The Story of Grace from Both Sides of the Coin

Gratitude and kindness is the most powerful currency in the world. You might have heard stories about some passengers who suddenly get upgraded to business class during their flight. I asked a friend from the airline industry how they choose or identify passengers and she said -- "the customer was kind and grateful." 

Personally, I would be willing to extend an extra mile too for our clients and customers even if that means working late at night or during weekends. I don't even need additional compensation for the time and effort because a simple "thank you" is enough. Knowing that they appreciate what you do makes it all worth it. 

However, it is a totally different story when entitlement wins over gratitude. There are some people who do not know how to appreciate because they feel that they are entitled to 24/7 assistance or they must have 100% satisfaction because they paid. When something goes wrong, these are the type of people who go berserk and get mad because they feel they got shortchanged. They are the type of people who do not want to extend a little grace for people who commit mistakes. They feel that they own you and your soul.  

In reality, no one is perfect and many times, things won't go as planned. However, the world has a lot of more serious problems and a little compassion and grace can go a long way.

Do you remember the 90/10 principle? According to Stephen Covey, the 90–10 principle basically says that our life is 10% made of what happens to us and 90% of how we react to it; thus, you have a choice on how you will react when things don't go well. 

Yesterday, I got tested by this principle as well. I made some orders online and arranged delivery via a 3rd party courier. Our house is far and delivery fees are quite expensive. 

Unfortunately, when the order arrived, I received the wrong items. Apparently, the store personnel gave the wrong plastic bag to the delivery rider. So, they are asking me to send back the wrong items and book another pick-up to get my order. This means that I had to spend a two-way booking fee aside from the initial one I paid even if it is NOT my fault. Such a waste of money, right?

However, I opted to extend a little grace and compassion to this store personnel. I know that it is not her intention to mess up. When I talked to her, she was worried. If I don't pay for the fees, this would be charged against her which would cost her more than half of her daily wage.  I am aware that it was not my fault and it is not my responsibility to pay but a little compassion can make a difference for this person. This difference may mean food for her family. I really do not know but I decided to pay for everything. 

I realized that this other person who has feelings is much more important than money. She was very helpful every time I order and I am thankful for her assistance. She may have made a mistake but it is not right that she feels "crucified" for this. I decided to put aside my disappointment. I choose to let it go and find a resolution. 

For someone who has seen both sides of the coin - an individual who had been hurt and "crucified" because of a mistake and as a customer whose order has been messed up, I am reminded of this quote from JoyBell C...

“The kindness that we receive from others in life, is also the kindness that we will want to give. The harshness that we receive from others in life, will also be the harshness that we will give. But true strength lies in seeing the harshness that we have received in life; and living in such a way so that others will never feel the same from us."

May we extend more grace and compassion to others. Let us be kind to one another. 

Thank you for reading! Let's connect via IG.

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3 Most In-Demand Careers in the Post-Pandemic World

While we wish for the COVID-19 pandemic to end soon, we understand that it has made lasting effects on the way we interact with other people, the way we view our health, and the way we work. As we look forward to the future, we want to be more prepared, change-adept, and resilient so that we won’t be as unaware or as helpless as to how this pandemic caught us.

The pandemic has become a tipping point for many of us to reconsider our options. Many of us ask, “Am I pursuing a career or college course that would eventually be rendered useless or obsolete?” As we now can observe, the pandemic has introduced shifts in our behavior that also created new needs and demands for governments, schools, and businesses. The shift to the new normal demands expertise that can only be filled in by new and emerging disciplines that we thought we didn’t really need a few years ago.

According to the World Economic Forum, the “job of tomorrow” is about maximizing the potential in the interaction between “humans, machines, and algorithms.” For those looking for a sensible course to take in college or for new career options, you might want to consider some of the insights here that would help you and the people around you to make significant progress in the post-pandemic world.

1. Digital Marketing

The pandemic gave all the reasons for companies to go digital, especially in their sales and marketing. According to the COVID-19 Digital Engagement Report by Twilio, the pandemic broke down the traditional barriers of getting executive buy-in, lack of clear strategy, and lack of budget to push through with their digital transformation.

