Author: James Ortiz
Having one job drains a lot from a person in a day... Imagine having two jobs, one as a supervisor and one as an OJT/Intern.
A week before I got the job as an HR Assistant in a call center company for my OJT, I started working for our family business for the reason that the person-in-charge of almost all the central functions of the business resigned. No one in the family forced me to take the position yet I volunteered myself because I believe so much as to what my mother was doing. The one I replaced was the only person who knew and was in-charge of everything.... and I mean EVERYTHING, from production up to the follow through of the business platform. Because our business is based on IT (Information Technology or some call in Information Systems), I was facing something which I had no knowledge of. As an undergraduate of BSBA-Human Resource Management, my knowledge was limited to psychology and business management(No, IT their except knowledge of the MSOFFICE). In addition to the situation, I was to teach 2 of our employees who both don't have a knowledge of computers(just great!). I had to squeeze in all the knowledge that the resigning person-in-charge has mastered for years and to add to the pressure I had to finish 400 hours of my OJT for this semester in order to graduate. Furthermore, my OJT as an HR assistant was not an easy job, I had to conduct testing to new applicants and document everything which we submit as a report to our respective supervisors in the company. My daily schedule was to wake up 7AM in the morning to go to my OJT work and go home at around 8pm to work for our company which sometimes end at around 2am. I cannot count the sleepless days I had yet I didn't write this blog to emote about the hardships I am undertaking now. I wrote to share with you what I learned through this experience.
We shouldn't underestimate the potential of what employees with no college or even high school background. I witness it myself as I was teaching the 2 employees with regards to how to operate the whole IT system. Can you believe that it only took me a week or two to teach them everything to the point that they are the ones teaching our other employees how to operate and use the computer. Amazing, I always would whisper to myself but not because I'm a good teacher, rather I am astonished as to how they perform even though they were not graduates of computer degree programs and as to how they absorb knowledge even though everything was done in a short period of time. Actually now, I am only giving them minimal supervision when they are performing their work. The only difference I saw between myself working in my OJT and them working in my family's company is that they lack confidence. Confidence in a sense that they are afraid of deciding for themselves maybe because they have not yet mastered the whole thing. I still do get frequent queries regarding simple decisions they should be doing on their own yet they are afraid to do so. Overall, I would still compliment their job well done and their perseverance to practice their critical thinking to the point that they were already the ones giving me ideas on how to innovate some of the operations in the system. Unbelievable!
As for being an OJT, I began to understand the side of rank and file versus management. I encountered times wherein I was blamed even though I followed what my supervisors told me to do. I usually call it "power trip" because management sees that its leaders failure are due to uncooperative members. Also, I have a lesser say compared to supervisors who sometimes don't admit their faults and sometimes feel offended when there knowledge is being tested. Everything I absorb in my OJT, I apply to my employees. One way of doing so was actually interacting with them through open forums regarding what difficulties or problems they encountered with management especially in situations wherein their voices are not heard. I make it a point to forward their complaints to the people concerned and somewhat provide them protection with what they were told to do from what they were supposed to do.
When I compare the way I work in my OJT and the way they work in our family's company, I sometimes wonder, maybe I am not doing much of what I am expected to do. Maybe I should be challenging myself more to furthermore improve the things I can contribute.Labels: applying, learning, ojt, rank and file vs supervisor
Posted Tuesday, June 22, 2010 at 8:56 PM | | Click here to add a comment | 
Author: James Ortiz
There are a lot of things I learned in life this past few years. I can say that what I learned is something not read in books nor learned in school but simply based on experience and in observing how life treats us. Come to think of it, the basic element of being successful in business is the art of "giving" or the so-called customer service. In order to be rich, you need to give more to receive more.
I read in the book "Secret of the Ages" that in order to be wealthy, you must provide others service which exceeds their expectations, the so-called "extra mile." For employees, giving more of what you can do for the company without considering factors such as pay for gauging the level of service that you will give to them. I envy my mom when she tells me that when your enjoying what your doing, the money will follow because honestly when I work, I always make sure that I have something to gain than something to loose. If you root your dreams with primarily thinking of the money you'll make then you'll just be waiting for the dead end rather than looking at what you want to do and enjoy doing it. That's why now, instead of computing the income, try figuring out what tickles your fancy.
