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THE Rotary Club of Mandaluyong North recently conducted a career
orientation program for some 900 senior students at Neptali Gonzales
High School.
President Roddy Peñalosa gave a talk on how to
get into the college or university of their choice. Past Presidents
Jack Sia, Bert Lomibao Cesar Regala, President-Elect Jong Viña and
Past President Rick Santos’ spouse Vilma facilitated the breakout
sessions. I was lead facilitator and resource person.
Instead of the usual professionals talking about
their profession and schools selling their various programs, what we
did was to get into the very core of the students and made them
respond to pointed questions of what they want to be, their favorite
skills, the types of people they want to mingle with, the career
environment and geographic location they will be comfortable and
productively living and working in, their support system, and others
related to their dreams and the future they want for
themselves.
After the session, the students said they gained
valuable self knowledge.
Not surprisingly, only one student want to be a
priest, a big number want to go into showbiz and related artistic
endeavors, a lot want to be employed in popular organizations, and a
dismal number want to be entrepreneurs.
Almost all want to work abroad.
What are we teaching our young Filipinos to
prepare them for the future?
I am not only referring to the classroom
environment, remember that we learn from all around us, e.g.
parents, siblings, relatives, TV and other mass media, books, and
community, government, business and church leaders and many others.
I remember when I was in high school and college
that the emphasis was on getting employed right out of school. My
mom is an entrepreneur, but she also encouraged me to join the
working multitude. In fact she got me employed in government for
security of tenure it offers and was devastated when I resigned.
I’ve witnessed many career orientations
conducted by civic and professional organizations and the emphasis
is on getting a job in perceived prestigious organizations.
Nobody talks about being an entrepreneur.
And so, during times of plenty, robust economy,
uncertain economy, economic layoffs and downsizing, double-digit
inflation, the concern is level of employment or unemployment.
Government is concerned about whether people have jobs or none. Very
small enterprises such as the itinerant vendors of mani, prutas,
gulay, mais, and others are generally ignored. These are non-jobs
and non-business. No incentives for them. No assistance.
They are even at the mercy of policemen and MMDA
personnel. Their net income generally exempts them from paying
taxes.Many times, this business is passed on to the next generation.
What should we do?
It is not a matter of teaching our youth the
skills of entrepreneurship.
The important thing, for parents and teachers
especially, is to mould their personality into an enterprising one.
Bill Wagner, author of The Entrepreneur Next
Door, and his research at Accord Management Systems surveyed members
of the Young Entrepreneurs Organization (USA) under the age of 40
and a net worth of $3.4 million.
Their findings showed that these successful
entrepreneurs have very strong entrepreneurial personalities, and
more importantly, they are enjoying opportunities that were very
well suited to who they are.
Mr. Wagner says, “Simply put, we’re able to
measure one’s personality and predict success for a given role.
The world’s best bookkeeper has a great bookkeeper personality, a
great salesperson has a great salesperson’s personality, and a
successful entrepreneur has a great entrepreneur’s personality.
But the bookkeeper will rarely become a great financial controller
or a CFO.
“It is personality that has the greatest
impact on our behavior and our choices. In fact, the entrepreneurs
we studied, more than 80 percent have very similar personality
traits. To experience the greatest level of success and
fulfillment, entrepreneurs should choose business ventures that are
in sync with their true personality. Those who choose well
tend to prosper. Those who don’t find a fit for their
personalities make great material for TV dramas and sitcoms.”
Next column, we’ll detail this entrepreneurial
personality. Or you can read in advance and buy the book by
McGraw-Hill Publishing.
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innovationcamp@yahoo.com;
www.learningandinnovation.com
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