With the lockdowns during the pandemic, the market has nowhere else to go but online. Accordingly, companies have nowhere else to go but where their market is. Companies that invest in their digital transformation have been more resilient during the pandemic and are poised to enjoy market preference in the long run due to their responsiveness to their customers’ needs.

The World Economic Forum projects digital marketing to be an even more relevant field in the post-pandemic economy. We will see the rise in demand for the following:

• Social Media Managers
• Content Creators
• SEO Specialists
• Website Designers and Developers
• Software and Applications Developers 

Communication, Information Design, and IT graduates are seen to benefit from the rising demand for their expertise in the current and emerging economy. While colleges and universities offer courses in Communication, Advertising, and Business, among other related fields, there are schools that offer multi-disciplinary courses that combine the traditional with emerging hybrid disciplines.

STI College, known for its IT programs, started offering a four-year Bachelor of Science in Retail Technology and Consumer Science and a two-year Associate in Retail Technology in 2020. These courses were co-designed with industry experts in order to equip students with in-demand specialized skills in the areas of retail marketing, consumer psychology, information technology, and data science ― key areas that STI College believes to be the competencies for success in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

“In the academic sector, this retail revolution has made us keenly aware of the need to equip our graduates for more lucrative job and business opportunities in retail and e-commerce. Elsewhere in the world, colleges and universities in countries such as the United States, Canada, Sweden, Ireland, South Africa, and Singapore are now offering retail management programs in line with this vision,” shares Aisa Q. Hipolito, STI Vice President for Academics.

2. Data Science and Analytics

The post-pandemic economy will be largely data-driven. While there has been an exponential increase in the demand for Data Scientists and Analysts even prior to the pandemic, the crisis itself has highlighted the relevance of data-driven strategies both for the public and private sectors. Corporate and government leaders and managers now heavily rely on data to fuel their decision-making.

In the Philippines alone, there has been a shortage of data scientists and analysts to support the growth of industries through the use of data, automation, and Artificial Intelligence, especially in the retail sector. The government, through the Department of Science and Technology, has been encouraging young Filipinos to take up data science-related courses in order to bridge the shortage of data scientists in the country.

According to iACADEMY School of Computing Dean, Mitch Andaya, “there’s an increasing demand for data scientists in virtually every industry in the Philippines. Our country produces about 2.5 quintillion bytes of data daily and we need help from data scientists to make sense out of this much data.”

Most major universities in the Philippines, including Ateneo De Manila University, De La Salle University, University of the Philippines, and University of Sto. Tomas have general data science subjects at the tertiary level. However, schools such as iACADEMY offer specialized courses on data science to directly address the emerging needs of both local and international industries. iACADEMY’s Bachelor of Science in Computer Science major in Data Science program was launched in 2020 to help the country cultivate more world-class professionals in software development, systems and business analysis, database administration, software testing, web development.

3. Cybersecurity

A number of business leaders forecast that remote work is here to stay even after the pandemic. With this shift, they foresee that most companies would follow suit and invest heavily in their cloud infrastructure, online collaborative tools, and e-commerce. With the conveniences ushered in by these tech enhancements, companies that migrate most of their resources online and shift to more tech-driven operations should also expect to brace for tech-related problems such as cybersecurity.

According to Forbes, healthcare, manufacturing, financial services, transportation, and government are the industries that are most exposed to cyberattacks. We cannot afford data breaches and system hijacks in these industries, especially when they largely affect the safety and security of people’s lives. 

Through the Department of Information and Communication Technology’s National Cybersecurity Plan 2022, the Philippines recognizes the need for more cybersecurity experts as part of the government’s mission to “ensure public safety and welfare.” As most companies and schools are just adapting to the emerging cybersecurity needs of both local and international industries, the Philippine government encourages more young Filipinos to also consider taking ICT-related courses, which are also largely offered by ICT-specialized schools such as STI and iAcademy.

It is noticeable that the projected in-demand jobs of the future are more tech-related and focus on developments such as remote work, e-commerce, and automation. McKinsey’s study projects that more people may see the need to switch careers due to the changes in working conditions during and after the pandemic. We may be among these people who need to consider a more sustainable career path. By considering those previously mentioned, we may see ourselves more adapted to the new normal.