Employers’ top pick: PUP grads

THE POLYTECHNIC University of the Philippines (PUP) emerged as the top school of choice among local employers scouting for fresh graduates, according to the latest report by Jobstreet.com Philippines.

Citing the results of the company’s Fresh Graduate Survey, Jobstreet.com Philippines country manager Philip Gioca said the state-run PUP rose five notches to top this year’s survey, edging out the University of the Philippines (UP), which landed in the third spot.

In last year’s survey, UP, the country’s premier state university, was the top choice for employers hiring through Jobstreet.

“Why have employers warmed up to PUP graduates? They have the drive to succeed and are very hardworking. They have reasonable demands and they don’t usually display an attitude of self-entitlement. They also tend to stay longer in a company and they don’t leave at the slightest difficulty,” Gioca said in a press briefing on Tuesday.

The same survey showed that the University of Santo Tomas was the second most preferred school, followed by Ateneo de Manila University which tied with UP for the third spot. The rest of the top 10 are Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, Far Eastern University, De La Salle University, Technological Institute of the Philippines, Mapua Institute of technology, University of the East, and Adamson University.

Gioca explained that based on the survey, which polled about 550 companies in various industries, employers often look at trainability, communication skills, competence, willingness to learn, initiative, honesty and integrity among fresh graduates.

The so-called “deal breakers” for employers included poor communication skills, being overly conscious of the salary, lack of initiative, inflexible or inability to adapt, and overconfidence, Gioca added.

He pointed out that employers, when looking at the resume of fresh graduates, first consider the applicants’ internship, extracurricular activities, part-time jobs, grades, and school—in that order of importance.

“More than a preference for particular colleges and universities, employers prioritize applicants who show willingness to be trained and to learn. Companies need new employees who can easily adapt to their processes and systems, learn their products and services, the dynamics of the industry that they are a part of, and what drives their success,” he said, adding:

“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.”