Yoliswa Cele: To improve your career, absorb everything like a sponge
So, you want to know about working abroad, embarking on a new career or being a currency exchange entrepreneur? Look no further, we have someone who knows a lot about all three. Yoliswa Cele is a South African-born entrepreneur. She is also the co-founder and CEO of Ndosi Strategies, a start-up firm based in New York. Through Ndosi Strategies, Yoliswa provides accessible development services, curating partnerships, and international platforms. The firm presently enjoys relationships with partners and clients in the US, UK, and across Africa, specifically, South Africa. Here, Yoliswa answers questions on improving your career born from her years of experience. What challenges should one prepare for when venturing into either a known or new field of business? The spirit of self-sufficiency and triumph over adversity is the core of entrepreneurship. That spirit is innate in Africans, particularly its women. Jumping into a new territory will always require a certain level of research, strategizing and guts. These days, via social networks, and the general internet, we all have the capacity to research. Do a research on your field of interest. Learn about the dominant figures and trends. Attend related events to familiarize yourself with the network. Always be available for networking events, panels and receptions. Once there, interact with people on all levels within that space, from interns to Directors. During the learning process, everyone has something to offer. Make a strong impression by asking thoughtful concise questions that project your own interest in expanding in the industry. Most importantly, show the desire to learn. Follow up with emails, connect on LinkedIn, pay attention to the types of news/articles circulating around the field. Make contacts and seek mentorship if need be. Work to build a support network within the industry to ensure that you make the best decisions, and are included in any opportunity circulations that can further facilitate your professional development. What advice would you give a young professional woman looking to being a currency exchange entrepreneur and having to move to a different country? The international exchange rate is significant to doing business abroad. Benefits are real and most likely will be the incentive to move to foreign job markets. In that kind of situation, it’s important to maintain your awareness of the focus on bettering your circumstances. Make sure that your own goals or purpose for emigrating in the first place, aren’t lost in any romanticized fantasy about doing business abroad. Going into more wealthy economies can be distracting because the lifestyle and environment are new. But don’t get distracted with the flash. Be focused and committed. Business is subject to rules, regulations, and the financial terms that exist in each location. Internationally, you have to make yourself aware of the differences between African economies and foreign ones. This will help you take advantage of the ways they complement, or conflict with, each other. Use your purpose and observations, to strategize the best course of action for each stage of your business growth. Utilizing the huge amount of affordable/free businesses development resources at our disposal —from free social media marketing, to website domains that are the price of a Starbucks latté, to make real growth in your presence, profile, profit and notoriety. There are tons of stepping stones for aspiring entrepreneurs. Social media is a virtual bridge connecting all corners of the world. For example, if you are getting into the global market with the hopes of selling a product, a better first step economically, might be to opt for an e-commerce vs. attempting to rent a psychical shop, and taking on a hefty rent bill every month. Working around the currency difference takes a thorough analysis and resourcefulness. What should an intern or a professional pre-empt in terms of applying skills rather than just knowledge? I don’t know if there are exact or specific skills one should possess when starting out. But I would say, be a sponge. Absorb everything around you during your internship. Work hard, but also work smart. This means asking questions, showing interest, and being consistent in your work. Go over and beyond to stand out in an internship environment. It will without a doubt bring you strong skills and relationships when moving forward professionally. If you’d like to share your story with She Leads Africa, let us know more about you and your story here.
How well are you balancing work and life?
