Written by Tina Cisneros

Last April 1 and 2, the Organizational Communication Society (OrComSoc), through Zoom, held Project Professional: Mastering Skills and Exploring Possibilities, spearheaded by Ms. Shekinah Huyo-a, the 3rd Year Representative. Project Professional is an annual initiative of the organization for its juniors as they will soon be applying for internships. It is a two-day event where working professionals talk about their organizations or companies and discuss the career opportunities offered and provided for their employees and interns.

Day 1

Ms. Bienne Chan Lugay and Ms. Esther Inocencio hosted the first day of Project Professional 2022.

The first speaker for the day was Ms. Jel Directo, an OrCom alumna, and the country manager for PGAG and Hepmil Creator’s Network. In her talk, Ms. Jel shared what it is like to be an intern at PGAG. She stated that as much as interns engage in doing the ‘fun stuff’, they are also responsible for doing the ‘real stuff’ such as crafting creator profiles and performing engagement analysis, among other things. She gave tips to juniors on how they could get an internship that they like. For juniors eyeing to intern at PGAG, she advised that they be ready for case studies before the interview. Ms. Jel also emphasized the importance of being proactive, knowing what you want to do for your internship, and exploring your internship to the fullest. 

After Ms. Jel was Wunderman Thompson’s HR manager, Mr. Franz Magallanes. He began his talk by asking the event’s attendees to answer two questions, questions whose answers, he explained, are the heart of their company. Wunderman Thompson is the advertising agency behind well-known adverts such as the Kitkat Breaker Benches, McDonald’s mobile app, and Suits for Heroes. After introducing a few of their works, Mr. Franz proceeded to clarify that the reason he presented these works of Wunderman Thompson is that interns have worked on these ads. These ads prove that interns at W. Thompson perform ‘real’ work. It is expected of them as they do not simply execute mediocre tasks. He advised soon-to-be interns, especially those leaning to enter the advertising industry, to be brave enough to pitch ideas even though some of these ideas could get shut down. He urged them to take on chances and to not be afraid to pitch ideas to anyone because everyone has something to contribute. He emphasized the need to want and get excited to do actual work, rather than doing work out of mere compliance. 

The talent acquisition specialist of Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines Inc. (CCBPI), Ms. Renee Lacap, was the day’s third speaker. She shared how CCBPI has been around for 110 strong years, bringing refreshing moments to Filipinos. She takes pride in how CCBPI has always been about the people, even before the pandemic. 

After exhibiting what CCBPI is and what it is like to be a part of their organization, she cited ways how interns can join them: direct hires, management training, and the student internship program (SIP). She focused on SIP, a rebranded internship program that they believe has a more well-rounded approach to the whole learning experience of interns. She, later on, played a video showing what it is like to be an intern at CCBPI. While they have a penchant for interns with specific skills and qualities to take on their internship programs, Ms. Renee emphasized that above all those things, having the right mindset, attitude, personality, and work ethic are the most important for them as skills can be easily taught and learned on the job. 

Before the event ended, Mr. Chadwick Sy Su, this year’s OrCom 180 facilitator, oriented the juniors of their upcoming practicum in the midyear. He discussed the course, the expectations, the pertinent details and guidelines, the course materials and requirements, and the grading system.

Day 2

Ms. Justine Agustin and Ms. AJ Avecilla hosted the last day of Project Professional 2022. 

Mr. Micco Balana, an account director at Gigil, was the second day’s first speaker. Gigil has only been around for four years but has already been widely renowned because of its adverts for brands like RC Cola, Levi’s, and Netflix that incited a whirlwind of emotions and generated conversations among people. In his talk, he presented the different facets of Gigil that allows it to have such an incredible culture. They are as follows: the culture of curiosity, the culture of coaction, the culture of celebration, and the culture of grit. Gigil, according to Sir Micco, has become more than just the name of their agency; it has become their way of work and life.

When asked about the opportunities they could offer their interns, he said that Gigil has constant year-round opportunities for categories like accounts, art, copy, and PR and media. He also added that they have an affinity for people with galing and gigil. Lastly, he shared the hiring process with those interested in becoming interns at Gigil, which would depend on the department one would want to be part of.

The second speaker was Mr. Gabriel Avelino Sampedro, the CEO, and founder of Philippine Coding Camp (PCC). He first provided the attendees with the company’s details and then described their culture as progressive, connected, and nurturing. After that, Sir Gino discussed the internship program but began by disclaiming that the interns they look for are not your ‘typical interns’; they are looking for future leaders, game changers, and team players. When asked about the available positions PCC has, he revealed that interns are not restricted to one department alone as interns can participate in multiple company areas to explore where they are best suited. He kept the entire hiring process confidential and encouraged the participants to message their Facebook page if they were interested. instead. While there were no specific skill sets they want for an intern, he said that they like to have people who can own up to the role and are willing to learn.

For the third speaker, Project Professional had Mr. Chino Araullo, the head of Corporate Advocacy Planning of GeiserMaclang. Like the previous speakers, Sir Chino informed the attendees of the company’s profile. A striking line that he believes describes and defines them is this: “We are the whisper you tend to believe, rather than the shout you tend to doubt.” In his talk, he also shared the four things that GeiserMaclang values: doing well, doing good, doing right, prosperous circulation, oneness, and querencia. Sir Chino then gave a caveat to those who choose to intern or work at the organization that what they do are not for the faint of heart and a walk in the park; at GeiserMaclang, they fight for something bigger than themselves because what they do, they owe to the Philippines. He ended the talk by saying that those looking to join the company should do so as they are always on the lookout for members who share their gusto to advocate for nation-building. 

During the Q and A portion, he shared the typical day of a GeiserMaclang intern. When asked about the hiring process, Ms. Lyra, their head of HR, quickly walked the attendees through it as it happens to be a quick process. Their interns are in for a sure journey as they could immerse themselves in any department if they are undecided as to what career path befits them.

Ms. Rachelle Dela Torre, a senior of OrCom, was the last speaker. In her session, she gave an account of her internship journey at PayMaya, ADA, and Ascendens Asia Group. She shared the timeline of her internship, starting from when she began crafting the necessary documents for the practicum up until creating her practicum portfolio. She then enumerated the internship essentials, such as a professional email and a LinkedIn profile, to name a few. Next, she shared the different platforms where future interns could look for possible companies/organizations to intern at. In terms of the internship programs to join, Ms. Rachelle suggested that students look for internships that align with their interests and skill set, with a timeline and duration that they prefer, and fit the practicum requirements. She also added that compensation could be a factor when considering a company to have one’s practicum at.

Moreover, she gave a brief background of possible steps in the intern hiring process and offered tips to do well and be a STAR in interviews, as she had been through many.  Several times during her talk, she stressed how OrCom has been very helpful to her internships; she even urged them to appreciate the lessons learned and skills gained in OrCom and from university organizations as they are very relevant. She concluded her session by giving some pointers and advice to them.

After all the talks, Ms. Shekinah Huyo-a, the project head, gave her closing remarks. The event officially ended with a photo-op of the event’s attendees. 

Project Professional would not be possible without our event sponsors. We give our special thanks to:

Featured Image by Jia Jarin