Woman Crush Wednesday-Bongeka Cele

Bongeka Cele is a close friend of mine. She has an Honours Degree in Supply chain management and is currently doing a Masters in Commerce. She is an outspoken leader, brilliant writer and has big dreams of impacting the country in the supply chain sector. I asked her to share a few insights on her journey after university.

• What did you study in University and is it in line with your career goals?

• I studied supply chain management. What I studied is definitely in line with my career goals. I would like to be a supply chain professional and be able to consult with or work with government to start transforming the supply chains in our country. I really do believe that rectifying supply chain inefficiencies is one of the keys to unlocking the countries potential

• What is the most important lesson you have learnt after graduating?  

•  I think firstly one of the most important lessons is keep dreaming big,but also understand that most people will not understand you dreams,visions and goals and you need to be able to push past That. NEVER play small!!!It will not be in your favor.I think secondly, to understand you talents and development area’s and constantly endeavor to grow and close those gaps. Third, Map your life paths. Put down every single thing you want to achieve in life on paper.Then break it down into short,medium,long term. If you cant think of everything, just do the next 10 years. Review every year,you would be surprised at how much you push yourself based on your own expectations. Lastly Give yourself Grace. Do not compare yourself to other,but rather the best version of you. Even then be careful to give yourself some leeway.We are human after all.

• What has been the most disappointing low after graduating ?  

•  I think the most disappointing aspect that hit me after graduation,more than being unemployed the first year after graduating was the realization that my degree had not in any way shape or form really prepared me for corporate. I realized that I had A LOT of hard work before me and that being a director in 3 years was not really going to happen,but also that I didn’t really want it.

• What has been the most incredible high in your career?    

• This is a difficult question,because I generally thrive in an environment where I am learning and right now I am learning a lot. I think though I would probably say having the courage to resign, where I felt like I wasn’t growing or my environment was not fostering my growth. Lots of people stay at companies out of a “ maybe if I stay they will promote me”,that’s not always the case. As long as you don’t burn any bridges when you leave, always know when to leave.

• Lastly what would be your advise to a graduate in their final year of study?          

• My advice is 2 fold. 1. For those who have always been entrepreneurial- Don’t bother trying corporate, unless you have a very specific learning plan that you want to achieve at a company. I think the biggest mistake even among us graduates is we don’t encourage people, or support them when they say “I want to start a business”. We all love the notion of being a business owner, we project our aversion to risk as soon as someone tries. So to entrepreneurs out there. JUST DO IT! 2. To the rest of us. Understand that your career is always in your hands! Managers are also looking out for number one,so don’t get lost in the politics of “the business need”. Go for what will make you happy or at least help you to achieve your end goals! To all of us: Understand your purpose- WHAT ARE YOU HERE FOR?!What will the world say of you? What legacy will you leave?!

Unemployment

The unemployment rate in South Africa as of the second quarter of 2014 was 23.5% which was the highest since 2008. 6.7% of black graduates are likely to be unemployed than white graduates and younger graduates are more likely to be unemployed than older graduates according to a finding of a study commissioned by the Centre for Development Enterprise (CDE). You have most likely heard a political party mention in a speech how they plan to eradicate unemployment and promise to “give” more jobs in the coming term.

I think what utterly infuriates me is that no one seems to realize that behind the statistics are actually people with actually lives. It can be so easy to be caught up in the numbers and not the impact that the numbers have on young people. Take for example a graduate who has to watched their family go through tremendous hardship to see to it that one family member graduates. Imagine the countless nights spent eating barely nothing in the hopes that a university education will change their lives forever. Can you see the pressure that one graduate can face? After spending years seeing your family suffer in order to see you through university you now get hit with the harsh reality that education didn’t bring the change it promised. This is what unemployment looks like in South Africa. It is not just statistics that politicians can throw around in order to further their interests nor is it a number that economists can spend their time debating on national TV. It is real stories of real stories. I think if all of us removed the layer of complacency we would be more furious at the statistics and more determined that we would change it. I myself know the bitterness of going through unemployment. I spend nearly 2 years at home with a perfectly polished picture of my graduation in the living room of my parents home.I experienced the bitter pain of rejection after rejection. I experienced the hopelessness that came with being at home. Unemployment wasn’t a topic around the dinner table for me, it was real life everyday. I am no politician but I can say our view around this needs to change. Here’s how I think it should :

