Celeste Watch

What I do at RMB

2007-04-11T00:31:00.000-07:00

First of all I would just like to thank Lesley Emanuel and Jean Power from the World of Work Training Programmes who helped me pave the way to what I have accomplished thus far. Lesley commented on my previous blog entry about my attitude that helped me become more employable. But without your support and encouragement, my attitude may have been a lot less employable :)

So, let me elaborate on my new post at Rand Merchant Bank. Currently, RMB has an outside contractor called Gary van Staden. He is a Political Analyst like me, although I lack in the many years of experience he has behind his name. Recently RMB decided to appoint its own Political Analyst. So I was appointed, and Gary is my trainer. Unfortunately I do not see Gary often enough and I would love to gain some of the vast amount of knowledge he has gathered over the years. But time will make the difference.

I am doing the risk part of what a Political Analyst does. Thus I do political risk analyses. This entails writing in-depth reports on different countries. My supervisor will tell me that RMB would like to invest a certain amount of money in a certain country, and what I will do is check whether the political scene in that country is stable enough for us to invest there. Some countries are easy to analyse. If you look at Iraq, your common sense tells you their political environment is not stable enough and you might lose a lot of money if you invest there. But if you look at a country like Brazil which, economically, seems stable, you might have to look at their political stability more thoroughly before you can decide whether their political risk is low, moderate or high.

I am working in the Credit Team for Treasury. A couple of us work on the country reports. I am the only political risk analyst other than Gary. The others will gather information on the economic side of a country, and also different areas like the infrastructure, health and education, etc. There are also credit analysts and administrators all around. I am still getting a feel for what everyone does and I learn new things everyday.

I’m hoping that in the near future I will be travelling around to gain hands-on experience in different countries. RMB encourages such activity and realises how important it is to gain contacts and build a strong network. I have already been to Cape Town to attend a business forum for investing in countries like China, India, Brazil, and the rest of Africa. And what an experience it was. People are open to gaining knowledge from others and to network and share their own understandings.

I always thought that it would be difficult for a person like me without any degree in finance to work in a corporate/financial environment. But I proved this doubt wrong when my first real job was at an investment bank. The only advice I can give to someone who has the same worry is to try and learn new aspects of your environment and what your company does every day. Make the effort to gain more knowledge, ask questions, and be open to new ideas.

Permanent job

2007-02-27T00:54:00.001-08:00

I haven’t blogged since September, but to try and make a long story short, things have been going very well in the past few months. My contract at RMB was once again extended in December 2006 for another six months. My supervisors, Michele and Taryn, also gave me the opportunity to go and look for other positions in the Bank which could be permanent instead of contract. Many colleagues, with whom I’ve become good friends, have helped me with the process of looking for another position by referring me to certain people or just generally giving me sound advice. It all paid off and I was referred to the Treasury department of the Bank. They were looking for a Political Risk Analyst. Mid-January I had an interview, and within a week I was told I was qualified for the position and my letter of appointment was set up. Sign, sealed, delivered.

I have learnt so many things the past 10 months. I have enjoyed every minute of working with my team and, even though I’m nervous of moving into a new team, I am very excited to broaden my network and learning new things. I would also like to comment on the generosity I have experienced while working at RMB. If it wasn’t for the help of my colleagues, especially my team and the great opportunities they gave me, I would not have been in the position I am now. It’s amazing to know that there are people out there rooting for you and hoping you will make a great success of your life. I am very excited to be a full-time employee at RMB. It has definitely lived up to its name of being the preferred employer.

It has almost been a year since I started the World of Work 2006 training programme, and it has definitely paid off to do the course. I got into an internship with the help of the programme, and even though I started off doing a job I didn’t understand and didn’t study, I ended up exactly where I wanted to be: Politics. It’s like they say, getting that foot in the door can help immensely. Good luck to those starting the training programme this year. It is well worth it.

Still going strong

2006-09-28T23:08:00.000-07:00

Work at RMB has been a great experience so far. The learning curve is steep and I’m enjoying every minute of learning new and interesting things. We have two new employees in our Change Management Team and they are great. We all get along very well. That is maybe my number one reason why I enjoy working here so much. My colleagues can make a long day feel like an hour and they are all very helpful. It’s a great feeling to be able to be innovative, take leadership in some of the little projects I do, and having fun at the same time.

It is quite shocking how long ago our team had contributed to this blog. I apologise to those who have been reading our blog entries (if there is anyone out there). Things have been going crazy lately, especially after my 3 month internship was done. That was about 2 months ago, and now I’m sitting typing from my computer at work. I’m sure everyone else in our team has just as hectic a schedule as mine. I’m hoping, and would love to hear, whether any more of our team members have found internships or permanent jobs. I’m positive all of you did, because we were a hard-working bunch. Please let me know what has been happening.

Opening the door to new opportunities

2006-07-31T06:32:00.000-07:00

Yes, its been a long time since I wrote a blog entry. I feel very guilty because lots have happened since my last entry and I haven’t shared it yet.

The last two weeks have been quite eventful. After Mpho and I finished our internship at Rand Merchant Bank, it was back to square one. But luckily I received a call from my supervisors at RMB saying they need me to help with some projects within the Change and Communications Team. So my contract got extended until December.

Since then things have been going very well. The project I am doing will start taking shape this week. I’m doing research at the moment and also little odds and ends which have to be finalised so I’m keeping quite busy. I’ve settled in quite nicely at RMB and have made many friends already. That’s the best part of working here. Last Saturday we had a “Christmas in July” party at my boss Michele’s house. It was great to socialise with my colleagues outside the office. It gives the opportunity to get to know them on a more personal level.

I will definitely blog on my future experiences at RMB so watch this space. After reading Lesley Emanuel’s blog on our yahoo group mails about showcasing our employability, it made me realise how important it is to show your employability and using the opportunities we gain to the full. We’ve heard about networking and employability throughout the World of Work 2006 Programme and it was hard to understand it at that moment because hardly any of us ever experienced it seeing that we were recent graduates. The hard work has paid off and its not only my foot that’s in the door anymore, now I’ve got the opportunity to open the door wide and look for other doors to open.

Taking leave

2006-07-05T03:23:00.000-07:00

I am officially taking my first ever leave from work on Thursday and Friday. Its great to know I’ve been working here for only three months and I already accumulated some leave. Long weekend here I come!

This past week has been a little bit slow at the office. Our supervisors were gone for a while so we were left to do some extra tasks, but we finished them in record time and had nothing to do the rest of the day. But its nice to have some time to do some internet browsing and networking with people within RMB. I had coffee with some of the Economists here at RMB on Monday and they gave great advice as to what directions I can head in with my qualifications and interests. And after our chat I felt ready to tackle the student world again. I have considered the possibility of not getting a decent job opportunity in the near future. Thus I have decided if this had to happen, I will continue with my MA next year. When I think about it I get quite excited because I have some topics of interest that I would love to write a dissertation on. I’m not sure what course I would take but the decision is still in the pipe line and is still being considered.

