Chapter Two: Assessment of the OJT Program

1. What have I learned from the experience? (Technical)

On-the-job Training is part of a college curriculum that aims to train and
orient students about the work and their future career. It is also a type of skills
development program where I learn how to do the work through hands – on
experience but due to the pandemic it made virtually all of the interactions and
assigned tasks. Internships are one of the best ways I can experience the
workforce without all the extra responsibilities or commitments thus a perfect way
to get a glimpse of a certain industry. In addition, it also equips me with the
necessary skills needed in the future hence I am exposed with different work
situation designed to give me an opportunity to experience and a chance to apply
the knowledge that I have learned from the school.
Furthermore, I’ve learned a lot of things in more than 240 hrs. of on – the
– job training but I’ve noticed that there are still other things that I have to
improve such as my communication skill but more importantly the real work
application of all the lessons and knowledge I have acquired in my
undergraduate which is technically necessary for all of the problem solving and
computation present in every assigned task that I have. Aside from work
experience, it gives me an opportunity to acquaint in the real professionals and to
meet people having different positions in the company, either high or low. Being
part of the company, I have encountered different types of people that really help
and guide me with what I am doing. The training helps me to adjust with the
environment as I am exposed to a different kind of new normal and even though I
am not exposed to actual office environment but I have realized what I really
want even before the time I graduated. I gain knowledge, learn new skills and
met different people which I can say that my personal experience here in
Rogationist College provides everything not just for the real world of securing an
employment but for me to look forward to after my graduation. Someday I may be
one of those applicants who are trying to seek a good job and not just a good job
but also a good company like Rogationist College.
 Indeed, through this OJT I have acquired relevant knowledge and skills by
performing all of the required work and task that is expected of me for an entire
week which is truly important because it does not only to teach me regarding the
chosen career but also show the reality about working. I become more
familiarized with all the software, reports and financial statements that are not
broadly discussed during class hours making me more aware of the things that I
should be considering in this king of work that I will be having in the future. The
training that I have in the company truly exposed and let me explore the work of
a real accountant which is primarily concerned with all the transactions of the
company as well as its daily operations. With all the remarks that my supervisor
gave me each week regarding the work that I am doing, it was such of great help
to really improve myself more each day with new learnings that is applicable not
just in the entire duration of my internship but also as I pursue the same career.
Moreover, the real lesson that I have gained through this experience is
that it is not enough that I only have this basic knowledge with regards to my
career but cannot incorporate it through the work and task that is assigned to me.
This entire internship trained me to become more adaptable to changes in the
mode of work as well as create more opportunities to learn and acquire new
knowledge and skills which at some point I do lack with application but with the
training and practice that I have I was able to integrate all of the problem solving
and computation skills that I have enhanced through different workloads and
assessments. Consequently, I have applied my computer literacy skill specifically
in excel programming as I create formulas and spreadsheets that makes my
work easier and more reliable when it comes to amount that I am computing. All
in all, I become more efficient and productive as I progress with my own work
and probably because I already learned the technicality of the job that I am
performing thus making me more adaptive to the difficulty and demand of my
supervisor each week as I submit my work on time with all the needed
requirements and reliable reports as well as financial statements. Lastly, the
whole experience really teaches and prepare me on whatever job I will be taking
 because the training is holistic to the formation and performance of the students
knowing that I am taking the same work.
2. What are my experiences with the people around me (virtually)?
Many students discovered a new type of college experience after their
campuses shut down amid the coronavirus pandemic. Tackling internships has
also become a new kind of challenge in this virtual era. As a trainee I learn how
to communicate with the people I work with and this improve my communication
skills thus boost my confidence. For many students, myself included, internships
are a vital way to learn and gain experience outside of the classroom in the fields
I am studying. For this OJT, I’m interning at Rogationist College more specifically
in their Accounting Office but despite not working in a traditional office
environment, I still wanted to make the most of the experience.
It was an interesting experience, doing a virtual internship during a
pandemic because as expected I learned a lot – about the field, about the
company I worked for, about remote work, and more generally about being a
successful intern. One benefit to this era of working remotely is how easy it has
become to reach out. At Rogationist College, our communication was done
virtually through e-mail and instant messaging which made it very easy for me to
communicate with people in different departments and positions since they were
all at home as well as to my co – interns in terms of accumulating their individual
work. The drawback of this online training is that some of the instructions are
hard to comprehend and understand due to different interpretation but with
proper acknowledgment and interaction these things can be settled. However,
the ability to reach out to so many people so seamlessly make up for that in my
mind. I've been on an on – the – job training course for almost 2 months, and one
of the hardest issues I face is how to prove myself that I am really doing the job
and that I deserve a good grade, not only to my supervisor but also to my
workmates. There are times that I’m having a hard time on expressing myself,
my thought with others because I don’t exactly know how am I going to say it in a
way that the listener could easily understand it and get my point but more
importantly, the whole OJT experiences was really a great memory to remember.
All the working days, I learn that the most important thing is the attitude, on how I
deal with the other people, it also needs knowledge and skills in analyzing the
situation or the task that has given to me.
Furthermore, the experiences I have with the people around me even
though virtually is undeniably great because it does not give hard time to connect
and interact with them since my supervisor is also one of my professors hence
my workmates are also my classmates which makes the communication and
teamwork in doing each assigned task possible for everyone of us. This
internship really let me experience and see what kind of new environment we are
facing right now due to the pandemic despite working from home there are still a
lot of possibilities on how I can be productive using the available resources that I
have. All of our deliverables are accessible through mail which makes the
communication and division of task accurately segregated for us individually. In
addition, I find it so helpful that every week before we start our OJT, we have this
meeting with my supervisor in order to discuss matters regarding the work I
submitted each week and the remarks that he is giving is truly helpful for me to
adjust and correct any mistakes that I erroneously committed with the reports
and statements assigned to me. Consequently, there are times that it is hard to
understand his instructions because some of the work needs to be on – hand
experience but it is a good thing that he entertains our personal questions and
messages regarding our work. Moreover, with regards to my communication and
relation to my workmate virtually is that they are all responsive if I have question
and more importantly during the times that I am the one assigned to gather all
our works and accumulate them in order to make the reports assigned to me.
Lastly, I can say that my OJT here at Rogationist College specifically in their
accounting department truly helps me to prepare myself for my future
employment. It also helps me to become more efficient in dealing with the people
around me because experience is the best teacher and nothing compares to the
knowledge that it can give to us. It may be hard at first, but once we learn to
appreciate and love what we’re doing, it became easier and easier every day. In
the beginning, working with people you have just first met is something different
 and something that is hard inside. On my experience I have become an
observant and a listener to the people I worked with.

