What it does: San Miguel Corporation engages in beverage, food and packaging, fuel and oil, infrastructure, power and energy, and property businesses.
Best known for: being one of the biggest and oldest conglomerates in the Philippines
Staff stats: more than 45,500 employees
Financials: Php725.79 billion in gross revenue for 2020
The good bits: As one of the top 100 companies in the Philippines, San Miguel Corporation offers an extensive compensation package to employees. Many employees have stayed for decades because of the medical benefits alone.
The not-so-good bits: Fresh grads should prepare for intense competition for career growth at San Miguel Corporation, owing to a large workforce.
San Miguel Corporation started in 1890 initially as La Fábrica de Cerveza de San Miguel. The company became the first brewery in Southeast Asia, eventually expanding overseas by 1914.
More than 100 years later, San Miguel Corporation evolved into a diversified conglomerate with more than 20 subsidiaries. These subsidiary companies engage in several businesses:
As of 2021, the company’s manufacturing operations include key markets in the Asia-Pacific region. San Miguel Corporation operates in China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam.
An extensive offshore presence allowed the San Miguel beer product to rank among the top 10 brands in the world.
Fresh grads can expect a healthy work-life balance when they join San Miguel Corporation. It seems achievable partly because of a routine schedule. Most employees work during regular business hours from Monday to Friday.
Employees also wear uniforms that are provided by the company. In other words, young new hires don’t have to spend a lot on business attire.
The biggest challenge for fresh grads, however, would be an intense competition to climb the corporate ladder. Some employees have worked for over 20 years at San Miguel Corporation, and their journey toward a promotion wasn’t easy.
Many insiders still agree that the company is a great place to start a career. While a large workforce implies stiff competition, it also symbolizes the strength of an established conglomerate.
San Miguel Corporation’s biggest competitors include Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Ayala Corporation, MVP Group of Companies, and SM Investments Corporation.
In 1991, the Court of Appeals sided with San Miguel Corporation over its appeal on a legal complaint against Asia Brewery Incorporated (ABI). The case involved an alleged copyright infringement of San Miguel Pale Pilsen.
San Miguel Corporation’s accusation stems from ABI’s Beer na Beer product bearing resemblance to the former’s beer brand. The court ultimately ruled that ABI was ‘guilty of infringement of trademark and unfair competition.
In 2020, San Miguel Corporation said that the company will continue to pay workers despite a work disruption. More than 66,000 direct and indirect workers earned their salaries even with work stoppage because of COVID-19.
San Miguel also reserved Php11.67 billion in government payments to help with sustaining economic activity amid the pandemic.
Successful candidates will thrive at San Miguel Corporation if they can navigate the intricacies of a steep workplace hierarchy. The conglomerate remains a good choice for starting a career because of two key reasons: job security and growth opportunities.
Fresh grads should anticipate a rather drawn-out hiring process at San Miguel Corporation where it may take several weeks. On average, the company may finish the recruitment stages within 23 days.
The general selection rounds involve five stages:
In certain circumstances, fresh grads may have to attend a panel interview with their potential colleagues. An interview with the hiring manager happens right after, followed by an HR interview.
Previous applicants described the interview stages as informal yet professional. Candidates must be ready to answer questions about their background, education, and skills. Fresh grads should also prepare for a potential question about their desired salary.
San Miguel Corporation usually informs unsuccessful candidates through a phone call.
Interns at San Miguel Corporation may earn Php8,000 per month. Entry-level roles like accounting analysts and engineers may earn between Php14,000 and Php16,000 per month.
Finance analysts’ average monthly salaries may range from Php19,000 to Php21,000. Industry certification and licensure seem to be significant factors for a higher salary among fresh grads.
The company’s benefits package includes employee discounts, free lunch and snacks, and shuttle service. San Miguel Corporation’s extensive healthcare plan alone has been the key reason for many employees’ long-term stay at the company.
Some of the entry-level roles at San Miguel Corporation include cadet brewers, chemists, and engineers. Fresh grads can also join the company as financial analysts.
The company requires cadet brewers to be licensed chemical engineers. Most of their responsibilities revolve around beer production.
Like cadet brewers, a chemist at San Miguel Corporation must be a licensed professional. Chemists handle several duties, such as ensuring compliance with ISO 17025 standards.
San Miguel Corporation may hire fresh grads as process maintenance engineers. Licensed electrical or mechanical engineers will stand out as strong candidates.
On the other hand, electrical and mechanical engineers can choose to join the company as production engineers. Other engineering graduates such as electronics and communications engineers also qualify for the role.
The company welcomes fresh grads for this role, but they should be accountancy graduates. Finance analysts must also be Certified Public Accountants (CPA).