Remember my article on being a career woman and balancing relationships with mum? Now, because all good things come in pairs, (pause for a dramatic effect while you reminisce over your favourite pair of things… mmm double scoop pistachio gelato), I figured that one more stab at this topic was exactly what was needed. Yes, we need to lengthen, then conclude the discussion – cue memories of Goldilocks. Let’s talk balancing work and life this time. Right, you now know how I stumbled my way into an acceptable balance of a career, dealing with family members and still kept my mom largely proud of me. But how about we talk about you? How well can you do all I’ve been able to do without going through my very unorthodox methods? Well, hold your horses, people, ‘cos it’s Christmas and I come bearing gifts! Priorities matter. When I first realized I was finally living a life that overwhelmed me, the first thing I did was to immediately decide what my life’s priority was. For me, it was my job; I could deal with everything else in life if my job situation was fine. So, I paid very close attention to how I felt about my job. I knew that if my feelings changed from liking it to being frustrated, it would have a run-on effect on every other aspect of my life. So, it’s really simple, you have to center your world around something. It helps you with a constant point of balance when things go wildly out of sorts, ‘cos, truth is, they will. You know, life is nothing if not an unending series of ridiculous events. Carry your life along with you When we think about priorities, we often think of them as zero-sum games. I never thought of mine as that. See, I unconsciously realized that there were lots of little ‘good’ choices involved in deciding one’s priorities. So, though work was my primary priority, I still dedicated time to being social with my aunts and participating in their lives. I still shared life experiences with my mom and the rest of my family. There are only so many times you can miss plans before people begin to wonder if you really care about them. This can really hurt if this sentiment comes from those you hold most precious. To avoid this, it’s important that you carry everyone along with you and your life. Now, this doesn’t mean talking shop at dinner but letting them in on your life would help them understand your situation. They’ll understand that you’d spend more time with them if you could. (Don’t take the piss, though. Nobody likes a piss taker) Don’t be afraid to admit that you’re overwhelmed You’ve carried your folks along and they understand, but now nothing is going according to plan. You don’t want to come off as complaining because they’d think you’re just bad at managing things and you don’t deserve nice things. Sounds familiar? Don’t worry, this is very normal. Don’t laugh but I apparently missed school when this was taught. I kept trying to put on a brave face for everyone. But once I began to falter, I realized that it was okay to sometimes, not have things go as planned. Sometimes, you plan to the minutest detail (seriously, you need to plan! There are not enough hours in the day) and somehow things still don’t work out. You miss your mom’s birthday, your friend’s graduation and that deadline at work. You may feel like a failure on all fronts, which is fine. But instead of getting overwhelmed, struggling, and crying on the kitchen floor in your work pants like I used to do, admit it to yourself. Talk to a trusted person (preferably, someone you know has more on their plate than you do). Tell them what you’re going through and ask for advice on how to deal with them. I called my mom pretty much every day to moan and cry on the phone. I listened to her make light of my ‘giant’ issues and that helped. And always remember to take meaningful breaks Now, this point is very rich, coming from me. I’m the reigning champion of team ‘No Leaves’. 5 years! No, really I need a GoFundMe account for this, it’s no longer a joke. Of course, because how else can I afford an all-expense paid walking vacation to south-east Asia? No debates on this. You need breaks. Lots of them. I may not have been able to go on my dream walking vacation but I try dedicating some time during the week for myself. My current set up makes Saturdays free for me. I clean my house on Wednesdays so I can take the trash out on Thursday morning. This means that by Saturday, I can wash my hair, exfoliate my skin, put a mask on my face, do my nails, watch terrible movies, call my friends, cook and go out. Most Saturdays, I do all of these and more but on some others, all I manage is a cup of coffee as I sit at my laptop working. I work in a start-up, and so these things happen. However, even when I’m unable to do personal stuff during the week, I try to have a day to check in on myself. Because at the end of the day, it’s called work-life balance, right? There’s more to you than just work, family, and friends. You definitely need to take care of you because if you don’t, no one else will. Now that you know what to do, create a balance Finally, I know how hard it is being a young career-driven woman in this economy. But in our pursuit of success, let’s remember that the whole point of life is enjoyment and beautiful memories. Now I leave you with these ever charming words my father once said to me – “Your colleagues will only observe a minute of silence”.
