Cute Crumpler Accessories: The Carrot, Limpet, and Noose

My confession: I love Crumpler products, but I do not own any product from their store. If you're like me, I guess we have the same reason -- the prices are a bit steep. But let's give it to them, because their products are well manufactured and the materials used are of superb quality.

Oh, I seemed to have forgotten to put the word "...yet" after the phrase "but I do not own any product from their store" above. Because yes, I now have three Crumpler accessories. They are called the Crumpler Carrot, Limpet, and Noose. Not only their names are catchy, but the items themselves are really cute! I'll just keep my eyes closed when it comes to the pricing.

So what are they specifically?

First up is The Noose. The packaging says it is a camera wrist strap that can perhaps be attached to only DSLRs, as they have wider holes where the strap's end can be looped into. However, I'd say be creative and resourceful. If you have any other item apart from a camera where The Noose can fit, go ahead and use it for whatever purpose that suits you.

The strap has a thick fabric, but still weighs very light. Big hands will not be a problem as it is adjustable.  And if you want to store an extra memory card, just open the button lock (in red above) and you'd see a small pocket there. This Noose accessory is priced at Php850.00.

We move on to The Carrot. It's essentially a holder for pens, highlighters, erasers, rulers, brushes, etcetera. The fabric used is very durable and the whole thing was stitched very well. There's a hole on the top portion where the zipper closes, so you can hang it on your desk hooks or put color-coded identifiers, so as not to be easily stolen. 

The Carrot comes in three variants -- red with black (pictured above), yellow with black, and pink with purple. The price tag may come of a bit high at Php950.00.

Lastly, here's The Limpet. I don't know why they gave it such a bizarre name, but this accessory is a bag tag that hangs on your luggage or pouches. Simply pull out the card in the middle to reveal details about the bag owner.

Apart from the design pictured above, The Limpet is also available in gray-base with pink and yellow graphics and plain black-base with a red strap. Selling price of this item is Php750.00.

All three Crumpler accessories are available only at Crumpler Bonifacio Highstreet, Crumpler SM Megamall, and Crumpler Trinoma.

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Globe's CloudFone Temptation Is Affordable and Tempting

Globe has always been thinking of ways to lower down the rates of their phones and services to be as affordable as possible to all classes. Part of this strategy was the launching and offering of two Android phones namely CloudFone Ice and CloudFone Temptation.

In this review, I'll tackle the CloudFone Temptation, which features a combination of a full QWERTY keyboard and a 2.6-inch capacitive touchscreen, truly a Touch and Type kind of phone. As I look at the box of this phone under the light, I can see that it has been repackaged from carrying the brand Huawei U8350 Boulder to what it's called as CloudFone Temptation. 

Unboxing the CloudFond Temptation, we see the actual handset, battery, headset, warranty card, manuals, charger, and a USB cable that doubles as a charger adapter and a means to connect the smartphone to the computer. Pretty basic, yet packaged very well in a compact, white box.

Just by looking at the CloudFone Temptation's box, it actually tempts a consumer to buy it by listing down the basic applications that comes with it. For businessmen, there's a means to access Google Docs, Google Maps, and Email. For the social-networking fanatics, there's the renowned Facebook, Twitter, and Foursquare. For the young at heart gamers, playing Angry Birds, Texas Hold 'Em, and Pool Master Pro won't be a problem. And because it's on Android 2.2 (Froyo), there are multitudes of applications downloadable via the Android Market. Its internal memory is 512MB, but can be added with up to 32GB of microSD memory card.

At first glance, the size and look of the phone can be mistaken as the BlackBerry 9900. The keypads are almost the same, except for the addition of Home and Universal Search buttons. The center section allows a four-way navigation, which we can use to scroll and slide apart from the use of the touchscreen. At 105 grams, the phone feels very light and solid. 

The sides of the CloudFone Temptation is surrounded by gray semi-steel texture, while the keypad section in front and the whole back part are all made of black matte-finish texture. The left side of the phone does not have any button or port, while the right side holds the volume control. On top are the headset jack, charger port and power button, and the bottom part actually has the mouthpiece that acts as the microphone for calls. Located at the back are the speaker and covered lens of a 3.5-megapixel camera, which actually takes considerably decent photos even at 2.8x zoom.