I spoke to Pascalia, a fellow World of Work Training colleague, the other day. She is working at Nedlac and from the sounds of her blog she is having a super time. Our conversation was very brief but it was great to hear from her. Mpho has heard from Yoliswa, and things are also going well there at the AICC. I’m still wondering how things are going with Zanele at De Beers. It’s a great company to work for so I’m sure things are going according to plan.

My time is quickly running out and I cannot believe that 3 months will be over next week. It felt like years ago that we were all sitting in the post-grad room at Wits having our coffees and good conversations. The training has definitely been of great help to me in the working world and I would certainly recommend it to other students. It has opened many doors for me and I have met so many wonderful people through my internship at RMB.

The last month of our internship

2006-06-28T05:38:00.000-07:00

This week has been filled with administrative odds and ends. Its fun to do these things because it gives me a break from doing research and sitting behind the computer all day, which often takes its toll on the body. Our research on Change and Communications Management toolkits is going great and Mpho helps me a lot. This is the task we have been given right at the beginning of our internship and every now and then, between all the other tasks we have been given, we will sit down and concentrate on this work.

I’m very excited for next week. We are invited to a seminar on Change and Communications Management with our other supervisor, Michele Wickham. A couple of weeks ago she went to a worldwide conference on this specific topic in Colorado and is going to give us the feedback on Tuesday.

I’ve have loved working life so far. My daily routine never gets tedious and seeing friends for a quick drink after work is also great. Most of my friends work so all of us know that time is precious with your friends. I was also told the novelty of working life will wear off but so far I’m still enjoying every moment.

CSI - Corporate Social Investment

2006-06-19T05:12:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to all of those who are busy with their internships and those who have found a permanent job. But I must say I couldn’t expect anything less from our class. We all worked very hard to benefit from the training we have received.

I just want to give some information through to specifically Cyrille and also anybody who finds Corporate Social Investment (CSI) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) an area of interest. To me its not only an area of interest but also an area of necessity for the South African economy and the companies who adopt this way of working.

I found great articles from my supervisor at work, Fiona McDonald, who is actually a consultant for Rand Merchant Bank. And part of her consulting is Corporate Social Responsibility. She gave me a journal to do some extra reading on the topic. It is called “Above Board – Africa’s Global Chronicle on Governance, Leadership and Ethics”. Fiona wrote an article on the importance of CSI and CSR called “The (Social) Butterfly Effect”. This article expresses the nature of these areas and explains that if companies invest in these two areas, the society who will benefit from this will in turn invest into South Africa’s economy, which in turn will increase, like Fiona says, the ‘brand position’ of the company. Here is a short extract from her article to explain it better:

“Investment in education, skills development, healthcare, literacy, child care, HIV/Aids, gender abuse and the like builds a society that can participate more effectively in the economy.In doing this, we create more skilled employees, more consumers, a healthier nation with a longer lifespan – the ripple or butterfly effect – thus contributing to the economy for a longer period of time, and in a more valuable manner. And all the while, the brand position of the organisation is being enhanced.”

The Johannesburg Securities Exchange has a Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) Index to identify which companies invest socially. This Index assists the JSE in choosing which company to invest in. Companies are ranked according to their achievements with regards to CSI and CSR. The JSE explains the bacground and selection criteria on their website at www.jse.co.za/sri/docs/Background%20and%20Criteria.final.06%2010%2003.pdf.

I thought you, Cyrille, might find this journal very interesting, and also the JSE website could give you more information so that you can incorporate this knowledge with your internship. There is still so much to say about this topic. And I do still think that many companies have not yet realised what a positive impact CSI will have on them and on the South African society as a whole. I think the whole process of the JSE SRI Index should be more publicised and companies who are part of the Index should be praised even more. What do you think could be done to increase investors and society’s interest?

Graduate programmes

2006-06-19T00:26:00.000-07:00

Our time at RMB is running out quickly. While I’m enjoying my job thoroughly and learning everyday, there is this sad feeling inside me when thinking of leaving in a month. There is always the chance of exploring the opportunities available at RMB and one thing that I’m taking out of this internship into my next career is the positive feedback and the positive outlook I have experienced in the last two months.

We have been taught over again that we have the right to approach our supervisors and ask for feedback on our performance at RMB. However, we have been beaten to it. Our supervisors have been giving us feedback even before we could ask. The feedback is great and it boosts the confidence immensely. And it showed me that one of the main problems graduates face is their own self assurance once they start working. To me this is one of the main reasons behind graduates being scared to start working and the big gap between studying and our first job.

I must say I felt the same. I heard many stories how employers do not want graduates and how graduates do not have the experience to start working. This links to my first blogging entry “Experience or no experience? That is the question”. I questioned the whole issue of the unreasonable argument of graduates needing experience before you can start your first job at certain places.

RMB took me in as an intern without any experience. And so far I have seen that being a hard worker and a keen learner will get you where you want. What employers should look for is not just the experience behind a graduate’s name, but also their abilities and desire to learn about the company and its people/clients. The graduate should be one to add value to the company, whether he has less than one year experience behind his name or more. I think more companies should start Graduate Programmes. This will train graduates according to the needs of the company and it will add value to the company to bring in fresh new ideas and faces. And this will help address the training deficit South Africa is experiencing at the moment.

RMB offers internships for certain areas of the Bank if anyone would like to apply. One can reply on the RMB website at www.rmb.co.za.

Having a Ball

2006-06-08T04:33:00.000-07:00

The past week and a half has been quite busy but exciting. We are busy organising a communications sessions with our supervisor, Fiona, for all the people involved in our business unit.

It is quite a big responsibility to know we are here to do a serious job and no one is going to babysit and see whether we are fine or not. The tasks are given to us with an explanation of what to do and from there on out you’re on your own. It sounds like I’m implying we are being thrown in the deep end. It might be in a slight sense somewhat like that. But in the end of the day I realise how valuable these actions are. I learn more every day. I know how to use the usual office equipment needed for everyday use, and I have learnt the schedule and e-mailing system which RMB uses, I have learnt the importance of good communication, and many more.

Currently I am tackling the task of making a PowerPoint presentation for a our Project Change and Communication session. But this is not your average run of the mill presentation we use to do at university. This is the type where you actually get excited to start creating the next slide because there are so many fun things to do in this programme. It is taking me quite a while to make it perfect, but at least I’m on track regarding my deadline. Eventually I will send it off to Fiona who will check it and help me format it. Holding thumbs.

Another task I had to complete was taking photos of all the people involved in our business unit in order to have all their photos and profiles on our shared computer system. Even though it was quite embarrassing to go around to about 20 people and ask for their photo (including some hard battles with those who didn’t want theirs taken), it turned out to be an eventful and beneficial task. I got to meet everyone involved in our unit, and I got to learn all their names by putting faces to it.

I am still having ball at RMB. From learning and working hard to having fun in the office and making friends - this journey is truly worth it.

