Welcome to work

After all the graduation ceremonies are concluded, we will have at least over half a million graduates who will join the labor force as reported by the Commission on Higher Education. The next important data we shall need after, say, six months is how many where able to find employment, started to become entrepreneurs, proceeded to earn a post graduate degree and who still remain unemployed. Being able to march on stage and receive one's diploma is one high point in life. After the celebrations, the matter of what next or proceeding with post college life is another matter and immediately places one's feet on the ground.

The process of getting one's documents in order to support an application for employment is usually a test of the new professional as the process requires a sense of urgency toward being able to join the line of applicants in the various institutions one wishes to join. Graduates of Business Administration and related courses comprise 25.6 percent of the new labor force entrants followed by graduates from the Medical and Allied disciplines the next group representing 20 percent of the new graduates. The reality of intense competition in the labor market is encouragement enough for a new college graduate to become a better profession as fast as possible toward being able to receive the sought after welcome to work greeting. We all wish our new graduates find their places in the labor force and welcomed to work as soon as possible.

Interestingly, according to the results of a survey conducted by the Department of Labor and Employment, the top 10 hard-to-fill vacancies in the group of professionals are engineers, system analyst, accountants, medical technologist, pharmacists, writers, architects, medical doctors, chemists and teachers. Service workers accounted for only a small group but topping the hard-to-fill list in this group are barbers, hairdressers and beauticians. One-third of respondent employers interviewed pointed out that shortage of applicants with the right competencies as the biggest challenge in recruiting.

Let us end with a warning to our new entrants to the labor force that earning a living has the risk of becoming too materialistic with the following anecdote. A lawyer opened the door of his Honda Accord, when suddenly a car came along and hit the door, ripping it off completely. When the police arrived at the scene, the lawyer was complaining bitterly about the damage to his precious Honda. "Officer, look what they've done to my Hondaaaa!!!", he whiningly said. "You lawyers are so materialistic, you make me sick!!!" retorted the officer, "You're so worried about your stupid Honda, that you didn't even notice that your left arm was ripped off!!!" "Oh my God....", replied the lawyer, finally noticing the bloody left shoulder where his arm once was, "Where's my Rolex?”*