@thebordercollective

The Border Collective

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Hi! I've been keen on starting a blog, but I don't know how to do it (creatively and technically). I want to develop my writing skills and I know that creating and maintaining your own blog also has resume value, so I was hoping you could help me by posting tips or a guide to achieving this. Thanks!

Justine: Hi there, maybe someday I'll formalize it down but as of now, it's all just scattered ideas in my head of what NOT to do. If you want to hear that, hit me up and let's go get a meal so I can tell you everything. Hope to hear from you soon!

Hi, can I still pay for your services even if I have no work and internship experience? Will you still help me out?

Justine: Yea, totally, part of the magic of resume consultations is that we can turn anything into real experience. There's also the added bonus of life consultations, where you will know in very honest terms what your future prospects are based on what you've done and want to do.
When you're ready, here's the link http://bit.ly/ResumeConsultations

PS thank you for answering my questions <3 sorry I'm too shy to ask you directly :(

Justine: No prob at all, just ask whatever you're curious about here. And if you're ever organizing a TedX, hit me up and I'll recommend people I know will give an informative and fun talk for all your audience.

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re: tedx, but it's alright to put it in your resume if you've organized tedx talks right? hehe

Most definitely, you should be highlighting that you're an organizer, especially if you were marketing or logistics head. It's a strong impression to say stuff, like "Led a 15-person team that coordinated logistics for 1200+ people for an 8 hour program" or "Pioneered using targeted FB ads to sell out 1200+ tickets in 4 days at <Php1000 cost."
If you are core team though, like volunteers or the hard working ones who don't get to boss people around, it's not that strong to add in. It's kinda useless since it's not leadership or project management experience. Unless you, as the lowly one, initiated something new that made TedX better.
PS, this technically counts as work experience, but because AJMA owns the TedXADMU rights, I've always put it under co-curriculars which I find so sad. This is such a good experience for people to have, hosting a conference this big. Is a shame only a few people can be core team. Someone start a TedXKatip na.

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why do tedx talks not count as seminars/conferences attended? :(

Justine: If you don't list down all the books, blogs, articles, and videos you've consumed, then what makes going to a live TedX talk different? It's roughly an article that's come to life or a video you could've watched in your downtime. And tbh, there's no guarantee that it's going to be a good talk.
This also isn't an industry specific conference that gave you specialized knowledge and contacts. Most likely you went with a bunch of friends and enjoyed the day, and that's totally ok. That's what a TedX is (for the audience). A way to enjoy a free day.

If you know the email address of a recruiter, is it better to send your resume directly to them even if the job posting says to apply on their company website? I feel like they don't really mind people's applications in the company website eh :(

Justine: Send to both. The company website is a catch-all (and an easy way for the company to ignore you if you're not someone they want to hire or even engage with) but you still want your name to be in the system. It makes you look like you follow the rules.
But do send to the recruiter directly, with a cover letter that's memorable, reads well, and sets you apart from all the other candidates right away. Be charming, tell them you also applied through the company website, and that you're excited to hear back from them. ((Cover letter formulas are a completely different post.))
Apply through company website anytime you want, but schedule your email to the recruiter at 8:09am on the nearest working day. The uneven time makes it look natural and authentic, instead of a bot schedule.

Why does Youthhack only help high school students? Can't I get an internship through them as "late bloomer" college student? Parang ang biased naman kasi. And I don't have high expectations even as a college student doing something made for high school students. I don't demand a lot.

Justine: Hey there, the answer to this question is in this link, thank you for asking~ http://thebordercollective.com/2017/06/18/applying-for-internships-through-youthhack-as-a-college-student-qa-with-justine-2/

would you know how much is the salary (entry level) in the big advertising agencies?

Justine: Hey there, answered your question and a little bit more here: http://thebordercollective.com/2017/06/05/whatre-ad-agencies-starting-salaries-first-yt-vid/ Also, ty for sending in that question, it was fun to dig in to the salaries of ad agencies hahaha
super hope that it's helpful! and if it is + you want to show your thanks, please like TBC's FB page, and subscribe to the YT channel! (and get like 2 friends to like and subscribe too?) Please and thanks in advance!
I like external validation that what I'm working on is helpful to others too, so I kinda need this to gauge if I should spend more time helping others or you know, working on improving myself. If you've got more questions to ask as well, feel free to drop them in here on the ask.fm!
Wow, ang mema ko talaga hahaha tyyy for the last time~

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Hi! I fortunately came across your blog from a year ago (14.5 Things You Didn’t Realize Had Resume Value), and I just wanted to ask about one of the items you listed. If I wish to include my thesis work in my CV, where exactly does it fall under? Thanks so much!

