Search! Common concerns of a CMUan.
To initiate a business with significance, we need to understand not
only the scope of our abilities but also the areas where our solutions could
be valuable. Being students of Central Mindanao University, we've
encountered numerous challenges and experiences during our time here
that we believe many of our fellow CMUans can resonate with. However, as
a collective, we acknowledge our limitations as individuals, especially as
newcomers, and recognize that our understanding of various issues may be
restricted. Hence, it was essential for us to seek input from others
regarding their experiences within the university.
During the interview phase, numerous challenges were encountered
by our team. In starting our interview, we started interviewing our co-
tenants and then any CMUan we came across. The common difficulties they
shared ranged from trash, transportation, and the difficulty of searching for
available part-time jobs or any student-friendly jobs that would help sustain
or aid their expenses.
“Para sa akoa kay ang kulang gyud na mga basurahan especially sa market”
-Joey Ybanez
Our respondent, Joey, a first-year electrical engineering student, highlighted
the lack of garbage bins, especially in the market, as a major issue in the
CMU.
“Kuan gyud bay, lagyo kaayo ang mga buildings”
-Earl Flores
Furthermore, Earl, a first-year mechanical engineering student, emphasizes
the issue of the proximity of buildings within the campus. With students
having classes at opposite ends of the campus, frequent transportation
becomes a necessity. He also highlighted the inconvenience of the distance
to the CMU market, making it a hassle for him to purchase his personal
necessities.
“lisod makakita ug trabaho bay bisag pang sideline lang ba”
-Jess Flor
Jess, an electrical engineering student, tackled the issue of having difficulty
looking for a part-time job or any student-friendly job that would help
sustain or aid their needs.
Among this list of difficulties faced by a variety of students, the
challenge during the hunt for part-time jobs was the one we picked to solve,
more so that we also sometimes experienced the inadequacy of funds. But
before we made the final decision, we also considered other things, such as
food delivery within CMU, but somehow we couldn't think of any unique
selling proposition. That’s why we pursue a job-hunting website since we
also consider those students who were not born with a silver spoon, which
makes studying more challenging for them, especially with the many
expenses they face.
However, their willingness to finish their studies pushes them to look
for any alternatives that can be a source of funds that can help them
survive. From this collected information, the group formed an idea to create
a website that allows students, faculties, and any residents near CMU to
look for a job or find any worker. This website is quite similar to the existing
application Linked-in, and similarly, this website is intended to aid people
who are having a hard time looking for a job and workers without having to
exert more effort and time.
The team's idea was then presented to Sir Tracy Van Tangonan
during our venture proposal. He commended the group for having a good
idea; however, he emphasizes that our product should have a clear, unique
selling proposition since, based on his observations, our idea does not offer
features that do not exist in other existing applications.
Furthermore, from this experience, the group will continue to further
expand our creativity and innovation for an even better and more useful
output, with the purpose of lessening the problems faced by many CMUans.