Learning, unlearning, relearning for the world of work
The transition from the classroom to the workplace does not happen all at once.
For some Far Eastern University students, it begins before their first day as an intern—by learning what employers expect, hearing directly from professionals, and understanding the skills they will need once they step into an unfamiliar environment.
That is the space the Industry Internship and Instruction Office (I2) hopes to address through Learning Integration for Internship in Navigating Key Competencies (LINK).
For John Oliver Brioso, director of I2, LINK is an opportunity to bring students closer to the realities of professional life before they have to navigate them on their own.
“It is an industry engagement initiative,” Brioso explained, describing how the program brings industry partners directly to campus through seminars, workshops, and interactive learning sessions.
Getting a feel for the real world
Last Sept. 25, LINK brought together 174 students from the Institute of Accountancy, Business, and Finance, Institute of Architecture and Fine Arts, Institute of Arts and Sciences, and Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management.
The students were at different points in their internship journey. Some were already undertaking their internships, while others were preparing to begin theirs the following semester.
The session included opening remarks, the introduction of the guest speaker, a talk, a question-and-answer session, a recap, and participant feedback.
But the experience was not simply about sitting through a seminar. It is designed to help students develop key competencies they can use when they enter the workplace, from preparing a résumé and understanding application screening to communicating during interviews and presenting themselves professionally.
For Brioso, the difference is in allowing students to encounter these expectations before they are faced with them for the first time.
“I think they get the feel of the real world,” he said, referring to the workplace applications and practices students may not always experience inside the classroom.
That glimpse matters.
A student can know how to write a résumé in theory, for example, but hearing from someone who works in the industry can make the expectations behind that résumé feel more immediate. The same is true for communication, interviews, presentations, and the everyday tools professionals use.
Preparing before stepping in
For students about to enter an internship, the workplace can feel like unfamiliar territory.
There are new people to work with, expectations to meet, systems to learn, and situations that cannot always be anticipated from a classroom.
Brioso believes preparation can make that unfamiliarity easier to navigate.
“I think preparation is the key.”
He added, “When you are aware of something, you are not afraid of immersing yourself.”
For him, exposure gives students something to work with before they encounter workplace situations themselves. Knowing what they might face—and what may be expected of them—can help them approach their internships with greater confidence.
But preparation does not mean students have to know everything before they begin.
In fact, entering the workplace may require them to reconsider some of what they thought they already knew.
For Brioso, that is where “learning, unlearning, and relearning” comes in.
Students bring knowledge and experience from the classroom, but professional environments can challenge them to look at those lessons differently. They may need to adjust their approach, learn from others, and become comfortable with changing what they thought they understood.
“Learning, unlearning, and relearning,” Brioso emphasized, describing the mindset students need as they move from university into the workplace.
It is not a one-time transition.
It is a process.
Hearing from someone who has been there.
That process also becomes more tangible when students hear from people who have already experienced it.
Joining the session was Mhikko Ilagan, VP for People Services at Payreto Services, Inc. and an FEU alumnus. His professional experience, together with his background as a former FEU student, gave participants a perspective that connected the university experience with the expectations of the workplace.
Ilagan spoke about practical aspects of presenting oneself to employers, including communication, introductions, and résumés.
For students approaching their first internship or job application, these details can become part of the first impression they make in a professional setting.
More importantly, hearing them from an industry professional allows students to see how skills developed in university can eventually be applied beyond campus.
Skills that follow students into the workplace
Communication was one of the competencies Brioso emphasized, alongside practical proficiency in tools such as Excel and PowerPoint.
These skills may appear ordinary in a university setting. In the workplace, however, they become part of how employees collaborate, communicate ideas, organize information, and get things done.
That is also why LINK is not simply about preparing students for their first day.
It is about helping them recognize what they still need to learn.
Brioso described students’ engagement with LINK as a process of “discovery”—an opportunity for them to gain new insights and begin looking at professional situations from a different perspective.
For students already completing their internships, that discovery can help them make sense of experiences they are currently having.
For those still waiting for their turn, it can give them a clearer picture of what lies ahead.
Taking the first step
Being part of the broader work of I2, which serves as a bridge between FEU and industry through internship placements, industry partnerships, experiential learning, and initiatives, LINK strengthen students' professional competencies and workplace readiness.
For students, however, that bridge becomes meaningful when they can begin to picture themselves on the other side.
An internship can be a student's first encounter with the pace and expectations of professional life. It can also be the place where classroom knowledge is tested, adjusted, and sometimes reconsidered.
That is why Brioso does not frame preparation as having every answer before students begin.
Instead, he hopes they carry “awareness and readiness” into whatever comes next.
Becoming a young professional does not begin when a student receives a diploma. Sometimes, it begins much earlier—in the moments when they start asking what the workplace expects, listening to people who have already experienced it, and preparing themselves for what they cannot yet predict.
Through LINK, FEU students are given an opportunity to take that first step with greater awareness—not because they already know everything, but because they are ready to learn, unlearn, and relearn as they find their place in the world of work.
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