The Power of Mentorship. Part 1

I have been a fan of Destiny magazine since its launch issue. A lot of my friends took a while to warm up to it because they felt that it did not speak to the them; but to me it was my road map, a guidance of where I want to be (including the cover - note to the universe). I started buying it religiously in mid 2009 then it became less consistent as more and more of their covers became splashed with celebrities, I felt betrayed; what about the corporate woman? Were they doing this to push sales? There are so many magazines out there that give celebrities the spotlight but Destiny gave the career woman time to shine and all of a sudden they were becoming like everyone else (Elle excluded *clears throat*)?!

Ok, it’s not about me, I just needed to remember that and I will admit, once I had read Claire Mawisa’s and Unathi Msengana’s  cover stories I grew an appreciation for women in the entertainment industry..and ok, maybe having celebrity cover stars isn’t so bad after all and Destiny isn’t getting side tracked.

So now coming to this post; while I busy doing my Christmas shopping the other day, I bumped into the January issue of Destiny Magazine and I started screaming in the middle of the shop like I had won the lotto (my friends casually calmed me down). Reason for my excitement? CEO of Shanduka Group, Phuti Malabie was on the cover!

You see, back in 2009 I was part of the Wits University Golden Key International Honours Society and sat on the committee as the Fundraising Director. We were busy planning our Women’s Day conference when I, along with three other members volunteered to organize speakers (guest speakers, not boom blasters). First thing I did was send an e-mail to Destiny to ask if Khanyo Dhlomo could be our guest speaker but unfortunately she was scheduled to be in Mpumalanga on the same day. To make up for this, Tshia Kaapu (Events & Marketing Co-ordinator: Destiny Magazine), sponsored copies of the magazine for our guests, I was estatic, but alas (used for dramatice effect), I still did not have a speaker! I didn’t have a “Plan B” so I sat down and started going through all my Destiny Magazines looking for an inspirational career woman who could serve as our guest speaker; that's when I came across a piece on Phuti Malabie. I Googled her and once I had put my highly acclaimed (by me) stamp of approval, I sent he an email and within a day I had received a response from her P.A and she had agreed to come speak at our event!

The day I met Phuti I was nothing short of impressed, so classy, eloquent and beautiful both inside and out. As she delivered her speech, I thought; this is what I want to be; this is me!
A couple of weeks later I sent Dolly, Phuti’s P.A an email asking if she could ask Phuti to be my mentor. By this time I already had Phuti’s work and cell phone numbers but was too scared to call and ask, I mean, what would I say? Hey P, it’s Zee, we met the other day? Good afternoon Mrs Malabie it was an absolute honour to be of your aquaintance… / Sooo, Phuti, how’s about we do lunch…? Yeah…sending an email was definitely a better option and good enough for her to agree to my request.

I was ecstatic! When I called my mom to tell her, she was seemingly happy then paused to ask… “Manje ubani loPhuti? Waye uMiss South Africa?” (translation: Who is this Phuti lady? Was she Miss South Africa?). After explaining to her that Phuti Malabie was (then) MD of Cyril Ramaposa’s Shanduka Energy and not Phuti Khomo - a former Miss SA TEEN she paused again and said… “Oho, ok…konjwe yini iMentor” (Translation: what is a mentor again?)…only my mother!

So that is how I met the extraordinary, Phuti Malabie. On the next post I shall layout how I benefited from that mentorship relationship and also delve deeper into the power of mentorship!

Twitter: @Zeezilz

Serious Conversations

When I was younger, I never understood how adults could watch news and actually be interested. My granny took the cup though, she watched the Afrikaans, then English, then the Zulu news (to this day I think she watches the two former for visual effects and the latter for confirmation).
But as I have gotten older I have come to understand the importance of keeping up to speed with current affairs (no, NOT who's currently having an affair with who). Conversations have gotten more serious too, like this one that I had with a friend of mine, Sifiso which was sparked by my profile picture on BBM (as seen below) :



Sifiso: U like grapefruit?

Zee: First time eating it. Not as bitter as people say it is.

S: I've learnt that fruits have varying tastes... What kinda taste do strawberries have?

Zee: Like strawberry milkshake? I don't like strawberries though. Strawberry milkshakes however are awesome.

S: That's my point!!! Strawberry flavoured goods don't taste like strawberries!!! They tend to taste better than strawberries... Strawberry flavour is a lie the white man has perpetuated!