SA companies in Africa : A force for good?

2006-05-30T00:22:00.000-07:00

How do people feel about the intervention, or rather involvement, of South African companies in Africa? Or do most people see this as a means of pure self interest on behalf of the companies?

This has been one of my key interests for the past year and a half after I have completed a course in South African Corporate Foreign Policy. In the 21st century it has become crucial for business and state to sort out new challenges by figuring out how to work together in order to make their relationship work to benefit both the company and the state.

The responses to these challenges have to take into account the necessity to provide a better life for those who are living in the chosen country. The relationship between the state and the companies are ever changing, especially in Africa and specifically South Africa. Reminiscent of what I have learnt at the AICC, corporate governance are one of the aspects to make life better for those who are affected by companies. In other words, there is an increasing need or demand for companies and states to be more transparent, accountable and regulated. Of course there are global institutions that are there to provide information and regulations for companies to measure their accountability (like the World Trade Organisation), but this is a whole different area that I would rather not get into due to my lack of patience and enthusiasm with these types of global organisations. However this topic is definitely open for discussion if anybody wants to dare go there.

In this day and age it is unavoidable for companies not to think seriously about the implications of their actions on their own personal reputation. This brings me to the actual point I would like to make. The increase in activities by South African companies is heavily debated. It is beyond a doubt that South African companies play an enormous role in Africa. It helps with African development and increases growth. But most of all, this growth and development of Africa also serves the interest of South African companies.

Nepad might be the answer to improve the relationship between companies and states and how FDI can be generated when Africa becomes a safer investment zone. This is still a wait and see process. Some companies still face challenges while others have gained from these interventions. However, there is still the problem of some companies exploiting African nations and raking in the profits.

Consequently it is highly important for companies to assess their corporate foreign policy towards African nations. I feel the majority of South African companies are a force for good in Africa and that most African states, NGOs and other stakeholders should be open to their involvement in their countries. This will eventually show the rest of the economic world that Africa can be a safe environment to invest in. I do realise there are many other aspects to consider and not just the hope of generating more FDI, but shouldn’t this be the point of departure for the development of Africa? Am I being too ignorant and optimistic or is there some concurrence on this subject matter?

Job Satisfaction

2006-05-23T05:49:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note: The satisfaction of completing a task successfully is undescribable and very rewarding. And even if it might be the smallest of tasks, it still creates a feeling that makes me want to rush to work every morning to tackle the next one.

My first month gone

2006-05-18T06:07:00.001-07:00

A month has gone past and I’m dreading the time to pass over. Another two months left of my internship and its back to the drawing board. Today I had some extra time on my hands so I updated my CV. It’s a good feeling to add something to the experience section. The “chicken or egg” situation is seemingly brighter now.

This week started off in a rush. Traffic from Fourways to Sandton gave me the realisation that nothing can be worse than this so I knew it could only be a good day. I had another opportunity of helping set up a little function for our business unit. Even though it was small it was exciting to help organise. I was even invited to stay on for the festivities. Maybe events management should be my calling.

During this past week and month that have just flown by, I have made some mistakes in the workplace. Thank goodness they were little with no bad effects, but it is still sometimes embarrassing. But those who work with me took the time to point out my mistakes and give me constructive advice on how to fix it and how to go about doing it better next time. Examples of these mistakes were forgetting to fetch the printer cartridge from another department. The printer stood empty for a while until somebody needed to use it and nothing was there. Another example was helping set up interviews for potential employees. From double booking candidates to not booking a boardroom, you name it, I did it. But it took me one day to learn from my mistakes and I succeeded with the help from my colleagues. Now I’m settled and relaxed and things have been running smoothly ever since.

In the end the function mentioned above was a success and everybody had fun. It gave the group an opportunity to relax after work and benefit from the care the company gives them. I have noticed that RMB finds it extremely important to keep the employees happy and satisfied at all times. They say one should assess a company on how they treat their employees. And its no shock that RMB has won one of the Best Companies to Work For as voted by the employees.

Traditional values, innovative ideas

2006-05-16T23:32:00.000-07:00

Last week was quite an interesting and busy time. Together with completing our normal tasks each day, I had the opportunity of helping organise an induction for the new employees. What a fantastic day. I have met many people on that day, from those who have been working at RMB for a while to those who have just started. I also had the honour to sit in on the induction and listen to some of the presentations given my established employees of RMB. The presentations were very informative on the workings of RMB. I always had a broad understanding of what merchant banking is and what RMB does. And this was now an opportunity to learn even more.

I also listened to the presentation of Michael Pfaff. The culture of RMB came through strongly in his speech. He explained how RMB is a company who appreciates traditional values, and thrives on innovative ideas. It is everyone’s duty in RMB to care for an environment where intellectual capital can flourish and businesses can grow. Like Paul Harris, Director of First Rand Bank, says, “You owe it to yourself and the people around you to nurture and build the corporate culture, as this will ensure that this is a company you will be proud of and happy to work for”.

I made my own assumptions on what type of character belongs in RMB and what sort of character will get the job if applying for a position. Five aspects of a person should be strong and prominent: A person should be smart, competitive, hard working, a self starter, and a person with set values.

It is great to work for a company with those types of ideas of what they want. Personally these are aspects I deem very important in my life. I believe in empowering myself, being confident in what I do, and taking pride in every aspect of my work and personal life. And to sustain these characteristics, I believe in the importance of care, dignity, and respect of one self and those around you.

Tasks

2006-05-15T04:03:00.000-07:00

At the moment I am busy with a small creative task for the Project Support Office. And I’m having great fun playing around and testing things for this task. And I must say the help I’ve been getting doing my daily job have been fantastic. Even though I’m an intern everybody in the office is more than pleased to lend a helping hand or teach me how to do certain things. For the past two weeks I’ve had the constant feeling of growth and independence in myself. And RMB is a great area of opportunity where I can strengthen this feeling.

I have been asked the question by Lesley, my training course mentor, whether I have had any disappointments or anything that I am concerned about since I started my internship. My answer is simple: I’m disappointed that my internship at RMB is only a mere three months. It is definitely the type of company I would strive to work for permanently, as they treat their employees and clients like gold, and it’s an environment of constant learning and growing.

Gaining Experience

2006-05-09T05:04:00.000-07:00

It has been two and a half weeks since I have stepped into the working world. Even though two weeks sounds minimal, the experienced I have gained so far is priceless.

I have been given some tasks to do around different divisions of RMB. Even though these tasks are straightforward, it is a great feeling to be trusted in doing something without someone looking over my shoulder to see whether I’m doing it right. The supervisors indicate what tasks we should do in such a clear manner that it leaves no space for vagueness.