Running on 528 MHz processor, using the phone can sometimes have lags, but the overall experience is still smooth and fluid. On my initial use, I was surprised to see the icons used in this phone. They are very similar or exactly the same as that of an iPhone (i.e. messaging, contacts, camera, and even the music as iPod). 

The smartphone is very easy to use whether texting, browsing, calling or playing games. However, I had a difficult time swiping from left to right on the multiple-paged menu using the touchscreen. Thankfully, there's the the four-way navigation panel that makes up for it.

As with other smartphones, the CloudFone Temptation is capable of Wi-Fi, EDGE, GPRS, 3G, Bluetooth connection, FM Radio, A-GPS, and video recording. It also has a "Streams" application that allows the viewing of social networking updates in one go.

In order to use this phone to its maximum potential, I suggest subscribing to Globe's mobile internet plans and promos (SuperSurf or PowerSurf).

Globe is currently offering the CloudFone Temptation for FREE when bundled with My Super Plan 499. You can visit this link for more information. On the other hand, you can also get a CloudFone Temptation Prepaid Kit at an affordable price of Php6,990.00. The device is available in Globe Business Centers/Stores and online store.

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Share Why You QWERTY, Win a Nokia Asha Phone

I love QWERTY smartphones! I am a fan of these types of phones instead of the popular full touchscreen phones, because using QWERTY keypads is easier and faster as compared to relying on touch input.

If you're like me, this is a good chance for you to win the latest Nokia Asha Phone by just sharing your 200-word story of how the QWERTY revolution changed your mobile life. Simply answer Nokia’s question -- “How using a QWERTY phone changed my mobile life for the better?” Your story should contain your positive experiences and interesting anecdotes about using your QWERTY phone.

Mechanics are as follows:

• The contest is open to all QWERTY phone users. 
• Your essay should be accompanied by a photo in JPEG format of yourself and your QWERTY phone.
• Send your entry via email to [email protected]

The entries will be judged according to: Uniqueness (40%); Relevance (30%); and Visual Quality of Photo (30%). Deadline of submission of entries is on December 30, 2011.

The top four entries that will struck the judges with their interesting stories and the most creative photos will win the following:

• Nokia Asha 200 for the 3rd prize;
• Nokia Asha 303 for the 2nd prize;
• A pair of Nokia Asha 200 for the 1st prize; and,
• A pair of Nokia Asha 303 for the grand prize.

What are you waiting for? Join and win!

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Brain-Enhancing Games to Preserve Youth

Apple’s iPad is a gift from heaven, because it not only replaces the laptop for simple-to-do tasks, but also gives fun and entertainment through its wide selection of games.

While most of the games use our brain power to strategize the feat, some games are really built to train our minds. So instead of playing non-sense games, here are five addicting iPad apps that can keep our minds sharp as a tack.

Words With Friends or Scrabble

If you love puzzle-based games with words as the main meat of the dish, these two games are sure hit for you. It uses ones stock of vocabulary and creativity to form words thru trial and error in order to win the game. Both apps challenge your brain to produce words and at the same time find the most high-scoring spot to put the letters into.

Boggle

The original and ever-popular word search game is also in the iPad. What sets the difference of this game to Scrabble and Words With Friends is its countdown feature, which adds to the pressure of getting the most number of words in such a short time.

You can either play by yourself or challenge your friends to boggle with you. At the end of the game, you can then select from the list of words played and get the definitions from the built in dictionary lookup capability.

iAssociate

From the name itself, this is a game of word association. You have to figure which words or phrases are associated to each other given a general theme. This app really stirs the mind. It makes you think about things you have probably learned in elementary or the experience you had in a particular situation. Everything can be an answer to that next blank.

The Magic Egg

Remember the childhood days when you were asked to shoot stars, triangles, squares, etc. into a cube with holes? This game is almost like that, but a bit different. You need to solve tangrams by using several flat shapes to put together in order to form a specific figure.

Brain Challenge

If only real-life education could be as fun as this brain trainer, everyone would have enjoyable time learning. This app is a complete brain training program that covers all aspects of the brain – math, visuals, logic, memory, and focus – with the help of a virtual coach. The app is capable of tracking and monitoring your training progress with detailed stat charts.

