FASTJOBS HONORS THE BLUE-COLLAR WORKER

Last May 16 and 17, 2019, in celebration of Labor Day Month, FastJobs – Philippines’ fastest growing online jobs portal – gave away free tickets to Star City to 200 families, gathering over 800 at Rizal Park where the event was held. 

“FastJobs came up with this event because we believe that family is the reason why our Jobseekers are motivated to find work and improve their family’s lives. This gathering gives them the opportunity to actually enjoy the fruits of their hard work and spend it with people they love most,” shares Sebastian San, the Assistant Director, Regional Partnerships of FastJobs. “At FastJobs, we understand and fully support the family-oriented culture of the Filipino.” 

As a pioneering HR tech company, FastJobs has for years been the champion of the blue-collar worker, also regarded as the “forgotten, unsung heroes.” “They are the backbone of the economy, and it is only fitting that we make it easier for them to find the jobs that match their skills and which meet the needs of employers.” 

FastJobs is a re-imagination of the ultimate hiring platform, built for speed and efficiency with mobile-first innovations such as FastChat, Resume Builder, and Group Broadcast Capabilities. This helps employers save time and resources to hire fast. 

The platform works by having the jobseekers download the FastJobs App on their mobiles. After registering, they can immediately start submitting their job applications. With FastJobs’ easy-to-use features, it is a quick and simple process for jobseekers to apply for job opportunities. 

On the other hand, employers are also empowered. They are given access to a web-based dashboard to manage candidates and job applications, as well as provided analytics to hire more effectively. With FastChat, they save time and avoid missed connections with jobseekers through the instant messaging feature.

“What sets FastJobs apart is really our focus on the blue-collar workforce, mobile-first approach, and our innovative features,” adds San. “In addition, we believe that our after-sales support is extremely important. This is so that our employers receive the help they need and find the right talent. Fast!”

FastJobs is more than just a job searching portal, it helps build community and brings back dignity to manual labor. Here, Filipinos will find not only like-minded partners and jobseekers, but discover a world of greater work opportunity. 

The FastJobs mobile app is now available for download in Singapore, Malaysia, and Philippines at the Android Play store and Apple App store. 

About FastJobs

FastJobs is Philippines’ fastest growing online jobs portal that focuses on recruitment of the Blue-Collar Workforce. Founded by Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) as a startup, the platform was officially launched in April 2015 and has been transforming the way people are connected to jobs, with over 1 million mobile application downloads across the region. 

The company’s vision is, “To provide everyone equal access to job opportunities”. As FastJobs expands across Southeast Asia, the company utilizes key data insights to support better job matching; promoting greater personal economic growth and improving peoples’ lives.

PAAL Congress: Getting Filipinos Ready to Meet Job Demands in Growing Auto Industry

The local economy may be going through a few rough patches but there are bright spots on the horizon.  For one, the Philippine automotive industry is slowly yet steadily growing, currently producing 400,000 cars yearly versus 100,000 a decade ago.  Annual car sales in the country are also projected to reach one million units by 2028.  The increasing demand means the industry will make more cars, requiring more quality engineers, technicians, specialists, and other professionals within the decade.

With the Philippine automotive sector becoming an employment hotspot, companies are partnering with the public sector to raise awareness about the different opportunities that jobhunters and educational institutions can maximize.  Last September 28, the Philippine Auto Industry-Academia Linkage (PAAL) Congress was conducted by a coalition of four organizations – JobStreet Philippines, Department of Trade and Industry-Board of Investments (DTI-BOI), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and Technological Institute of the Philippines (TIP).  The first-of-its-kind the country, the event connected schools and training centers with automotive companies, bolstering collaboration and cooperation towards future projects and programs that can benefit more students, jobseekers, and businesses.

Preparing to meet higher demand

The coalition estimates that by 2028, direct employment in the industry will grow by 700,000 to 1.17 million more jobs.  Indirect employment will also increase, with many new jobs expected to open in the production of car parts and materials, automotive sales and maintenance, transport and storage, and petroleum stations.  For these prospects to be optimized, the industry needs to address the limited knowledge and on-the-job training opportunities in the different companies, processes, and technical skills involved in the car production chain; human resources’ difficulties in fielding and finding candidates with suitable educational background; and the need for schools and training centers to connect to a bigger and more beneficial network of partners.

