FEATI News

The ABC’s of Personality Development: A Participant’s View

Ms. Rachel Limjoco and Mr. Gus Agustin of One World Connection, a BPO company, were invited by the FEATI University Information Technology Department to facilitate a seminar on Personality Development for FEATInians, January 7, at Rm. B3409.

The speakers focused on four core elements of Personality Development, namely confidence building, preparation of a good resume, acing an interview, and managing stress.

To build and maintain their confidence, we, the attendees, were taught how to maintain composure and how to speak in global English language vis-à-vis “Filipinized” English. Ms. Limjoco and Mr. Agustin advised the students that since confidence is something that cannot be faked, a lot of practice, as well as, more importantly, knowing (and therefore planning) exactly what you are saying, are crucial factors in developing confidence.

The speakers then expounded on what a resume should and should not look like. They stressed that it should never contain pictures or personal information except for name and demographics. Furthermore, participants in the seminar were informed that a good resume should be type-written and filed in a computer, and that it should be properly formatted with margins. The attendees also imbibed the idea that “a good resume must be like a bikini: short enough to be attractive, but broad enough to cover vital parts”.

On acing an interview, Mr. Agustin emphasized the avoidance of mannerisms, as well as, the importance of doing research on the company one is applying to.  Ms. Limjoco pointed out the importance of eye contact and of being and looking pleasant for the interviewer. Moreover, both speakers gave the attendees important tips on what to wear for an interview.

Managing stress is a tough concept to understand as well as a tough skill to acquire. Hence the speakers started with the concept of the circle of influence, wherein controllable and uncontrollable factors are present and the attendees were advised to take advantage of, and to maximize the positive effects of the controllable factors. The “10-90” concept was also introduced, in which only ten percent is the actual effect of “bad” things that happens to an individual and the remaining ninety percent is the result of what an individual does, or how he/she responds to such nuisance. The attendees also learned the ABC of managing stress namely: “Accept”, “Be proactive” and “Convert to learning experience”.

Finally, it was the speakers’ turn to ask questions of the attendees, thus allowing them to share their ideas.  This activity served as a review and wrapping-up of the seminar.