The tasks that Mpho and I have been doing so far is fun, it is educational, and most of all it is a means of helping us understand more about Rand Merchant Bank. In the past two weeks we have had three different tasks to tackle. Firstly we started working in the Project Support Office where they have been working on change management and how this process effects RMB and its workers (www.change-management.com). Here we did the part that I know best: researching. Our main topic was change management. It was great to have Mpho by my side because she had quite a thorough background in this area and she helped me understand certain aspects of this topic. It was a great opportunity for me to learn new concepts in the business/corporate world. We still have to give our supervisor feedback on our research which I’m quite nervous and excited about at the same time.

Our second task was working in the Human Resources division of RMB. We have had a great time there so far. The whole division consists out of ladies, so it can only be fun. This was an entirely different experience from the previous week. We dealt with the recruitment side of HR where we had to help organise the incoming applications for RMB. It was quite interesting to see how the whole process works. We handled the entering of applicants’ data into the system, we had to decline applications or set up interviews for successful ones, and I even had to set up a video conference call. That was quite nerve wrecking seeing that there were some technical problems, but in the end it turned out very well.

It was great learning how to use new computer programs such as Lotus Notes and also learning how to use the technology for the video conference. And its good to know I’m walking out of the office every day having learnt new things…what a great feeling.

RMB

2006-04-25T04:54:00.001-07:00

The company I got my intership at is Rand Merchant Bank (www.rmb.co.za). Most of you know how I've been searching for a company like this to be able to fulfill my dreams of making a success in the corporate world. I have only been here for four day and its been a great experience so far. I have met such great and helpful people and I can already say with confidence that a good network has already been established and is in the process of being expanded.

So far Mpho and I have been working in the Change Management and Human Resources departments. I am very happy to be able to work in these areas because having minimal experience in these fields, this is a great opportunity to learn how things are done. We are both handled with great respect, and our supervisors give us the opportunity to do things hands-on. It feels great to be of use and to learn new things at the same time.

It is also very interesting to see how RMB handles their clients, employees and potential employees. It is an extremely professional environment where everybody is treated equally and fairly. I'm very glad to part of the process, even though it is only a 3 month internship. There is still a lot to learn in that time.

CV - Updated 11 th April 2007

2006-04-25T02:18:00.000-07:00

Curriculum Vitae - Celeste Fauconnier

Contact Details

E-mail Address : celeste.fauconnier@rmb.co.za

Personal Details

Nationality : South African
Place of Birth : Johannesburg, South Africa
Sex : Female
Languages : English - Fluent
Afrikaans - Fluent
German - Basic conversational and written
Flemish - Basic conversational and written
Health : Excellent
Drivers License : South African Code EB – Motor Vehicle (No endorsements)
Computer Literacy : MSOffice, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Access, Lotus Notes
Hobbies / Interests : Sport - Action netball and golf
Member of the Prince’s Grant Golf Estate
Enjoy socializing and reading, especially business magazines
Keen traveller

Career Objective

My area of interest is corporate foreign policy. I am specifically interested in good corporate governance of different countries and assessing risk issues such as corruption, human rights, terrorism and pressure groups. I would also welcome an opportunity in corporate governance or other areas like business intelligence or corporate communications, another area I am very enthusiastic about.

Education

Tertiary

2001 – 2004 : University of Stellenbosch, Western Cape (Full time)

- BA International Studies
- Subjects: Political Science, History, German, Sociology, Applied Value and Policy Studies, English, Economics, Information Science

2005 – 2005 : University of the Witwatersrand, Gauteng (Full time)

- BA (Hons) International Relations
- Subjects: Theory of International Relations, World Trade Organization, South African and - Corporate Foreign Policy, International Political Economy
- 2005 Main Assignment (Long Essay): From the Washington Consensus to a “Political” Washington Consensus?: The World Bank Ideology in the Post Cold War Era in Africa

2006 – 2006 : University of the Witwatersrand

World of Work Training and Internship Programme

Secondary

1996 – 2000 : Randburg Hoërskool (Afrikaans High), Johannesburg

- Matric Exemption: Independent Examinations Board (IEB): “B” Aggregate
- Subjects: English (2nd Language), Afrikaans (1st Language), Mathematics (SG), Business Economics (HG), Science (HG), Computer Studies (SG)*
- Distinctions obtained for Mathematics and English

* SG = Standard Grade HG = Higher Grade

Special Achievements

Stellenbosch University

Member of the Maties Community Service Society (2001)

Member of the UN Stellenbosch Chapter (2005). Attended meetings addressing global political and economic issues

5th Team Maties netball player (2001-2002)

Randburg Hoërskool (Afrikaans High)

Leadership

School prefect and member of the Student Representative Council (SRC) (2000)
Netball Vice-Captain (2000)
Class Captain and member of the Student Representative Council (SRC) (1999)

Sport

1st team netball (1998 – 2000)
Provincial colours in netball – Gauteng Province (1995, 1998-2000)
Gauteng Province “Top Ten” Netball Team (2000)
Senior Netball Player of the Year (2000)

Cultural

Senior choir of Randburg Afrikaans Highschool (1997-1999) and actor in several school revues and cabarets

Work Experience

COMPANY : Esteé Lauder (Cresta Edgars, Johannesburg, South Africa)
POSITION : Part-time promotional worker
DATES : January 1998 to December 1998
DUTIES : General duties e.g. developing customer awareness

COMPANY : American Ski Company (Killington, Vermont, USA)
POSITION : Employee at the Killington Ski Lodge
DATES : November 2003 to February 2004
DUTIES : Serving food and beverages to customers
Cleaning and cooking
General customer service
Hostess
Till operator
Closing the cafeteria books after hours

COMPANY : Fantasy Promotions (Black Jack Events), Johannesburg
POSITION : Part-time promotional worker
DATES : January 2005 to January 2006
DUTIES : General duties of a promotional worker

COMPANY : African Institute for Corporate Citizenship (AICC)
POSITION : Part-time researcher
DATES : 2 March 2006 to 11 March 2006
DUTIES : Assisting in the finalisation of a report on Corporate
Governance for the African Peer Review Mechanism

COMPANY : Rand Merchant Bank (RMB), Sandton
POSITION : Intern (Change Management and Recruitment)
DATES : 19 April 2006 – 28 February 2007
DUTIES : Assisting the recruitment department and change
management in the business units

COMPANY : Rand marchant Bank
POSITION : Political Risk Analyst (Treasury)
DATES : 1 March 2007 - Current
DUTIES : Assess political risk in different countries

References are available on request.

The World of Work (Literally)

2006-04-20T23:28:00.000-07:00

When I say World of Work I don't mean our course anymore, I mean the actual working world. After I finished my course I was ready to go out on take on the scary world of uncertainties. I couldn't fall back on studies anymore. It was time for me to step up and do something about my unemployment issue.

I had a couple of interviews the past two weeks, and thanks to them it made me more comfortable and confident every time I had to step into the next one. That is why I have been neglecting my blog a bit. I wanted to write some positive news in my next entry, thus I waited until now.