Getting comfortable with feeling like a fraud
Ever found yourself in the middle of a great moment —a graduation, getting a promotion, being praised by someone you respect or creating something new— and caught yourself feeling like you shouldn’t be there? Not in a nice, ‘Is this really happening?!’ kind of way. More like a, ‘I don’t deserve this, and I hope no notices I’m a fraud’ kind of way. Ironically, it is because of your greatness that you are more likely to experience feelings of being a ‘fraud’. This is commonly referred to as the ‘impostor syndrome’. Basically, if you attribute your success to everything except the fact that you really are that good, keep on reading. Categorized as “the domain of the high achiever”, Clance and Imes first coined the phrase after a study they did of high achieving women. They described it as feelings of, “phoniness in people who believe that they are not intelligent, capable or creative despite evidence of high achievement”. Instead of crediting success to ability, they attributed it to circumstances or charm. If you’re not sure if this relates to you, here’s a short test you can take to get a sense of where you lie on the spectrum. The concept really hit home for me when I read a quote by Maya Angelou. She said: “I have written eleven books, but each time I think, ‘uh oh, they’re going to find out now. I’ve run a game on everybody, and they’re going to find me out.” Listen, if Maya-Freaking- Angelou can ‘fess up to feeling what I felt and still be great, then there is a way to succeed in spite of it. So why is impostor syndrome so harmful? There are a few ways that this subtle form of fear could be holding you back from achieving career/business greatness: You don’t shoot your shots, and if you do they are less than they could be In her book Lean In, Sheryl Sandberg noted that impostor syndrome made people evaluate their qualifications lower than they should. In the long run, you end up only taking low-risk opportunities, or worse not taking them at all. It affects how you communicate Have you ever ended a well thought-out point with something like, “Does that make sense?” Or worse, do you find yourself apologizing all the time? Seriously, why do you start with “Sorry…” or “I just…” when you speak in a meeting? In an attempt not to be outed as a fraud, you actually can come off sounding uncertain of yourself. It affects your presence In the words of Amy Cuddy, “Impostorism steals our power and suffocates our presence. If even you don’t believe you should be here, how will you convince anybody else?” As with all questions of our ability, there’s no silver bullet to getting past it, but there are ways to not let it hold you back. Accept that you actually are a fraud The only reason you are so aware of how much you fall short is because you are brilliant enough to calculate how much you lack. Be aware of the deficit, but act anyway. Apply anyway, pitch anyway, write anyway. Everyone, brilliant or not, puts their best foot forward and there is nothing wrong with faking it a little before you make it. In the words of Queen Beyonce, “I have accomplished nothing without a little taste of fear in my mouth.” Communicate power Even if you aren’t completely comfortable with feeling like a fraud, at the very least stop sounding like one. Tara Mohr, author of Playing Big says, “I keep meeting brilliant women like you, with powerful ideas to contribute, important businesses and organizations to build, provocative questions to share. But so often, the way they communicate fails to command power. They equivocate, apologize, and look away as they speak.” Be aware of how you communicate. While there is a lot I could add, my one piece of advice would be, watch your cadence and don’t present statements as questions. Focus on delivering value Understand the value that you can bring to the table. We often assume that the skills we really excel at come naturally to everyone because we do them so easily. This then allows us to focus on the things that we can’t do, as we don’t see our skill set as valuable. Keep track of your strengths using tools like LinkedIn. But if you haven’t got it together like that (no judgement, I’m with you!), listen carefully to the feedback you get from colleagues. “I DID that” These three magic words, when said every time you do something awesome, are certain to gain you the respect of the only critic that counts, YOU.
What #MotherlandMoguls can learn from the Rio Olympics
The Olympics this year had us glued to our seats, rooting for our countries and supporting our favorites for gold. You can’t deny the emotions and sheer excitement that came about this Olympic season. They had us distracted from our everyday hustle! If you’ve been following, you’ll know that there are some awe-inspiring stuff we can pick up from the recently ended Olympics. Do you! From Ibtihaj Muhmmed winning a medal in a hijab, to China’s Fu Yuanhui being candid about her menstrual cycle, it’s pretty clear that women aren’t really conforming to a set standard of doing things. Sometimes we get caught trying to fit in to a mold about what we can do or say. Women in #Rio2016 proved and shattering so many stereotypes and boundaries. They unified even in competition and showed strong bonds of sisterhood. So forget trying to be like someone else, own your hustle in your own way and people will definitely notice. You are never too old or too young to kick butt! What was really amazing to me was seeing that age is no limit to passion, determination and just being on fleek. Uzbekistani gymnast Oksana Chusovitina, is 41 years old and wowed us with her gutsy performances. Meanwhile, Simone Biles the 19 year old gymnast, was snatching edges and gold medals dominating the Olympics and winning hearts. Both women show that you have absolutely no reason put a limit to achieving your goals. Sometimes we get caught up looking at the impossibilities, but when you start looking past them and pushing for your goals, you unlock your ability to start slaying. Be different Seriously, you don’t have to fit in. If the Egypt vs Germany beach volleyball game taught me one thing, it’s that you don’t have to do the same thing the same way. Cookie cutter solutions in business or your career will not always work for you. You have to find something that is unique and that will ultimately help you grow your craft and dominate the grind. Shaunae Miller’s controversial dive for the 400 meter race shows that you won’t always win the usual way. Having out of the box ideas to accomplish your goals and targets is necessary to get you that gold. There might be times that it will be risky and you do have to look at the cost, but the payoff might also worth it. So, start thinking about those opportunities that might set you apart, look beyond the difficulties, and be your awesome self while at it!