Z: True

S: I want the world to discover the truth about strawberries! But my issue is being considered less important than climate change and renewable energy

Z: I think you just need the right platform. I feel like people are just turning a blind eye. THE REVOLUTION WILL BE TELEVISED

S: Yeah! that's my concern too... I also need to address the grapefruit issue... There is no connection between grapes and grapefruit. Why are we being mislead?!?

Z: I think they're just tryna divert our attention from the oil shortage issue...and they are doing a very good job at it...huh? What shortage? I'll just eat my grapefruit...

S: Glad we made the connection between oil shortage and grapefruit by inspecting your profile pic...

**the end**

A small thank you to Sifiso Maphanga for giving me permission to share our conversation with the world;)

Dear Santa...

Dear Santa

It's been a while since I last wrote to you. I hope your address hasn't changed because I really need you to read this letter.

I trust your super powers and your ability to decipher between who's been naughty and who's been nice. Just so we're on the same page, I'd like you to know that I've been extremely nice, just ask the old lady who I helped cross the street or that mosquito that wouldn't let me sleep on Thursday night who's life I decided to spare.

Now Santa, I haven't asked you for anything for over a decade so I sincerely hope that I've accumulated some points here. Now I know that this letter may be a bit early but it's just that I don't want any excuses come christmas. I want my gifts, Santa, no pressure.

Since there's this rumour going around about 12 days of Christmas I've decided on a gift a day, so please Santa, make it happen.

On the 12th day of Christmas I would like an iPad and a new cellphone for my little brother so he can stop asking me for one.

On the 11th day of Christmas I would like breakfast with Khanyi Dhlomo, lunch with Trevor Manuel, supper with Chris Gardner and ice cream with Oprah in between.

On the 10th day of Christmas I would like you to drop a degree on my lap. I'll use it wisely, I promise.

On the 9th day of Christmas I would like success. Lots and lots of it. I'm sure you know how much I fear failure.

On the 8th day of Christmas I would like for you to help me find a new church family here. I'm feeling slightly spiritually starved.

On the 7th day of Christmas I would like strength to help me get over the 21st of May 2011, the accident and the family members I lost that day. May their souls rest in piece.

On the 6th day of Christmas I would like a getaway. No wait, make that a boat cruise with all of my friends.

On the 5th day of Christmas I would like you to finish off my car instalments then throw in a BMW 125i while you're at it;)

On the 4th day of Christmas I would like for you to instill in me a love for sports so I too can partake in corridor conversations at work.

On the 3rd day of Christmas...well you see there's this thing at work called a raise...

On the 2nd day of Christmas I would like you to fill me up with gratitude because I'm going to require a lot of it to thank you for gifts 12 to 3.

On the 1st day of Christmas...ok, let's just clarify here is the 1st day the 25th of December? Ok, let's assume it is.
On the first day I would like Ty Pennington and his team from "Extreme Makeover Home Edition" to come to my parents house and give it a make over and whisk the family and I away to some resort while they do so.

I know this will be so easy for a big guy like yourself. I don't have a chimney but just PING me when all my things are ready.

P.S please find BBM pin on the back of the envelope

With love,
Zee

She...

One not so great thing about working is that the luxury of holidays four times a year is no more. Today I've been feeling really homesick and to make matters worse, I received a call from my dad and for the first time ever he told me he misses me. This only means one thing: I NEED to go home soon! I need to see my family and I need to see my mom. To find temporary comfort I pulled out my Bible and stumbled upon this, it describes my mother so beautifully:


Proverbs 31:10-31
New International Version (NIV)

Epilogue: The Wife of Noble Character

10 A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
11 Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.
12 She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.
13 She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.
14 She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar.
15 She gets up while it is still night; she provides food for her family and portions for her female servants.
16 She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.
18 She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night.
19 In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
20 She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.
21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
22 She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes.
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.
26 She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
27 She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
31 Honour her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

I thank you....

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" ~ Laozi

Thank you for the appreciation (you, yes you)!

Big thank you to Nomvula, Refiloe and Sifiso ( P.S No payments were made for the lovely compliments)

Manini, Amantle, Theola, Danielle, Lulu, Zama Timande....Thank you for the blog lovin and spreading the word....you can collect your thank you gifts from your nearest Jaguar dealership.

As long as you keep reading, I'll keep writing!