The PAAL Congress thus brought together students, teachers, trainers, employers, engineers, and executives in a series of learning and networking sessions.  It aimed to help participants better understand the industry as a whole – its different players, demands, and standards; realize the career potential and different opportunities opening up in the automotive sector; and enable car companies to offer more input in schools’ curricula, thereby developing the right employee candidates in the near future.

The different talks by field experts offered an overview of the local industry, sharing its realities, trends, potentials, job market needs, and future goals.  Participants also heard from practitioners in a panel discussion and asked questions in a fruitful Q&A.  Later in the day was the career and product exhibition that showcased the various companies in the automotive supply chain and the different job options.  Resumes were also submitted and same-day interviews were held.

“There are more than 100 companies in the industry’s supply chain.  With the expected growth in the sector, there’s going to be a lot of recruitment activity within the near future.  Through the congress, the partnership has opened bigger doors for dialogue and cooperation, which in turn will provide the sector with valuable information and insights that can multiply opportunities further.  We at JobStreet Philippines have been learning so much through this partnership, and we consider it a pleasure to be able to use this knowledge to make the best-fitting matches between even more employers and thousands of Filipino jobseekers.  This partnership has empowered all of us here to create and seek even more growth prospects for more people,” says Philip Gioca, Country Manager of JobStreet Philippines.

More plans in the future

As a post-event service and to ensure the long-range impact of the event, feedback will be collected.  Among the success indicators are the number and quality of industry-academia partnerships that were formed, job applications facilitated, increased interest and engagement in auto industry careers, and regular communication among the participants who connected with each other. Summaries of the speeches and discussions, tips and other learnings will also be shared online to reach more people.

Gioca adds: “It’s key to monitor the effect of this first congress to help us create better and more effective career and learning experiences in the future. There is unlimited potential in the technology-based skills and working attitude of Filipinos and we will keep supporting them through diverse programs. We have many more partnerships and activities planned.”

Over 50 educational and training institutions, 40 companies, and 800 individuals joined the congress, which is also part of the Elaboration of Industrial Promotion Plans using Value Chain Analysis project. The two-year pilot project operated by JICA and DTI promotes the automotive industry through the development and implementation of concrete policies and plans.

For more information about JobStreet Philippines programs and events, visit www.jobstreet.com.ph.

Jobstreet.com Rolls Out a Campaign to Inspire more Filipinos on Sharing Their Career Success Stories

Graduation season is in full swing, and the next generation of jobseekers is fresh on the market, looking to take their first steps into their careers. Not everyone will know what’s in store for them in their search for their calling, but JobStreet.com Philippines may have a healthy dose of inspiration to keep them motivated.

As JobStreet.com Philippines’ hold on the online jobs marketplace grows, so too do the many stories of happy candidates who found their jobs through the site.

Photo 1: Jennifer Padua, a Digital Marketing Manager

Jennifer Padua, a Digital Marketing Manager, graduated with a degree in Political Science, but through JobStreet was connected to a career path that ended up being very different from the path she chose in school. "As cliché as it sounds, you just have to try and try sending your resumé to potential employers. You’ll never know what new opportunities are out there unless you try."

Photo 2: Junel De Guzman Aceres, a Front-End Web Developer

Junel De Guzman Aceres, a Front-End Web Developer, tells a story that revolves around perseverance. After his first internship, he found himself at first turned away by some companies to which he applied. But he soldiered on, making extensive use of JobStreet to find more opportunities. Ultimately, he ended up working full-time for the company where he interned in the first place. "For all the jobseekers out there, I urge them to hold on to their dreams. Nothing in life comes easy, so do not give up even if you feel you've been rejected too many times."
It's stories like these that can drive future candidates to keep searching for their dream job.

