THE EDUCOMPASS

A Career and Life Plan

Inspired by the navigational device of choice of a bygone era where exploration and the relentless quest to conquer new frontiers have consumed the hearts and minds of many, I shall now attempt to devise a career and life plan that articulates where I am now and where I am headed in the future. I affectionately call this the EduCompass. PERSONAL VISION STATEMENT I envision myself as a well-rounded, world-class individual committed to the ideals of integrity, growth, compassion, strength of character and the relentless pursuit of service to fellowmen for the greater glory of God. PERSONAL MISSION STATEMENT ueled by an overwhelming passion for learning, creativity, innovation and interdependence, my mission is to continuously develop and enhance my God-given s!ills and talents and reali"e my full potential, both on a personal and professional dimension, so as to ma!e a significant impact on the lives of other people, uphold and promote the causes I care most about, and leave a lasting legacy to future generations. KEY CAREER AND LIFE GOALS Priority Area A: Persona Cir!"#stan!e an$ Fa#i y Li%e I have always regarded the family as a primary source of strength, guidance and support. #herefore, I have made a lifelong commitment to be a responsible and proactive member of the family. $nce in a while, I thin! about where I see myself in the future and have come to reali"e that I need more time to really thin! things out, especially when it comes to the decision whether to find a life partner or not. #herefore, I ac!nowledge that I am presently at a crossroads, right smac! into choosing which path to tread, ta!ing it upon myself to instill discipline and fortitude to follow my chosen path. Milestones and Timeframe I am giving myself two years from now %i.e., on or before I turn &' years old( to fully discern my state of life, whether I am set for a life of single-blessedness or otherwise. #o be able to carry on with this discernment, I intend to subscribe to prayer and reflection, counseling, as well as one-on-one tal!s

with people I have high regard for and whose opinions and viewpoints I respect to see! advice and enlightenment. amily and close friends will li!ewise be consulted. )oreover, I intend to devote some of my personal time within the next two years to gathering relevant information, and afterwards to thin! and reflect even further on my next steps. *s soon as I arrive at a decision and have confirmed that such is God+s will for me, I am prepared to commit myself to that particular state of life. #herefore, within the ensuing years, I shall dedicate myself to "ealously pursuing what the ,ord has in store for me if I follow the path that leads to my future personal circumstance. *t any rate, I continue to exert a conscious effort in being a dutiful and loving son to my mother %my father has already passed away( and a supportive and caring brother to my siblings. Priority Area &: Career ,oo!ing bac! at my previous wor! experiences and ruminating on where I am at the moment, my professional career has somehow revolved around mar!eting, business research and development, pro-ect management and consulting wor!, among other related endeavors. I have always felt that this is where I am good at, and this is where I can enhance my own s!ills and talents to the fullest. )ore importantly, my passion lies where I can exercise creativity, resourcefulness, innovation and a high degree of interaction with people. #hus, I have come to believe that a career in mar!eting, business development and.or consulting wor! fulfills that passion. Milestones and Timeframe /ithin this year, I shall continue applying both theoretical and practical !nowledge I obtained from my )0* courses and from a dynamic interaction with my )0* classmates in the wor! that I do and in my dealings with my clients, my wor! colleagues, my supervisor and if circumstances and resources would permit, with colleagues from the other offices abroad. /ithin the next five years, I expect to have started preparing myself for a possible overseas assignment by gathering relevant information, exploring career development options abroad, and consulting with my family, peers, superiors and my networ! of contacts regarding the most appropriate career moves.

/ithin the next ten years, I would have availed of the opportunity to wor! abroad to further hone my mar!eting and business development s!ills, while at the same allowing myself to be exposed to a multi-cultural environment where richness and diversity of thoughts, ideas and concepts abound. *t around this time, I do not see myself as completely severing my ties with my home country, the 1hilippines. 2ather, I will most li!ely find myself still interacting with my local networ! of contacts so as to continuously explore areas for collaboration %e.g., writing a boo! about the 1hilippine mar!eting experience and relating this to a global or multi-cultural framewor!, brief visits or professional exchange programs, etc.( /ithin the next twenty-five years, I see myself as a well-rounded professional holding an executive position and who, through the years, have obtained relevant experience and expertise in my chosen field of speciali"ation in the mar!eting and business development realm. *t around that time, I would have come bac! to the 1hilippines to share such practical experience and expertise with my contemporaries and other interested entities though private consulting wor!, teaching or rendering advisory services to the public sector. Priority Area C: E$"!ation *s long as I have the inherent desire to learn and explore new things, ideas and concepts, I will continue to pursue further education, academic or otherwise. I have always believed that learning is a lifelong process3 hence one should never stop exploring avenues for learning. I ac!nowledge that the underlying challenge is to use such learning experiences towards my own personal and professional development, and erstwhile in line with my desire to serve other people and to leave a lasting impact on society. Milestones and Timeframe 0efore the first half of 4''5 comes to a close, I expect to finish my )0* education and to have fulfilled the requirements for speciali"ation in mar!eting. /ithin the next five to ten years, during the course of my professional career, I would have li!ewise availed of the opportunities to enhance my professional career by ta!ing short-term courses whether in the 1hilippines or abroad in such fields as sales and mar!eting, mar!eting communications, pro-ect management, international business development, cross-cultural management and other related disciplines. I intend to ta!e advantage of regular exposure trips overseas that combine wor!, pleasure and practical learning experiences. )eanwhile, I also plan to get involved with personal development and

