Growing up and trying to make a life in the midst of so many problems can be just too overwhelming. Many people wonder what is the point of applying oneself, when destruction and disaster are just around the corner. These are genuine feelings and should never be ignored; They can quickly consume you and cause deep existential depression.

And yet, history repeatedly reveals evidence of people who have changed the world for the better during the most calamitous and desperate times.

We are no exception.

Throughout history, those who changed their world were those who said: “It is true that I cannot control corrupt politicians, dying whales, inflation, poverty, crime and the disappearance of the rainforests.    But I can control my own attitude, my choices and my actions.”

‘Empowerment’ has been a popular slogan these past years. But what is real empowerment? Empowerment is not the same as entitlement. You do not become empowered by what you demand to be given. That’s just more disempowerment.

You become empowered by the choices you make and by accepting responsibility for your choices. You become empowered the moment you stop laying blame and decide to be the best person you can be.

Yes, we have a collective responsibility. That’s how a healthy society functions. But within that, each of us has a different role to play, which is our unique, individual, contributing purpose.

Maybe, when it seems that we are living in the worst of times, that’s the time for you to be the best person you can be. That, after all, is the message behind our President’s “Thuma Mina” (Send me) appeal. No matter your chosen path, be the best dentist you can be, be the best shopkeeper you can be, be the best teacher you can be, be the best builder you can be, be the best gardener you can be.

The world is changed by people like you when you decide to be best you can be.

Arjan Bogaers

Heart and Soul Coaching

To a lot of people, these two questions could somehow appear to contradict each other. As we know, most people who volunteer do so from the heart, out of a desire to give back to the community.

But while you feel good about giving your time and your skills to your community, you can also directly benefit from the experience by collecting new skills along the way.  Some of these skills may help you secure a job later or help them with their studies.

Improve your skills set

No matter what you’re studying now or intend to study in the future, there will be an NGO looking for people with particular skills for their areas of focus. Whether it’s the environment or community health, you will find something that fits your skills, your interests or your field of study.

Apply yourself. Meet people. Learn from those more experienced than you. Although some of the training might appear simple at first, they will help you to add more value to your CV. And the more volunteering organisations you join, the more skills you will add to your repertoire.

Employers will take notice
Often, it’s not just your qualification that employers rate you on. It’s your character, your leadership qualities. Volunteering brings balance to your life. It shows you have empathy, a much sought-after personal quality.

Be inspired
If you pull yourself out of your comfort zone, you discover new things. Yes, we know your time is precious and there hardly seem enough hours in the day. But breaking out of your usual routine will give you new insights. You’ll see life through a different lens. And who knows, you might see something that gives you new ideas – for a business or a new career path.

Here are 5 volunteering examples

1. Green Pop
An organisation which plants trees in underprivileged areas as well as educating the youth on how important trees are to our environment.
http://www.greenpop.org/

How it can help you
Volunteering at Green Pop will give you all sorts of knowledge about trees and tree-planting              which may come in very useful if you are considering working in a nursery or studying for                  a career in horticulture or similar.  Being outdoors, breathing fresh air and getting physical            exercise will also be good for your health!

 

2. Lifeline
An organisation which offers 24 hour telephonic assistance and counselling to the public.  For example, here are a few issues that they counsel:  depression, divorce, HIV, grief, domestic violence, eating disorders and more.
http://www.lifeline.co.za/24hr-help-desk/how-to-become-a-volunteer/

How it can help you
A Volunteer at Lifeline will get the necessary training before given volunteer shift work.  This             training together with the skills you will learn as a Volunteer may assist you if you are                         considering a career as a Counsellor, Psychologist or Psychiatrist.

 

3. Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity International is a non-profit, Christian-based organisation which works with local communities to build homes for the under privileged.
http://www.habitat.org.za

        How can it help you
A Volunteer at Habitat for Humanity will collect many skills such as managing a group of                     people and construction-related skills.  If you are considering a career as a Manager or as               an Artisan like bricklaying, carpentry etc – volunteering at Habitat for Humanity may be the         right volunteering path for you.

 

4. Tape Aids for the Blind
Tape Aids for the Blind is a non-profit organisation which offers our nation a free library service for blind and print-handicapped people.
http://www.tapeaids.org.za/volunteer.htm

     How it can help you
A Volunteer at Tape Aids for the Blind will assist with studio recording, narrating and                           monitoring.  Skills learned at Tape Aids for the Blind will be extremely advantageous if you                 are considering a job as a Sound Technician a Commentator or Radio Announcer or even             a  career in the performing arts

5. SPCA
A non-profit organisation which promotes the welfare and safety of animals.  They rescue abused, lost and abandoned animals, treat them and then try to find new homes for them.
http://www.nspca.co.za/Page/19798/SPCAs-in-South-Africa

   How it can help you
A Volunteer at a local SPCA will gather many skills with regard to animal care.  If you are                     considering a career as a Veterinary Technician, Veterinary Surgeonor as an Animal                     Health Technician etc – this volunteering path may be right for you!

What’s stopping you?  Get skills for FREE! 

Pic: Unsplash

All this sounds great, but what does the “power of positive thinking” really mean?

You can define positive thinking as positive imagery, positive self-talk or general optimism, but these are all still general, ambiguous concepts. If you want to be effective in thinking and being more positive, you’ll need concrete examples to help you through the process.

Here are seven:

1. Start the day with a positive affirmation.

How you start the morning sets the tone for the rest of the day. Have you ever woken up late, panicked, and then felt like nothing good happened the rest of the day? This is likely because you started out the day with a negative emotion and a pessimistic view that carried into every other event you experienced. Instead of letting this dominate you, start your day with positive affirmations. Talk to yourself in the mirror, even if you feel silly, with statements like, “Today will be a good day” or “I’m going to be awesome today.” You’ll be amazed how much your day improves.

2. Focus on the good things, however small.

Almost invariably, you’re going to encounter obstacles throughout the day—there’s no such thing as a perfect day. When you encounter such a challenge, focus on the benefits, no matter how slight or unimportant they seem. For example, if you get stuck in traffic, think about how you now have time to listen to the rest of your favorite podcast. If the store is out of the food you want to prepare, think about the thrill of trying something new.

3. Find humor in bad situations.

Allow yourself to experience humor in even the darkest or most trying situations. Remind yourself that this situation will probably make for a good story later and try to crack a joke about it.

4. Turn failures into lessons.

You aren’t perfect. You’re going to make mistakes and experience failure in multiple contexts, at multiple jobs and with multiple people. Instead of focusing on how you failed, think about what you’re going to do next time—turn your failure into a lesson.

5. Transform negative self-talk into positive self-talk.

Negative self-talk can creep up easily and is often hard to notice. You might think I’m so bad at this or I shouldn’t have tried that. But these thoughts turn into internalized feelings and might cement your conceptions of yourself. When you catch yourself doing this, stop and replace those negative messages with positive ones. For example, I’m so bad at this becomes Once I get more practice, I’ll be way better at this. I shouldn’t have tried becomes That didn’t work out as planned—maybe next time.

6. Focus on the present.

I’m talking about the present—not today, not this hour, only this exact moment. You might be getting chewed out by your boss, but what in this exact moment is happening that’s so bad? Forget the comment he made five minutes ago. Forget what he might say five minutes from now. Focus on this one, individual moment. In most situations, you’ll find it’s not as bad as you imagine it to be. Most sources of negativity stem from a memory of a recent event or the exaggerated imagination of a potential future event. Stay in the present moment.

7. Find positive friends, mentors, and co-workers.

When you surround yourself with positive people, you’ll hear positive outlooks, positive stories and positive affirmations. Their positive words will sink in and affect your own line of thinking, which then affects your words and similarly contributes to the group. Finding positive people to fill up your life can be difficult, but you need to eliminate the negativity in your life before it consumes you. Do what you can to improve the positivity of others, and let their positivity affect you the same way.

Almost anybody in any situation can apply these lessons to their own lives and increase their positive attitude. As you might imagine, positive thinking offers compounding returns, so the more often you practice it, the greater benefits you’ll realize.

This article courtesy of success.com

Communication
Most careers require that you are able to interact with colleagues, clients or suppliers. Even in the most high-tech environment. In face-to-face situations, be respectful, confident and well-spoken. When you’re writing, reports or e-mails, be clear and watch your spelling and grammar. Start writing a blog or write interesting and relevant commentary on social media. Ask for feedback when writing assignments or reports at school or college.

Whenever you can, do practice speaking to a group, or join a debating society.

Teamwork
Being able to function well in a team environment is also an attractive quality to employers. These skills can be developed at school or later. When you do group assignments, be aware of the dynamics in the group. Encourage people to listen and learn from each other –every point of view is important. Try volunteering for a community organization or join a sports team. You can’t develop leadership skills on your own!

Problem-solving
The more the world adopts artificial intelligence, the more we need people with practical, human problem-solving skills. Ways to help you develop these skills are through doing deep research on any assignment you must complete. You will find so many different views and opinions out there, which will force you to be selective and logical about forming your own conclusions. Ask about joining, or starting, a conflict resolution group at school or in the workplace.