Stressed? 4 ingenuous habits that will make all the difference
Your head is aching, too many things to do in so little time… You had so much work at your desk and had to skip lunch… You can’t remember if you had water to drink all day… It’s Friday but you can’t say TGIF because your side hustle for the weekend still has some loose ends to be tied up. Therefore, no gym this weekend… Whew! So much stress, so little rest… Hey Motherland Mogul! We are all about your business and career success but we do not want you to pass out in the process…or develop poor health conditions. The beauty of your hard work today is being able to inspire the younger generation years down the line when you’re grey. If you’re not here or in good health, who will? We want to be a part of your success story and as such, your overall well-being is important to us. If you’re stressed, these daily habits could help. Your health doesn’t have to be a barrier to reaching that business goal. Always have breakfast no matter how little. Research has shown that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and prevents unnecessary snacking. Also, avoid skipping meals and eat right. Take it easy on the carbs whilst increasing fruit and vegetable intake. Then make sure you drink water, lots of it. Manage your time properly at work to boost effectiveness and reduce being stressed. This helps to boost effectiveness and reduce being stressed. Work time isn’t the time to engage in office gossip or be on social media so be warned. You should also always ensure that you finish one task before engaging in another All work and no play makes Jill a dull girl Engage in relaxing activities after work and during the weekend. Reading SLA articles perform the dual function of educating and entertaining you. Otherwise, you could go swimming, dancing, travelling or any other thing to take the edge off. Exercise regularly It does not have to be too intense, regular walks are good for reducing cholesterol levels. Take the stairs more and get involved in outdoor activities.
6 South African women killing it as we celebrate #WOMENSMONTH
Gwa thinta abafazi, wa thinta imbokodo! This means, “You strike a woman, you strike a rock.” Currently, it’s women’s month in South Africa but I think the party shouldn’t start and end there. The month should celebrate and honour women in our entire continent, This should include women who are powerhouses and moguls, whether in communities and the business world. Let’s talk about some history. On August 9, 1956, thousands of women marched to Pretoria. It was to fight for their rights to freedom of movement without documentation, referred to as passes, along other segregation laws. In commemoration of women’s rights today, questions still remain debated over the role of women in society. This especially concerns women in positions of power. Six decades later, women continue to fight. This time, we fight a different fight. Evidently, we have MotherlandMoguls who carry a dumbbell with one hand and a mine of gold in the other. Today, we want to celebrate not just the woman in South Africa, but in Africa. She is an instinct-driven entrepreneur, who will be featured on Destiny Magazine, Forbes Africa, Forbes Woman and the likes. She is on her way to becoming the leading lady of a nation. She has a vision, creates networks and positively influences other young women. Now, let’s take a look at 6 young women killing it in South Africa: Mpho Khati Mpho Khati of Indlovukazi is a vibrant woman who celebrates herself through modelling. She invented the word ‘thick-thighing’ as a plus size model and is also an Instagram influencer. Mpho’s to watch for. Palesa Kgasane Palesa Kgasane is a young lady in her early twenties, born in cape town and raised in Bloemfontein. Amazingly, she’s the curator at Mzansimoodboard, a writer, and creative director. She also designs her own clothes. Khanya Mzongwana (aka Yulu Ishii) It is said that a woman’s place is in the kitchen and she makes it her business. Khanya, the foodie entrepreneur, is called the queen of pop-up restaurants. She’s the co-owner of Off The Wall pop-up restaurant. She is also a recipe developer and food stylist. Panashe Chigumadzi Panashe Chigumadzi is the author of Sweet Medicine. She’s also the founder and editor of Vanguard Magazine, a black feminist platform for young black women coming of age in post-apartheid South Africa. Also, Panashe is a storyteller interested in the narratives of black and African women. Tumelo Mothotoane As a television and radio broadcaster, Tumelo started locally with a woman’s programme called Sistas on Soweto TV. She moved to being a news anchor at the SABC. Now, she’s gracing the worldwide screens with being an international news anchor and correspondent for Russia today TV. Lumka Msibi Lumka Msibi is a 25-year-old qualified and international award–winning Aeronautical Engineer. She’s a global speaker and Entrepreneur from Soweto in South Africa. Regardless of the system in places that may hold women down, Lumka rises above limits. She creates the most compelling content, business industries, and communities. Commendably, this woman rises above societal pressure that dictates what a woman shouldn’t talk about. Here’s the thing A woman alone is success personified and she matters. She is not a statistic but she creates ground-breaking statistics. The stereotype that women are catty and always fight each other is old and needs to go. As women, we need to constantly remind ourselves that we’re flawless. We need to create circles of support platforms to generate a revolution of power among sisters. Now, Motherland Moguls, be your own kind of woman this month. Your career goals and strategies are valid. Start improving your business, and yourself! Kill it and make your entity your mark.