Justine: It can fall under Work Experience, since you can detail all the research and work you put into it, or under Papers Published (if it's been published), with a bullet underneath outlining your conclusions and how you got to them,

Hi! I'm sorry if this question has been asked already (new reader here woo!) but I wanted to ask...and this'll sound silly but...did you speak mostly Filipino during your internship? (I recently had an internship and my colleagues all made fun of my conyo-ness HUHUHU)

J: 1st, that wasn't silly, that's a completely normal and routine problem Ateneans face when going to work places that are not populated with our fellow conyo's.
2nd, I don't speak Taglish much, and Betina almost never does because she was raised in Europe. So, don't worry. You're in good company.
I only spoke in Filipino when I knew for sure the people I was talking to didn't know it well. And even then, i was given an interpreter because my bosses truly thought i would die out in the remote provinces of the Philippines without one.
3rd, I think this is something you should make peace with. Idk about other people, but in my opinion, making fun of someone's grasp of a language is something immature and kind of hints at the those teasing you being close-minded people. A person is struggling with a language means that they know another language better. As long as you are trying to speak and learn a different language, you're already doing great. So kudos to you!
Just smile and politely laugh when people do that for the sake of pakikisama. And never stop trying to learn how to speak your other languages better. Take it from me, I have an elementary grasp of both Tagalog and Mandarin, but I still try my best to speak it, even if everyone makes fun of me in the process.

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do companies judge based on your course? because the course is like one of the first things they see in your resume. and like in ateneo pa lang our fellow schoolmates discriminate based on course :(

B: Traditional companies still tend to judge by course but a lot of the more progressive companies (eg. all the places I've interned) focus more on the holistic skill set.
I'm AB Interdisciplinary Studies and I'm not doing so bad, so don't worry about your course holding you back so much :)

Hi guys! Just wondering. I just graduated and I've been taking a break so far. How long of a break is acceptable before employers start getting worried/suspicious?

B: Personally I'd say 1 year max. But you're at the disadvantage if you wait too long and the batch after you already starts applying, so I'd start job hunting after 8ish months. :)

How did you manage your time interning and studying at the same time? I want to intern but i don' t know if I can, there's always loads of schoolworks plus I spend almost 3-4 hrs commuting and its very tiring. 😩😩

B: It's a boring answer, but I just work ahead and really prioritized interning and school over everything else.
I get to the office early and do my homework before my boss gets there. If I'm just sitting around I'll study ahead for class. I stay sane by scheduling my friends into my breaks, so every week I hang out with at least 5 different friends.
Re: commuting, I feel ya. I'd suggest looking for a flexible internship that can be partially done online or at home. 👍

hello is the Ateneo Jobs and Internships FB group still up? can't seem to find it, thank you so much

Justine: Yup, it's still up and really active considering that the -ber months are about to start. It's a secret group to make sure it's Ateneans only. You need to find a friend already in the group, to add you in.

Halu! Can I ask what kind of portfolio Annisa showed to Ogilvy and Mather? And if she applied as a creative or an account manager?

From Anissa: "I didnt originally apply as accounts but given my background in management that's where they put me! I didn't have to show any portfolio. The interview questions revolved around how I managed my projects and how I was as a leader."

Hi! Quick question about INKOMPASS because I'm an incoming sophomore whose curi0osity is building - if you're taking a 5 year course (like BAA), are you supposed to apply at INKOMPASS when you're a sophomore or a junior? Or can you apply as either? Thank you!

Justine: For INKOMPASS, you just need to be 18 and to have 2 years left in school when you apply , so for BAA, you need to be an incoming 4th year! When our pioneer batch started, all our graduation dates are 2017 (so we'll probably be going to each other's graduations lol), and for the second batch, they're all graduating in 2018.
For the incoming INKOMPASS 2017 batch, they need to be graduating in 2019 to be eligible! Hope this helps clear it up!