JobStreet Reveals Government Employees Report Higher than Average Fulfillment at Work

Government employees are relatively happy and fulfilled at their jobs, a new study by JobStreet Philippines has found. This runs contrary to the popular belief that government workers are unhappy, as well as the unfounded stigma that the government isn’t beneficial to work for.

In the study, 1,008 government employees – 257 government employees and 751 from JobStreet’s database – were asked to rate their happiness in various criteria related to work environment, such as management/leadership team, job security, and work-life balance. They would rate their happiness in each category on a scale of 1-7, with 7 being the highest. Government employees recorded an average of 4.85 points on this scale. Indeed, in 2017, government emerged as one of the top 3 happiest sectors, alongside hotel/hospitality and food and beverage/restaurant workers.

The biggest drivers of government employees’ happiness were reputation of government agency, relationship with immediate boss, and the mission, vision, and values of their agency. Meanwhile, pain points included lack of travel opportunities, lack of performance bonuses, and low salary.

Job happiness is an important element of work performance and employee health – happier employees are 12% more productive, physically and mentally healthier, and stay with their jobs longer.
The purpose of the study was to inform JobStreet’s government partners what makes jobs in the government attractive to those who work in the private sector, determine the factors that contribute to job happiness in the government, and help partners form strategies to maintain current employees and secure new ones.

JobStreet.com: Fresh Graduate Hiring Shows Shifts in Demand and Preferences

Employers now claim that aside from an applicant’s attitude or work ethic, they also place more consideration on communication skills and analytical thinking as top considerations when hiring fresh college graduates. This inclination toward interpersonal and 21st century skills has emerged as JobStreet.com Philippines, the country’s largest online job portal, conducted a survey involving 503 employers from various parts of the country in February 2018 as part of its annual Fresh Graduate Report. 

These results reflect a marked shift compared to 2015’s top determinants which are experience-based qualifications—on-the-job training, extra-curricular activities, and part-time work experience, which now see themselves in the bottom ranks. 

Furthermore, when respondents were asked to rate particular qualities they observed on their fresh graduate hires, factors such as task management efficiency, leadership potential, customer empathy, and analysis of situations averaged the lowest. These ratings further reflect the preference of employers in hiring candidates who have already developed interpersonal and 21st century proficiencies despite being new to the workforce.

Top School Preferences Maintained

But despite these marked changes, employers maintain their opinions on a topic most find traditional: the schools where the hired applicants graduated from. This year, when asked if they have reasons for sourcing employees from particular institutions, employers pointed out that they believe in the schools’ reputation of producing quality graduates and eventual employees.


The top three most preferred schools by most employers surveyed are Polytechnic University of the Philippines, University of the Philippines, and Ateneo de Manila University. The inclusion of two schools outside of Metro Manila — University of San Carlos (#8) and University of Cebu (#9) also marks the first time tertiary institutions not located in the National Capital Region make their appearance in the top ten list since 2014 .

Increased salaries, opportunities

The report also indicates that fresh college graduates can expect an abundant job market this year. In the last quarter of 2017 alone, employers were bullish on 52,149 jobs available to fresh graduates—a 10% increase from 2016’s 47,339.

The national average salary for fresh graduates remains to be attractive at nearly Php20,000. The average of Php19,785 in the last quarter of 2017 shows a slight increase from 2016’s Php19,437.

According to JobStreet.com, law graduates remain to be the best-paid among the lot, with an average monthly salary of Php27,355. This is followed by fresh graduates who take on roles in public relations/communications, with an average monthly salary of Php24,675, and those who specialize in creating content (i.e. content writer, foreign language content translator, and junior technical writer), with an average monthly salary of Php22,446.  Thus, the highest paid are more aligned towards content and communication-related jobs.


“This shows that more and more employers are opening their doors to fresh graduates, presenting a significant shift in what employers need in this increasingly digital world,” concludes Philip Gioca, JobStreet.com Philippines Country Manager.

A new crop of fresh graduates: K-12

It has been five years since the K-12 program was implemented, and the first batch of graduates from this system are set to join the workforce this year. The survey revealed that 25% of employers are willing to hire, while 40% are indefinite about hiring K-12 graduates. The 40% indefinite employers said they are still evaluating or will eventually hire pending definite timelines.