Top tips on human resources from two Sierra Leonean experts
The Sierra Leonean economy is in dire need of a streamlined and engaging workforce. Edleen B. Elba and Fullah Musu Conteh are two professionals in the Human Resource field helping to develop, recruit and retain talent in various sectors for the Sierra Leonean workforce. Edleen is a Chartered Human Resources Analyst who owns JobSearch, a human resources management company while Fullah is co-founder and managing human capital consultant at human capital solutions firm TV-PG. In this article by Moiyattu Banya caught up with both ladies and got them to share some tips on building human capital for any business. It is a known but sad fact that the average job seeker in Africa is a young person. Add to this the African Development Bank’s prediction of a youth bulge on the continent. This just begs the question, how will African countries cope with the increase of young people who will far outweigh available opportunities? In post-conflict countries like Sierra Leone, that rate is even higher. According to the 2013 Status of Youth Report released in Sierra Leone, over 70 percent of young people live under a dollar a day. The country’s unemployment rate is at 60 percent and is one of the highest in West Africa. Ladies, how important is setting up an efficient team? What key attributes should young women possess for business? Edleen: Your team is critical. Hire employees with the right attitude. They may not be the most qualified or experienced but you can always train them. People with integrity and those who care about their personal development and business growth are likely to be more committed and therefore, more productive. Fullah: Be professional at all times with your team. When it comes to your team and standards, be professional. Culturally in Sierra Leone, the lines tend to blur between professional and personal relationships. This situation, if not well-handled, can diminish one’s image as a leader. Case in point, as a start-up, you may have set systems in place and your policies may be top-notch. However, consistent adherence can be a challenge when clear-cut boundaries are not set. Evaluate your leadership style, and ensure your team is in agreement with your expectations. Always check for non-compliance to policies and structures, address the culprits and help them improve on compliance. However, if they still don’t fit in, let them go, irrespective of who they are. What would you consider critical for a young woman setting up a business? Fullah : Understand your business market. Understand your competitors, know what the market needs, lacks or has in abundance – then strategically come in. To this end, you can create a niche that caters to your passion and also the market. Use that knowledge to find mentors who can help you reach your goals and potential customers/clients. Know when to take a step back and when to aggressively push with a service or product. While at it, align with international best practices and contribute to Africa’s consistent growth. It’s best to do away with the standard TIA aka “This is Africa’s way” by ensuring that you adapt to best business practices for your clients’ sake and personal prestige. The bar should be raised, always. Let’s talk about the dream team. How can one effectively manage a team without breaking it? Edleen: Share your vision! I would say, share your vision with your employees and give them responsibilities. If they are actively involved in the decision-making process, they are more likely to believe they are a vital part of the business. Also, it is important to have open communication channels. This is essential to any relationship. Be fair, give regular and effective feedback. How do we maintain personal control in the face of business expansion? Fullah: Know and understand your strengths and weakness. Once you do, find ways or people who can help close that gap. For example, I am a transformational person and monotony bores me to distraction. Owing to this, I do not consider myself a sales person as I am terrible at selling my organization’s new products and services. To address this weakness, I have a strong team consisting of a competent operations person and a passionate business development individual. I design products and services while the operations person follows through with implementation. The role of the business development individual is to get clients while I work quietly behind the scenes to make us all happy. Want to see women you know featured on SLA? Tell us what amazing things women are doing in your communities here.
