Before putting up his own company in the Philippines, Gerardo “Gerry” Urbina, worked in sales for brands such as Honda, Volkswagen, and Audi AG while residing in Australia. He used to turn substantial profits in every role that he took. However, because he was an employee, he only got a small slice of the pie.

He decided he wanted something bigger and set up shop in the Philippines. Today, he is Managing Director for Toilet Use Only, the first advertising company to specifically target ad space in restrooms. He manages a team of six people and is in charge of space acquisition (getting locations in which to place ads) and sales development (getting clients to fill the spaces).

What made you decide to set up your own company?
“My late father always used to tell me, ‘You don’t get rich being an employee.’ Please don’t get me wrong, money isn’t everything. I just believe that I am worth more. And I believe that by setting up my own shop, I can extract more value and potential out of myself.

“A word of caution: don’t just jump into entrepreneurship without gaining any professional experience. It’s great to internalize professional habits like waking early, punctually arriving in the office, learning systems and processes, etc.”

What do you consider to be your company’s biggest project?
“We treat all our company’s projects with the highest importance. Nowadays, it’s just too competitive out there. You can’t afford to be selective. Big or small, we want them all!

“We currently have spots in the Greenhills Shopping Center. We recently acquired spots in all the restrooms of the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf Philippines. We’re looking at possibilities of working with Red Box Karaoke, Eastwood City Mall, and Araneta Center. It’s a very interesting time for us. We are also currently working on restroom advertising campaigns for brands such as Republic Tattoo and Spoiled.”

What do you look for in hiring people?
“I personally look for the outgoing types–people who aren’t afraid to speak their thoughts and broach their ideas. They must come from a reputable school. They must speak and write English well. They must be polite and courteous. They must display a professional demeanor–dress the role, be punctual, etc. They must have a sponge-like approach to employment: ready to learn! They must be hungry for profits: ready to earn!”

What is the worst thing an applicant has done while going through your recruitment process?
“I can go on and on with this question. Let’s see, on top of my list would be not  showing up for a scheduled interview. And then, re-scheduling an interview, and still not turning up. Next would be turning up intoxicated with alcohol, provide false information, submitting a clearly outdated CV, failing to carry out background research on our company and the industry prior to interview, dressing down for the interview–it’s better to be overdressed than underdressed, I say–and short-selling yourself during an interview, that is, highlighting your negative points rather than the positive.”

What should college students be doing while they’re still in school so that you’ll want to hire them?
“There are three things that a student could do while they’re still in school in order to prepare them for the workforce.

“One is to join industry-specific student organizations, for example, the Ateneo Junior Marketing Association (JMA), Junior Philippine Institute of Accountants (JPIA), etc.;

“Another is to seek out on-the-job training (OJT) or internship programs. These programs exist out there but they’re not advertised so you have to personally seek them. You have to pick up the phone, write emails, visit companies and get face-to-face meetings with recruiting managers;

“The third thing you can do is experience part-time employment. I worked in a fast-food restaurant when I was in high school. And at that early age, I realized that in order for you to have a successful business operation, you must have the right systems and processes in place. So if an applicant comes to me with part-time work experience, I treat his or her application as having that understanding.”

Say someone starts in an entry-level position in your company. After a year, what has he/she learned? What can he/she do by then?
“The advantage of joining a start-up is you work in the business from the ground up. This means that if the business grows, you are assured that you will grow with it. You also learn the ins and outs of the business firsthand. The size of the team also makes you privy to information that you wouldn’t normally have access to if you were working in a large-scale operation. You are given a management scope from the get-go.

“In a year’s time, you’ll have enough experience to seek a job with one of the Big 4 (advertising giants). In five years, you’ll be one of the captains of the industry, comfortably seated in a manager’s chair.”