My story will be short. Three days ago I had to make a very difficult decision of whether to accept a job offer at one organisation or wait for another interview at another place. I had to do a bit of soul searching, but in the end of the day I decided to take the risk of not accepting the offer and hoping that I will get the job at the other interview. My reasons were very simple: I enjoyed both places and think both of the organisations were fantastic. Only, the second organisation offered me an internship in an area that I was more interested in than the other organisation.

So two days ago I went for that second company's interview. I have never been so nervous in my life. I got there an hour before and just sat and waited in my car, thinking what a mistake I made not to accept my previous job-offer. Eventually I gathered all my guts and went in for the interview. To my suprise, they employed me immediately and I started working there and then!

I finally got that job I have been waiting for almost a year now! It taught me that sometimes taking risks will pay off and that life should be filled with taking a brave step into the unknown, otherwise you'll never learn from your mistakes. So now I'm sitting here typing my blog from my new desk at my new job. I have never been this happy to wake up early in the mornings just to get here.

Dragon vs Lion

2006-04-05T09:38:00.000-07:00

The rise of global regional blocks has made politics and economics even more interconnected. And Africa is unfortunately still situated at the bottom of this global change. Africa in general has long ignored the importance and the rise of globalisation, which is reflected in Africa’s unstable ecomomy. This lack of acknowledgment of globalisation is the reason why Africa is battling to survive the global economic pressures. Many disagree with this argument. The counter-argument is that globalisation is in fact the cause of Africa’s backwardness. This is a long debated argument.

But how is Africa going to gain from this argument? Globalisation is inevitable. Rather than arguing about it, why not seek the great opportunities of this global phenomenon? Take for instance Mr. Dlamini’s explanation of the ever-growing Chinese rising. There are problems facing Africa and in particular South Africa due to the integration of China. Take for example the SA textile industry. Almost 37 000 jobs have been lost in 2003 and 2004. Nonetheless, seeing that it is so important for our continent’s economy, it must continue to invest and retain partnership with Chinese businesses.

So instead of fearing the impact of Chinese integration into African markets, embrace the opportunities that it holds. Here are some aspects to take into account:

China has the biggest national market in the world.
There is a growing need in China for mining equipment and technology and South Africa’s core skills, seeing that China needs more modernization of their mining sector.
South Africa’s skills in the infrastructural and engineering sectors can help China with their plan of developing western China.
The South African service sector is more advanced than that of China’s. Areas such as financial-, information-, operation management services and so forth can expand their businesses and benefit from entering China.
And South Africa is seeking great investment from China, especially in the areas of construction, telecommunications and mining.

Globalisation is moving companies and business fast and far around the world, thus the notion of “global business standards” changes from Western to multi-national. Africa should integrate itself more deeply into China because China can help us think in different business ways.

This fuels my belief in Mr. Dlamini’s second lesson for us: “Think and act globally, regionally and locally”. If we could understand the global world, we can learn valuable lessons from the way other markets, companies and people work. In turn this will have a valuable effect on our regional and local environments, where more opportunities will be recognised and taken advantage of.

Our presenters

2006-04-05T09:16:00.000-07:00

I was thrilled that Mr. Kuseni Dlamini and Tracey Rowe could join us on Monday and Tuesday. Like all the other presenters, they took the time out of their busy schedule to help us understand the world of work. Sometimes one feels that people in higher rankings or professions than us don’t have the time to come and help us graduates. But our guest lecturers are the exception. There are those who love to help us get our foot in the door and even those who are excited to take us under their wing.

Mr. Dlamini and Ms. Rowe's seminars inspired me even more to follow my dream of becoming a successful business woman in the corporate political and economic environment. These are two aspects which I’m greatly interested in and which cannot be separated, especially in the 21st century. And to be able to reach this dream, professionalism should be my number one priority. This will in turn help me obtain my goals, and be passionate and driven. I once read somewhere that humble people are small in their own eyes, honest about their struggles, and open to constructive criticism. I hope I will reflect this in my future job and personal life, and that somewhere down the line I will make that difference.

It was a great honour to have Mr. Dlamini as our guest lecturer to open our eyes to potential opportunities and the necessity of accepting change on a global scale. Being a prominent business man who worked at Anglo Gold Ashanti (http://www.anglogold.com) and now the newly appointed Executive Chairman of Richards Bay Coal Terminal (http://www.rbct.co.za), we would like to thank you for joining us and exposing us to the business world.

And thank you to Tracey Rowe from Investec (http://www.investec.com) for showing us how important it is to be flexible in whatever you do, but at the same time keeping a balance between your family and career. And no matter what, I will be proud of what I do.

Speak up and speak out

2006-04-02T05:34:00.000-07:00

Last week I met a very inspiring woman, Ghadija Vallie, a prominent anti-apartheid activist and a strong woman. She is an example of a brilliant role model to many young women like me. Even though the focus of the seminar was empowering communities and creating opportunities, I received much more from this session than that. I have learnt through her example the importance of humility. Being humble and truthful in your heart will help you through many challenges. We must be passionate in what we do now and in our future jobs, and we must yearn for truth and justice.

Ms. Vallie also mentioned the Mustadafin Foundation which was created from the apartheid era to help victims fight political unrest and violence in the Cape Town area. The people who formed part of this foundation gave their services, food, clothes and many other things to those who have been touched by the violence. Now the foundation has extended their services and helps many other people in and beyond Cape Town (http://www.mustadafin.com).

Thanks to Ms. Vallie for being so inspiring. You mentioned a quote spoken by Steve Biko, “I shall always fight and rise against oppression”. You also said how he used to speak with passion and conviction. This is how we felt about your presentation to us.

Skill and determination

2006-04-02T04:42:00.000-07:00

Big thanks to Lesley, Des and Robert for helping us understand the importance of good and effective business writing and presentations. Lesley’s session on writing skills was very informative. As a social science and humanities student, I have had many a lecture on this topic, so I wasn’t too happy to go through another one. But this type of writing is totally different to what I know. My writing skills are equipped out of fantastically long sentences and big words. All of us are used to the type of writing that can publish a novel. We explain things three times in one sentence, and you will be lucky if you understand the words. Lesley taught us that our writing and business writing is like chalk and cheese. This type of writing is more to the point, short and sweet, easy to understand, yet very professional. Thanks Lesley for making us see our mistakes with all the examples you gave us. It really helped me a lot.

Everyone in our class is still talking about the presentation skills seminar. What a great experience. For once in my life somebody has given me constructive criticism on my presentation skills. At school and university we had to do presentations, but never got feedback, only a mark. Here we were focussed on by Robert and Des from Connemara Consulting (http://www.connemara.co.za). The criticism and advice they gave me was extremely helpful. At last I know how to work with my nervousness and now I have the opportunity to sell myself in a professional and striking way. I can influence people to become interested in me and I can make myself stand out from the rest. The session was fun and it is amazing to see how the advice helped all of us in our second round of presentations.

NedLACK or NEDLAC? Shall the people govern?

