Fina, a recent graduate from the University got excited as soon as her phone rang. She had been waiting for a call back from a company that interviewed her a week ago. To her disappointment, the call came from an unknown company that apparently got her contact information from DLSU.
Most of the University’s graduates have experienced a similar scenario. An unknown company they did not apply to would call them for an interview or a job offer. DLSU alumna Dianne Poblete explains, “At first, I wondered where they got my number since I don’t remember applying for their companies. But some of them would mention that they got my number from the graduation list of my class.”
Though some have complained about the calls, Trish Lua, another DLSU alumna, remarks that it is not an issue. Lua further explains that it is actually a good thing since fresh graduates could find employment opportunities without looking for them. She adds, “[There’s] no need to search for jobs.”
OCCS and graduate Listing
The Office of Counseling and Career Services (OCCS) handles counseling and career development activities for students, and aims to encourage life adaptability and social integration. The office also handles the graduate list.
The core functions of the said office are to give counseling, crisis intervention, program development, career education, and job placement. The office provides career development programs and helps students tread their own career path through different career services such as the graduate listing services, resume file services, job and OJT postings, job expositions, company profile library and career education.
To acquire the graduate list, industry partners have to subscribe to the service. The subscription includes basic information, which include a graduate’s name, address, telephone, cellphone numbers, e-mail address, and degree or major. It also includes a special list of the Top 20 percent of the graduating batch per college and a memorandum of agreement (MOA). Under the agreement, interested companies have to submit documentary requirements such as company profile, company’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) registration, company website, letter of intent and the payment of the subscription package.
OCCS Job Placement Director Dr. Ma. Paquita Bonnet expounds, “Our Career Services Research Team will check if these companies are in the top 1,000 or 5,000 list of companies legally operating in the Philippines or abroad. If they are new, how they are performing in terms of salary and benefit packages for our graduates, and if they are giving these regularly to their employees,”
Around 800 companies have active subscriptions to the graduate listing.
Security and relevance
“When students apply to graduate with the Office of the University Registar (OUR), they are asked online, if they want their contact details to be part of the Graduate Listing,” Bonnet clarifies. She adds that nevertheless, many students do not pay much attention to their options.
Poblete thinks that the University may, however, have taken security for granted. She adds, “It’s possible that DLSU has nothing to do with some of the callers, for all we know, it might be from the yearbook subscription or something since they have our contact details, courses, and graduation details as well.”
To assure student security, the MOA between the University and the company stipulates that the graduate list is only for recruitment and sourcing of manpower needs. “If we get any information and feedback that the company does not abide by the provisions in the MOA, the University can go into legal action with this company and will be banned from securing another Graduate Listing,” Bonnet affirms.
She furthers that the University has a stringent privacy policy. Moreover, the MOA is binding between DLSU and the company.
The OCCS is the only office in the University authorized to release contact information of graduates because of legal implications. Poblete believes that when it comes to this matter, it should be explained clearly to students, and should not just be asked online. She asserts, “It’s not okay for me [to be releasing contact information] since I prefer jobs I really want. It’s much more irritating because irrelevant companies were the ones calling. Some were really not connected to my course.” Another DLSU alumna, Sab Arcinue, also shares the same sentiments. She said that others are even texting her and are really persistent.
The aforementioned office justifies, “Lasallian graduates are preferred in the industry and the companies are requesting the list of students who graduate per term so they can offer jobs to our graduates.”
