Smart meets the country’s next top innovators

MANILA, Philippines - Renan, Zheanne and Jenny are fresh out of college. But unlike most graduating students, they may already land a job without having to apply for one.

As topnotchers of the 2012 Electronics and Communications Engineering (ECE) board exams, these three bright minds are now discovering the rewards of being an academic achiever. Companies are the ones seeking them out in a competitive bid to woo them for employment - and rightly so.

Renan John Cañas, top 1 board passer from Polytechnic University of the Philippines; Zheanne Kyle Ganancial, top 3 and University of the Philippines magna cum laude; and Jenny Babe Lindugan, top 10 from University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos, already show promise of becoming the country’s next top innovators at the young age of 22.

Earl Valencia, Smart Corporate Development and Innovation head and president of Ideaspace, lauds the high-flyers for what they have accomplished so far. “To qualify for the ECE course in college is difficult enough. A student candidate must be in the 98 percentile of both Math and Science subjects.”

Having hurdled this initial challenge and then acing the board exams no less have opened opportunities for these young people.

The three, together with 24 other top ECE talents from different universities, were invited by Smart to a Meet and Greet with the company’s own high-flyers. The delegates learned who Smart is as a Filipino company and employer of choice, actively involved in nation-building.

“At Smart, you’ll be able to make a difference in the lives of millions of Filipinos. We built an organization with a mindset for action, innovation and constant change,” says Annette Santiago, Smart Human Resource Management & Development Group head.

Former high-flyers and now Smart employees Allan Siao, Mari Chris Baguio and Paolo Alcera shared their stories on how life has indeed made a difference after joining Smart to utilize their skills in Engineering and IT for a bigger purpose.

The Smart High-Flyers Meet and Greet program includes an educational site tour and culminates at the JUMP Experience Center of PLDT and Smart in SM Megamall where delegates are able to interface with more Smart employees who provide valuable information, insights and encouragement to program participants. Smart’s own high-flyers include Smart cadet engineer and 2011 Board placer, Sarah Joy Damian; Smart software development analyst and former Smart SWEEP scholar, Jorge Gonzales; Smart business analyst and 2011 No. 1 Board placer, Billy Joe Rivera; Smart department head of technology services Jun Perez; and Smart senior manager of access Jay Bacoy, who himself a former top 1 placer in the ECE board exam.

With Smart, the high flyers’ quest may soon be over as the company offers them a new home in which to further hone and develop their talents. Hopefully, their innate achiever abilities can be translated into life-changing innovations for Filipinos, given the right career opportunities.