2006-04-02T03:31:00.001-07:00

The purpose of Nedlac is strong and full of hope. It is there to promote goals for economic growth and to encourage and formulate procedures on socio-economic matters of South Africa. Nedlac gives organisations the opportunity to be able to voice their opinions and also put issues on the table. Nedlac will decide whether certain issues should become a priority and work programmes will be set up dedicated to deal with these issues. Overall, Nedlac attempts to translate the concept of “inclusive decision-making” and “the people shall govern” (http://www.nedlac.org.za/). Thanks to Mr. Mkhize for explaining the purpose of the Nedlac Initiative to all of us.

But is there a lack of effectiveness on the part of Nedlac? I think the problem is lying at the people who are involved. There is a perceived problem of Nedlac not living up to its expectations, so nobody is interested in Nedlac anymore.

Nedlac is a suitable negotiating forum that addresses national dialogue on socio-economic issues. This will only be true in practice if the stakeholders involved help Nedlad achieve their goals. Participation is vital, thus the four chambers involved with Nedlac should get up and become more involved.

Also, Nedlac needs a new image. It has to move away from its outdated practices from the day it was formed. On the whole, Nedlac is the ideal place to reach consensus between the stakeholders involved. However, the main problem lies with the actual transformation of the consensus into action.

(As an extra read, please visit the Business Report’s article on Nedlac by Alide Dasnois: http://www.busrep.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=2554997&fSectionId=556&fSetId=662).

This is not just a one-man show

2006-04-02T03:31:00.000-07:00

One thing that I never thought of doing is becoming an entrepreneur. I’m not interested in it yet but maybe in the future it will spark my involvement. However, Marius Venter explained to us that you don’t have to be a business owner or inventor to become an entrepreneur. You can use entrepreneuring skills in your future workplace. It is way of inventing new ideas and being creative to be able to help your company save money and become more profitable. Just as long as you got the right idea and the ability to take calculative risks to make it successful. Here is the website of the Department of Trade and Industry’s agency called SEDA (Small Enteprise Development Agency). It is an agency to support small businesses in South Africa, in case someone is keen to do this one day (http://www.brain.org.za).

Another aspect I learned from Marius is that entrepreneurship is not necessarily a one-man show. It can also be communities. The video we watched on local economic development showed how important and effective it is for people in communities to help each other get jobs, share visions, create ownership and responsibility and so forth. The community must be organised and professional, and there should be good leadership and resources use. Here is the website of Local Economic Development South Africa for more information on local development: http://www.led-sa.co.za/.

Connecting with our Humanity

2006-04-01T08:53:00.000-08:00

Last week we went for our second visit to Constitution Hill (http://www.constitutionhill.org.za). I postponed my post in order to have my second trip there and blog about it now. In the past two weeks we visited a place of heartache and hope. It is difficult to write down the feelings you experience when walking through the buildings. Emotions were running wild. Sadness, respect, anger, embarrassment, resentment…

But I have realised that this is a place one could look at as a beacon of hope for the future. In one of the blocks where ex-president Nelson Mandela was held, there was a television screen that imaged his experience in this jail. The one comment by him is something that I will never forget, and I think it is also the main message behind his workings. In summary he said that one should never forget the past in order to continue into the future, but one must always remember not to dwell on the past either.

Constitution Hill is a representation of the people who have suffered due to apartheid. It is a means to make the victims, and not the perpetrators, the focus and the central point of the struggle. I think many of the ex-prisoners felt it possible to wake up from their nightmares and they too can share in the healing process South Africa and its people is experiencing. Con Hill is also a way of restoring the dignity of black people and make white people compassionate. This is another step towards reconciliation.

It was a fantastic tour. I would recommend it to anyone. And I’m especially excited to see the outcomes of the Human Rights Campus.

Jhb - Our World Class City

2006-03-30T03:43:00.000-08:00

Two areas that I hoped to be learning about in this course were project management and marketing. These are two areas I have never been exposed to at university and was looking forward to learning the basics.

Both Brian Orlin and Tshepo Nkosi from the Johannesburg Development Agency (http://www.jda.co.za/) sparked my interest in these fields. I’m not yet ready to head in these directions because I first want to settle in the areas of my personal interest, namely corporate foreign policy. However, once I’m in there I would like to broaden my expertise to be able to tackle projects where marketing is needed and project and programme management is essential.

It is amazing how many people are needed in completing a project. That is why I think the Constitution Hill project is so inspiring (http://www.constitutionhill.org.za/). A lot of hard work has definitely paid off. Aspects such as functional performance, time and money are difficult aspects to juggle and to balance it is even more challenging.

There is always extra help needed in the funding and strategic management of projects. Thus organizations like Blue IQ (http://www.blueiq.co.za/) is there to help. Blue IQ, like Brian and Nkhosi said, is part of the projects involving smart industries like Gautrain, high value-added manufacturing like the Gauteng automotive cluster, and Tourism, like Constitution Hill.

I think its fantastic that the Gauteng Provincial Government started this initiative to develop economic infrastructures for these specific areas. It will promote the increase of growth in this province and also private sector investment in certain areas. It is great to know that there are organizations like the JDA and Blue IQ together with the Provincial Government that care about striving towards developing the Gauteng area. It is a opportunity for Johannesburg to push up its popularity as a world class city. Here is the Gauteng Provincial Government website for further information (http://www.gpg.gov.za/).

No Death Wish

2006-03-27T03:03:00.000-08:00

'It is possible to have a generation without HIV/AIDS - we are the ones to make it possible.' Graça Machel.

It was an eye-opener to see the statistics on HIV/AIDS in South Africa. This is the reality and it is something we all have to face. But what gets my goat is the fact that our country has no set national plan on improving the problem. We are sitting with a president who recognises the issue of HIV/AIDS but doesn’t recognise the severity of the impact and future of HIV. Then we are sitting with a Minister of Health who is a fool to think a diet consisting of certain foods is more effective than anti-retroviral drugs. Wake up South Africa!

We are the youth of our country. We must make a difference by making ourselves good examples:

Practice safe sex
Educate others
Eradicate the stigma of HIV/AIDS as a filthy disease
And support those who have contracted the disease

Here is a website which can help us understand more about HIV/AIDS : http://www.tac.org.za. This is the website for the Treatment Action Campaign which fights for the right to affordable means of treating this disease.

I also think it is very important to know the procedures when it comes to HIV/AIDS in the workplace. That is why I would just like to thank Ms. Randall for opening my eyes and making me more aware of something this serious. We need more people like her out there who are willing to educate people to understand how the disease works and to not stereotype the disease as a death-wish.

Getting that Job

2006-03-26T07:02:00.001-08:00

I found the session on our CV and interviewing skills most useful so far due to the fact that it was a workshop that helped me improve my ways of getting that actual job that we have all been looking for. The other sessions have taught me how to handle the real working world when I do get that job. Those sessions are of equal importance. I know getting that job is up to me, but I feel more confident now that I know what to expect from interviews and what employers expect from my CV (and boy was mine off track). The tips were great, and the mock interviews were terrifying. Thanks again to Wickus Joubert and Willemien Strydom.