life-enhancing courses, seminars or programs so as to stri!e a balance between personal and professional growth. /ithin the next twenty-five years, I expect to have attained a significant level of expertise or field of speciali"ation in mar!eting, business development or its related disciplines. I intend to share years of practical and theoretical !nowledge with my wor! colleagues, fellow industry practitioners and possibly with the academic community abroad and.or in the 1hilippines. Priority Area D: So!ia Res'onsi(i ity an$ P"( i! Ser)i!e rom the foregoing, I ac!nowledge that achieving my professional and education-related goals would not only be for my own personal gain. 2ather, it is apparent that the only way to ma!e a significant impact on the lives of others is to share one+s talents and s!ills towards achieving not only your own growth potential, but those of other people as well. In this regard, I believe it is my inherent responsibility to give bac! to society what society has generously allowed me to experience. or instance, I have had the privilege of obtaining a good public education but I reali"e that there is still much room for improvement. I would therefore li!e to ta!e an active role in contributing to developing a more relevant, practical and socially responsive business education in the 1hilippines. I can do this by sharing my talents, s!ills, and experiences with the academic community either by teaching and.or collaborating with my contacts in the academe for research wor!, scholarship programs, fellowships, and the li!e. /ithin the next five years, I intend to explore avenues for better cooperation between the business and academic sector by 6brainstorming6 with my own networ! of contacts and affiliations on how we can facilitate mutually beneficial collaborative activities. I believe I am now in a position to even encourage international exchanges and to see! ways and means to establish stronger lin!ages with foreign entities %i.e., academic and research institutions, funding or donor agencies, even the private sector(. /ithin the next ten years, while I see myself as based overseas, I would li!e to believe that my desire to render public service would remain relevant. *s cited previously, this can be facilitated by closely wor!ing with contacts in the 1hilippines or elsewhere. I was particularly inspired by the selfless efforts being pursued by a distinguished professional who started her career in the 1hilippines but is now based in Canada. 7espite her very hectic personal and professional schedule in what people might call a 6land of plenty6, she ma!es a conscious effort not to miss her annual trip to ,eyte to loo! after the scholars she is supporting out of her own resources. I am planning to follow in her footsteps, albeit with a few modifications, believing that regardless of where you are and whatever your circumstances are, you

can still find some good reason to go bac!, remain a useful and progressive member of the local community and erstwhile contribute to sustainable social development. /ithin the next twenty five years, I would have returned to the 1hilippines to continue pursuing my personal mission of leaving a lasting legacy by sharing whatever talents, s!ills or resources I have to what I believe is among the most worthy of social causes - education. /hile pursuing my professional career, I intend to teach and share my experiences with the next generation of professionals, and hopefully instilling in them the same values and ideals that society has allowed me to inculcate. Priority Area E: Artisti! I shall continue ma!ing significant artistic contributions to my cultural group, the 0anda 8awayan, %a unique orchestra playing bamboo instruments( so that we can further improve ourselves to becoming a world-class performing ensemble, maintaining a unique niche in promoting ilipino ingenuity through music while at the same time, serving as ambassadors of goodwill to ilipinos %at home and overseas( and to the global community. *s a personal goal, I would li!e to leave a lasting legacy to the group that has allowed me to broaden my hori"ons %literally and figuratively(, and has contributed significantly to my personal growth. Milestones and Timeframe /ithin the year, I plan to get actively involved in commemorating our &' th anniversary by mobili"ing fellow group members and our benefactors %e.g., the band+s alumni, the school, the 7epartment of #ourism, the Cultural Center of the 1hilippines, our networ! of contacts in the 1hilippines and abroad( and engaging myself with the *d 9oc committee that will map out the plans and activities for this year+s celebrations. /ithin the next few months, we will identify specific milestones %e.g., a concert, a &'-year anthology, a grand homecoming and reunion, etc.( and encourage all members to participate. /ithin the next five years, I intend to contribute to enhancing the existing training program for the new batch of member-musicians by adopting a hands-on approach to such aspects as stage performance, social graces, group dynamics and interaction, creative production management, among others. ,i!ewise, it is also within this time frame that, in collaboration with fellow alumni, we would reactivate the networ! of contacts and come up with sustainable programs to achieve continuous growth %e.g., activities as an outreach program for schools, a C7 compilation of the !ind of music we perform, etc.(

