My IT Practicum II Experience
My IT Practicum II Experience
By: Nicole Bernal Marcial
On-the-job training is a
time-efficient and cost-effective method of training and developing employees,
utilizing a company’s internal resources, knowledge, and talent. As a training
program for students, OJT is designed to immerse learners in work environments
relevant to their area of study in an attempt to learn knowledge on,
productivity in, and respect for the workplace. Beyond helping students apply
the principles, ideas, and theories learned in the classroom, it enables them
to level up their technical skills, knowledge, and attitude towards work. In addition, On the job training is a program
that students take to gain hands-on experience in the workplace and increase
employability. It is a meticulously structured plan with clearly outlined
phases and procedures that need to be adhered to.
As I define what is OJT and the essence of having the training as a college student, my On-the-Job training was a bit different than the others. It all started when I was selected as a student volunteer for the Gordon College 18th Commencement Exercises, as the pandemic started. I was told by Mr. Joseph Angelo Pusing if I am willing to render service as a graphic artist for the GC Graduation Exercises 2020. I did not hesitate to agree giving my approval with his request and proposal regarding the said event and for rendering OJT hours. Also, in this momentous event, it was also my first time giving my service to my institution and show my skills as a graphic artist. Being in this situation, this is also the time that I felt the passion of being a graphic and layout artist, and also by being a servant for the institution.
I can say that this event
helped me a lot of what I am in today’s time. This event was also the foundation
of my training experience of being a professional after I completed my academic
journey in Gordon College. The Gordon College 18th Commence
Exercises experience was a bit mixed-emotions and nervous experience for me,
because it was my first time working with Mr. Pusing and be a graphic artist
who will work with other students. At first, I said to myself that I can
overcome the nervousness that I felt that time, and I will take the situation
as a challenge to myself as I show my learnings and skills that Gordon College
CCS taught me in my academic journey. This experience taught me learnings that
I can use to improve myself, not just in technical skills of designing, but
also being a professional individual working with different types of other
professionals. In this training experience, I also learned the fundamentals of
being in the team that handles a big and memorable event for the institution. I
never felt that it was for rendering OJT hours, but I felt the passion of
rendering the service and working with other professionals that can help improving
myself.
Gordon
College 18th Commencement Exercises is the first time that I started
accumulating and rendering OJT hours through the means of serving and showing
my skills as an individual, student, leader, IT professional, and an artist.
Since then, there were several events that has been offered and proposed to me
for being part of the technical working group. Some of it was Gordon College –
College of Allied Heath Studies BSM and BSN Clinical Commencement 2020, Gordon
College 19th Commencement Exercises, Gordon College – Senior High
School 4th Graduation Ceremony, Gordon College – World Teacher’s Day
Celebration 2021, Gordon College CAHS BSN 21st Capping, Pinning and
Candle Lighting Ceremony, Gordon College – Institute of Graduate Studies 11th
Commencement Exercises, and other institutional events and programs. I’ve been
a graphic artist, lead graphic artist, virtual events manager, technical for
virtual events, editor, and etc. for those events that we handled. I am very
grateful that I was been selected to be part of those institutional and
memorable events because it serves as a training ground for me, not just to
showing my technical skills, but also to show how I improved since the first
day I started in college.
In
this kind of setting, my OJT was different to other students in my institution.
Even though it was a bit unique than the others, the same process of learning
and improving as a student was also there. I learned a lot of technical skills
like editing, managing, handling a virtual event, leading a team, a etc., but importantly,
I learned a lot of interpersonal skills and learnings that I can use even outside
the institution. This OJT setting that I’ve been into impacted astounding
learnings and made me the person who I am today. I can say that this one of the
true meanings of training.
One
of the memorable events that made me realize that I improved a lot, and I am
not doing the service just for the OJT hours that will be credited, was the
Gordon College 23rd Founding Anniversary and the Gordon College
Accreditation 2022. Just like the first event that was proposed to me by Mr. Pusing,
I did not hesitate to agree to be part of this events. Gordon College 23rd
Founding Anniversary was a fun and challenging experience for me as I serve for
being the graphic artist and member of the technical committee for the said
event. Gordon College Accreditation 2022 is the event that made me realize the
real meaning and purpose of what I am doing for the institution.