Remember that the brain is the most powerful tool we have, so let’s fight its boredom and laziness by training it as often as we can. Just like our bodies, our brains need exercise to stay in shape. Maintaining it simply involves completing small exercises without pain, stress, and boredom. That’s why we need these games as vitamin boosts for our brains in order to keep it alert.

With the iPad very portable and handy, we can use these games to engage in fun brain exercises whenever and wherever we want to. Enjoy!

Can you recommend other brain teaser apps?

This article is my 40th contribution to Manila Bulletin -- one of the Philippines' leading broadsheets -- published on October 24, 2011 (Monday) in the TechNews Section. You can view the PDF version here.

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New Improved Fit 'n Right Promotes The Science of Sexy

Health and wellness -- these are two very important words we strive to have every single day. I myself am trying to keep my body fit by going to the gym as much as I can. However, when the buffet table is set in front of me, there goes my binge eating. And the equivalent of that? More calories that eventually become fats when not burned.

Advances in science have made us know more about how our bodies work, and how to lose and keep off excess weight.  The discovery of more body-friendly food ingredients that make us able to stave off disease and keep our weight down is also on the rise, making health and well-being a simple yet oftentimes difficult choice to make.

Hosts: Jinno Rufino and Tricia Chiongbian; Guests Barney Alejandro, Raul Banzon, and Rajo Laurel

You know what? It's all a matter of controlling oneself from eating too much or too little, and from working out too much or very rarely. From the Fit 'n Right event I've attended a few days back, I learned that we must know the "Science of Sexy."

The recommended rate of weight loss is just 1-2 pounds per week. That means working in at least 30 minutes of daily aerobic activity into our daily routine is already good enough! Couple it with right diet (plug: Sexy Chef can help you!), such as lessening the daily rice intake by 1 cup (1/2 cup at lunch, and another at dinner!). These very simple steps will already make us lose 1 pound a week. 

To help our bodies to block the sugar absorption, Del Monte has recently launched the New and Improved Fit 'n Right. With the flavors Watermelon, Apple, Pineapple Orange, Four Seasons, Pineapple, each bottle now has the unique, patented formulation -- combination of L-Carnitine plus the new Green Coffee Extract (GCE). 

The Green Coffee Extract or GCE is a relatively new entrant into the weight loss landscape. It is a natural ingredient taken from unroasted green coffee beans. This ingredient is NOT present in the coffee we drink everyday, which has already been roasted, thus killing the weight loss benefits. GCE reduces our caloric intake by partially blocking our body’s absorption of sugar. The less sugar our body absorbs, the less excess calories that can turn into fat. As our bodies absorb less calories than it needs to burn for physical activity, existing body fat is also reduced.

Along with the new Del Monte Fit 'n Right logo comes a new drive to harness the science of sexy. By drinking just one bottle a day, coupled with diet and exercise, Fit 'n Right will surely amplify our weight loss efforts.

I'm leaving you with a tip: Weight is not the only measure of fitness. Remember that muscle weighs heavier than fat. Apart from monitoring your weight, it’s best to measure your waist line and check your body fat.

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Have A Merry Christmas with Mister Donut Merrygalos

Of all the holidays in a year, my favorite would be the Christmas season. Okay, I know many people also dislike it because the roads can get so cramped up, but hey, there are more positive things to say about it than the negatives.

I bet most of you love it too, because it's the time of the year when most us can have an excuse for binge eating, it's a season for gift-giving, and it's when we have reunions and parties to catch up with families and friends.

Admittedly, this season can get very busy. We all try to catch up with quotas and year-end reports at work, jump from one gathering to another, buy presents for loved ones, etc. - but what I like about us Filipinos is that we know how to still go out of our way to be extra thoughtful.

This is why I am glad to have met the people from Mister Donut who have bagged on this very nice trait of Filipinos and focus on how we can use their products to share the smile in every bite of their donuts. They call it Merrygalos - may smile sa bawat kagat, may regalo para sa lahat (there's smile in every bite, a gift for everyone).

As special as what we are celebrating for this holiday season, Mister Donut is also launching something special this November 19 (Saturday) in over 1,000 stores nationwide. What is it? Our well-loved donuts contained in the form of shaped tin cans and Christmas boxes, which are ready to be given as gifts! Yahooo! 

