The AEV mantra: Don’t just land a job, join an organization

Millennials are widely stereotyped as the generation of job hoppers, individuals who are noncommittal and jumping from one employer to another.

This may be true for some but is certainly not the rule of thumb. According to Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc (AEV), its preferred employees are those who are in for the long-term.

“I think they’re looking for experiences to build their competence. I don’t think anything’s wrong with that. I think it’s a wonderful thing,” Txabi Aboitiz, chief Human Resources Officer at AEV, told GMA News Online in a sit-down.

“I think they want long-term, they just don’t know it. In the absence of that long-term, then they’ll go from job to job,” he said.

Listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange, AEV’s is the holding company of business operations that include power generation, financial services, food manufacturing, real estate, infrastructure, and portfolio investments.

According to Aboitiz, around 80 percent of its workforce is millennials.

Chief Human Resources Officer Txabi Aboitiz

Make a case for lack of job tenure

Most employers would prefer a work experience of three to four years, but most job seekers today have two years at most.

“Make a case. Why only two years? Were you not getting the experience you feel you needed? Did you know what kind of experience you wanted?” Aboitiz noted.

“Obviously, you might not get exactly what you expect. No one can. But, at least, if it’s better than what you expected, then you stay longer. But if it’s a lot worse than what you expected, then you should go,” he said.

A one-page CV is ideal

The hiring process starts with an application with a resume, which gives the company a sneak peek of who you are as a person.

“I always suggest that you have a one-pager that really gives a good understanding of who you are—the kinds of skills you built, the kind of person you are, the organization you’re looking for,” Aboitiz said.

It’s not just about sharing accomplishments and experiences. Include your insights and what you’ve learned.

Applicants are encouraged to share their learnings from experiences, rather than the tasks they fulfilled in previous companies.

“If you identify what you’ve done, it doesn’t really tell me much. If you include what you’ve learned from it, the insights you’ve got from it, then I get to understand the skill you built and not necessarily the actual duties you did,” Aboitiz said.

“Once you’ve gotten several jobs, what’s more important is what you’ve achieved and the experience you’ve actually gained.”

It’s not just about you

Take the interview as a chance to know more about the company.

“When you go to an interview, you’re not necessarily only there to give a good impression, but you’re also there to make sure that the organization is right for you,” Aboitiz noted.

“If you go with the mindset that 'I will do my best, it’s all about me, I have to make sure that I come across the right way,’ that’s a very one-sided conversation,” he said.

“Understand what you want and not just what the organization wants. It’s also very important that you come in with an understanding of what it is you want, what experience,” Aboitiz said.

Trust the process

Most applicants would be disheartened by the number of interviews to hurdle before getting hired.

“We encourage not just one interview. Have more interviews so we’re seeing talent from different perspectives,” Aboitiz noted.

“The interview's about discovery so it's an opportunity for you as an applicant to discover what the organization's for, are you a right fit.”

It’s about joining a company

It is important that you show interest in the company. The possibility may be there for you to get hired for another position which suits you better.

“Ask questions, show interest. The more interest you show, the more you’re showing that you feel you’re a right fit,” Aboitiz noted.

“Don’t focus on that one position. Look at organizations you want to join, not jobs. Even if you find a job, the job will change. It’s more important to understand—Is this the kind of organization you want to join? Is this the kind of team you want to experience?”

A significant amount of hires come from postings on career-based websites. So applicants are highly encouraged to create accounts on such platforms.

“I think we hire about 10 percent of our talent through LinkedIn ... It’s just opening the channels from wherever they come from, for talent to know what kind of an organization are we,” Aboitiz said.

“A lot of the investment we put in the talent is to be seen further down the road. If we feel that sense of long-term desire, then it’s much more attractive.” —JA/VDS, GMA News