MANILA, PHILIPPINES — In the Philippines, it is not uncommon to be served by young crew members in fast food chains, restaurants, and other establishments, as more and more students are pushed by circumstance to take up part-time jobs to support their families and their own education. In fact, in one of the biggest fast food chains in the country, McDonald’s Philippines, this is a badge worn with pride as the company proudly supports over 60,000 employees, with more than half of its restaurant teams made up of regular part-time working students. The company uplifts these students with work opportunities while they pursue higher education. This is not only to provide employment to those who need it, but even more so to champion empowerment through education. In this article, we dive into the story of three McDonald’s crew members who started out, or are currently, juggling work with university, and how the company has supported them with an employment program that fosters flexibility, training, and empowerment to suit their needs, schedules, and aspirations for the future. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vf7lA8jNqMo&t=20s On Flexibility One of the biggest challenges of being a working student is time management. With school requirements on top of class schedules, it’s difficult to manage alongside all the responsibilities of being a part-time employee, not to mention all the demands of being a crew member and interacting with countless customers everyday. With this, McDonald’s Philippines specifically tailored its employment program for working students to accommodate their availability by giving them the power to choose their shift schedules. An example of this is Ivy Asuncion, a recent graduate of Mariano Marcos State University in Batac City, Ilocos Norte, with a degree in Industrial Technology, majoring in Food Processing and Service Management. She started working in McDonald’s during her last semester in university to help pay for her education. Juggling work with her remaining two classes, Ivy was able to graduate as cum laude, complete her On-the-Job Training (OJT) in a hotel in Baguio, and learn invaluable lessons about the industry through the daily grind of being a service crew member. “Malaking bagay po lalo na sa mga student ang mabigyan ng opportunity to work in McDo. Napaka-gandang trabaho po para sa mga students kasi marami pong mga benefits na ibinibigay po ang McDo. Tulad ng 20% discount pag nag-oorder ka. May mga free meals, free uniforms. Tapos 'yung mga students ang pipili ng kanilang schedule, kumbaga ibinibigay po 'yung time availability ng student para makapag-aral habang nag-wowork,” Ivy shared. (It is a great opportunity, especially for students, to work at McDo. It is a wonderful job for students because McDo offers many benefits. For instance, there’s a 20% discount when ordering outside of work. They also provide free meals and free uniforms. Additionally, students can choose their schedules, allowing them to set their availability to study while working.) This is the case for all working students employed in McDonald’s Philippines as the quick service restaurant (QSR) giant values education and opportunity for all, ensuring that students not only have the chance to earn the means necessary for them to finish their degree, but also to excel at it. On Training It is no small feat to face hungry customers everyday and work with a team seamlessly through hours of cooking, serving, cleaning, and making sure every corner of a branch stays in tip top shape — all with a big smile on one’s face. This is especially challenging for students whose first working experience is with a QSR brand like McDonald’s. But through months and years of this routine, employees are naturally honed to learn skills along the way, with practical learning opportunities for crew members to build their professionalism, discipline, and general life and social skills. Sherinata Said, a 22-year-old part-time employee from Zamboanga who is now holding a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science, underlined this. From joining as a crew member in her third year in college, to now a graduate from Western Mindanao State University, she emphasized how her time at the branch shaped her personality now as a young adult. “At first po mahirap po talaga siya. Pero habang tumatagal po siya, parang nakukuha ko na po kung paano mag-interact ng tama. Ah, ngumiti ganyan at makikipag-interact sa customer. Halimbawa, kapag sa front counter ako, if may customer na nagtatanong, hindi na po ako nauutal. Nakikipag-usap na po ako ng direct na nakatingin sa mata. Kasi dati po hindi po talaga, nauutal po ako kapag kaharap ang customer,” Sherinata shared, who confessed that her introversion was a major obstacle to overcome. (At first, the work was really challenging. But as time went on, I gradually learned how to