For employers who are open, the survey affirms this as a number of industries have been identified as the most willing to hire K-12 graduates: BPO, manufacturing, professional services, retail, and machinery and equipment; for entry level jobs in administrative, customer service, sales and marketing.

With this non-committal attitude of employers, Mr. Gioca advises the newest entrants of the job market to be more discerning and strategic on their career planning. “There are indeed employers that are receptive to hiring them, but they have to contend with two factors: One, that not all employers are accepting of K-12 graduates as of the moment and two, they will have to compete with fresh college graduates, which employers may favor more, for the same jobs they are eyeing,” he pointed out.


In terms of salary, K-12 graduates may find themselves sufficiently paid, as 50% of respondents said that they are willing to pay their K-12 fresh graduate hires more than the minimum wage.

JobStreet.com and TIP host the 3rd Philippine Engineering Students Congress

JobStreet.com, the largest job site in the country, together with the Technological Institute of the Philippines (TIP) held the 3rd Philippine Engineering Student Congress at the Quezon City campus of the university.

The event brought together graduating engineering students from all over Luzon in a venue where they could explore potential careers and learn about the profession they would soon enter. 

In attendance were 30 companies, including Coca-Cola FEMSA, Department of Energy (DOE), Filinvest Land Inc., Ginebra San Miguel, Meralco, Uratex Foam, AMMEX I-Support Corp, and Emerson Electric, among others. 

Companies provided talks about the future that awaits engineering graduates, and showcased career paths that they could take.

The Congress was launched by opening remarks from TIP President Dr. Elizabeth Quirino-Lahoz. Speakers included JobStreet.com Country Manager Philip Gioca, Padilla Review Center President Engr. Perfecto Padilla, Jr., and representatives from various companies. 

Aside from the talks, there was also a Personality Development Session for students, a motivational talk, a quiz bee, and a presentation of project papers by T.I.P. Career Center students.

According to Mr. Gioca, engineering-related professions are among the top 10 most advertised and most in-demand specializations year-on-year for both local and overseas jobs posted on JobStreet.com. 

The Congress has been held annually since 2016 to inspire graduating students in preparing them for the career journey ahead, whether it be in the country or abroad.

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About JobStreet.com

JobStreet.com is a leading online job board presently covering the employment markets in Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam. JobStreet.com currently services over 230,000 corporate hirers and over 15 million jobseekers in its database.

About SEEK Asia 

JobStreet.com is part of SEEK Asia, which is the leading online employment market place in Asia. SEEK Asia covers 7 countries namely Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

SEEK Asia is the extension of the Australian Securities Exchange listed company called SEEK. The company’s purpose is to help improve people’s lives through a better career. SEEK Asia’s database consist of over 500,000 corporate hirers and over 24 million candidates. 

About TIP

T.I.P. is a professional higher education institution offering engineering, architecture, computing, business, teacher education, maritime, and arts programs. Twenty (20) of its engineering and computing programs have been accredited by the US-based ABET. 

T.I.P. is among the select schools identified by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Science, Technology, Research, and Innovation for Development (STRIDE) Program to receive technical assistance to develop a model career center on its campus patterned after those found in US universities.

JobStreet.com, OVP make livelihood opportunities accessible

JobStreet.com Philippines and the Office of the Vice President (OVP) signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA), forging a partnership on the #AngatBuhay program. The partnership strengthens both parties’ resolve in making employment and livelihood opportunities more accessible to the Angat Buhay program's focus communities. Angat Buhay is the flagship anti-poverty program of Vice President Leni Robredo. (In photo, L to R): Vice Presidential Spokesperson and Head, Anti-Poverty Advocacies and Programs Unit Georgina Hernandez-Yang; Vice President of the Philippines Leni Robredo; JobStreet.com Philippines Country Marketing Manager Cielo Javier; and JobStreet.com Manager for Special Projects Christine R. Sevilla. (Seated, L to R): Undersecretary Philip Dy and JobStreet.com Country Manager Philip Gioca.

