DEVC
8
July 2021 - November 20
Through the Lens of a Working Student
Trixie Ann C. Bautista
"There will be obstacles. There will be doubters. There will be mistakes. But with hard work, there are no limits." - Michael Phelps, American Swimmer, and the most decorated olympian of all time.
I
n today's time, everyone lives in a state of genuine insecurity. Young or old, adults or children, all encounter novel approaches to overcoming daily obstacles. Students that are working while studying provide a unique lens through which to view the corporate experience. It might be hard for some on a regular set-up. However, contrary to the dull predicament, there were still people who rose from the agony of today's situation and made their lives fruitful in this time of the pandemic. Whether with friends, classes, or jobs, all working students know how complicated things can get. It is a significant concern for students who are also working while pursuing an education. Given the obstacles of working while pursuing education, the featured students of PHINMA - University of Pangasinan manage the weight of academics and the corporate world.
Time as the Ingredient of Management According to the research of Jimbo Antipolo entitled Balancing School and Work Amidst a Pandemic: Working Student's Time Management, there is a shortage of literature on time management. Every working student should examine their time management skills to improve their performance at work and in school. In this research, there are forty-three males and fifty-eight females among the respondents in this survey. Its findings revealed that male working students have slightly more stressful time management than female working students. Any active male students never declare that organized time management. In contrast, some of their female counterparts have stated that they have arranged time management. Angelica O. Sison and Ysa Mae L. Villanueva, female students of PHINMA-University of Pangasinan, emphasized the importance of time management to make the working-student arrangement work. With this information, the mentioned research aligned its facts regarding how female working students manage their time.
Adventurous Advantage Angelica O. Sison works as their family's business manager, and Ysa Mae L. Villanueva works as a crew in a fast-food chain. As these women share their stories, they both believe that the pandemic challenged working students during these trying times. The divided attention was there - attending to video-conference classes, submitting modules, and following their working shifts that might occur in the same event of their lives.
These women never visualize working while studying as a hindrance. It is the opposite as they can control their time due to shifting online sessions from regular face-to-face classes. According to Sison, having the right attitude, mindset, and clear goals in life, the set-up is possible. Including the words of Villanueva, always look for an opportunity for every difficulty in life.
Hidden treasures of the Technological Age The Covid-19 pandemic limits the opportunities of the regular life that existed before and was not the event to be thankful for. People might think that it is a disadvantageous time. Still, with the dependency of the majority on modern technology, it's visibly possible to make the most out of it. Freelancing is a trend in the Philippines. According to the Digital Platform Label in the Philippines: Emerging Configurations and Policy Implications, one and a half (1.5) million Filipino digital platform workers or online freelancers engaged in various project-based services. It ranges from software development and writing to, more commonly, administrative support, virtual assistance, digital marketing, content moderation, data entry, and language instruction for overseas clients. Jiving with the potential success of freelancing, PHINMA Education Career Linkages conducted webinars to help students launch their digital careers. Its previous webinars include Technopreneurship, Acadsoc's Technical Writing Strategies, and Logicbase Search Engine Optimization (SEO). These webinars opened the door of opportunities to students, especially those graduating this academic year. Freelancing is not the safest career but an extension to what the pandemic limits corporate humankind.
Embrace and Empower According to the July 2021 data of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the unemployment rate was 6.9 percent. It was the lowest level when the pandemic began. The country's employment rate rises by 93.1 percent. It was the highest employment rate when the pandemic started. 8.7 million people were estimated to be unemployed, accounting for 20.9 percent of the 41.7 million employed individuals during the period. It has been the highest rate of underemployment since the pandemic. Different variants of viruses are arising worldwide, and there's no guarantee when it will end. Some students are unprivileged enough not to work, and some are eager to earn employment experiences.
I n t h i s modern age, individuals and businesses shift their passage of income through advanced technology. Income opportunities do not limit this generation by only working in offices, food chains, and other business establishments. Freelancing is almost everywhere in different freelancing farms such as Freelancer.com, UpWork, GoLance, and OnlineJobs.ph. However, not all educational institutions like PHINMA provide training and webinars to adapt to employment trends. If people are ready to adapt to the situation right now, when will they see the open doors? When will they learn their advantages in these kinds of circumstances? This is the situation right now. The Filipino people cannot sit down and wait for the local job openings in its nearby places. Options towards potential income and corporate experiences are everywhere. Institutions must implement courses embracing and empowering the e-commerce world. Especially to the working students exposed to the modern media, it would help enlighten them on what they can learn amidst the pandemic.
Photo Sources: Trello
