Game Changer

Internships are no less than a fad in many academic programs. They help hone students on becoming professionals by giving them real work-training. Other than that, bachelors share their fun stories with everyone else in school – that makes on-job training complete their collegiate life.

In the University of the Philippines Diliman, if my assumption serves right, only a few colleges require internship (OJT, practicum, whatever you want to call it) in the last summer term.  My department, the Electrical and Electronics Engineering Institute, among others, doesn’t oblige us to apply in companies; rather, it offers students a privilege to apply for in-school research-oriented laboratories of different EE/ECE/CoE specializations. Laboratory affiliation is the equivalent of off-school internship.

Obscure it may be, but I find off-school work more exciting and conducive to training. That made me decide to change the usual academic game – I applied in some of the country’s giant firms.

San Miguel Corporation – Telecommunications Company

This is not SMC’s wi-Tribe broadband. It’s a start-up company that San Miguel works on that will compete against Globe, Smart, and Sun Cellular. This TelCo changes the mobile service arena with unique offerings that are yet confidential.

For two months, I worked there with two co-interns from Mapua and UST in the technical team and six others from Ateneo, La Salle-Benilde, and UA&P in the marketing team. I was not Mr. Congeniality that’s why, initially, I had difficulty in adjusting with my newly-found friends and with the corporate environment. But in the long run, I became adept.

To cut the story short, I met bosses whose salaries are worth a fortune, yet they are down to earth and approachable when I ask questions and pieces of advice. I experienced a no-joke eight-hour work for 40 days. Most importantly, I was drastically inspired to aim for the sky. Quite disappointing however, I learned that only 10% of what I learned in school was applied in the industry.

Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT)

I’ve just finished my training in PLDT, and there are lots of stories to tell. In a nutshell, I experienced what a field engineer does in a fiber and IP-based (Internet Protocol) telephone switching. I saw how different calls are routed in the company’s network room to the extent that I had to chance to listen to real anonymous telephone conversation. Also, I had the chance to install and repair fiber optic cables in different provinces.

Together with my cousin, I was trained enough on how to deal with next generation networks currently deployed by PLDT.

Game

To sum it all up, I had a blast. These internships made my academic self complete. What professors teach is not enough. Even if my institute houses laboratories, the practical and professional experiences are still learned and developed outside. This post may not narrate everything I’ve gone through for almost three months, but I can assure everybody that the involvement laid the demise to my hunger of change: one thing that’d set me apart from UP EEE students. Now I continue one more year – GAME!