Entering the Faber Hall with my friends and other colleagues from JGSOM, as well as seeing quite a number of people dressed up in their I-wish-I-had corporate clothes, gave me this familiar chill. I know I was in the right venue¬―I was certain that it was the Marketing Talk I’ve decided to attend to. What I was not sure of with myself is this: am I really for this? Am I really for Marketing?
Ever since the start of my junior year, I’ve always been trying to imagine my life after college. I’ve always been trying so hard to figure out what career, what path, should I go for right after studying. Yes, being a Management Engineering student (and of course, knowing myself and the values I carry as a student) somewhat gives me this assurance of a good job, or perhaps the idea of getting a job at the very least, right after graduation. I very much know that these faces―the people whom I considered my colleagues and friends from this course―are the same people whom I have to contend with to get a job. And to tell you, these people are a bunch of amazing people: very unique, very maabilidad and matalino in their own ways. Of course, I wanted to stand out. Why? Well, I have selfless parents to help out, I have a younger sibling to take care of, I have a persevering self waiting to be rewarded with something wonderful, say a great and happy life.
And so, I’m planning to take a minor degree, to pursue something beyond my M.E. curriculum, that will help me stand out among others, and will let me enjoy the beauty of life as it is. But the thing is, even until now―the stage where almost everyone’s too busy planning their own lives already―I still can’t make up my mind, I still haven’t exactly figured out what I want to do with my life. I personally have two choices in my heart: (1) Finance, and (2) yes, the dreaded, Marketing. I can say I like them both. I just have to figure out which one suits me the best.
Whenever I attend career talks of several companies, I always find myself highly interested with occupations, with jobs, in line with Marketing. These type of jobs are always the first one to catch my attention. However, I have this great fear―I fear that I won’t be able to succeed in this fast-paced world. As our speaker―the kalog yet amazing Miss Matec Villanueva―puts it, “Marketing is war”. And in this battle, we have to prepare ourselves to fight all the time. Why? Because marketing is indeed a competition―you are always in a fight to win the consumers’ heart. She even said, “If competition doesn’t thrill you, then probably you do not fit here.” Dammit, I thought. I’m not sure if competition thrills me the way it thrills her. I respond to competition as best as I could, but to say competition is what makes me most excited, I’m not so sure. I am the type of person who avoids pressure as much as possible. I know I’m not being realistic, and I’m pretty much aware that the outside world is harsh: it’s full of pressure, it’s full of tension. And listening to this part of Ms. Matec’s talk makes me add another point in my fear list.
She even goes on with her long list of what-makes-a-good-marketer: good analysis skills, strong intuitive sense, good sense of organization, decisive, flexible, open, et cetera. I know I have most of them, but I find myself always questioning my abilities―”ay, di ko kaya ‘yan”, perhaps “ay, marami namang mas magaling sakin eh”. I know the problem is with me. And Ms. Matec’s statement that struck me the most is this: “Don’t be afraid to make mistakes in life once you’re out there. Just make sure you don’t make the same mistake twice.”
I figured out there’s no point in worrying myself with this “uncertain future” I used to think of. Besides, nothing in life is a sure thing; not everything will go as planned. But it never hurts to try. As Ms. Matec puts it, “If you never try, you will never learn....Don’t plan it, don’t dream for it. Just embrace it; keep doing the things you really enjoy doing.”
I went out the conference room, still without a hard and fast solution to my dilemma. But I’ve got to say, at least my heart’s now at peace.
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Reflection Paper for Marketing 101 Class!
Awesome speaker, Miss Matec Villanueva! The best!
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