What they don’t tell you about your first job
So, you’ve survived unemployment like a boss, and now you’ve landed your first job. For some, this is a positive, life-affirming experience. For the rest of us, we need a support group or at the very least a few tips on how to deal. Don’t worry girl, I’ve got you! The general reason why many people do not enjoy their first job is typically because it just wasn’t what they expected. So if you are feeling like you are failing at adulting, relax, you aren’t alone. Here are a few ideas on how to tackle seven typical first job challenges, and come out strong. 1. So…is this it? After the novelty of employment wears off, monotony can set in. You may find yourself a bit disillusioned with your job and asking yourself, is this it? The answer to this question will either prompt you to restart job hunting or help you to get your head back in the game. Either way, you can make the most of your time there. This is where you want to clarify your goals. What exactly is it that you ultimately want to do? Once you know that, decide how you can use the platform that your job provides to get closer to your goal. There are very few skills in our increasingly interconnected world that are not transferable. You aren’t there just for the job, but also for the networks, the exposure to opportunity, insight into the industry, seeing how a business is run and scaled, tapping into the experience of your co-workers (potential mentors?) and to establish your name in that space. In addition you can work to break the monotony of each day by: Volunteering to help other departments out and diversifying your experience Continually setting personal goals to excite you Using your evenings and weekends to do more than watch series. Pursue your other interests and invest in a side hustle 2. Maintain relationships The one thing many of us weren’t prepared for is just how much of succeeding in your first job revolves around your ability to work with people. It goes without saying, maintain a good attitude, don’t act like you know it all and avoid office politics. Your relationship with your boss, co-workers and clients all need to be managed as they each come with their own complexities. Have frank conversations to make sure you clearly understand the expectations that the people you work with have of you. Ensure you aren’t part of the problem by understanding your own strengths and weaknesses as a co-worker by soliciting feedback from your peers to help you uncover any blind spots. The bottom line is you will work with great people as well as the scum of the earth, be prepared for both. Even if you decide to leave, it is important not to burn any bridges. Stay professional until your very last day. 3. Speak up, take credit I totally agree with the saying, “Hard work speaks for itself” but that shouldn’t stop you from speaking for yourself too. Being consistently passed over for opportunities can create a lot of dissatisfaction in your first job. You want better client visits, you want to go to that conference, you want in on that project, that’s all great, but have you asked? Remember you are largely responsible for how much you will get out of your work experience and so take charge of it. Mindfulness Coach Jeena Cho puts it this way: “If I could encourage women to do one thing, it would be to ask for what you want. Stop overthinking every simple (and not so simple) request, and just ask! Ask without apology. Ask despite your inner critic. Ask when you fear you’ll be seen as pushy…Ask when you fear you don’t deserve it. Ask when you feel you do.” Another thing that will help all of your hard work ‘speak’ is actually being comfortable taking credit for your work. Keeping a record of your accomplishments will also help in pay negotiations and asking for promotions. 4. Skills versus titles So, you didn’t take the time to scan through the companies’ organogram before you signed the contract. Now you realise you are stuck in a dead-end job with no chance of advancement. This may not be a total waste of your time. You may not get a fancy title but you can still ensure that your CV looks attractive. Be deliberate about honing marketable skills. Each year many industries publish ‘hottest skills’ lists, take time to identify the skills that your job is helping you develop and indicate them clearly on your CV. 5. Calculate the cost of compromise Part of the anxiety you feel in your first job is when you settle in and begin to evaluate whether the job you took was worth the compromise you made. A survey done by PWC revealed that 72% of millenials made some form of compromise to get a job. Some of the compromises we make to get off of our relatives’ couches are probably harmless, like getting a job in a dodgy part of town or being hired by our second choice company. Others however, may have serious long term effects on the trajectory of your career. For example, not negotiating your pay could negatively affect long term earnings. Accepting a job you are overqualified for may be the most practical thing to do right now, but it may your impact career development. The question you want to ask is, will this have any serious long term effect on my ultimate goal? This should help you get over any petty hang-ups, or leave if necessary. 6. The diversity issue Depending on your industry, you may find yourself being the only woman or African or person of colour (or all of the above) in your workplace. This may mean you’ll need to speak up to represent a perspective your co-workers may not have thought of. Remember your delivery is just as important
So, you want to start a career in education
