By Alithea De Jesus
Study from the Euromonitor revealed that 75 percent of Filipinos tracked doing shopping online in 2019 thus, seeing that upward trajectory of E-commerce in the Philippines.
Then the Department of Trade and Industry revealed that business name registration of online businesses boomed from 1,753 in January-March 15 last March 2020 before the lockdown to 75,876 on September 2, 2020.
Admit it or not, the nationwide lockdown forced upon us by the coronavirus pandemic did not only disrupt the lives of everyone we know. But it also created anxiety as health and safety concerns coupled with economic and income uncertainties weighed down every Juan and Juana, setting back a broad spectrum of businesses.
As more Filipinos turn to online platforms for their daily needs, the e-commerce industry continues to take on a greater significance in people’s lives. With the rapid growth of the business sector, there is also an increasing demand for tech talents in the country and globally. According to the Department of Trade and Industry, the Philippine internet economy will be worth 28 Billion US dollars by 2025, highlighting the need for the right talent to push this growth forward.
Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, nurtures and prepares students and professionals for e-commerce through its various tech training and e-commerce apprenticeship programs, such as the Shopee Global Leaders Program (GLP).
The Shopee Global Leaders Program, launched in 2018, is a 2-year graduate program consisting of four 6-month local and overseas rotations designed for highly enthusiastic and ambitious young Filipino talents. Participants will help drive Shopee’s campaigns and new initiatives by working with local and overseas teams. They will gain eye-opening experiences, regional exposure and contribute to the expansion of Shopee across the region. Participants will be part of a structured learning and development program and receive dedicated mentorship from Shopee leaders.
Martin Yu, Director at Shopee Philippines, said, “As the need for tech talents rises, Shopee will continue to equip future leaders with the proper e-commerce knowledge through different kinds of training and apprenticeships like the Global Leaders Program. We will ramp up our efforts to provide proper mentorship and an immersive learning experience to all participants of this program. As a mentor myself, I have worked with a lot of promising participants and I look forward to working with the next batch of aspiring tech leaders who choose to join this program.”
Participants of the Global Leaders Program highlighted how they gained significant professional and personal growth, which will help them excel in their careers in the e-commerce industry.
For Anton, the Global Leaders Program was a vibrant and immersive experience. “Before the pandemic, we were able to go abroad and meet our fellow GLP participants in the other regions and participate in training sessions to hone our leadership skills further. Besides the international training opportunity, I have also been able to work on many impactful projects and initiatives across different departments within Shopee Philippines. Most of all, I appreciate the many mentorship opportunities I’ve had with my Shopee managers,” Anton shared.
Samantha, on the other hand, describes her GLP experience as enriching and packed with learning. “In two years, we get to immerse ourselves in four different teams, which widens our perspectives and pushes us to be more agile as we switch roles every six months. GLP provides opportunities to create impact in the industry and to see Shopee from multiple lenses through different departments, which I believe will help to develop our sense of the industry quite quickly,” Samantha added.
Anton is currently with the program while Samantha just concluded her stint with GLP. Both are now with Shopee as full-time employees. “I consider Shopee as a top choice when it comes to finding a company to join in the e-commerce and digital marketing industry. Many young and bright individuals in the company have exciting and innovative new ideas that make our work fun and interesting,” Anton said.
“Life at Shopee is fast-paced and full of learning opportunities. Shopee fosters a collaborative environment and it is a privilege to work with colleagues who live out our core values,” Samantha added. “If you want an experience that will help you grow both personally and professionally in a holistic manner, Shopee’s Global Leaders Program is the way to go. I think it’s a good and commendable training program for young professionals who want to experience e-commerce fully.”
For more information about the Global Leaders Program, visit https://careers.shopee.ph/GLP
Download the Shopee app for free via the App Store or Google Play. Make your shopping experience more convenient and rewarding when you Shop, Buy Load and Pay bills with ShopeePay.