3. What is the most memorable event during my OJT?

The most memorable event during my OJT is the mock interview since for
the job it is my first time having that kind of experience being interviewed and
asked questions regarding the work that I will be having. I say this is memorable
for me because I was able to overcome my shyness in speaking English since I
am not comfortable with my own communication skills but with the preparation
that I had I was able to exceed my own expectation from myself that I may fail or
not answer such simple questions. It is a good thing that the person who
interviewed me is very understanding and accommodating to the point that she
gives me tips and advices on how I can improve more my interaction and
communication skills since it is universal that I should form this connection with
the people that surrounds me especially in times that I will present to my
supervisor and to the management. I was able to consider this experience as one
of those memorable events due to the fact that it opens my mind that I still have
something to improve when it comes to my attitude and skills that is require in
this kind of internship because being an accountant of a company is never an
easy task due to its difficulty and mastery required to fulfill a certain assigned
tasks which is certainly also valid to any field of work available in our industry.
Indeed, there a lot of events and experiences that are formed through this
virtual internship that makes every learning possible and accessible to us
students which I can utilize to any job that I am taking and apply it also to my
studies as I continue up to my graduation. I may consider the first day of my OJT
as also one of those memorable events because it starts my internship
experience and I know that during those times we are already exposed to the
true nature and fieldwork of our job despite being only virtually active hence we
are oriented on the tasks and activities that we will be having in the entire
duration of the OJT. I really appreciate my supervisor during that time and the
entire internship as he constantly gives advices on how we can be a better
trainee as well as applies all the lessons and knowledge we have gained in the
classroom setting. When it comes to each remark and corrections in the tasks
assigned to me, it was such a memorable event to handle to confidential matters
and information regarding the institution’s operation knowing that it was already a
real audit work and process that I am immerse that is why I really gave my full
potential and effort to understand the work assigned to me in order to be an
efficient trainee.
In conclusion, I can say that truly this entire experience of OJT is the
memorable event because I have learned a lot of things that I could apply not just
in the time of internship but I can also bring to my future job as I take the same
field. It is important for me that each week and every different task assigned to
me is that there are new learnings and knowledge that I gain through it because
this can only prove that I am really doing the job assigned to me without any
hesitation as well as giving my best and effort to come up with all of the reports
and financial statements at the time they are needed. The experience and
involvement that I have during those last week’s knowing that I am already doing
a real audit work is also memorable for me even though its hard to understand
the over – all process but I am thankful that my supervisor is understanding to
the point that he does not pressure us on our last report since they are really the
work of an auditor. In connection to this, it was for me a memorable event
because the job was assigned to me and I know that I truly gave my best to finish
the report and the lead schedule at that time given that I am not in a good
condition because I am sick for almost 1 week but my supervisor is much
understanding of my situation and despite of my condition, I was able to pass the
report and finish my OJT on time. All in all, this internship is memorable for me
with all the learnings and setbacks that I experience which really opens myself
for the job and fieldwork that I am taking in the future.
4. What can I recommend for the improvement of the program?