JobStreet Philippines’ Country Manager Bags 2017 IABC CEO Excel Award

After more than two decades of experience in various leadership positions, JobStreet Philippines Country Manager Philip Gioca was named one of the recipients of the 2017 CEO Excel Awards.

Under his tutelage, JobStreet Philippines has furthered its leadership position in the industry, presenting an average of 60,000 jobs posted monthly by as many as 24,000 employers across key industries and business sizes. To date, 7.6 million candidates have registered to the online portal. He has also overseen the rollout of several innovations such as richer job ads with inclusion of vital information such as salary data, Talent Search, Company Reviews, and the LiNA bot.

With his zeal for innovation and progress, Gioca has overseen the digitization of various traditional offline channels for job search and enablement. Government jobs, a growing labor market segment, has been added into JobStreet Philippines’ already vast number of job listings. Nearly 100 government agencies have posted as much as 3,500 jobs since July 2017, which are all housed on a one-stop microsite, making the process of applying to government jobs more transparent and accessible. He has also championed Overseas Filipino Workers by making the Pre-Employment Orientation Seminar (PEOS) online in cooperation with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, which is now mandatory to all intending to explore job opportunities abroad.

In the spirit of nation building, he establishes collaboration with government, NGOs as well as private institutions to increase the reach and access to available job opportunities in the country and help address job skills mismatch. Under his leadership, JobStreet recently partnered with the Office of the Vice President to further grassroots jobs generation and matching by supporting the Angat Buhay Program. JobStreet also partnered with Edukasyon.ph, a social enterprise that helps high school students make better informed career choices from education to employment.  

The wealth of the company’s proprietary digital data has also been turned into empowering labor market insights. Philip has been a thought leader, acting as JobStreet’s spokesperson for job market insights and trends. He has presented JobStreet’s Job Happiness Report, Top Companies Report, Fresh Graduate Report, Job Outlook and Trends Report, and Bonuses Report in various industry, media, and campus events.

Through his truly exemplary leadership and his desire for nation-building, Gioca continues to transform JobStreet into a leader in the Philippine online job marketplace, and in the job market as a whole.

The IABC CEO Excel Awards recognize the leaders of organizations who make use of exemplary communication as part of their overall business strategy for achieving goals, building relationships, addressing problems, and maintaining the reputation of their companies.

Being able to work from home has become a necessity for a lot of Filipinos. It allows them to spend more time with their family, save money on food and clothes, and escape the mind-numbing traffic. Meanwhile, more companies are hiring remote workers to get the best possible candidates for a role while also saving on space and money.

JobStreet.com, the no. 1 job site in the Philippines, responds to this growing need by offering job seekers a dedicated page for work-from-home opportunities, making the job search easy and more efficient. The page recently went live on the last week of October.

“With this new feature, we hope to make the search hassle-free for both the candidate and the employer,” said Philip Gioca, Country Manager, Jobstreet.com Philippines.

Some of the companies that advertise home-based jobs on the site include RemoteStaff, SPN, Teleperformance, 51Talk, and goFLUENT.

Is a work-from-home job for you?

The benefits of remote working are can sometimes far outweigh office-based jobs. According to a study by PGi, a leading provider of collaboration software and services, improved productivity isn’t the only benefit of working from home: 82% reported lower stress levels, 80% experienced higher morale, and 69% reported lower absenteeism.

However, Gioca cautions that not everyone is cut out for a home-based job. “Although most of us would want to work at home, there are still some points to consider before taking the final leap, such as your ability to hold yourself accountable to finish your work on time and your general temperament,” he said.

To determine if a home-based job is the right fit, JobStreet.com lists seven things to consider:

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JobStreet.com Philippines joins Project Inclusion

Armed with its mission of improving lives through better careers and the advocacy of a job for every Filipino, JobStreet.com, the country’s number 1 job site, takes part in Project Inclusion. A program of Unilab Foundation, Project Inclusion champions the employment of persons with disabilities (PWDs). Joining the JobStreet.com contingent headed by Country Manager Philip Gioca (far left) are representatives of Unilab Foundation headed by Grant Javier (middle, in white), Project Inclusion’s Program Manager.