TwEntY sOmEThinG

It was my birthday on the 3rd of September. I turned 20 and 48months *clears throat*. To celebrate, I went to Hermanus and Kleinmond in the Western Cape. Such pretty places! It was so cold but that didn't matter (even though I had packed for warm weather). Went horse riding for the first time...and for the next couple of days I felt the after effects...oh how my body hurt!

It felt good though, to get away, unwind and just take my mind off work! And what a week it had been! My direct manager had gone on holiday in Thailand and I was trusted enough to fully take over the team and manage them for a week and a half! Stressful at first; he's such a perfectionist (10 times worse than me) and I didn't want to mess up! It got better with time though and just as I was "missioning" to take over the company (and the world), he came back! Dammit! I could've been MD/CEO by now! He's a great man though. The day he came back to work I had to leave for Cape Town for an "Emotional Intelligence" workshop so we met for a very early morning coffee session (I ended up having breakfast *hides*) at O.R Tambo before I took off at 9am (almost missed my flight-don't ask).

The workshop was quite insightful. Won't go on too much about it because I want to do a separate blog on EQ (emotional intelligence) sometime soon.

I look back to this time last year. I was in the final stages of wrapping up my dissertation. Stressful times. Now I'm in the development stages of my career. And I love my company because they are BIG on developing future leaders. I could have worked anywhere maybe even earned more but I wouldn't trade in the amount of learning and experience I have gained this year thus far for anything. As a wise young man recently said to me; don't just have a job, have a career (loosely quoted). So that's me, and that's my vision; to work towards a bigger goal, a bigger me: World, are you ready?

P.S Now that I'm 24. I mean, 20 and 48months, I feel like everyone is 21! I keep meeting young(er) people, and they make me feel old! Soon I'll be a fossil! *faints*



Monday 29 August: Supper at Devon Valley Hotel, my friend Lulu told the waiter it was my birthday and I got a complimentary chocolate tart....no, it wasn't my birthday



Its that BlackBerry curse!



I'm weak to all things pastry!




The lake in Klienmond





Horse riding through the vineyards





Took so many shots to get this photo. I was so far and had to zoom in to the max. Love how the crashing waves look like clouds in the background



The Social Beat

In my last blog I promised to post one of  Faith's pieces, so here goes....



THE SOCIAL BEAT
Sibongile Faith Kuta

Trapped in the social vibe
An inevitable state of society
The dreaded life of conceived inhumanity
Ignorance crawls
Betrayal walks
Corruption runs
Are these truths or rather accepted ideals
Hark to the voice of the children
Consider the groans of the voiceless...

What becomes of humanity in a vibe society?
There are many questions without answers
And many answers unquestioned
The beat goes on...

I am a woman whose arms have been burnt
Bruised both inside and outside
My husband does it all the time
His hobby affirms that he is my hubby

These bruises are better concealed and not reported
What about his progeny?
He is the provider of peanut butter and jelly
I am trapped in this social vibe
And so it goes on and on...

His name is Peter
A young chap dumped in a plastic bag two days after birth
He grew up without a surname
Removed from foster home to foster home
He is a deviant, a drug dealer in his youth
He pauses at the thought of death
Takes a deep breath as he commits suicide
Another one escaping the social vibe.

Her name is Phindiwe
Born in a small village of Eastern Cape
A 5-year old without parents
Robbed of her virginity
Snatched of her childhood... a premature sexual partner
Ta-Jakes the uncle pleasures himself
In repeatedly raping her behind closed doors
Diagnosed with HIV she becomes a victim...
Another statistic!

What becomes of humanity in a vibe society?
There are many questions without answers
And many answers unquestioned
The beat goes on...

He wakes up on a Monday morning
To realize the mess he caused yesterday evening
In his drunken recall
He broke all the windows
Broke the heart of his wife
And chased his children away
They call him Mr. Yesterday...
Pondering soberly, faced with the cost of his actions
Another story told again!

They think it strange
That I walk barefoot on a cold winter afternoon
Assuming I lack sanity, perhaps I do
I don’t know what’s normal and what’s not
How I wish they would put themselves in my shoes
The very shoes I do not have
At the thought of my barren years
I beat my daily drum, the idea of sound perfected
I gain momentum.

What becomes of humanity in a vibe society?
There are many questions without answers
And many answers unquestioned
And so the beat goes on...

The League of Extraordinary Women

In honour of women's month I have decided to dedicate this blog to four great women that you should look out for.

