The MMGI Career Fair 2025 made its first stop at Ateneo de Manila University, and it’s bigger and bolder than ever.
Related: Here’s What Went Down At The ADMU Stop Of The NYLON Manila Career Fair
The Career Fair is back—with a new look, a new mindset, but with the same spirit of empowering students to make wise choices in their career. Revamped as the MMGI Career Fair powered by Colgate, this three-part takeover sees NYLON Manila joined by the entirety of Modern Media Group Inc., which includes our sister brands Billboard Philippines, Rolling Stone Philippines, and Robb Report Philippines, in visiting three universities and colleges this 2025 to provide insight and opportunities that’ll help define students’ futures.
To kick things off, we return for the second time at the Ateneo de Manila University, the MMGI Career Fair partnered up with student organization Ateneo Association of Communication Majors (ACOMM) for a day of career talks, activities, and learning (the non-traditional way!). From fun activity booths to inspiring and practical talks, our day at the Ateneo was a day no one would’ve wanted to miss.
STOP, LOOK, AND EXPLORE
It was a busy, bustling day in the Ateneo, what with several org-activations and the MMGI Career Fair making for the kind of day where you’d just wish you had free cuts every class. At SEC-A Foyer, the MMGI Career Fair set up five stations students could freely explore, all while collecting freebies. The Colgate booth was eye-catching like you wouldn’t believe, all big and bright with the cutest bathroom-style photobooth station, complete with a sink, mirror, and most importantly, freebies. Students could take photos and feel a literal jolt of freshness as they were given their own windblown effect, and take home goodies that’ll keep their smiles as bright as their day.
The MMGI and Human Resources booths were also popular stops, as students scanned QRs and completed mini personality quizzes in order to score some NYLON Manila MyZines and fanzines and magazines like Billboard Philippines and Rolling Stone Philippines.
The Beedazzle booth was the stuff of every anik-anik enjoyer’s dreams. With multiple tables laid out, Beedazzle encouraged people to personalize and customize their own bag tags. They’ve got all sorts of patches to attach to their bag tag, from letters to animals to doodles. Whether student or faculty member, so many people stopped by to customize their own tag (some of them taking very long because they couldn’t decide which patches to go with!), and each one of them went home with a new, cute addition to their bags.
There was also another, traditional photobooth where students could go and take cute photos courtesy of Kodaki! Keepsakes galore, we tell you.
SHIFTING MINDSETS
By late afternoon, the sun had set, but the Career Fair was just getting started, as the main event was under way at the Case Study Room at the Social Sciences Building at the Ateneo. Seats were filled with students, mostly freshmen and sophomores who wanted to get ahead of their career-related decision-making, eager to learn about where to start through the Career Fair masterclasses.
Hosted by Ateneo student, model, host, and content creator Kaira Mack, the program started with a masterclass on confidence powered by Colgate featuring courtside reporter Vicsi Burgos, who talked about her nerve-wracking beginnings as a courtside reporter and her journey honing her confidence. She laid down some tips on getting your bearings as you start a job or a career, such as being prepared, because it’s “the one thing you owe to yourself,” and surrounding yourself with people who believe in you, but remembering that your belief matters the most. “I know now that I have myself and I have the confidence to get through anything,” she concluded.
She also emphasized the need to face a challenge head-on, especially if it involves doing what you wanted to do in the first place. “I had to face this challenge with everything I’ve got,” she said. “Because it means so much to me.”
Partner organization ACOMM also took the stage to present the different tracks available in the AB Communication program as well as their mission as the official organization for AB COMM majors.
Next, panelists and MMGI creative leads Jonty Cruz (Chief of Editorial Content of Rolling Stone Philippines), Bret Jackson (Chief of Editorial Content of Billboard Philippines), and Kenn Dimaano (Manager and Director of MMGI Media Channels) sat down with NYLON Manila Features & Pop Culture Writer Nica Glorioso (yours truly) for a Q&A about pursuing a creative career, despite all odds.
They talked about what skills besides artistic need to be honed, the benefits of partying (no, seriously, because that’s where the stories are, according to writer and editor Jonty—where the people are), how to make your work rise above content oversaturation, how hard work goes hand in hand with the fun stuff (“If a job is fun all the time, it wouldn’t be real,” Jonty said), not letting rejections be the end of your dreams and aspirations, and how to set yourself apart. “Consistency will always matter the most,” Bret says. “You need to keep going with what you’re doing… stay consistent. Simple as that.”
OWNING WHO YOU ARE
After that, we took a break for a killer Kahoot! game hosted by MMGI Senior Ad & Promo Lead Bianca Lao, where three winners scored MMGI Career Fair tote bags with a plethora of fun goodies inside, including Beedazzle patches, This&That key charms, makeup from Popique Beauty, Rom&nd, Flare Cosmetics, I’M MEME, and Careline, skincare from Cambert’s Mentholatum Acnes, and Sunnies Flasks!
Up next was TEDx speaker, content creator, and founder of Kahit Kabado, a movement helping Filipinos speak with confidence and purpose, Gianna Abao, who talked about how practicality often has to come before passion, but encouraged the students that you can have both. She also gave a few helpful, practical, and inspiring tips: “Your first job is only your starting point,” “Skills compound faster than job titles,” and “Start where you are. Return to what feels right. Begin again, Kahit Kabado ka.”
For the last masterclass, group manager for Field Operations and Special Projects of Growsari Enzo Cruz laid down some very clear steps towards acing a job interview. From sorting out your priorities (he advises to list out three priorities and one non-negotiable, for instance having being WFH, having a nearby office, or earning a high salary as your priorities and being in a mission-oriented company being your non-negotiable) to seeking job interviews in a company you’d be proud of being part of, Enzo gave plenty helpful tips that everyone appreciated.
Lastly, all our speakers returned to the stage to answer a few questions from the audience, helping them deal with being overwhelmed at all their options, and reminding them that they were young—they have their whole life ahead of them.
BRB, KICKSTARTING MY WORK ERA
As the program came to a close, participants received tote bags stuffed with goodies (because what’s a Career Fair without some freebies?). Each one not only took home a handful of life lessons, but they also took home travel-sized Colgate pouches, Beedazzle patches, Mentholatum Acnes skincare, This&That key charms, and Careline Philippines makeup.
So, as the sun set on the Ateneo, the MMGI Career Fair sent out some students, creatives, and dreamers out into the world hopefully armed with some more wisdom. It takes a lot to chart your own path, but chasing your dreams is always worth it.
If you missed out on our Ateneo stop, worry not, because we’re headed to the University of the Philippines and the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde next!
Photos by Joshua Navato, edited by Gelo Quijencio and James Jacinto.
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