What's your job about?
Even though I am currently listed as a Software Engineer at CapGemini, my role is actually quite flexible and interchangeable depending on the needs of the client. As the company is a multinational information technology services and consulting company, offering aid and support to address the entire breadth of business needs which include strategy and design to managing operations, I get deployed to a variety of tasks over the past year that I have been in CapGemini. So currently, I am assigned to an internal project where I serve as a business analyst for a certain project, where my roles include requirement elicitations, product backlog, and bridging between clients, just to name a few.
Coming from a BPO background, I had a steep learning curve transitioning to a totally new industry. However, thanks to the supportive and peaceful work culture and environment, I am able to work with like-minded individuals which allows me to pursue my dream of becoming a project manager. In addition to this, the company offers a lot of benefits and other types of support for certifications and exam preparations, allowing me to become a Certified Google Project Management Professional and a Certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt.
What's your background?
Having grown up in Cavite as the oldest in the family, I was already trained from a young age to be independent. Though I was not necessarily the most academically gifted throughout my high school days, I took advantage of the extracurricular activities offered by my school. From being a football player for my high school, to taking part in clubs that practice mixed martial arts, or even volunteering organizations, these provided a new sense of adventure for me.
Transitioning to college, I was able to join various choirs and bands allowed me to explore things outside of my academics. But towards my fourth year at university, I decided to take a gap year, working for the BPO industry for 2.5 years. Only continuing my education later in 2020 and graduating in September of 2022, I was able to work with people from many different backgrounds, improving my perspective of the world around me.
Could someone with a different background do your job?
For me, yes. Coming from a BPO background and then transitioning to a totally different industry, there is no denying that I experienced a steep learning curve. As my role in the past was more related to configuring internet circuits and doing administrative work, I didn’t have any experience with project management. Therefore, I received rejection after rejection for four straight months, applying to various roles in the industry. However, if you are open to change, and you are resilient enough to face challenges in entering an entirely new industry, I think you will be able to do the job well and excel in the new role that you decided to embark on.
What's the coolest thing about your job?
What I most like about the role that I am in currently is the environment. CapGemini’s culture is pretty much very lively and positive. More importantly, I feel that there is a continuous learning community in the company, where all of us freely share ideas to one another for all of us to improve. Whether it be leading the team, assisting and solving projects, I am able to mingle and work with people who are supportive and encouraging to one another. In addition to this, we are also able to freely learn more about the things we are passionate about, as the company provides us a lot of digital platforms of the skills that we would want to pursue as a career.
What are the limitations of your job?
Because of my career shift, something that I think about when I come back home everyday is the salary that I receive monthly. Given the rising inflation in the country, it has become a point of concern for me, seeing that the value of the money that I am getting from my salary is decreasing on a monthly basis. Though I sort of expected this coming into the role, the financial security that I have right now is definitely something that is on my mind.
3 pieces of advice for yourself when you were a student
Looking back, the three pieces of advice that I would give are to: