Let me answer a question that I always get from people. How is it that you dont have a degree but you get to have such great jobs that even graduates battle to get? Many journalism graduates are unemployed but you get to work for so many publications without even a journalism diploma or degree. You didnt study International Relations but you get to work for the AU and SADC. How come? Ill tell you how come. My CV is a 6 page document and my bank account has R315. Most of the jobs listed in that CV are volunteering jobs. Simply put, Ive got an impressive CV that doesnt translate to monetary benefits. One of the things I learned at a very early age, which I am still passionate about and which I really want young people to start taking seriously is this thing called volunteering. We dont like to hear about this thing because the first thing that comes to mind is: Hard work for nothing. But actually, I believe that volunteering ALWAYS pays off. Most jobs these days require experience. They dont care whether you are fresh from university and often, they dont even care if your degree was cum laude. They will tell you that you must have some kind of experience. And this is the contradiction about the employer: he wants qualifications which you must study for, but he equally wants experience which you is difficult to get when you are in fact studying. But the solution is not too complex: do voluntary work in organisations of the field you want to venture into. For example, I know that Im going into agriculture, writing and advocacy work. So I dont just study Geological Sciences at Rhodes University to prepare me with the technical expertise in that field, I also volunteer when AU/SADC needs me to help with programmes on food security, nutrition and farming, as Im now doing in Malawi. Also, before I became a paid writer, I volunteered for the Jozi Book Fair newsletter, I contributed to various publications: COSATUs The Shopsteward, The Thinker, Thought Leader etc. All these enabled me to be where I am today: at a point where I get paid for publications that I write for. I didnt study journalism, I became a volunteer writer and it paid off. We live in a society where everyone wants to make money quickly, where young people are driven by this whats in it for me? kind of mentality. We dont want to do things for free, even if they are for a good cause. That is one of the downfalls of our generation. As we pursue our studies, lets also pursue practical work in our fields of study, even if we dont get paid for it. Trust me, this thing called references is critical. Its not because Im any different to any 22 year old that I get to have certain jobs. Its because I decided long ago that profiling yourself through volunteerism is in itself an investment whose dividends WILL pay off ultimately. Take my word on this one. Malaika wa Azania My Lady #IamChange #Declare #Share & #Inspire the #Unemployed to be soon #Employable
Posted on: Thu, 10 Apr 2014 04:16:14 +0000