Grades don’t tell your whole story

Weekender
CAREERS

By PHILEMON SENGINAWA
I AM from East Sepik but was born and raised in Lae, Morobe Province so I call myself a mangi Lae.
I come from a big family of five sisters and four brothers.
I am the second born in my family. I am now married and a father to one daughter who is six years old.
I attended primary school in Lae and continued to Lae Provincial High School in 2000. I continued further to do my secondary education at Bugandi from 2002 to 2003 and got selected to UPNG to study psychology from 2004 to 2007. I also minored in political science.
I graduated in 2008 in absentia because I couldn’t afford a graduation gown. It was raining that time as I stood under the rain trees at the main oval when I heard my name called out as graduating in absentia. This moment is still stuck in my memory.
After serving as a casual assistant reference librarian in the National Library from 2008 to 2011, I was recruited to the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in their Corporate Services Division in 2012. In 2014 I was transferred to the Policy Division in 2014 as a foreign service officer in the Asia/Asean branch at the Bilateral Division of the department.
I was the desk officer for PNG-Asean relations at the Department of Foreign Affairs for two years (2015 -2017 before being posted out to the Papua New Guinea High Commission in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2017.
Currently, I am serving as the first secretary to the PNG High Commission in Malaysia since 2017, and on regular occasions represent PNG at the multilateral regional events at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) based in Bangkok, Thailand.

“It was raining that time as I stood under the rain trees at the main oval when I heard my name called out as graduating in absentia. This moment is still stuck in my memory.”

In university, I wasn’t a bright student and didn’t in one semester make it to the category of A students.
My GPA was below or at average. My grades started spiraling down after I lost my dad in February 2005, a week before student registration commenced.
Most people would have given up studies if hit by such tragedy right before the start of an academic year.
Anyhow, I believed my dad wouldn’t want me to give up so I persisted on.
I had to bury my dad at his home village and fly black to Port Moresby to register for second year on a Friday, the final day of registration. The next three years from 2005 to 2007 were very challenging but I had to persevere and cruise through.
Sinking deeper into drubs, alcohol
No one could imagine the hellish struggle I went through in those three years. I became a misfit and sank deeper into drugs and alcohol but nevertheless I didn’t lose my focus.
In my third year, I dropped out of Hecas scholarship and had to bunk up with friends but at most times I slept in one of the lecture rooms in ALT or KD100. At least I managed to do well in my third year to regain my scholarship and secure a dormitory room in the final year.
Six-month wait
After graduating in 2008, I had to wait for another six months before securing a casual job.
I applied for three jobs; at Consort Shipping, International Food Corporation and at Air Nuigini. I did attend their job interviews but was unsuccessful.
Then on July 28, 2008, I was lucky to get a casual job as an assistant reference librarian at the National Library in Waigani. For three years (2008-2011) I was doing book-shelving, assisting primary and secondary school students, and even researchers and tourists locate different reading and research materials in the library. I loved the job as it was very enjoyable and relaxing.
Major recruitment
Then in 2011 there was a major restructure at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and vacant positions were advertised. I applied for several positions. After a rigorous selection process, I successfully got appointed to one. I started on that position on Jan 3, 2012, and the rest is history.
Well, this is a brief of my life story from university to the present.
My experience tells me to never give up or doubt oneself. Grades or GPA at university are not the final measure of your intelligence and your creative mind is not reflected by your GPA.
Always keep an open mind, stay positive and learn from your life experiences.
Your interactions with people in the real world and inside of the virtual world say a lot about your character and level of reasoning.
Remember, your potential recruiters will also check your social media pages to get a glimpse of the kind of person you are.