Meet our Marketing Officer, Jefferson Cubar, and read about his experience on the importance of seizing opportunities, finding balance between work and life and honing key skills for growth.
1. Tell us the story of how you joined Colliers and why you chose to apply for the company.
I joined Colliers thru Ms. Mean, who was then one of the division secretaries in the company. It was during an outreach program that Colliers organized in Nayon ng Kabataan. I was the assigned host at Jollibee Acacia Lane, where they held a party for the children of the community. I asked Ms. Mean if they were accepting interns and she helped me submit my application.I was accepted for a three-month internship. After that, I was temporarily hired in the Marketing Division for six months and was thenoffered a probationary period of three months. After those three months, I was officially hired as a regular employee. Colliers is my first corporate company and since my internship, I have already felt that they have embraced me as part of the team and that feeling remains today.
2. What are the three important skills you think are needed to perform in a marketing and communications function?
- Knowing how to manage your time. This is one of the skills that I really focused on. Having a deadline for every commitment is important to organize your time and to have a good, balanced schedule.
- Understanding your strengths and capabilities. As part of the marketing team, I handle different projects from all departments. Being able to serve their requests is important, but we also need to to set their expectations on what we can do or find alternative solutions within our capability.
- Managing stress. This is also an important skill that we need to adopt because marketing initiatives can be very stressful, deadlines are demanding, and many things can go wrong at the last minute. To be a good marketing professional, you need to be able to handle stress without panicking and project grace under pressure.
3. What are the things that you do to balance work and life?
Work-life balance is very important, especially in a corporate world. When it comes to work, I usually organize my tasks from the most urgent and important to the less urgent. I see to it that I always meet the deadlines by being focused on what I am doing and what needs to be prioritized. I don't pressure myself too much and just focus on enjoying my work most of the time. For me, I always make it a point to enjoy my time-off, especially during weekends and vacations by spending it with my family and friends and that makes me happy and contented.
4. If you were managing director for a day, what would you do?
If I were a managing director for a day, I would like to have a celebration on that day because it is a once in a lifetime experience. All staff should be in the office, we’ll cancel our appointments, buy pizzas, burgers, chicken, drinks and have a party in the office. If I can see Colliers people having a good time in the company, I think I will feel accomplished being a managing director for a day. 😊
5. Given the chance, what will you tell your 15-year-old self?
Hi Jeff, I wanted to tell you that I am proud of the person you have become. There are only some people who can understand you other than yourself and that's okay. You don't have to feel sorry for other people who cannot understand you. You are not perfect. Sometimes, you’re not kind but you are not a bad person. You are just a person who is being true to yourself and being honest to other people about what you feel about them. And I thank you!
PLAYING FAVORITES
Netflix Series
Money Heist, Prison Break, Crash Landing on you
Go-to Karaoke Song
I’m not a good dancer, but I can twerk when I’m drunk
Movie
Trash (2014)
Vacation Spot
Beaches Darling!