Echo Binary

It fascinates me that after a seemingly losing battle with the panels of our thesis and our beloved school research coordinator, our thesis turn out to be really successful. Except that it has only gone through private alpha testing. I don’t know if my groupmates are willing to pursue the commercial implementation of our web application. I have a business contact who shared insights about the possibility of creating a fork application using our base code. I’m still considering if that really is viable here in the Philippines. I’m not even sure if our school would shell out money to BUY our software. Now, that’s a different story all together.

Right now, my future lies ahead of me. I have the potential to create a bright future but I’m still waiting for the best job offer. I can opt to start a new business but I think that the talent I have invested in IT may go to waste if I do not gain industry experience for at least 3 years. What I have learned in business so far, especially in IT, is that there are many companies out there that could eat you alive. In IT business, it’s hard to stay afloat. What more if you come from the bottom and just starting to climb up? It’s too risky.

I decided to gain more experience from the expert. I do not want to learn the hard way. It’s just impractical. I’ll do it slowly but surely. This is the same reason why I do not hastily accept any job offer. I want the best possible option I can get and grow my career in one company steadily. I do not want to shift from one job to another endlessly. My father worked in one of the largest consumer goods company in the Philippines. He stayed there more than 15 years and as a result, his salary ballooned that it could even surpass the salary of an average senior manager in a medium-size company. Sadly, he had to retire early because of complicated matters in the executive management.

After analyzing the problem my father had during his working days, I decided that the best possible option is to be a manager so that I am not easily affected by the management. I want to be the one making decisions, not the one taking orders. Well, of course I have to start somewhere at the bottom to climb the corporate ladder. (I think it’s almost a prerequisite anyway)

I also thought that being a freelance consultant is wiser than being a manager because even if you jump from one company to another, you can bid your price (high price that is)… Because the company badly needs your expertise. Being a consultant can really take a long time though. It takes years to be one but the pay is really rewarding as far as I have observed.

I have also considered being a professor or trainer (whatever) but I have learned that having industry experience is priceless. Yes, teaching can be fun and it’s a very reputable job. However, putting into another perspective, an industry practitioner can be trained to become a teacher through workshops and seminars; a teacher cannot be easily trained to become a practitioner, IMHO. Given that a UNIX professor has 3 years experience versus a UNIX administrator with 2 years experience and knowledge in system implementations; both are certified. If I am a recruiter for Project Manager Trainee position, I would choose the UNIX admin without a doubt even though both are certified professionals. Think about it…

To be fair enough, some professors I know had part-times in their respective industries. Some had shifted from IT to full-time teaching. It really depends on personal preference. Business management professors in DLSU have to take doctorate degree before they can be full-time professors, my girlfriend told me. I guess the hard work really pays off if one pursues the career he desires.

Call centers tried to fish me countless times. They would offer me job position such as technical support representative (TSR) but I did not take it. I have even gone far to passing an exam but not appearing in the final interview — not entirely my fault because I had tonsillitis and fever. I thought I would take the offer but I declined with an alibi. Actually, the main reason is because I wanted to start my career on the right track. I think I would consider a TSR offer if I really do not have any other option. It’s just me. It does not jibe in the career path I like to take.

Ok, enough already. I guess I already made my point clearly. To all the fresh grads out there, especially in the technical field, I hope you already have a preview of the industry you want to build your career on. It’s a long way to go and it’s more challenging.

Good luck to all of us!