Change the internship period, The University should at least adjust on the period
students go for internship especially for the account’s students. The period
should be adjusted to January since by the time the interns go to the field the
organizations are finalizing and are closing the financial year.

Constant supervision of students, the intern recommends the university to carry

out constant supervision and monitoring of students during the internship training
so as to encourage them to perform the duties fully and also accurately. This will
also put a close link between the academic supervisors and the field supervisors
so as to foster appropriate assessment of what the interns are doing in the field.

Secure Internship placements for students. The University should help students
to secure internship positions according to their respective programs undertaken
at the University through giving students recommendations in order to ease their
training periods and also avoid the ache gotten by students in search of
internship placements
Should continue with internship program, this is because it helps to prepare the
students for their careers in future and also enable the students to practice the
theoretical knowledge obtained during class be exercised practically. It also helps
to develop students understanding of work ethics, employment demands,
responsibilities and opportunities.
Allowances, the organization should give allowances to interns most especially
transport allowances to cater for transport cost most students stay far from the
internship places hence increasing my expenses. Therefore the intern
recommends the Organization to put that in to action in order to motivate interns
and boost their productivity levels in performing their tasks during the field
attachment.

Firstly, I want to suggest for the Host Company. I would like to suggest for
Human Resource to provide a meeting with student weekly or monthly to ensure
the welfare of the students are not ignored. It is important for ensuring the health,
welfare and fitness of students in the company. In fact, a lot of new information
can be obtained by the students. Besides that, I expect the company will provide
a suitable place or room for trainees so that they can have a place to do reports
and communicate with other trainees for more knowledge. Moreover, I hope
supervisors could improve motivation session to trainees so can be more
competitive and motivated. This can improve trainees’ skills, general knowledge
and expertise on certain matters

After the training, I realized that on-the-job training is not just a requirement to be
completed but it is an opportunity to show what skills, knowledge, and talents that
I have and also an opportunity to experience the feeling of being a professional
already.

It is also very warm to the heart to know that you have accomplished something
and even warmer when there are people who are so proud of what you have
done and I felt this feeling during my On- the-Job Training. It inspired me to be
more determined and competitive in everything that I do in my daily life as a
student today and as a professional someday. My On-the-Job Training is very
helpful and will be very helpful to me as I continue to take my journey as a fourth-
year student in the field of Computer Science. It really gave me a taste of the real
world – a glimpse of what lies ahead after I graduate.
5. What is my advice to those who will take their OJT in the near future?
My advice to those who will take their OJT in the near future is that they
must take their jobs seriously thus must be ready and be responsible in whatever
they may come out with for this internship will really help develop their skills in
line with the course description of an accountant or any field they are takin in.
Well, at first of being an OJT Trainee or Intern, it might come out as a new
chapter of your life because this is where you develop your confidence in the
actual prospect of work as a trainee and sometimes you desire yourself as part of
the industry that bolds yourself on how to handle such kind of work and this is
where it tests your skills and ability that is capable that suits you. As a trainee,
you must know where to place yourself and don’t make any violation or problem
to your supervisor that can cause you a bad feedback at the end of your training.
You have to do the task whatever it is assigned to you even if how hard and
difficult for you to do it and it is not good to complain on the given task for you to
do. Furthermore, I learned that as an intern we should be active and have
perseverance in your upcoming tasks because there is no impossible as long as
you give importance and appreciate your work no matter how hard it is thus
explore and try to learn new things and knowledge that can help you till your
success.
Moreover, as they progress in their internship, they should have the
willingness to work with determination without hesitations. It is good to have their
listening and Communication skills, Technical Skills working in order to have
a successful result of work but more importantly have trust in yourself to improve
self – confidence since this is a chance for you to see yourself if what things you
can do better or to exceed more, what are your weaknesses to make it your
strength. This will really help you to develop your skills and knowledge that
you’ve been learning for how many years in school. You need to be more
strategic when it comes to work, for you to do the tasked faster and properly
done well. Show them that you are not just only a trainee but you are just like an
employee that taking his/her job well done and make them proud of you. Self-
discipline is one thing that a trainee needs to improve especially when it comes
to time management because it is very important in any sector of job. In result,
the company might absorb you in the future if you have a good performance.
Lastly, focus on making the most of the learning experiences available
and communicate clearly with your new team members. Even though you aren’t
working together in person, interns can prove themselves as valuable team
members by thinking proactively about how they can approach tasks and
problems and by showing that they are able to take on additional responsibilities
and challenges. You can always send a follow-up message to clarify your
statements or ask questions if you’re confused about what is being asked of you.
Try to remember that your internship is meant to be a learning experience and
utilize it as such, rather than being critical of any setbacks that arise as you
adjust to working in a virtual workspace. Overall, I’ve found that a virtual
internship can be just as helpful as an onsite experience if you focus on the tasks
you’re assigned and communicate openly, rather than perfectly.