Career Preparedness of the Graduating BSHM Students at BCP amidst the New Normal A.Y. 2021-2022
Vol.3, No.1B
Abstract
Tourism and hospitality education is one of the fastest-growing fields of study in the Philippines. The overall level of career preparedness and opportunities for education and employment is high, as derived from the responses of other studies, which were mostly at high levels. As a student, preparing for a careers is one of the hardest things to do, not only for graduating students. BSHM is a course where skills and abilities are being exercised. With the COVID-19 pandemic, most educational institutions worldwide have endeavoured to change the process of education and learning by preparing online distance learning to ensure uninterrupted education. However, some courses, especially hospitality management degrees, needed more time to adapt to the conditions. Therefore, it is important to examine possible solutions to enhance the learning that helps their level of career preparedness. The researchers aim to determine how the fourth-year BSHM students are prepared to take their careers amidst the new normal.
This study utilized the descriptive method design for determining and gathering information about the career preparedness of BSHM students amidst the new normal. The researcher gathered data using a simple random sampling technique on their survey questionnaires and online interviews administered by Google Forms and online video calls to one hundred (100) target respondents at Bestlink College of the Philippines.
The survey result revealed that most of the 100 respondents are in the normal age of 22, mostly female singles with a parent's monthly income of P15,000-19,000. This implies that BSHM is a course mostly preferred by women at this age. Based on the findings, respondents' perception of their readiness to enter the hospitality industry implies their self-willingness with a weighted mean of 4.39 or Agree with an overall total of 3.76 or Agree. This means intrinsic motivation and free will are the most important factors in establishing readiness.
Respondents also face challenges in their career preparedness, such as having the "Motivation to Continuing the Hospitality Management Career" with a weighted mean of 4.35 or Agree with an overall total of 4.15 or Agree. This implies that the respondents are having a hard time aiming for higher academic degrees in the field of hospitality management because of the pandemic. Negative emotions are natural and adaptive reactions to external threats and dangerous events such as COVID-19. This influences the motivation of the hospitality management students and reveals that not only do such emotions adversely impact occupational identification, but also their effects are channelled through three underlying motivational pathways (i.e., "can do", "reason to", and energized to" motivations).
Based on the gathered data and conclusions drawn, the researchers utilized a guide to improve the career preparedness of the respondents. The findings of this study may be utilized as a guide to improve the learning pursued and engage the students to be more motivated in preparing for their careers, even in online learning. This can help the students improve their dilemma of being ready by their capabilities, like having their eagerness, motivations, knowledge, skills, and being well-knowledgeable regarding career opportunities amidst the new normal. The graduating students must be adaptable to the sudden changes in learning regardless of age, gender, civil status, and parent's monthly income. Since the students agree that self-willingness is the major perception of being ready for the hospitality industry, the researchers recommend that the respondents should motivate themselves by having steps and goals in completing the program to help them have their degree for their career advancement. Since some students still need to learn what career opportunities they want, the administration should employ more knowledgeable career and skills-related webinars in well-known, accredited institutions locally and abroad to inspire and expose them to their career opportunities.