The irony of life is that when you "give" more you receive more. In line with the previous statement, when one gives, he/she should not expect anything in return. God has his way of rewarding the generous especially the ones who does not expect anything in return. Let me share with you a story, when the business was still booming, my mom was very generous with the people around her, especially her relatives and the priests would knock on her door. When someone needs money, she has a light hand of giving without saying anything bad. When we were affected by the financial crunch recently, we encountered a lot of problems both emotionally and financially but my mom never told us that if she has extra cash, she would give to the ones who are in need. During the "storm," we headed through rough patches especially during times of pulling out cash in our pockets. It came to a point that we have nothing else to go to. But during these tough times, we didn't expect that the one's my mom help before were now the ones helping us survive the storm. It was a humbling experience to ask for help from them. Sometimes, when you head through huge waves, you just have to go with the flow and surrender yourself to God and like the birds in the air, he will provide you with what you need.
Lastly, in order to expect something more from what you are doing, you need to appreciate the simple things in life. From your first pay check to your first promotion, be thankful for what you have because the more you are happy with the small blessing you encounter the more God will provide you with bigger things.
Live with this formula in mind:
* Dream + Serve others + God + Giving + Transcendence
= SUCCESS
Posted Friday, June 11, 2010 at 8:19 PM | | Click here to add a comment |
Author: Marvin James
Organizations nowadays, particularly the established ones are always the first to exhibit the symptoms of organizational myopia. This phenomenon does not originate from human error as many would see it, but it stems from the complacency and arrogance of human nature along with its inflated ego. Myopia is the condition wherein the individual lacks foresight, he therefore is unable to discern the auspicious from the precipice that bears no fruit but a steep downfall.
Whenever a summit has been reached, some just drop the ball and stop progressing, hoping that the toil from their prior achievement would suffice the demand of human consumerism. But unfortunately, it almost never does, or at least just for a brief period of time until somebody with conviction concocts a totally innovative prototype that surpasses your product offering. This is one of those moments that catapults a person to stardom and send companies to the morgue.
The proverbial lesson is to always keep the eye on the ball and remember that the primary reason firms survive is because of the consumers and the rigorous efforts of satisfying their insatiable appetite for a better life.
The best businessman, regardless of annual earnings and net worth, is a person who is able to meet the specifications of the consumers since the philosophy of mass production has become such a trite. Its as common as political campaigns during the election month, and it renders the industry very unattractive to penetrate.
Posted Saturday, May 1, 2010 at 9:31 PM | | Click here to add a comment |
Author: James Ortiz
We all know callus as the thickening the skin in response to repeated friction and pressure. Guitarists develop calluses on their fingertips, bowlers on their thumb as well as their middle and ring fingers. Even children playing on the monkey bars develop calluses just above the palms of their hands. But come to think of it, it is our bodies way of protecting itself from further harm.
In life, we develop our inner calluses when we conquer our bad experience. We become more stronger, more mature and definitely wiser. No one is doomed to fail and never stand up from it. Consider the likes of Donald Trump, he did fail and worse everybody knew about it, yet you never did see him weep rather the next day you saw picking up his pace and creating his new business. Another good example is Henry Ford. He was an illiterate at his time yet look at the break through he made in the automotive industry. When forwarded with a yet similar situation with a previous bad experience, let your callus be your proof that you can handle it.
Another callus in our life is when we continue to learn knowledge. Knowledge is endless and boundless. It continues to innovate and to reproduce itself. People who are the so-called "know-it-all" are usually the ones who are victims of their own premonitions. These are the ones who would always be full of themselves rather than seeing opportunities of new learning to uncover. Like callus, when we stop learning our brain begins to decrease its power, it slims down in its initial state. Always remember that as you continue to learn new knowledge your callus thickens which would serve as your protection from problems.
Posted Wednesday, April 21, 2010 at 9:03 PM | | Click here to add a comment |
Author: Marc Alvin Tan
Today, almost everyone keeps a Facebook account to stay connected with families and friends, but did you know that what you post on Facebook could make the difference between getting hired and missing out on an opportunity?
Here are 6 Facebook mistakes that job applicants/employees should avoid:
1. Inappropriate Pictures
It may affect the image you want to portray in your professional life, it is wise to keep your drunk pictures private
2. Complaining About Your Current Job
It may seem like an innocent statement, but it could not sit well with a potential employer
3. Posting Conflicting Information to Your Resume
Your credibility is at stake whenever you post anything on Facebook, so if your potential employer sees that there's a mismatch between your resume and the info on your profile it would make you seem like a liar.
4. Statuses You Wouldn't Want Your Boss to See
Statuses that imply you are unreliable, deceitful, and basically anything that doesn't make you look as professional as you'd like, can seriously undermine your chances at landing that new job.
