Mduduzi Cebo Mavimbela, 2016

Career Building

UNISWA Graduate Mentorship Seminar-Luyengo

27 May 2016

Mduduzi Cebo Mavimbela, 2016

Content• 1. What do you want to be?• 2. Building your brand• 3. Interviews• 4. Making good use of an opportunity• 5. My young career

Mduduzi Cebo Mavimbela, 2016

1. What do you want to be?

• The most important thing is to identify your target audience

• Just like the Refectory knows that their target audience is the campus students & staff, you need to define to whom you want to send your message.

• The message is how you want the prospective employer to view you.

• You should be better positioned and always be prepared to be the preferred person.

Mduduzi Cebo Mavimbela, 2016

2. Building your brand• According to management expert and author Tom Peters,

"We are CEOs of our own companies: “Me Inc.” To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer of a brand called You."

• Its nobody’s business to build your brand but you• Once you know what you want you then take action to

achieve that goal’• In your context (deliberately) it starts at tertiary.

Unfortunately some of you have lost 4 precious years of building, but not all is lost. Its better late than never.

Mduduzi Cebo Mavimbela, 2016

Building your brand Cont’…• Ideally the internship was made to shape what path your career will take

unfortunately we have lost track of its original objectives for convenience & money. (Story of a female accountants student)

• All Employers are looking for is a usable raw material which is willing and easy to process into a final product within a short space of time.

• Market yourself as somebody who is willing to be taught and learn fast.• You should consider yourself an investment opportunity, therefore,

present yourself as somebody worthy of their investment.

Mduduzi Cebo Mavimbela, 2016

3. Interviews

• Take each and every interview as important by preparing well. There are 2 different interviews resulting from 2 different job applications made:

• a) An advertised post interview• For this one you need to know about the job specifications, the company,

what they are passionate about and be fully aware of yourself• b) A speculative job application interview• This one is more challenging because you need more of self awareness

because this is specifically meant to look for character and attitude more than anything.

Mduduzi Cebo Mavimbela, 2016

4. Making good use of an opportunity

• An opportunity is a birth right. It knocks at least once in your lifetime hence you need to be able to recognize it when it comes and make the most of it

• ‘Manufacture’ experience through embracing the concept of mentorship and volunteerism

• Once you are given an opportunity just make sure you don’t give them a reason to regret their decision, excel in what you do.

• Network as much as you can as that is an essential recipe in the corporate world. Networking lead to the establishment of connections which puts u at an advantage.

Mduduzi Cebo Mavimbela, 2016

5. My young career• It’s a relatively young career so far but I have learnt a lot!• Its better narrated than projected, so I will do the former!

Questions!Thank you for your time!