Initiative
This is all about visualizing your goals and finding creative ways to achieve them. And then taking action. Always show that you are eager to improve the way things are done around you or the way you do things yourself. Look for holiday internships or skills courses. Set up a fundraiser for a cause close to your heart. Pay attention to the world around you and look for opportunities to make a difference.

Self-management
Self-management is another quality in the spotlight these days. Computers can’t do everything! Your employer needs to get a sense from you that you are not someone who needs babysitting. You need to be able to traffic your own workflow and manage your deadlines responsibly. Plan your day and your week with a strict timetable. Learn to write everything down. And, if you can’t get it done on time, know how to delegate. Again, doing an internship in your spare time or joining a volunteer group will help you to sharpen your self-management skills. 

Technology
Learning new skills on your computer is something you can do at home in your spare time. You’re probably pretty good on social media already, aren’t you? So take those skills and expand them. Learn how to use other programmes that will complement your skills. If you get a job as a temp or a waitron, learn how to use cashpoints, scanners, photocopiers. You might never need them, but you took the time to learn, and that counts.

So by simply making small improvements on the things you do every day, you will be building a stronger profile for your future employers.

As our President, Cyril Ramaphosa said at the October Job Summit: “I have spoken about this before. Young people in South Africa have said that issue with work experience – before they can even get a job – is a huge constraint for them. It prevents them from job opportunities, and they propose work experience should be removed as a requirement for employment. I agree with that.”

The President has said that he is addressing the business community to do away with these constraints. “Many of us must think back to where we started. We would never have got to where we are today if we required experience. I call on all of us to support them and we must give them the chance to work.”

Many young people leaving school, college or university are faced with this problem today. You need experience to get a job, but you need a job to get experience. This often leads to demotivation, depression, lack of confidence and a sense of hopelessness.

So until government and business do something about it, what can YOU do to improve your chances of being employed?

KEEP IT REAL

Don’t pretend to have experience. Remember, companies in SA have got the message our President is repeating at every opportunity.

Thuma Mina applies to them too! They need to embrace the challenge and make your path to your new job easier for you. So demonstrate that you are willing to learn. Give them examples of your curiosity and self-motivation. Companies that are hiring will recognize someone with initiative and a solid work ethic.

If you’re applying for entry-level positions, most people aren’t expecting you to come in with a resume filled with experience. Instead, embrace your inexperience and leverage it as motivation to learn. Highlight examples of your dedication, curiosity, and commitment to learning and growth. People who are hiring are looking for people who are willing to work hard and want to learn

HIGHLIGHT YOUR SKILLS

Research the job you are applying for and the skills that are likely required to fill that position. You probably are more skills-rich than you think. List your computer skills, examples of your problem-solving or research capabilities. Are you a good communicator? What do your friends, family, school rate as your strengths? Sell yourself!

“SOFT SKILLS” ARE IN DEMAND

Soft skills are the abilities which are a product of you as a person, not necessarily a qualification. Again, your communication abilities. Your friendly approach. Your ability to listen and respond respectfully. Your professional style, appearance and manners.

VOLUNTEERING IS EXPERIENCE

No matter what you’re studying now or intend to study in the future, there will be an NGO looking for people with particular skills for their areas of focus. Whether it’s the environment or community health, you will find something that fits your skills, your interests or your field of study.

Apply yourself. Meet people. Learn from those more experienced than you. Although some of the training might appear simple at first, they will help you to add more value to your CV. And the more volunteering organisations you join, the more skills you will add to your repertoire.

BUILD YOUR NETWORK

Start building your personal network around your ambitions and goals. Connect with the right people, and their networks, on social media. Be seen at the right events. Meet people in your chosen career field. Don’t be a wallflower – get out there!

NEVER STOP LEARNING

Opportunities to learn are everywhere, not just at school. Whatever you are interested in, deepen your knowledge and understanding in that field. Do the research, attend talks. Information is all around you. The more you know the better your chances of impressing at an interview.

BE SELECTIVE

There are a lot of people out there looking for employment. Focus on those job opportunities that are a good fit with your qualifications and your “soft” skills.
This will give you the confidence you need to excite your prospective employer.

IN CONCLUSION

Always consider the needs of the company or person you will be applying to or facing in an interview. Know what they are looking for. Learn everything you can about what makes them tick, where their priorities lie as a business. Then apply that to your approach to them.

Whether it’s in your CV, your covering letter or your interview, project yourself as someone who is a perfect match for the job, the company and their values.

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