Stress Ball

2006-03-26T07:02:00.000-08:00

I’m not surprised at the results of my stress test. I’ve been categorised under “your stress level is high. Many signs of stress. You’re likely a workaholic. Generally do not handle stress well”. The statement describes me frightingly well, except for the last sentence. I think I do handle stress quite well. I do indeed experience all the aspects of high stress but lately I have had the attitude of “just let it be”. I always thought this might me the wrong way to approach the situation, but I have been doing things to counter this stress, and these things were highlighted by Shameen. Just a few things I do: I try to smile a lot (most of the time it comes naturally but other times I should focus on doing this). I sing in traffic and smile at taxis and road hogs when they irritate me. I try to exercise when I can. I love my 8 hours sleep, and I look forward to weekends to socialise and be with my family/friends. But maybe Shameen should come back to give us the same session in our last week. I might be pulling my hair out by then.

Also, big thanks to Mr. Kalliatakis for his presentation on customer service. Not only did it educate me on the utmost necessity for good customer service, but it also made me realise how important my reaction is to customer service. I’m often the indifferent customer who will go to the closest and easiest place to buy or get my things done. Sometimes I am loyal to a company or I might complain about bad service, but this will only happen in extreme situations. After this session I’m going to change my attitude of being a habitual customer to one that gives constructive criticism to a company. Here is Mr. Kalliatakis’ website address to find out more information on customer service: http://www.delightyourcustomers.co.za.

Peanut Clusters

2006-03-22T08:02:00.000-08:00

Even though I was thinking mostly about the weekend, I somehow managed to pay attention to the session on competitiveness, cooperation and collaboration presented by Josie Rowe-Setz. These aspects make it possible for companies to improve their efficiency of their standards. And I surely never knew what clusters were. Before that day the only cluster I knew was a peanut cluster. However, in business terms I started making sense of this peanut cluster I’m talking about. A peanut cluster is lots of peanuts combined together by chocolate. So my vague understanding of a business cluster was a bunch of businesses that network with one another in similar areas to keep their business running smoothly. What I also have learnt is how these clusters can affect the area they are situated in, or how it is plainly convenient for the business to be involved in this cluster. I never thought of how different businesses fuel one another to be able to make products or provide a service.

It was also great having experienced businessmen in our midst. I felt the session was mostly focussed on the Limpopo guests, but I surely walked away with more knowledge on these things than I’ve had before. I would like to know how we can get hold of the slides for this session.

Financial Mail

2006-03-19T23:26:00.000-08:00

The other day I spotted the Financial Mail at my parents’ house. It was one of the January issues. Inside I found a feature on the Financial Mail Campus magazine. Why it grabbed my attention is because the cover title was “How to get a job when you graduate”. The magazine seemed quite interesting. They also have a website if you want to give it a quick visit and see what its about. http://www.fm.co/za.campus.

My Interests

2006-03-19T22:09:00.000-08:00

During our individual introductions at the teamwork presentations I heard Samuel, Susan, Yoliswa and a couple of other colleagues expressing their interests in African development and how Africa is lagging behind globally. I’m interested in corporate governance and political risk in companies and also how important the role of South African companies are in Africa. Here is a website which I think you’ll be interested in (if you haven’t heard of it already). Its http://www.africatalks.org/. It deals with current issues on African development. Discussions among students and other people are often held here (similar to our blogs).

Guanxi

2006-03-19T08:03:00.000-08:00

Here’s a little something I wanted to add to my entry about NEPAD. It has to deal with learning different business cultures. African countries, including South Africa, should learn the culture of the different countries they interact with business wise. One of these cultures is that of China. This is called the culture of Guanxi. This term is the Chinese term of how to conduct relationships in the workplace. Seeing that China has such a huge impact on a global scale and also in Africa, every business should learn the Chinese culture of networking and relationship building. A good book to read is “Doing Business in China” by Johan van der Wath.

Reference: Van der Wath, K. 2004. Doing Business in China. Cape Town: Creda Communications.

Go Team Go!

2006-03-19T07:48:00.000-08:00

I must say I disagree with Roy (sorry Roy). Teamwork IS important. The presentation by Brad Arden fuelled my belief in teamwork. Don’t get me wrong. I know how important individuality and individual work is. Nevertheless there are many instances where a team (combined out of a number of effective individuals) is highly valuable. Teamwork helps you fill the gaps of knowledge that you didn’t have before. If you aren’t experienced or knowledgeable in a certain area, one of your team-mates will help you and feed you with new information, and visa versa.

I sometimes don’t like teamwork. I will back Beatrice up in this respect where she said that some team members just don’t pull their weight. However, the difference between teamwork at university and teamwork in our work place one day differs. Here the people are willing, equipped and trained to do their job. And if they don’t, they stand the chance of receiving Donald Trump’s favourite saying, “You’re fired”.

Our NEPAD workshop was interesting. At first I thought it was very repetitive of what the NEPAD website says, but I realised I didn’t fully understand what the website meant. It is an area of my line of interests that I should pay careful attention to because thus far its been the most successful African development initiative yet. Mr Metcalfe was honest enough in saying the Initiative itself is inspiring, but the Secretariat is the downfall. I totally agree. What I also enjoyed about this session is that is sparked a lot of debate. Some brilliant points were highlighted during these debates. Thanks for that everyone. Here is the website address of The Foundation for the Development of Africa where Mr Metcalfe works: http://www.foundation-development-africa.org

Blue Skies Everybody!

2006-03-18T00:39:00.000-08:00

I think I need a week off after Roy’s presentation. What a hectically fantastic day. I wish I had that man’s energy (well I think I will if I stick to my promise of quitting take-aways). As I’m sitting here typing on my friend’s computer, I’m wearing my hat. And yes, my friend does think I’m a bit crazy.

I never thought I was a creative person. I always thought of it in an artistic light, literally. But to me what stuck out the most during our session was that one always has to re-invent one self to be happy. So I realised I am a creative person because I often find myself re-inventing things and aspects in my life. One example was the way I studied at university. It became boring, repetitive and mind-numbing. I realised I had to change the way I approached my routine and began studying in different rooms and changing my time-patterns. I started pasting notes on my wall and talking out loud. Every semester I tried making it more interesting. Well, I think it worked because I’m sitting with two degrees behind my name.

The colour on my hat right now is orange. I’m still a bit weary of my creativity, especially with my blogging. But looking at my previous blogs, trying to be very critical, I can see a more relaxed tone coming out of my typing as the days go by. Hopefully by the end of this course I’ll be the ultimate Queen Blogger (look, I’m already setting big goals for myself). As Lesley said, our blogging is our evaluation of the presentation so I won’t go further about my blogging experience. But I would just like to share a quick story about the networking and information gathering that Roy was talking about. My friend’s sister has an illness called Lupis which has affected her life in a serious way. The other day I was looking at other blogs on blogger.com and came across a lady’s blog dealing with her experience with Lupis. I went onto her blog and found plenty of information I can give back to my friend. Now that is what I call networking. For a better understanding of the man himself, here is his website adderess: http://royblumenthal.com

The Importance of Transparency and Emotions

2006-03-18T00:34:00.000-08:00

I enjoyed the visit from Mr Kapelus the other day because I had a good idea of what he was presenting after working at the AICC for two weeks. I think corporate governance is a crucial aspect for business in order to contribute to sustainable development, and like he said, to be valuable.