Aside
from these events, I also rendered OJT at The Prodigal Developers Inc. (TPD). I
entered TPD last May 2022 to render 50 OJT hours to acquire knowledge beyond
the institution, and to have insights and learnings through the means of seeing
the IT industry environment. At first, I am very nervous as I did the interview
for the internship
way back May 2022. The Prodigal Developers Inc. was into
game development, and I am not. But I said to myself that just like the first
time I agreed to those events proposed to me, I will take this as a challenge
and a training ground for new learnings that I can use for improving myself.
Luckily,
I was accepted in the company as one of their frontend developers and designing
artists. And the first task given to me as their intern was to draw some
concept arts. It was very exacting for me because I am not good at hand
drawing. This task also demands skill of imagination and creativity. As I finish
this task of drawing and creating bunch of concept arts, I learned how to be patience
and think clearly to finish and accomplish an assignment such as this duty. It
also tested my creativity capacity and made me think beyond my imagination
capability as an IT individual.
Being in The Prodigal Developers Inc., it serves as an environment/platform for me to see what would it looks like if I work someday in the Information Technology industry. It shows me how treat and work with other individuals with higher positions and also with your colleagues. I also learn that teamwork is one of the essential aspects as you work in a company like TPD.
Today,
as I write this reflection, I am excited to show the world of the learning I
have got in my training experience in college. I am also grateful that I have
experienced those things. If I did not undergo with those training journeys,
Nicole Marcial will not be Nicole Marcial as who he is today.
IT
Practicum II was not about gaining and acquiring OJT hours to comply, as it was
one of the requirements in college to pass. IT Practicum II was a great
platform for us to be trained and improve ourselves, not by the means of listening
in a classroom, but in showcasing and improving your soft and hard skills
through the daily life setup and scenario of being an IT individual.
I
am very thankful to my institution, Gordon College, for molding me through their
course path. Just like what I have said, I will not be me today, if not because
of Gordon College. I would also like to extend my utmost gratitude to my dear
college, College of Computer Studies, and to my college dean, Dr. Erlinda Casela
– Abarintos, for giving me the opportunity to give my service, show my talents
and skills, and most importantly, for building and teaching Nicole Marcial life
learnings that he can use as he leaves the academic institution. In addition, I
would also like to give my appreciation to my assistant dean, Prof. Ronnie D.
Luy, for supporting my academic decisions as I take my journey and have my
training in college. I would also like to mention and give thanks to my program
coordinator, Mr. Joseph Angelo Pusing, for believing for the potentials of
myself as an IT student and also as an individual.
Trainings
like this in college helps a lot to us, students, as we depart and make our own
part in the industry outside the academy. It helps us improve ourselves and learn
new things that we can utilize in the near future as we work for the role that
we want. My OJT / IT Practicum II experience was really full of fun, excitement,
and learnings.
On-The-Job Training or
OJT entails significant benefits that could give trainees invaluable assets for
achieving gainful employment. The training provides students the opportunity to
accurate sufficient knowledge and skills relevant to work habits necessary to
become competitive in the labor market. The training also assists individuals
in developing professionalism and interpersonal skills necessary for success in
the workplace. On-the-Job Training is one method by which students are exposed
with different work situation designed to give students an opportunity to experience
and a chance to apply the theories and computation that they have learned from
the institution. It also helps the students to acquire relevant knowledge and
skills by performing in actual work setting.
OJT
offers many aspects that may help you
as a student to know your path to take.
It offers career development, door/s to opportunities, gain competitive edge,
commencement or start on the path to your career, and etc. OJT will be your
training ground for being a employee someday. Internships are a great way to
decide what you want from your professional life.
As
I conclude my reflection, just like the introduction, I want to emphasize the real
definition of On-the-Job Training. It’s not about the hours you needed to
render for compliance. It is all about the learnings you can acquire as you
train yourself. Trainings serves as a development venue for the trainee to
learn more about his/her chosen field and practice what he/she learn from the
academy. It also serves an opportunity for improving and knowing yourself as
you set foot in being a professional. My training experience is memorable and I
will not forget all of those events and situations that made me become myself today.
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