They are not world leaders, they are not mothers, they are not freedom fighters, they were not there on the ninth of August 1956 when crowds of women marched to the union buildings in protest of the Urban Areas Act (Pass Laws) chanting, "Wathint'Abafazi Wathint'imbokodo!" (you strike a woman, you strike a rock).

They are just four young women (all under 25) I have had the pleasure of meeting and befriending in life...

When they make it big....don't say I didn't warn you...

1. Sibongile Faith Kuta

I first met Faith in my first year at Wits when we were room mates at Girton Hall, a res off main campus. We both thought we wanted to be doctors then both dropped medicine after a year of ‘finding ourselves’. She went on to pursue a BA degree in Social Work taking it all the way up to honours level.

What I admire about this lady is her faith (excuse the pun); she lost both her parents at a very young age and as a result was raised by her grandmother along with her siblings and cousins in Tembisa, a township east of Johannesburg, yet this did not shake her or make her doubt her belief, or have her throw a pity party. She soldiered on. Everyone who knows Faith knows she is synonymous with "ray of sunshine"; always happy, caring, courageous and full of love! A very ambitious young woman who just wants to help others…oh, and she’s a poet too (promise to post one of her pieces sometime in the near future)

2. Theola Akermanidis

Theola and I, May 2011

Theola is my little Greek goddess. One, cause she's really little (half my height...ok, maybe not half) and two, cause she's Greek. We majored in the same courses but only became friends in our honours year when we realized we had more than education in common: fashion! (before that we just smiled at each other to acknowledge the other’s existence) Theola graduated with an undergrad degree in B.Comm Finance and Marketing then an Honours degree (with distinction) in Marketing. She's really THAT smart. As if being the smartest girl in class, and tutoring undergrads wasn't enough, she started her own accessories range called Theoalagy (smart name isn't it?) in 2010. Miss Akermandis is currently working at TNS, a marketing research company. More on Theola and her range in my next blog.

3. S'onqoba Nonkululeko Maseko

If I had to describe S'onqoba in one word it would be HUMBLE! Born on the same day as Oprah Winfrey, it is no surprise that she is, simply put; an OVER achiever. I met S'onqoba in 2006 when she shared rooms with a very close friend of mine. Being in first year, everyone was on a mission to prove themselves; "I passed my matric with 6 distinctions", "I was captain of my netball team", I had national colours in hockey"...and so the boasting went on...Not once did she mention her being Dux, prefect and RCL president at Germinston High School. While most people peak in high school only to become none achievers post that, Sonqoba just kept rising. Graduated with a BSC degree and then a hounours degree in Actuarial Sciences (Wits University). Was FNB campus ambassador two years running, president of the Golden Key International Honours Society (if you do not know Golden Key, ask my good friend, Google...if I had to go on about her achievements I would be forced to write a book so I will try state as many as I can in one breath..*takes deep breath in*

Helped find a N.P.O. (Advocates For Change) in 2006 and still serve as its Deputy Director (organization focuses on Youth Development in the Soweto and Alexandra).

As part of Golden Key she spoke at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls on two occasions

In late 2009 appointed Chief Operations Officer of an Investment Holdings company called Lante Investment Holdings

Currently working at FNB as an Actuarial Analyst (was promoted to Senior Actuarial Analyst in just 6 months)

Recently elected as a member of the Wits University Convocation EXCO as well as the Secretary of the South African Actuaries Development Programme’s Alumni.

Biggest Achievement?

Presenting BSc Honours Research Paper in 2009 at the South African Actuarial Development Programme's (SAADP) Launch. The audience included Actuarial Science lecturers, Actuarial commercial entities and businesses, Mr. Cyril Ramaphosa, Minister of Higher Education, Dr. Blade Nzimande and Actuarial Science students and graduates.

Next move?

Registering a Consultancy that will deal with Personal Development

*some text missing* (no, really, a lot of editing was done here)

Remember I said Theola's half my height? Sonqoba is half Theola's height.

4. Pokuaa Busumru-Banson

Pokuaa (center, on Graca Machel's left)

Former Wits University SRC president (2009) but not your typical politician; smart, stylish, an amazing personality and a great sense of humour…not Julius Malema type of funny though (no offense if Malema is your uncle). While we’re on that topic, I think it is fit to mention that Pokuaa was recently part of the panel on MTV Base Meets with MTN, that got the opportunity to sit and chat with Malema, as a representative for African youth.

