Job seekers troop to the San Andres Gym in Manila, during the Mega Manila Job fair as unemployment rate this January is 5.7, a slight lower percentage from last year’s 6.5 percent. The government is also concerned about an estimated 1.5 million Filipinos classified as temporary workers in the Middle East likely to lose their jobs if the region’s oil industry starts to shed personnel idled by overcapacity, according to Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz.
INQUIRER/ MARIANNE BERMUDEZ
It’s not the team maroon, blue, green nor yellow. This year’s most preferred university is not one of the “big four.”
The Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) is now the top school most companies prefer to hire fresh graduates from, according to JobStreet Philippines.
Citing findings from the job website’s Fresh Graduate Survey conducted among 550 employer-respondents or companies, 45 percent preferred PUP followed by the University of Santo Tomas (UST) at 31 percent.
University of the Philippines (UP), which was the top choice in 2014 report, and Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) placed third at 29 percent.
The “big four” refers to UP, ADMU, DLSU and UST.
READ: 1.2M grads may not find jobs due to mismatch between skills needed, training — TUCP
The report stated that respondent-employers noted that PUP graduates “possess the most traits many companies look for in applicants.”
“PUP graduates, in general, are very hard-working, often going the extra mile in their job,” the report said.
“Companies also liked the school’s graduates’ genuine eagerness to learn and drive in uplifting their life, which in turn drives them to work harder.”
The same survey also found out that six out of 10 companies consider the school where applicants have graduated from before hiring.
But JobStreet says most companies are willing to hire fresh graduates who are not from their preferred if they possess based on the skills they are looking for.
“Most importantly, they want candidates who have the right attitude on being trained. Primadonnas and newbies who think they don’t need training won’t get hired. Where a fresh graduate got his or her diploma won’t matter as much as his or her eagerness to learn and showing the ability to absorb concepts and apply them in the office setting,” Philip Gioca, JobStreet country manager, said. TVJ