• First of all, we need to stop teaching students that the only way to succeed in life is to find a stable job for 15 years and then live your dreams. That logic is flawed in so many ways and totally not true. Case in point the millionaires who never worked for anyone a day in their lives. I think this is also damaging because it gives companies a hero status amongst recent graduates. So they think that the only way to succeed in life is to work for a certain company and when things dont work out they are completely hopeless. As commerce graduate not once did it occur to me during that time to start my own business because I was waiting for a company to save me.
• We need to stop looking to the government to “save” us. I believe we as south Africans need to take ownership of the issues facing this country. Unemployment being one of them. How many times have we looked sadly as a news anchor blurts out the latest unemployment statistic yet we have done nothing to eradicate this problem. How many cv’s have you helped make? How many job opportunities have you forwarded?
• Graduates need to understand that a degree is just that a DEGREE. Ultimately you set yourself apart from the rest. Nothing will be handed to you on a silver platter. No one is going to make it easy for you. It is your career at the end of the day so take ownership.

There is a lot i can say about this issue. Infact invite me for coffee one day so we can discuss further. But for now, I will leave it here. Next time you see a stat regarding this I hope this blog challenges you to dig deeper. This is our country!

 

10 Year High school Reunion

Facebook posts and groups were created to discuss the celebration of our 10 year high school reunion. I couldn’t believe it had been ten years since I did my matric year and I couldn’t believe how different my life is from what I dreamt about back than. I thought by now I would have a car,house, a thriving career and a few established businesses however this is not the case. The temptation is to then classify myself as a failure however I have learnt crucial lessons over the years.

Here are 10 lessons I would tell the younger me dreaming of conquering the world.

1. Ditch the timeline :  If you had a chat with the younger me she would tell you of a specific plan with specific deadlines on where she wanted to be in life. That younger me didn’t know that life sometimes does not go according to plan. One thing i have learnt is that the timeline should be a guideline and not a rule. When we focus so much on where we should be by now we miss out on where we are. There is nothing as dissatisfying as living a life in the future and missing the moment now.
2. Accept mistakes: It is impossible to live a life without mistakes. We choose the wrong major; we choose the wrong job; we leave a job too early. All these things happen to most of us and for the longest time I thought mistakes were ruined everything. Like there was no going back on it. My mom said something that changed my life last year which was “This is the time for you to make mistakes”. Nothing is set in stone. You can always reset and reroute.
3. Study: I was the crazy few who decided to go into the working world without a postgraduate qualification. The truth is this is one of the biggest mistakes one can make. Granted it is different in every industry but it really impacts how much you earn and how far you will grow. My advice to any undergraduate that comes to me for advise is to make sure you have more than an undergraduate degree. An extra year on campus is nothing compared to a few years of unemployment or below minimum wage salaries.
4. Don’t compare : All of us are on different journeys. Some of us will find ourselves on a constant upward motion and some dont. Instead of spending our time looking over someone else green grass we need to cultivate our own.
5. Watch your circle: The people around you will influence how far you go. I have been blessed with the best friends who always push me to go further than I think i can. Surround yourself with people who will grow you spiritually, emotionally and professionally.
6. Keep dreaming : The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. –Eleanor Roosevelt
7. Dont forget the people who have your back : I learnt this early in my life. Your closest friends and family are the people who will love you when you have nothing. No amount of degrees, cars and money can ever replace that love.
8. Mentorship: Find yourself a mentor who will able to help you make strategic decisions regarding your career. Someone who can be able to ask you questions and keep you accountable in terms of your goals.
9. Dont always follow the money: Some jobs are not profitable in terms of finances but they will provide character development to get to the next level.
10. Trust God always : Through hard work, perseverance and a faith in God, you can live your dreams. Ben Carson