Applicants are lined up outside the Megatrade Hall 3 for the first day of a 2-day event of Manila Bulletin’s Job fair held at SM Megamall in Mandaluyong today. (Camille Ante)
Job hopefuls sought greener pastures and explored a wide array of job opportunities from 55 exhibitors on the first day of the Manila Bulletin (MB) Classifieds Job Fair 2015 series’ ninth leg at the SM Megamall’s Megatrade Hall 3 in Mandaluyong City today, July 14.
Job hopefuls
Fresh office administration graduate Sharraine Condat, 20, lined first, hoping to land a job after two months of scouting for work. Hailing from Bicol, she was among the many hopefuls from the province seeking for jobs in the city.
She said that being the eldest, it is her responsibility to help her father and younger siblings, as her mother has already died.
“Ibibigay ko ang first sweldo ko sa magulang ko, para makatulong sa pag-aaral ng lima kong kapatid,” Condat said, adding that she learned about the job fair from MB’s issue last Sunday.
Former call center agent Van Espinosa, 37, hoped to land an office job to have a new working environment for him.
“Gusto ko sanang magtrabaho naman sa office, para maiba naman ang environment ko at makakuha ng mas mataas na sahod,” he said.
Espinosa was informed about the job fair thru seeing the print advertisement in MB saying that many companies would participate – making him decide to attend a job fair for the first time.
Scouting for deserving applicants
NGA Human Resources (HR) is filling up its job vacancies for HR professionals and SAP HR positions, among others, according to the firm’s Recruitment Head Laksmi Leyva.
“We’re looking for candidates with at least a year of experience doing payroll, [and having] familiarity with different payroll systems,” she said.
NGA HR is among the event’s Gold Partners, but is joining an MB job fair leg for the first time.
“Manila Bulletin is one of the top advertisers for job [openings], and we know that [it] has received good feedback from candidates,” Leyva added.
Meanwhile, another Gold Partner, LBC Express, is in need of customer associates, delivery associates, and back support employees, its Recruitment Associate Jerald Valderas said.
“We have nationwide branches, lalo na for the operations, medyo malawak kasi ‘yung pool na gusto naming kunin,” he said.
Addressing job mismatch
Mandaluyong City Public Employment Service Office Manager Emma Javier said that the job fair leg is a venue to further decrease the city’s unemployment rate of seven percent, a figure which she said is a result of her office’s collaboration with various employers.
“This time, hopefully, yung [job] mismatch, mai-address natin. Kasi yun yung nakikita naming problema na siyang talagang nagiging hindrance para ‘yung ibang job seekers natin na [maging] qualified sila sa job offerings ng mga participating employers,” she said, adding that they have invited the academe to participate in solving the problem.
Javier said that her office has been promoting the leg through various promotional materials, and advised job seekers “not to be choosy” in accepting jobs.
Department of Labor and Employment – National Capital Region Field Office Director Maria Corazon Pepito, meanwhile, expressed optimism that the MB job fair leg will help many jobless Filipinos to land a job.
MB Vice President for Classified Advertising Lynne Abanilla, meanwhile, said that thru the “Jobseeker’s Video Profile,” which began its pilot testing, more job seekers would be having an easier time scouting for jobs.
“Definitely, it’s a win-win situation for both employers and [potential] employees. The employers will have a good chance of seeing you, not only as a person, but also on how you communicate, which is important,” she said.
She also urged more people to always read MB’s Classified Ads feature to find out on more job vacancies.
‘Equipping job seekers’
Platinum partner Nestle Bear Brand Adult Plus (BBAP) began dishing out various freebies to job applicants, such as fans, ballpens, and drinks, in spite of offering no job vacancies at the event.
“I think it all boils down to us being more relevant to our consumers for [our brand], it’s the ‘Bagong Inaasahan ng mga Pamilya,’ so I guess being recognized as a partner for these job seekers, it’s really what’s important for the brand,” BBAP Marketing Promotions and Events Specialist Julius Marlon Dela Cruz said.
He assured job seekers that their brand would be their partner not just at the job fair leg, but also in their personal lives.
“It’s really about equipping yourself with the necessary nutrients from the products that we’re marketing, and getting the right and proper nutrition for you to be able to get through the day,” he said.
First ‘hired-on-the-spot’ candidate
Maria Elena Necor, 22, a hospitality management graduate, was the first applicant to get hired-on-the-spot applicant. She was offered on online English teaching yesterday by ENOZ English Philippines.
Necor said that she learned about the job fair from a call center company that informed her of the two-day event.
“Mas maayos ang job fair na ito kaysa sa job fair na napuntahan ko dati,” Necor expressed. “Ang advice ko sa other jobseekers, be yourself, and pray, pray, and pray to God.” (By: MONCH MIKKO E. MISAGAL and JEL E. SANTOS)