In 2010, this Ghanaian-born, Umtata raised, Wits University Law student was elected as part of a panel for the Fortune Global Forum where world leaders including the likes of Sir Richard Branson, Kofi Annan, Graca Machel, Mary Robinson, Jimmy Carter, Ela Bhatt were in attendance.

Pokuaa holds a BA degree in International Relations with Honours (Wits) and in 2008 was appointed chairperson of the Wits International Students Committee, and like S'onqoba, you can add member of the Wits University Executive Committee of Convocation to her list of credentials.

Once Pokuaa is done with her millionth degree, I’m sure she will be taking the world by storm and quite frankly, it’s about time the world got some morally grounded leaders!

And that’s a wrap folks! After putting all this down on “paper”, I’m feeling like quite the under achiever right now… so while you carry on with your life I’m going to go out there and save the world! I’m out! *does the Moonwalk*

When I grow Up

They say "quitting is for losers".
Then again, they also say "winners know when to stop"... In that case, I don't quit, I just know when to stop.
I've stopped a lot of things, subsequently qualifying as a (very good) winner.

Growing up I wanted three things in life; to be a model, an air hostess and to marry Benny McCarthy (please don't judge me, I was young and naïve).
In high school this changed and I wanted to be a doctor simply because I thought being referred to as Dr. Khumalo would sound cool. Oh, and the helping people part as well... End of Grade 10 I dropped Biology for Geography. Surely being an expert on contour lines and gale force winds would make a good doctor out of me?
Somehow, my distinction in matric Geography coupled with maths and science earned me acceptance into Wits Med School in 2006. Halfway through the year I decided medicine wasn't for me. Yeah sure I enjoyed cutting, I mean dissecting, all those animals in first year Biology but I figured there was probably more to being a doctor than dissecting a frog and enjoying it. That's when the winner in me decided to stop and I traded a white coat for a degree in commerce. A decision I don't regret.

So I've gone from wanting to b a model, to a doctor and have landed in corporate. I just wanted to be everything when I was younger so I thought it would be interesting to talk to young one's about this. First was my little brother (who's now 11), when he was eight I asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up, he replied; "A businessman like Donald Trump". I wasn't surprised, this was the same boy who, at age 6 became a loan shark. He would lend you money from his piggy bank and accept nothing less than 100% interest...so I opted to steal his money instead...
Then there's my six year old cousin, I ask him what he wants to be he replies, "A fireman". I told him unless he wants to die broke and wife-less, he can go ahead, concerned, he quickly changed his mind and said he wants to be a security guard. I told him I'd pray for him...

Brand You

"Independent queen working for her throne" ~ Neyo


If you were a brand, what would your payoff line be?
To be the best you need to know what you stand for, what you represent, what you're willing to sacrifice and what you will not compromise on. Take me for instance; I would sacrifice my job to settle down with Will Smith. We could have a reality show and call it something original like "The Desperate Housewife of Will Smith". What? He's already married? Hmmm...ok. Plan B...



In second year I was introduced to a term widely used in Marketing: positioning. This, simply put, is how a certain brand is perceived in the minds of consumers relative to other brands. In a career context, it would be how you are perceived by a prospect employer relative to the other candidates? Unfortunately, you will never be the only one gunning for that position so it is imperative that you learn how to differentiate yourself from competition.

One question I was often asked in interviews last year was, "Why you?"
My answer started becoming a mantra I recited at all interviews. A mantra with a 99% success rate. While I would love to share it with you, it will have to stay between my interviewer and me for now. In the meantime, maybe you could come up with your own...

MissEducation

I can't recall a time when I did not know how to speak English. When I came out of my mother's womb, I believe that even my cry was that of an English tone.

Unfortunately for my mother, this was not the case. According to my dear mother, the first English phrase that she recalls learning was " he he he. I am laughing" (said in an African accent). Now my mother had no idea what this meant but she so often heard her teachers recite it that when she felt like showing off to her siblings, she would confidently chirp "he he he, I am laughing", in or out of context, based purely on luck. But who can blame my mom's lack of understanding of the English language when all they did in the Agriculture class was draw a cow?

That was in the 1970's...fast forward 2 1993. Education had seen a vast improvement. I was 5 and looking forward to finally starting (then) class one. The applications forms were sent in and I patiently waited for my interview date. In the mean time I prepared a schedule. Everyday I practiced counting, pronouncing words like my friend Lauren, learning the alphabet (with the kind help of my big brother) and writing my name. Yes, I studied hard for my class one interview...

