Our Katipunan Avenue takeover continued with the second stop of the MMGI Career Fair 2025. This time, Iskos and Iskas gained fresh insights on how to slay it in the real world.
Related: At The MMGI Career Fair In ADMU, The Learning (And The Fun!) Never Stopped
When you’re busy with the never-ending deadlines and projects that come with pursuing a college education, it’s easy to forget that you’re on the verge of a completely new era of your life. So when someone hits you with the dreaded “What are your plans after graduation?” that’s when you finally realize that… You aren’t sure. OMG.
And that’s okay! Not knowing what you want for the future is alright. We get it — the real world can seem like a lot. So if the thought of parsing the language of adulthood and charting your own career trajectory is overwhelming, the MMGI Career Fair, powered by Colgate, has your back.
For this year’s edition, NYLON Manila joins our co-Modern Media Group Inc. (MMGI) titles Billboard Philippines, Rolling Stone Philippines, and Robb Report Philippines for a cross-university takeover where we give dreamers and high-achievers the tools, tips, and tricks they need to ace their professional eras.
Last November 19, we hit up the University of the Philippines Diliman, where students were treated to a full day of exciting booths and mini-games, informative masterclasses, and a whole lot of freebies.
DID SOMEBODY SAY BOOTHS?
Iskos and Iskas from all corners of the campus braved the heat and made the trek to Ang Bahay Ng Alumni, which saw many a UP-alumni-to-be get a head start on their futures.
Students milled around the booths, energized by the aircon inside the hall, stopping by the AGC Power Holdings Corp. Human Resources booth to get the lowdown on opportunities in publishing, and lining up over at the MMGI booth to score free print issues from NYLON Manila, Billboard Philippines, and Rolling Stone Philippines.
Colgate’s photo booth was definitely a scene-stealer: towering, bright red, and impossible to miss. The booth was modeled after a bathroom (with an actual sink and mirror!) and saw a non-stop flow of students stepping inside, striking a pose, and catching a gust of wind for a perfectly fresh and confident shot. It was the spot to get a major confidence boost.
The Beedazzle booth was also its own little universe of sparkle, where students buzzed with energy while personalizing their bag tags. Patches of all sorts — from race cars to magic 8-balls — were available for customization, with attendees taking their time with decorating their tags, proudly repping their most recent obsessions and even creating matching designs with their friends.
YOU CAN DO IT!
By early evening, UP students from Diliman and the Open University occupied the middle of the hall, eagerly anticipating a program chock-full of career-boosting tips and tricks.
Social media personality, content creator, and host Kobe Francisco kicked off the event, introducing the day’s first speaker, Sophia Padre. The content creator and commercial executive’s Colgate-powered talk, Debunking Confidence: Adult Edition, taught students that the best type of confidence doesn’t come from perfection, but from knowing that you put in the effort. From class recitations to office presentations, Sophia reminded everyone that “you don’t have to be the best. You just have to try your best.”
She also mentioned the importance of picking up the right habits and practices to help boost your confidence, like staying fresh and always taking care of your mental health.
After, Talent Attraction and Experience Specialist at SN Aboitiz Farrah Abello took to the stage to drop some major advice regarding the first step of the job hunt: the interview. For Farrah, acing the job interview requires intentionality. That means taking the initiative to level up your skills (“Growth only goes to the people who chase it, not the ones who wait,” she remarked) and tailoring your resume to the positions you want.
“A resume doesn’t have to be colorful or complicated. It just has to be clear, relevant, and intentional,” she revealed. Oh, also, make sure you’re not sending those resumes to just any company with an opening — Farrah also said that it’s essential to apply with purpose, and not just for the sake of applying.
CREATIVE PATHWAYS
To give the audience time to mull over all their recently-acquired career wisdom, MMGI Senior Ad & Promo Lead Bianca Lao gave attendees a quick trivia break, quizzing them on all things UP-related. Three lucky winners took home exclusive MMGI tote bags overflowing with freebies: makeup from Popique, Rom&nd, Flare Cosmetics, I’M MEME, Careline, and Sunnies Face, Mentholatum Acnes skincare essentials from Cambert, beaded charms from This&That, and patches from Beedazzle.
Now, it wouldn’t be the MMGI Career Fair without a sprinkle of MMGI knowledge from our very own creative industry insiders. For the third masterclass of the day, NYLON Manila Features & Pop Culture Writer Nica Glorioso sat down with Billboard Philippines Digital Editor Franchesca Basbas, Rolling Stone Philippines Managing Editor Christian San Jose, and Manager and Director of MMGI Media Channels Kenn Dimaano for a Q&A session that got into the nitty-gritty of breaking into the creative industry.
The trio debunked a few myths about working in the industry (“I think there’s money in the arts, but it’s not all in one place,” reflected Franchesca), gave tips on how to mark yourself safe from burnout, and discussed what makes the creative grind worth it. For Kenn, staying grounded and being true to your vision is key. “Know who you are as a creative, know who you are as a person, and know your own values when it comes to your art.”
For the final talk of the day, photographer and visual artist Ennuh Tiu treated attendees to a detailed guide on carving your own niche in the creative scene. She gave tips on how to make “strategic papansin,” AKA how to get brands to notice you (spoiler: you can slide in their DMs), how to choose your projects wisely (ask yourself if it aligns with the story you want to tell!), and how to grow as a creative.
Ennuh’s secret to artistic evolution? Collaboration. “Work with people who are more talented than you,” she reveals, “because their insight will help you develop your own voice.”
Finally, all the speakers once again took to the stage for a quick but insightful Q&A with the attendees. They were also given tokens of appreciation for the superb real-world wisdom they dished out during the day.
Other than the lessons they learned, Iskos and Iskas headed home with MMGI tote bags packed with freebies from Colgate, Beedazzle, Mentholatum Acnes (care of Cambert), This&That, and Careline Philippines. Now that’s what we call a day well spent.
REAL WORLD, HERE WE COME!
And with that, the second stop of our MMGI Career Fair in UP Diliman comes to a close. We hope everyone had as much fun as we did, and that the insights they picked up help make charting their futures a little less daunting.
Here’s to seeing the sunflowers bloom for you, Iskos and Iskas — and to crossing paths again out there in the real world. Padayon!
For our next and final stop for this year’s MMGI Career Fair, we’ll be heading to Taft Avenue for a De La Salle – College of Saint Benilde takeover. See you soon, Benildeans!
Photos by Joshua Navato. Edited by Gelo Quijencio.
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