5. Not Understanding Your Security Settings
Even if you aren't going to use Facebook professionally, make sure to go through your privacy options. At least, make your profile unavailable to people who are not your friend.
6. Losing by Association
We get to be judged by the company we keep, so inappropriate wall posts, tagged pictures could be detrimental to our chances of getting hired from a potential employer's vantage point.
Facebook Can Make or Break You
While a Facebook account is not necessarily a bad thing and in fact could benefit you professionally, just make sure it doesn't contain information and pictures that you wouldn't be proud of, so as not to send the wrong impression to potential employers.
Source: 6 Career-Killing Facebook Mistakes
Posted Sunday, April 11, 2010 at 11:47 PM | | Click here to add a comment |
Author: Marc Alvin Tan
The Complaints of a PENIS:
I, the penis, hereby request salary raise for the following reasons:
1) I do physical labour
2) I work at great depths
3) I plunge headfirst in everything I do
4) I work in a damp environment
5) I don't get dayoff even on weekends and holidays
6) I'm always exposed to contagious diseases
The response after a thorough deliberation, the management rejects your requests on the following grounds:
1) You do not work 8 hours straight
2) You always fall asleep after strenuous work
3) You don't stay in your designated work area
4) You always need to be pressured and stimulated for you to work
5) You always leave your work rather very messy
6) And lastly, you have been found to constantly entering and exiting the work area carrying 2 suspicious-looking bags!
Posted Tuesday, April 6, 2010 at 8:58 AM | | Click here to add a comment |
Author: Marvin James
After almost two months of inactivity, I finally mustered enough effort to finish my third blog entry.
Its amusing how some people with exceptional talents or at least skill sets that exceed the expectations of the norms are predisposed to feel inadequate, especially during at times where those talents are crucial for success. After watching the film Pool hall junkies starring Mars Callahan as the prodigiously gifted but notorious pool hustler Johnny Doyle, I began empathizing with the main character, reminiscing about the times of doubt in my past where I choked and failed to deliver what was expected of me. I realized that people who think highly of themselves in terms of their capabilities are more prone to choking whenever they are faced with apprehensions that tests their skill under immense pressure than of those people who think ordinarily of themselves since failure would only give them a realization of the difficulty of the task at hand and a learning experience, as opposed to a person who thinks highly of his skills and can execute the task but was unable to do so because of the pressure associated with the expectation of people, particularly of those who they revere.
The film begins as the young Johnny playing a friendly match of pool with a local hustler named Rex as they chat about the old days where hustlers rule the land or in this case the pool halls, and the pros were nowhere to be found. Johnny expressed his aspirations of becoming a professional someday, and more than that he just wanted to be the best. Fate, however, had different plans for the gifted youngster since his backer/mentor/father figure Joe would not allow Johnny to leave his sights to become a pro because he fears that he would astray from him the moment he sits on the lap of luxury that professional pool can bring. Being a selfish person that Joe is, he entraps Johnny within his clasp and indoctrinated unto him a mentality of inferiority despite his obvious talent. Fifteen years have passed, and Johnny now all grown up, is the most renowned hustler in Southern California. Assimilating Joe's principles of street smart and guile, he was controlled under a string where the potential to make money by insidiously trapping less skilled players to play against him was the priority and not the maximization of his true abilities. After discovering the truth about how Joe secretly concealed tournament invitation letters for a chance to become a pro, Johnny becomes infuriated and he deliberately dogged a shot in order to lose the game, while Joe as his backer, suffers the consequences of a beat down because of his inability to pay for the bet. This was Johnny's revenge, and a chance to start a new life away from pool since he felt it did not do him any good. After only a few weeks, Johnny was missing the game, he immediately accepts a friendly game as he quits his job at the construction site. He discovers that he loves pool so much and that he can never escape it. But it doesn't end yet as Joe returns to exact his revenge at Johnny by getting his brother imprisoned after losing to his new protege who is very skilled. In the final part of the film, an all-out battle of nine-ball pool ensues between Johnny and Joe's protege and the stake is at its highest. Johnny knows that this is the most important game of his life not only because of the money involved enough to bail his brother out of prison but because for the first time in his life, his real ability will be tested.
As future HR professionals, it is inevitable that we feel inadequate when faced by situations where there is a lot on the line and we either make or break it. What we have to learn from this and what is most important is to always keep ourselves, regroup our composure because the moment we lose ourselves is also the moment we lose everything. We must treat our failures as stepping stones for success because it is an opportunity to grow wiser and careful of future undertakings.
Posted Tuesday, March 30, 2010 at 2:32 AM | | Click here to add a comment |