Then the day finally came for my interview, I was prepared! I knew my ABCs, could count to twenty -error free- and not only write my name but those of my siblings too! When I got there they asked me my name and I said it in English (Zee-yan-der Coo-ma-low). Score, one to me, zero to failure. Round two was conversational. Round three they gave me a picture of a cow and instructed me to colour it in. Once I had done my best Leonardo Da Vinci impersonation -perfectly colouring within the lines- the interviewer took my paper and thanked my mom and told her the interview was done. What? That was it? After all my hard work they are going to take me back to my mom's Agriculture class era??? I was not impressed!

I got a call back! I mean, I passed the interview, and started class one (will hence forth be referred to as grade one for the younger generation) at Empangeni Preparatory School. Now I took grade one very seriously so when Mrs Cattroll started teaching us the alphabet I was probably thinking I got this, silently running through what my brother had taught me..."Ay, Bee, Cee, Dee, Eee, eF..." Then Mrs Cattroll went off "Ah, Buh, Kah, Duh, Eh, Fff...". Oh! What a waste of time! Needless to say, I spent the most part of that year unlearning what I had learnt.

So now you can see that my determination started at a young age. I've always been driven and not afraid of a little hard work.
See work started off a bit slow for me. Naturally I like having a lot of things to do, it keeps me sane for some odd reason. After my brief cry for more responsibilities at work I finally got loaded with plenty to keep me busy for a while! While some people wouldn't mind getting paid for doing nothing, I find it pointless. Where is the growth in that? To accept waking up to spend the whole day at the office surfing the net and living on social networks says something about you. Shame on you! Recently I spoke to a friend of mine who started working for an insurance company last year and spent the first couple of months doing nothing but the occasional photo copying. And she found this immensely frustrating, all she wanted to do was work! It was comforting to hear this from a young professional. We so often hear that South Africans are lazy and have low work ethic, but to know of people who actually want to work is promising. It shows that we are heading somewhere as a country. We are fortunate enough to have received an education that our parents could have only dreamed of, they have played their part, now the onus is on us to make a change in the way we do our jobs be it corporate, government or anything else in between.

P.S my mom has since perfected her English and has been using the phrase; "He he he, I am laughing" in the right context for as long as I can remember

AttitudeLatitude

It’s funny how my next blog (this one) was inspired by a hip hop song. But let us not judge, Hip Hop is a career too!

The other day I was listening to a track by Rhymefest featuring Kanye West, titled “Brand New”, and one particular line caught my attention; they say your attitude determines your latitude… Now focus on this line (the rest of the verse is pretty irrelevant)…

On Saturday night I was out with a couple of friends to celebrate a friend’s birthday. A majority of the guests were recent grads and former classmates of mine. We hadn’t seen each other since our last varsity exam so this ‘do’ also doubled as a mini reunion. Spirits were high as we exchanged our experiences of the working world, music was blaring from the speakers and this old white man (who looked like he was ready to walk to his grave) at a table next to ours was dancing like a grasshopper with epilepsy with the ten young (black)girls he had taken out for the night. Concerned.

Our table grew larger and so we had to move to a secluded section. Now most of us are in the marketing industry and one or two are in financial services. There were mixed feelings about work life, some loved their jobs others hated, while others were already experiencing office romance *clearing my throat*. And so the conversation flowed:

“The women outweigh the number of men at my office”

“There are way too many men at our office”

“People don’t dress up! What’s up with that?”

“There are so many things that I have to learn and remember”

“I’m everybody’s skivvy”

“I’m giving corporate a year and I’m out”

“I hate my job”

“It’s all so mundane”  

“We go drinking with the bosses…”

Like I mentioned in a previous post, I love my job, sure it has its ups and downs but I’ve realised that that is something that comes with every job, period. Quitting your job in the hopes that the grass is greener in the other office may not always be the best solution, sometimes you just have to stick it out and turn your complaints into opportunities. Now I’m no motivational speaker but one valuable piece of information that I can add here is that an adjustment in attitude can sometimes make a world of difference. If you are always negative about things, you might just miss the good ones while you’re busy wallowing in your sorrows. Yes it won’t be easy but sometimes you just have to look at the bigger picture; where you want to be and what you need to get there. If your job is boring, think out of the box – how can you put an interesting twist to it? Change your attitude, smile more, make a friend at the office, sign up for gym(and actually go), take up a hobby, look for how you can make a difference in the organization no matter how small. The way I see it, life is like sour worms, if you want to get to the sweetness, you have to bear with the sour part first.

