I WANT THIS GUY!

The year is 1984, and the MFI scholars of Batch 1 and 2 are assembled in the Meralco Theatre to listen to Dr. Paul Chang, then MFI Executive Director. He said something then I’ll never forget for the rest of our lives:

“Don’t let money be the motivation for anything you do.  If you let yourself do that, you will end up chasing after the wrong things your whole life. Instead, do the very best you can and love what you do.  Money and everything else will follow after that.”

I took that advice to my heart, and 30+ years later, it still rings in my ears. I’ve also proven the truth of that advice over and over again.

When we graduated from MFI in 1987, we were only the 2^nd batch of graduates, and no one knew what MFI was all about. For the majority of employers out there, we were just a technical school.

I learned about this first-hand when I applied for my first real job. Philips was looking for 12 apprentice engineers to go through a 6-month apprenticeship program and then be assigned to any technical divisions.

I applied even though, on paper, I was grossly underqualified. The ad said they needed Engineering graduates, which I was not. But I had nothing to lose, except my time and bus fare, so I applied anyway.

We went thru a half-day written exam where almost half of the applicants were eliminated in the afternoon. We were taken one by one for a verbal interview and practical exam. I remember the proctor asking me to take a multi-meter and measure a resistor and diode’s rating. We had been doing this in my Electronics class for the last two years, so I thought nothing about it. Little did I know that the majority of Engineering applicants had no idea how to measure a resistor. The last test was using an oscilloscope, which I did in 60 seconds without batting an eyelash.

The manager interviewing me gave me a note, stapled it, and instructed me to go to the HR department and hand them the note. On my way there, I peeked into the stapled note and in bold letters was written: “I WANT THIS GUY!”

So there I was, 19 years old, with 11 other Engineering graduates who also passed the screening with me. Everyone else was at least three years older than me and graduated from either UP, Mapua, or La Salle. And there I was from a little-known school called Meralco Foundation. “Did you study getting electric meter readings?” was the common joke.

Six months later, we were all ranked, and I ended up getting ranked number 1 among a group of 11 other engineers. From that moment on, I decided never to underestimate myself and just give my best.  I also decided never to be intimidated by paper credentials and degrees. Those are good if you can take them, but they’ll only take you to the door. Work ethic and a good attitude, plus good common sense and a high EQ, is what brings you up the ladder.

I’ve moved on since then, working in government for four years and finally deciding to settle in on the private sector. I worked for some of the biggest corporations in the world (Intel, Dell, Siemens), traveled to different countries (US, Germany, HK, India, Australia), and moved up from rank and file to executive management positions. To this day, I still haven’t gotten my Bachelor’s degree, but that never stopped me from applying and getting into these companies and positions.

I wanted to share this with everyone, not to boast, but to inspire you to believe in yourself. Life isn’t always easy, and it’s rarely fair. I’ve had my share of rejections, failures, and hard knocks. The last 30+ years of my career weren’t easy, and I was always discriminated against for my lack of credentials. But if companies close their door on you, remember, maybe they don’t deserve you. Move on to the next.

Take risks. Some risks paid off for me, and others made me fall flat on my face. That’s ok, at least I’ll never die wondering, “what if?”

I’m now working in the US as a Systems Administrator, having spent most of my career in the IT industry. A lot of people have told me along the way that I’d never go past being a technician. Well, after earning my MCSE’s, CCNA, and a host of IT certifications, I had the privilege of managing some of these folks. I gained these mostly thru self-study and practical experience. I also volunteered to do more than what my job description contained so I could earn my way outside of my current ranks.

Never look down on yourself, and never let others do the same. Grab your vision by the horns, put in the hard work, discipline yourself to learn, and the world is yours.

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