FOR A graduating student who is tired of the MassCOMM-portable denigration, last Saturday's affair dubbed as "Career Insights: PR and Digital Media Jobs for Communication Graduates" has given many reasons why one should love Communication. As my senior year comes at its dawn, these talks turn to be relevant and necessary as soon, I may venture my career path. And to have seven people who come from the same place from where I am now and now thrive on the road they have chosen is inexplicable.

     So, out of all the things you could take from that day's affair, I've rounded up five essential advice that I took from the discussions of the seven speakers.   

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"YOU have an EDGE." - Nicolai V. Reyes, PR Professional

In the corporate realm, we are shattered about the "limited" possibilites of finding jobs related to the course, kesyo GMA, ABS, sa radyo lang yan, mahihirapan pang makapasok yan ... But through it all, the seven Communication graduates proved that the course is one of the most flexible courses that one could ever take. It may not be as bloody as pre-med courses or as analytical as Engineering courses, but Communication is nothing to be belittled.

"Past is not just past." - Cherry Ann Mungcal, Senior Digital & Creative Executive

Every single thing that we have learned, every experiences that taught us something, every person we have met correspond to us becoming a wiser, braver, and better individual. So it is not fitting to just leave them behind a treasure chest. We must always be reminded by the essence of these past possessions to keep us moving further on our career. As long as we do not dwell on them, the past will be like a friend a long the way; teaching you the necessities of how to succeed.

"Complacency is your greatest enemy." - Michael Tiotuico, Content & Marketing Specialist  

It is great pride to achieve something from your hard work but we should not stop learning. The world is an oyster where we can explore things and with the ease of knowledge brought by the Internet, learning becomes limitless. We should not rest alone on what we know now; we should continue expanding our thoughts and insights from what we read, what we do, or whom we meet. 

"Don't be afraid to fail and to embrace new things." - Jeremy Cortez, Senior Training Specialist 

You may find a great job that is not your expertise or not in your line of interest, but what is learning for? Through the advent of modern technology, people can acquire skills via massive open online courses (MOOCs) or researches. Indeed, there can never be any excuse to not know something. Sometimes, it's difficult to master something new but as articulated by Lucius Annaeus Senaca, "it is a rough road that leads to the heights of greatness". From then on, fake it 'til you become it.  

"Always be a better version of yourself." - Jeremy Cortez, Senior Training Specialist 

Nobody wants to be labeled as "mediocre," so you need to overcome your fears and insecurities so as you can offer your best foot forward. It's not about toppling other people or getting awards for your work, but it's about taking down your sole competition, yourself. 

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The premise of the event repainted my thoughts about the course; I should be more proud and unashamed of it. More so, the passion of these seven graduates to uplift the course transpired as their talks went by. Maybe all was asked of them was to give a brief career talk, maybe they would've stick on that, but they had done more; they inspired and enlightened us that Communication students were never MassCommportable but MassCommpetitive. It was a true sign of a Comm-blooded individual. I was beyond grateful that the event had happened and met these amazingly successful people. It got me thinking, "Could I be next?"

Aspire. Arise. Achieve.

Whenever someone speaks or talks in front, sharing about his life and profession, especially during Career Insights Seminar. 

Questions are popping up in your mind. What if I’m not good as him? What If I’m not as efficient, as intelligent as the speaker is? Can I still make it?

See, you got so many queries, but you didn’t even have the guts to ask coz’ it just might expose your weaknesses and fears in the midst of a good number of people.

As a communication student, there are many things you need to do, many opportunities to grab and many chances to grasp. You can be in Film, TV, Radio, Newspaper, Advertising, PR and Digital Media.

So many choices and you don’t know which one to take.

Some medium have turned obsolete, but more arises and becomes relevant.

But what really are Communication Student/ Graduate for? What do you really have to do? Is there any definite path to take, to be able to say you succeed?

Wherever you go, whatever you do, communication is not just meant to be done in front of the camera, written in scripts or more so, but as long as you speak your mind and share your insights that already measures your ability as a Communication student.             

But in reality, speaking in front of the class, sharing your thoughts is on the list of your greatest fear as a student and also to some Comm. student. But why, something that should have been natural for an AB Comm has turned out to be one that brings inhibitions and apprehensions. 

Realizing that you’ve spent 4 years in College and you still think you can’t do it, and it is all because you are afraid to fail. You don’t want the feeling of getting criticized or judged because you think that they are better than you and you will never be good enough to accomplish what they’ve done. 

But in reality, you’ve never even tried to do what they do because of that killer fear and insecurity.

If you never try, you’ll never know if you can, or if you are even meant to be in that field. Trying will help you know where to go, and failing is part of trying. 

But your failures while you are on your way to success are not the things that will be recognized, it is still in the end and where you are going to stand will measure your success. 

                                         o-o-o ANN MALIT o-o-o