When I was younger, the word education for me meant receiving instruction and strict teachers who I call, ‘madams’. In my naïve little world then, I equated education to the tutelage received from angry looking madams that always dressed appropriately. It was these madams that instilled the pride associated with accomplishing basic goals in reading and writing in us. They were the women who allowed us to proceed through the next grade, form and eventually to college. With time, I realised that lessons from the madams was just one aspect of education. There are also policy makers, administrators, researchers, project analysts, area experts and numerous education development practitioners at different levels. These experts work towards collectively improving the quality of teaching and learning in any system. The process that leads many to the teaching vocation is pretty clear and straightforward to some. However, having realised the versatility of the sector, I concluded that there was no one formula to getting ahead in education. Rather, there are certain basic principles that you need to follow to launch and maintain a successful career in education. Passion is half the battle won I am a strong believer of the mantra, “passion is half the battle won”. When you are hungry and starving for a specific goal, you are more likely to be successful. When you have the drive to achieve something, you will chase after the best results. You won’t rest until you have left your mark in your specific area of interest. Start with the basics Basic education in your area of choice is the much needed support structure to quickly launch your career in education. Many people go for any first degree and then struggle towards getting employed after. Don’t be one of them. You should carefully choose what course to enroll in at uni considering the area you’d like to be an expert in. While receiving basic instruction in your field of interest, you will learn the theoretical aspects of your trade. This will be what you put into practice once employed. Volunteering as a student also allows you to put into practice what you’ve learned at university and to start creating a name for yourself in your industry. Write academic papers Researching and writing academic papers on your subjects of choice is what will turn you into a specialist. While everyone has an opinion on educational topics, it takes a well recognised author, who has done the research (be it primary or secondary) on specific aspects, and produced papers with demonstrated and verifiable results to be taken seriously. It is the specialists that get to influence the decisions of policy makers and development agendas. They are also the ones who guide the way other academics think and move in the education sector. Be dynamic As the world is dynamic and constantly changing, any career path has to be similarly open to change. It is key to keep up with innovations in the education sector so as to remain relevant. For example, the increasing use of the internet to disseminate information on subjects should be taken into account for career development. Online courses make it easier for students to familiarize with their field of choice and areas of growth and opportunity. This can be employed by educators to spice up their trade.
Be your own cheerleader: Why women need to PR their own PR
There’s a fine line between confidence and arrogance. “Confidence smiles while arrogance smirks”, they say. Women often shy away from listing their accomplishments for fear of being seen as the latter. However, who will voice it out for you if you don’t PR your own PR? It’s time to start tooting your own horn and getting comfortable with the idea of self-promotion. “Unfortunately, we live in a culture where competence and likability have an inverse relationship for a woman,” says Tara Sophia Mohr. Women who are sharp shooters and do not readily display more ‘feminine’ traits are seen as aggressive or bossy. Add to that, a woman who speaks her mind and doesn’t shy away from broadcasting her achievements, but instead proudly states her role is seen as arrogant and pompous. Women are therefore penalised for displaying characteristics that are contrary to gender stereotypes. Be your own cheerleader Even though it might be perceived as flaunting, no one will be your biggest cheerleader except yourself. You know best how hard you worked to get where you are. The benefits of making your achievements known far outweigh the negatives. Pr-ing your own PR doesn’t mean boasting mindlessly. Rather it requires calling attention to your successes and receiving credit for them. This way you can be seen as first choice for the next assignment, raise or speaking engagement. It makes you visible and helps advance your career, leading to better compensation, more high profile projects and career building assignments. To move on, “working women should continue to ensure that their managers are aware of their accomplishments, seek feedback and credit as appropriate, and ask for promotions when they are deserved, just as the high-potential women we’ve followed have been doing. Helping others recognize their contributions will help women get ahead further and faster.” Grow your career by doing your own PR Women who self-promote and network in influential circles achieve more career success. Unfortunately, doing good work isn’t enough. Your visibility gives you space for recognition. Being proactive in linking up with people who you admire and aspire to be like within your industry helps advance your career and ensures that your reputation precedes you. This earns you the recognition you so rightfully deserve. Self-promotion also needn’t be in just traditional means, especially in this age of digital media. You can have speaking engagements, attend networking sessions, write a blog or publish a paper about a subject you’re well-versed in. This positions you as an expert in your field. Being active on social media is also a great way to expand your audience and get maximum reach. However, don’t let it stop there. As you rise up the ranks of the corporate ladder, leverage that newfound confidence and pass it on to young women within your circles or organisation. Being empathetic and patient towards young minds will help them reach inside themselves and excel. Women can also nurture other women better, partly because we’ve been down that road and can steer others in the right direction. Passing on the baton is the only way we’ll see more women at the top, realising their dreams and living up to their potential.