/ithin the next ten years, to actively engage myself in planning and implementing a ten-year program that will expose the group to prominent local and international performances, possible artistic collaboration with other performing artists at home and abroad, and helping train 6sister cultural groups6 based in 1:1 )anila and other 1:1 campuses in the 1hilippines. ;uch activities I believe I can still help carry out even when I am based abroad. /ithin the next twenty five years, to fulfill a lifelong commitment of sharing my s!ills and talents to the group, and influencing future generations to espouse the same "eal and enthusiasm to promote the group+s welfare and continued growth. Priority Area F: Finan!ia /hile I ac!nowledge that financial security and having adequate resources is a goal in itself, I thin! of it more as a means to achieving my other goals in life. ,i!ewise, my personal financial goals are essentially lin!ed with how my professional career will develop in the short- and long-run. I always remind myself that one should not live beyond one+s means. #herefore, prudent use of financial resources is in order. /ithin the next two years, I intend to continue saving for future needs - home improvement, acquiring physical assets, while at the same time having enough disposable income to presently en-oy the fruits of my labor %e.g., through occasional out of town trips with family or friends, pursuit of personal hobbies or interests, etc.( and to maintain a comfortable, albeit modest, lifestyle. /ithin the next five years, I would have finished paying my pension plan and have started subscribing to a more comprehensive life insurance plan. 0y this time, my salary range is such that it will allow me to finance, at least in part, travel and other related expenses to pursue my career and.or education goals %refer to Priority Areas B and C(. /ithin the next ten years, my financial resources will help me sustain a modest and decent lifestyle abroad, while continuing to set aside some resources for the future %i.e., retirement and as a means to reali"ing my other goals(, and to pursue personal interests such as traveling and sustaining personal, professional and social contacts.

/ithin the next twenty-five years, I would have saved enough to be able to return to the 1hilippines for good and en-oy a comfortable and fulfilling lifestyle that would extend towards retirement. Priority Area G: P*ysi!a + Menta * sound mind and a sound body complement a sound spirit. #o be able to carry out my goals in life, I should possess all three. *s in my financial goals, physical goals are also a means to be able to realistically achieve my other goals. /ithin the next two years, I shall continue subscribing to a physical development program that will establish a health regimen suited to my lifestyle. )eanwhile, as I have indicated previously on 1riority *rea C, I intend to enroll in personal development programs that would stimulate the mind towards a more positive outloo! in life. /ithin the next five years, I expect to have mastered the discipline of at least one sporting or physical activity. I plan to gather relevant information, consider referrals and advice from those engaged in such activities and decide which one I should focus on. /ithin the next ten years, I intend to continue subscribing to a healthy and active lifestyle. /ithin the next twenty-five, I would be en-oying the benefits of a strong mind and a strong body and continue to do so even towards my retirement. Priority Area G: P eas"re #raveling has always been a pleasurable activity for me. <ot only do I get to actually see the places I -ust hear about, but also more importantly, it has broadened my hori"ons in more ways than one. 9aving been exposed to a profuse mix of faces and places through the wor! I do and through performances in the 1hilippines and abroad, I have promised myself to ta!e advantage of any opportunity that will allow me to travel. /ithin the next five years, I intend to travel extensively to the 1hilippines, whether for business or pleasure, and see for myself what our seven thousand and more islands can offer. /ithin the next ten years, I also intend to travel extensively abroad and en-oy multi-cultural exchanges, so long as time and resources would permit. I shall continue to do so even up to the next twenty- five years, in line with a lifelong commitment to learn about and conquer new frontiers, as did the bold explorers of old did. CAVEAT If, for reasons beyond my control, any or all of the !ey career and life goals stipulated above could not be achieved, I shall ta!e it upon myself to review and re-assess such goals and fine tune them so

that they remain consistent with my personal vision and mission. I would li!e to believe one can never really be too sure about what the future has in store and in that respect I shall remind myself to savor each and every experience, re-oice and give glory to my Creator for every successful goal reali"ed or milestone achieved, observe patience and resilience for every setbac! experienced, and carry on with my -ourney !nowing that God is always loo!ing after me. POSTSCRIPT /hen I was writing this, I was reminded of a movie I saw bac! in the early =>>'s called 67efending ?our ,ife6, a heartwarming, feel-good movie which tal!s about the afterlife in a not-sopreachy manner. * synopsis, if you please@
"Daniel Miller's got it all--great friends, a terrific o!, and a !rand-new BM"--that is, #ntil he crashes the car into a !#s as soon as he dri$es it off the lot% Daniel finds himself in &#dgment City in the afterlife, where the newly dead ha$e fi$e days to defend the way they li$ed their li$es in order to !e allowed to mo$e onward instead of going !ac' to earth to li$e another one% As Daniel re$iews his less-than-co#rageo#s life, he also en oys the per's of &#dgment City--the Past Li$es Pa$ilion, all the food yo# can eat witho#t any ris' of weight gain--and &#lia, the woman he's waited all his life to find% B#t if he can't pro$e his life wasn't go$erned !y fear, Daniel has to go !ac'--and &#lia seems a shoo-in to mo$e onward%("

$f course, the movie ended on a positive note and it made me thin! that if I were in 7aniel )iller+s predicament, would I have 6defended my life6 as convincingly as Aulia didB /ould I be able to categorically declare that I was guided by a career and life plan to prepare myself for Audgment CityB /hen that time ever comes, I hope I would. )a!ati City =C )arch 4'=5

)rom the *otten Tomatoes mo$ie we!site synopsis - http+,,www%rottentomatoes%com,m,Defending-o#rLife(./01(.,a!o#t%php