It's a man's world

“This is a man’s world, this is a man’s world/ But it wouldn’t be nothing, nothing without a woman or a girl”

These were the wise words sang by the legendary “Godfather of soul”, James Brown. Brown wasn’t too far off, but I can’t help but object – that’s only because men had a head start (no, I am not just saying this to console myself). This song has been playing in my head like a stuck record all week mainly due to the overwhelming number of males I’ve encountered this week when I started my first day of work in Jo’burg. I suddenly found myself adjusting my voice to sound little deeper, or quickly turning around to google a few facts about the cricket world cup, or the results of last night’s Barcelona vs Arsenal game...and when all else fails, I’ve decided to add the occasional “I know hey!” when somebody mentions how “Player A” was in good form or how “Player B” was offside (*names have been changed to protect the individuals’ identity). Ok, back to the principle of this article...

So Brown confidently lists the wonders that men have made; “cars that take us over the road...trains to carry heavy loads...electric lights that take us out of the dark...boat for the water...” As I listen to this song I think about what women have made in the past million years, then I come to an epiphany (word used for dramatic effect): it was a woman who made that man who made that car, boat, light bulb, train, so I came to a realisation, Brown and I have been on the same page the whole time! He was talking about gender equality!

On paper it all sounds good, this gender equality thing but in reality it’s not that simple. While women are trying to step up and compete with their male counter parts, they still have to report to other duties outside of work; being a wife, a mother, or both. The reality of this struck me while we were busy in a meeting and one of my colleagues asked to be excused so she could go pick up her son from school before it got too late. This got me wondering; how much would I, as a woman have to sacrifice to climb up this corporate ladder? I need some inspiration!*cues for Alicia Keys’ “Superwoman”*…

Land of Milk and Money

On the 10th of January 2011 I entered a new chapter in life: the working world. Five weeks down the line I am proud to say, I love my job! It's been really hectic, waking up at 7am, attending presentations, playing paint ball, factory visits, laughing with the directors, breakfast with leadership teams and fun workshops...yep, hectically fun! So now I am faced with two more days of this Fabulous Life of the Young Professional then reality hits!

You'll often hear people comparing working life in Johannesburg to working in other parts of this country. Johannesburg has earned titles such as "city of gold" and "concrete jungle", characterized by a fast paced life, well I've been at the other end of the radar, the Western Cape. Let me paint you a picture, today I was working with a rep in Hout Bay, just driving around makes you think you're on holiday, you're constantly surrounded by mountains and beaches. Traffic out of Cape Town subsided in approximately ten minutes, I've been here for barely a month and I have almost forgotten about life in Joburg. Then there's Stellenbosch where staying 10 minutes from work means actually get there in less than 10 minutes (note: no speed limits were exceeded). This is the life I've been living but it's all about to end as I get ready to head back to Joburg where the real work begins: now I have to learn foreign languages like Waking up at 4h30 and getting 101 guide books titled "How to make it in Johannesburg after you've been away for four months"...

Letter from the editor

So when you start university they tell you, forget everything  you were taught in high school, there’s much more to well, everything. The parrot learning stops and suddenly you are actually required to think! So you put in the hours, this is where hard work starts to payoff, or so you hope. If you’re lucky it may just, if not well, try, try and try again! It is possible to know everything and still fail that exam! No more parrot learning remember? Regurgitating the textbook went down (or would it be out in this case) with high school. By second year things pick up, including marks (hopefully) and then the time comes, you finally graduate! You have a degree, you earn alumni status, job offers come from every corner (again, hopefully), the world is oyster. So this is the point I am right now. Wits graduate, undergrad – Marketing and Finance, honours – marketing, job experience? Close to none...wait do those little promo stints I did in varsity count? Yes? No? Ok, yes it is.

When you get to the workplace you wonder what it was exactly that you were taught in university. Which part of it is relevant to your current job description? Well I am to find out this part, just graduated, moved to a new town, finding my feet, socially and career wise. My job description? Management trainee at one of the world’s leading tobacco companies. What does my job entail you may ask? I’m not so sure myself but I’m willing to take you along for the ride as I explore various parts of our beautiful country, learn how succeed in the work place, making that smooth transition from university to the office...and everything else in between. Just sit back and enjoy while you flip through the pages of this megaZEEn...