There are two designs for the tin cans - a Candy Cane with 7 Belgian Bites (Php150) and a Christmas Tree with 9 Belgian Bites (Php170). This special Christmas edition products are not just delicious, but are really affordable. You can actually give it straight to your friend right after buying it from the store. Just don't forget to put a card or a small note for your loved one, so it can be extra special for them.

I love the Belgian Bites, because it melts in my mouth! It's basically a rich donut covered with chocolates and filled with chocolates. Why don't we spread a chocolate-y Christmas to our friends and families? We'll love it even more, because it's just the right amount of sugar and sweetness - something Mister Donut has mastered as compared to other brands.

On the other hand, pictured above are the new Merry Bavarian Frost dressed up in time for this special celebration. Packaged beautifully in a colorful box with a ready-to-write on message space, each box contains 9 Junior Bavarian Donuts (Php99) topped with Chocolate, Strawberry, Caramel and Coffee Frost in festive Christmas designs.

Note that you can personalize each tin can or box with your favorite donuts flavors. For example, you can have an all Strawberry- and all Coffee-flavored box. Or you can also get the regular-sized Bavarian donuts with a fewer pieces in a box. 

Mister Donut items are not just delicious. They also symbolize fun and creativity. As such, I took time to create a simple center table decoration, which might give you an idea of how to present donuts in another way apart from just tin cans and boxes. This is one way you can prepare them during house parties.

Another simple way you can present the donuts as party food items can be this, pictured above. All I did was to top each Belgian Bites and Bavarian donuts on each other and plate them beautifully with small, colorful stones. When having a party at night, you can simple add candles around and it will create whole new look.

And of course, thanks to the Candy Cane tin can design, we can just simply put out the Belgian Bites from the can and put them on small plates, then use the can itself as Christmas decoration. Simple as that. It's very colorful and sturdy. How cool, right? For a small amount, you already have something to eat, which can also double as a decor. 

Since Mister Donut's Merrygalos aims to spread smile in each bite of the donuts, I brought them to the office to share with my teammates. Boy they were so happy with the colors and the taste! Pictured above are Anna, Jin, and Ted having their take on the Belgian Bites.

Meanwhile, here are Kathy, Apollo, and Rich munching on the Belgian Bites while chit-chatting. See, simple donuts like this can bring people together in small gatherings, and at the same time give smile to their faces and tummies.

Quoting some of them:

• Apollo said, "Ang sarap ng donut! Sakto for dessert! Also, para na siyang gift box, so if you want to give it to somebody, ready na siya and pleasing."
• Anna commented, "It's very yummy! Not too sweet. The boxes look very Christmas-y too!"
• Jin exclaimed, "It's very chococate-y! It's like I'm eating a small cake already. It's not dry and tastes delicious. The boxes are cute too!"
• Rich on the tin cans and boxes, "They're cute. Ok siya pang-simple na Christmas gift na hindi magmumukhang cheap."

It's no joke to say that these Mister Donut Merrygalos offerings get two thumbs up from me. They're delicious, affordable, and very Christmas-y. It's really very appropriate for this special season. Go ahead and visit the Mister Donut branch nearest you or visit the Mister Donut Facebook Page or tweet them at @MisterDonut_PH for more information.

You saw how I made use of the donuts to make it even more presentable. Have you had your own donuts and would want to present it in another way, how would you present them? Share your ideas below. Enjoy!

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Iloilo City: Mama's Kitchen Crunchies and Chewies for Pasalubong

A few months ago, I did told you of my experience eating at Breakthrough Seafood Restaurant in Iloilo. This time around, I'd like to share one more delicious thing. When in Iloilo and looking for great pasalubong items for your loved ones back home, I highly recommend Mama's Kitchen.

It may seem like Mama's Kitchen is a name for a restaurant, just like some of those we have hear in Manila. But in actuality, it's just an ancestral house carrying a variety of "crunchies" boxed in different colors for its different flavors/types.