interact properly. Like smiling and engaging with customers appropriately. For example, when I’m assigned to the front counter, if a customer asks me something, I no longer stutter. I can speak more directly while maintaining eye contact. Before, I really couldn’t do that. I used to stutter when talking to customers. But over time, I got the hang of it — how to speak properly and look people in the eye.) Harry Noche, a 19-year old student who is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology while working part-time as a crew member at McDonald’s Lemery branch in Batangas, shared this sentiment with his own story: “Noong nakapasok po ako sa McDo, natuto po akong makipag-socialize, parang humanap ng maraming friends. Para pong tumaas ang aking self-confidence. Friendly po 'yung mga kasamahan ko sa trabaho, pati mga managers. Maganda po ang work culture kaya na-momotivate kami. Naging Crew of the Month po ako. Nakaka-proud at nakaka-build ng self-confidence.” (When I started working at McDonald's, I learned how to socialize and make a lot of friends. It really helped boost my self-confidence. My coworkers, as well as the managers, are friendly. The work culture is great, which keeps me motivated. I was even recognized as Crew of the Month, which makes me proud and builds my confidence even more.) From feeling more comfortable to speak with customers, managers and colleagues, to being more confident in one’s abilities, these are all invaluable skills that can only be acquired through experience. On top of these, Ivy, Sherinata, and Harry also all noted the discipline that came into working as a crew member, the professionalism, the teamwork, and more, resulting to a stronger work ethic that can help them progress further in their careers. On empowerment McDonald’s Philippines is committed to cultivating an environment that empowers their employees, from part-time working students to full-time crew members, with the safe space to learn, grow, and dream. It ensures that its employees are able to take control of their lives, pursue their dreams, and build their futures through opportunity and experience. This is exemplified in Ivy’s dreams of joining the managerial trainee program and move up in the company from being a crew member, something that the company wholly encourages and promotes; Harry’s daily routine of going to school at 7:00 am to 4:00 pm, resting for a bit before heading to his night shift at the nearby McDonald’s; and Sherinata’s experience in McDonald’s Zamboanga, which prides itself with the culture of listening to employees and valuing employee feedback. Moreover, the McDonald’s branches in her home city Zamboanga also serves Halal food, making it accessible and inclusive to the local Muslim community. This further deepens Sherinata’s pride in working for an establishment, that not only cares for its employees but also respects the diverse cultural needs of its customers. McDonald’s Philippines as an ideal workplace for working students McDonald’s not only opens its doors for students who want or need working opportunities to support their families, themselves, and their academic pursuit, it also fosters healthy environments with valuable learning experiences to prepare them as professionals — either to move ahead in the company, or to pursue bigger opportunities elsewhere. Ivy recalled, “Pumasok po ako sa McDonald’s nung estudyante ako para matustusan ko po yung mga gastusin ko sa pag-aaral. Pero nung naka-graduate na po ako, binabalak ko pong mag resign para magtrabaho po sana sa hotel. Pero nung nagka-graduate ako hindi ko po alam pero parang hindi ko na po at ata kayang mag resign sa store na 'to. Ganun parang may naibigay po 'yung work na ito na hindi maibibigay ng iba ganun po.” (I started working at McDonald’s when I was a student to cover my school expenses. But when I graduated, I thought about resigning to work in a hotel. However, after graduating, I realized that I might not be able to resign from this store. It feels like this job has given me something that others cannot provide.) “Dahil sa McDo po maraming experience po akong naranasan ganun, sobrang dami. Sa McDo, natutunan ko po ang tunay na buhay at kaya 'kong maging "the best" sa ano mang gusto kong tahakin para sa pamilya ko,” Harry also opened up. (At McDonald's, I learned many valuable lessons that I can apply in the future. One of them is that if you work hard, you will achieve success. Just do your best.) Lastly, Sherinata expressed: “McDonald’s gives a good opportunity po. Opportunity po para sa mga working students. 'Yung mga nangangailangan para maitawid po ang pag-aaral.” (McDonald’s provides a good opportunity, especially for working students — those who need support to continue their studies. McDonald’s helps us working students a lot.) Visit bit.ly/McDoCareersPH to apply.
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