Busy Streets

When you go through the employment ads in the newspaper, you will usually see that companies will require that applicants be graduates of a “reputable school.” What is a reputable school? In the Philippine setting, this will usually mean graduates of Ateneo, La Salle, U.P., and UST.

For graduates of these schools, there is usually an “advantage” at the start when it comes to job hunting. It may be easier for you to get interviewed or even employed by the company. Once in, though, “it is really every man for himself” and by this time, it is really the effort that one puts in that determines his or her success rather than his or her alma mater.

When I first started working, I also had a bias for these schools. Then, as I aged and had more work experience, I met people who came from “lesser known schools” but were just as pleasant, more hardworking, and were more down-to-earth. Don’t get me wrong. I still think that certain schools provide good training and are naturally blessed with “talented students,” but I have come to realize that this is not their exclusive domain. You can find a good and hardworking person anywhere. It is more of the person who determines whether he or she will be a success rather than the school from which he or she graduated from.

I am reminded of an anecdote (a true story) where this pleasant PE teacher had a co-faculty who came from one of the top, exclusive schools. The co-faculty was having some problems with her assignment and the PE teacher (who graduated from a lesser known school) offered to help. The co-faculty responded in this way: “I don’t need any help from someone with a low intellect like you.”

The PE teacher calmly took the response and pleasantly replied: “Oh, I’m sorry. I may have a low intellect but at least I have a good heart.”

What happened to the two faculty members? The co-faculty who was a graduate of a top school quit her job as she was not able to hack it while the PE teacher continued on.

What is the moral lesson of the story? More than your school, it is what is in your heart that determines your success.

If you are a graduate of a top school, good for you. Work hard and prove impressions right. If you are a graduate of a lesser known school, don’t despair. Work harder and reap success.