers for new college graduates :

• Have your own vision. A lot of graduates just go with the flow. They go where their “barkadas” go or what the trend is. Early on, you need to have a vision of where you want to go. Have a clear goal and align your decisions and actions to that direction. Write it down. Make a collage with pictures to help you get reminded every day.

• Dream big. Go for a challenging goal. Do not be dissuaded by your friends, relatives or family. Dreaming big will push forward when you meet difficulties.

• Be prepared to work hard. This means working smart. Remain focused. Remember that mere motion or appearing busy is not achievement. Hard work yields measurable results.

Read more about Ella's pointers for new college graduates, specifically for those aspiring to be in Consumer Marketing.

"Pointers for New College Graduates," by Gerry P. Siquijor.  Available at Fully Booked,  St. Pauls and Paulines Bookstores, and branches of Catholic Book Center.