The last time I visited, which is around August or September, these are the flavors and the prices:

• Cashew Crunchies - Php135
• Tsokolate Cashew - Php120
• Mango Chewies - Php120
• Tsokolate Crunchies - Php110
• Tsokolate Pinipig - Php110
• Pinipig Crunchies - Php100
• Peanut Crunchies - Php100

Crunchies are basically thinly-baked cookies that have a crunchy texture, while Chewies are the thicker ones that are softer and more chewable. Depending on the flavor's name, you'd be able to eat bits of mango on each piece of Mango Chewies, pinipig bits on Pinipig Crunchies, and so on.

The product is actually very simple, yet they taste so delicious. Among my favorites from Mama's Kitchen are Pinipig Crunchies and Mango Chewies. I like it because it is not too sweet and I love the pinipig/mango bits in it.

And by the way, the same house that sells Mama's Kitchen products also offers items made of Sinamay or simply known as abaca.

Mama's Kitchen
16 Osmena St., Arevalo, Iloilo City
Tel. Nos. (033)3374221, (033)3360713
Mobile No. (0920)9506404

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Philfire Protect+ Gets Apple Gadgets Covered

Let's face it -- whoever you are, whatever you do, or how careful you are -- something will always happen to your gadgets. Tell me you've never had to repair your laptop, desktop or any other electronic device you might own and I'd call you a god.

If you're one of the unluckier ones, you've probably had accidents causing permanent damage to your things. What's worse, you might have experienced your things being stolen. Don't worry, we've all been there. It has all happened to me as well.

The hard thing is that after all these, you have to shell out several bucks to have gadget mishaps repaired. Who wants to spend for repairs? No one! It costs a lot to get things repaired!

A small problem such as a damaged screen requires you to replace the whole thing. And LCD's don't come in that cheap. So what do we do? Let it slide? Case in point, I had a friend who endured a month looking at a cracked laptop screen because he didn't want to pay to get it fixed. Sometimes, getting it repaired costs more than buying a new one! If only money grew on trees.

Thank goodness there's Protect+ from Digital Hub and Philfire Insurance. It is an insurance that covers your Apple gadget (Macbook, Macbook Pro, Macbook Air, iMac, iMac Mini, iPad, iPod). This means that if you have Philfire Protect+ for your Apple product, the insurance will shoulder the cost of the repair or the replacement of the equipment.

Note that it DOES NOT replace Apple Care, but rather is an extension to it that covers 12 months protection from theft and 12 months protection from accidental damages (for standard repairs and unit replacements). Never worry about getting your gadget repaired or stolen again. Isn't that something we would love to have?

Be in the know of fine prints, though, as the insurance dictates that it is only paying for maximum of two (2) repairs during the period of coverage. Also, they offer this to any Apple products EXCEPT for iPhones. 

But the nice thing is, they're giving a FREE 30-day trial for any Apple products bought from Digital Hub. You can avail of the trial within 7 days of purchase.

Protect+ has flexible terms when it comes to duration of coverage and payment of premiums. For more details and pricing, you can go to any Digital Hub stores or check out  the Digital Hub Facebook Page or Beyond the Box Facebook Page.

Editor's Note: This article was written by Jemie Que, a special writer and contributor of Glich's Life. Revisions were done by yours truly prior to posting. You can follow her on Twitter (@jamminjem) - Glenn / Glich

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BlackBerry Curve 9360 Now in the Philippines

Behold, the BlackBerry Curve 9360 has landed the Philippines via carriers and authorized retail channels at an SRP of Php16,990. This is an upgrade of the previously loved BlackBerry Curve 8520 and 9300.

For those who witnessed the launching of the BlackBerry Bold 9900 a few weeks ago, you might have decided to switch to BlackBerry because of its elegance and powerful communications features. However, one thing keeps you from doing so -- the price.

But with the BlackBerry Curve 9360, not only do you get the a great device for your usual mobile phone usage, but also the capability of exchanging messages in a faster and more efficient way through the use of BBM. Social networking applications are also there to help you connect with loved ones wherever you are.

Hastings Singh, Vice President of South Asia at RIM commented, “The new BlackBerry Curve 9360 is a stunning, easy-to-use smartphone that will appeal to Filipino customers who want to stay socially connected. The Curve family of smartphones has been very popular in the Philippines and we expect the new BlackBerry Curve 9360, with all of its major enhancements, to be well received by new customers as well as existing BlackBerry Curve users looking to upgrade.”