Hello! I recently got an internship at a small advertising agency, which I'm super proud of! Unfortunately, my parents want me to quit because the company is, quoting them, "too small to matter". I really want the job, though... is it possible for an internship to be "worthless"? Thank you!

Betina: Absolutely not. No such thing as a worthless internship. Every experience teaches you something. You either pick up new skills, or figure out what your deal breakers are when it comes to work.

Hello! For inkompass, are there rejection emails? And in the inkompass facebook page, one of the candidates in my day was featured. Does it mean she got in already?

Justine: In a few days, not super sure when, there'll be regret emails, since the ones who passed have been contacted already! With regards to the FB page, INKOMPASS indiscriminately takes posts using #Inkompass, whether or not you are an intern or not. Good luck!

Hi! Do you know any companies that offer internships/volunteer work/ OJT for high school/Grade 12 students? 😊 Thank you!

Betina: Hi! I'd suggest contacting CAMP Philippines or YouthHack Manila (both of my orgs!) since we have an internship database and programs specifically aimed at high school students looking to gain internship experience :)

Also, when are we supposed to hear back from them? The wait's almost agonizing. Not that I'm betting on it too much haha. Thanks!

Justine: You will most definitely know if you got into INKOMPASS before June 1. Because that's the day we start work and pick projects hahaha. We waited for about 2 weeks before we knew, and then the week after that was spent rushing to get stuff like NBI and medical certificates. We all will probably know who the top 15 (potentially more) will be by next week at least, so you guys will have time to habol requirements.

Hello! I remember reading somewhere on your blog that you believe design internships should be paid due to the nature of the work being done. Would you know of any paid design internships that you would recommend? It could be in an ad agency or design firm!

Justine: Hey there! I did say that, and I still do believe in it, but because I have 0 graphic design skills at all, I don't know any paid design internships to recommend. :( When I asked my friends, they generally do freelance work because design interns, /normally don't get paid in the industry/. It's BS our generation needs to change but as of now, it's stuck.
Freelance at least, pays.
The best ad agency I know is Ogilvy and Mather, but they're looking for all around creative people (aka graphic design, video editing, conceptualizing) as backup manpower for their campaigns.
Sorry I couldn't help, good luck!!

I'm the gamer type and I'd like to get involved in eSports one day. But for now do you think any of those experiences can be relevant to a recruiter? (Playing with a team as a player, handling a team/organization as its manager, etc)

Justine: Yeah, you just have to know how to frame them right since eSports are technically a real sport too. Bring this up during the "Tell me about yourself" portion so that you can segue into your strengths and skills gained from gaming! Good luck!

Just curious xD How do companies usually present the job offer? Do they inform you on the spot after the interview? (Won't this be awkward tho if you say you'll think about it first?) Or do they text it to you that you got the job hours or days later? :)

Betina: It really depends on how urgent the job is, how fantastic the interview went, whether the interviewer has the authorization to makes the offer, if they still have other interviewees lined up, etc.

How should a resume look like for someone with nothing to put in it? (In applying for both internship and employment) No work experience, no org stints, little to no relevant skills.

Justine: There's no such thing as "nothing to put in it". You just need to look at the right places for inspiration on what to fill your resume with. We wrote something for that in the past, called the 14.5 Things You Didn't Realize Had Resume Value (here's the link:
http://thebordercollective.com/2016/02/07/14-5-things-you-didnt-realize-had-resume-value-part-6/ )
If you're super stuck and can't write it yourself, drop me a line at justine@thebordercollective.com
I do resume consultation or I could just write your resume for you. For a price. Good luck!

Do you have any plans of pursuing MBA or MIR?

Justine: As of right now, I have 0 plans of going into further studies simply because I don't have the financial resources to do so. I'm the eldest of 3, and we go to really expensive schools. My parents literally are counting the days til they have to stop paying for my tuition, so if I'm going, it's on my wallet. And that's not in my plans now for the next 3 years, at least.
Betina: I'm considering an MIM (Masters in Management), an MBA, or an MS OD (Master of Science in Organizational Development). But I'll probably be using it mostly as a springboard to work abroad since a masters degree is usually the fastest route into the best companies and I don't have the patience to work my way up from scratch. If I know that I have a solid chance at getting expatriated without needing an additional degree, then I probably won't pursue any further studies.

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