I often like to compare the things I have learnt this week with the mining industry because its an area I’m very interested in. Even though mining itself is not sustainable, most mining companies deal with the triple bottom line so that its accounted for and managed in a transparent way. An ultimate example here is the Mining Charter. I think it is imperative especially in today’s world where globalisation, the needs of society/stakeholders and reputation is a growing trend.

And remember the important quote from the presentation guys: “Never have bad debts” -Paul Kapelus-

With regards to Ms Naidu’s presentation, I felt that a lot of things that were said I already knew, but afterwards I realised how I don’t use my emotions to my advantage. I also found it very interesting how hers coincided with that of the previous day’s BWSA presentation. The importance of “listening”, “communicating”, and “resilience” came forth in both quite prominently. Even though it was from different perspectives namely the corporate environment and the psychological environment, they both stress how important it is to have these qualities. Both highlighted emotional and physical health which is essential to be highly effective in the workplace (looks like I’m going to have to stop eating all those take-aways).

The tests Ms Naidu provided showed that I have little confidence in myself. I don’t agree entirely with my results as I know I am a confident person on a social scale, but I do realise there is a difference between confidence in the workplace and confidence in my social life. I don’t think I’m emotionally illiterate but I would like to improve my EIQ to enhance my decision-making. Just a quick question I want to raise: Is there a big difference between confidence in the workplace and confidence in one’s social life?

Here are the website addresses of the AICC and the CCDU: http://www.aiccafrica.com and http://www.wits.ac.za/ccdu/

Independence Day

2006-03-14T02:25:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was the first day of my path to being an independent woman. And what an experience it was. My day started off on a high note. Familiar faces made me less anxious and new faces made me excited for the World of Work Training Programme.

I would like to touch on some issues we tackled yesterday. First of all I would like to thank Dr. Van Zyl and Jean Power for welcoming us. I was quite nervous but from your warm welcome and kind words we are ready to promote ourselves, be advocates for our specific educational backgrounds and lastly, work very hard.

Secondly I am thankful for the opportunity of a self improvement activity like the team leaders. When it comes to public speaking or presentations I’m quite rusty in the sense that this is for real. We are introducing very important and successful people and I’m keen to learn from all the trainees’ examples on how this is done in a professional manner.

Thirdly I was very excited about our guests from the Businesswomen’s Association. It is great to know that an inspiring association like that realizes the importance of humanities and social sciences in the world of work. I enjoyed the relaxed approach by Ms Thomson. It was an enriching and fresh way of dealing with very important issues.

I have already rewritten the advice she gave us, especially the fifteen ‘Ps’. I think if we need to refer back to a guideline on how to conduct ourselves in the workplace (and personal life) and how to be resilient, the fifteen ‘P Letters’ are it. Also, as a South African woman, I’m extremely appreciative of the ongoing opportunities this prominent association provides to help women in business. Their business card is safely secured in my wallet (a very valuable contact).

Lastly I want to thank last year’s trainees for their input on their experience at the World of Work Programme. It was a great way of showing that it is going to be a tough course but the end result will offer us a string of opportunities (and contacts) for our future in the working world.

Competition Time

2006-03-08T07:40:00.000-08:00

By the way fellow bloggers, just a little something that might interest one of you. I went to the News 24 website this morning to catch up on some news and I saw in the corner of my eye a competition for the person with the best and most interesting blog. The website is www.news24.com, or to reach the competition page directly, go to www.news24.com/promotions/blogoff. My blog is not up to scratch yet so I’m not sure of entering but maybe after our course I’ll have the guts to do it. Good luck if you do enter!

Light at the end of the tunnel

2006-03-08T07:34:00.000-08:00

Last week I was jobless and had no idea what I was going to do before our World of Work training programmes would start. But I received a surprising call from Lesley saying that an organisation is already interested in interviewing me as a potential intern and they have part time work for me in the two weeks before we start our classes. I went to the interview and before I knew it I was sitting behind the computer of my new employees, the AICC.

To those of you who are not familiar with this organisation, it stands for the African Institute for Corporate Citizenship. This organisation is one of my options for the internship programme which makes me even more excited because I’ll have a hands-on experience of what it would feel like to work for them. The reason why I’m interested in the organisation is because it focuses on growth and competitiveness in the corporate world. I believe this organisation can teach me the necessary background in corporate policies in South Africa and even Africa whether it includes corporate accountability, responsibility, interaction with governments etc.

The duties I have been given is to help out with the writing of a report on Corporate Governance for the African Peer Review Mechanism. I’m currently busy with creating a database which will include all the sources needed to help finalise this report.

I’m very grateful for this experience because it is helping me understand the working world, even though its only for two weeks. It also makes my decisions on where I want to work one day much easier. As for my employer and my fellow colleagues, they have made the experience even more enjoyable. It is a relaxed and friendly environment and everyone is available when I need help.

I’m still a bit scared when I walk into the office in the mornings because I’m worried that the job I’m going to do that day is not right or up to standards. But I’m sure this feeling will pass with time when we start the internship and gain more experience. I’m very excited for the start of our training next week and to meet all the trainees. See you there.

Experience or no experience? That is the question.

2006-02-23T03:37:00.000-08:00

I have realised more and more in the past year how difficult it is for graduates to get their foot in the door to their future. I don’t even remember how many job applications I have looked at which mentioned the criteria of a three year degree (which I have), and also two to three years working experience (which I don’t have). It is a catch 22 situation of needing experience to get a job but needing a job to get experience. However, even though I have had many conversations with fellow graduates on this topic, I must admit that it is a fair criterion. I do not think that I would have had the right amount of knowledge or professionalism to step into the workplace after I’ve just graduated. How do you guys feel about this?

My CV shows that the only working experiences I have are holiday jobs and part-time promotional jobs. But let me tell you one thing, even though these jobs seem miniscule and might be overlooked by potential employers, they taught me things that I’ll remember forever. It taught me how to work with difficult customers and very difficult bosses. It taught me how to be punctual and patient. And it especially taught me how to successfully complete difficult projects in a limited time frame. Do you think these aspects are considered by potential employers? And do you think these characteristics learnt in a small job can be used in future careers?

I have finally made peace with the fact that job hunting is very difficult and often disappointing. One also needs to learn how to approach potential employees, how to make a lasting impression, and how to cope in the workplace. That is why I’m very excited about the World of Work Programmes. We haven’t fully started yet but the ball is rolling and I have learnt a few things already. This is going to be a good year.