BlackBerry 9360 Specifications and Characteristics:

• Slim, stylish and simply beautiful
• Ergonomically designed with a comfortable and iconic keyboard for fast, accurate typing and an optical trackpad for easy, one-handed navigation
• GPS and Wi-Fi support are included, as well as a 5MP camera with flash
• Allows video recording
• The microSD/SDHC slot supports up to 32 GB memory cards for additional media storage
• Built in with BlackBerry 7 OS
• Has 512 MB storage, 512 MB RAM
• Runs on 800MHz processor
• Has built-in support for NFC (Near Field Communications)

When I personally saw the BlackBerry Curve 9360, it looked very similarly to the current BlackBerry 9700 sans the keypad design, which is still the same as the Curve 8520 and 9300. It feels very light and sexy, and is very much recommendable for people who are just looking on starting their BlackBerry journey.

Give it a try and make that switch a reality. 

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Nokia N9 Available for Pre-Order

The new all-screen smartphone Nokia N9 is available for pre-order from now until November 18, 2011. Just head on to www.nokia.com.ph or http://smart.com.ph/nokia-n9/ to reserve your unit and get it ahead of everyone else. 

This high-tech phone comes in different value-laden plans from Smart. By signing up to pay Smart's Unlimited Data Plan 2000 (16gb), Unlimited Data Plan 3000 (64gb), and All-in Plan 3500 (15gb), you can get the Nokia N9 for FREE. You can also pre-order your Nokia N9 at All-in Plan 3500 with Php1,200 cash out.

What’s more, once your preorder application for the Nokia N9 is approved, you will receive a limited edition Nokia Wireless Music Receiver for FREE! This great innovation liberates your digital music libraries from mobile to home stereos using the Bluetooth technology.

With a stylish and very modern look, the Nokia N9 highlights the most important things people do with a phone: use apps, stay up to date with notifications and social networks and switch between activities through a simple gesture -- a swipe.

You can pick-up your new Nokia N9 at the Smart Wirless Center on November 21, 2011.

Just to help you further, pre-ordered Nokia N9’s are available in Black, Cyan, and Magenta.

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Truth is, I.T. degree has a whole lot more into it

Time flies so fast, especially when you are having a great time. Last October 2011, it dawned on me that I have been working for one of the biggest IT companies in the world for three long years now. I have since transferred teams from the time I entered the organization and have had experienced so many different things.

Looking back when I was in elementary, high school, and even college, taking on an IT degree seemed like it’s just all about computers, programming, and software. Apparently, there’s a whole lot more into it.

Graduating from college gave a bunch of pressure in going into a great company that provides good training opportunities and compensation. When I entered my organization, that’s the time I realized that IT has a wide variety of career paths and choices. And there’s nothing to be afraid of.

Here are lessons I’d like to share.

You don’t need to be a programmer. There are many people who don’t love programming, or programming just doesn’t love them however hard work they put on it. I vividly remember telling my interviewer, “Give me any IT job except anything with programming.” It might sound stubborn, but I got hired in a matter of weeks.

Learn the basic IT and you’re good to go. Big organizations have a lot of roles that need not be an expert of anything – at least for fresh graduates. In fact, they welcome applicants even without knowledge on the technology you’re being hired for. You just need to have the base knowledge and discipline of IT and eventually just learn the technology through trainings.

Remember important things from your courses. Companies do not expect you to remember everything you’ve studied for the last 14 years. However, I would suggest remembering only the most important concepts from a select number of courses you have taken. You’d realize that it will come in handy as you work up the corporate ladder.

There’s more than just hardware and software. Whatever suits your personality and working preferences, you would surely find the right role for you. Good at organizing, managing clients and documents? There are Project Management roles. Excelling in development? You may choose to be a Software Developer. Inclined towards implementing IT projects through system configuration and testing? Several Project Implementation roles are available. Want a resolver/contact center setup of different levels? You’re assured to find Support roles. And the list goes on.

Even non-IT graduates get to land jobs in an IT organization. As a fresh graduate, you don’t have to fear. What companies usually look at are the personality and characteristics more than just grades. Learn the discipline that education gives and finding a job will be a breeze.

This article is my 39^th contribution to Manila Bulletin -- one of the Philippines' leading broadsheets -- published on October 17, 2011 (Monday) in the TechNews Section. You can view the PDF version here.

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