With the goal of helping students broaden their knowledge on relevant trends in the field of analytics and stocks, the Computer Business Association (CBA), the official information technology and business student organization in Benilde, hosted an online webinar entitled “Measure, Improve, Analyze” last June 4 via Zoom.
The speakers for the event include Dr. John Elvin Lim, a business analytics expert and a professor at DLS-CSB and De La Salle University-Manila (DLSU); and Ms. Jacqueline Belmonte, a licensed financial advisor, business analyst, certified estate planner, stock trader, and an alumna of the College.
In the first part of the seminar, Dr. Lim emphasized the importance of analytics in different scenarios. He shared that as a business analytics expert and a professor, analyzing situations helped him make effective decisions for corporations he worked with and find the best way to teach his students.
“But how do you make the best decisions that benefit you, your family, and everything else that comes along with it? Obviously it starts with analyzing what’s surrounding you, in terms of data, what are your options and so forth,” he stated.
He stated that in order for big companies to hire an analyst, aspiring analysts should provide significant value or contribution that would make companies interested in hiring them.
“If you can contribute, provide significant value, then they will be more inclined, so inclined that they have to hire you,” he added.
Meanwhile, in the second part of the seminar, Ms. Belmonte introduced the process of investing and its importance. She asserted that the earlier a person invests, the more they will produce money, due to the law of compounding interest.
“With investing, time and money [are] your [friends]. The more time that you have, the better kasi ‘yung money mo magco-compound eh, magpapatong nang magpapatong ‘yung interest, and if you have the money, mas mabilis siya mag-grow. Pero if you don’t have [time], kahit super laki ng pera mo tapos wala ka nang time to grow the investment, then hindi mo mate-take advantage ‘yung compounding interest,” she stated.
To further emphasize on the importance of investing, she shared a quote from Warren Edward Buffett, a prominent American investor: “If you don’t have a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die.” She then explained, stating that people cannot stop from working because the income will also stop coming.
“Eventually, mapapagod kayo mag-work, and if you will not let your money work for you through investing [or] through saving, you will have to work until dumating ‘yung time na you are longing for retirement. Pero ‘di ka makapag-retire, ‘di ka makapag-stop mag-work, it’s because hindi ka nag-save noong bata ka pa [or] ‘di ka pa nag-start mag-invest noong bata ka pa,” she added.
To conclude the seminar, Ms. Belmonte shared some tips and advice on where and how to invest. She stated that in investing in the stock market, people can go to brokers that stand as a bridge to companies or they can go directly to institutions such as banks. She also shared some articles, books and YouTube channels she followed that explain the world of investing.
The event was made possible by CBA’s roster of officers, including the event’s Project Manager and host Lance Salen, Planning and Training Officer and host Andrea Suliguin, Logistics Head Toni Bianca Ortega, Documentation Head Leandro Sinca, Executive Secretary Bristine Bernales, and Creatives Head Maria Beatriz Pineda.
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