Students undergo MOT Sessions where valuable life skills are shared with the students.  The Vision of MOT is to create a warmer and safer society.  False Bay College has run the MOT programme across all campuses to give students the extra skills to manage themselves and their interactions with other.  The values of the MOT programme are Courage to LIVE, Courage to CARE and Courage to say NO.

The underlying principles in the MOT Programme are to teach students how to work proactively, reinforce the positive and see the whole person as being a valuable member of a campus.

The MOT Programme at False Bay College has been a powerful motivator of young people and the college has seen improvement in many areas of student life that can be attributed to the delivery of the MOT Programme.

Recently the 10^th AGM of MOT South Africa took place in Cape Town.  At this event, there was reflection on the past 10 years and the role that MOT has played in the lives of young people.

Dr Patricia Jacobs, IPSS UWC was the guest speaker.  She has recently completed research around the motivation levels of students in TVET Colleges.  She has looked at the levels of motivation when students have been exposed to the MOT Programme.  The findings have been very positive, with students displaying high levels of motivation.  This bodes well for the sector and the MOT Programme.

Part of the 10^th AGM were the awards in four specific categories:

1. MOT TVET College Campus of the Year: Awarded to Northlink TVET College
2. MOT School of the Year: Awarded to Simons Town High School
3. MOT Coach of the Year: Awarded to Ms Nobuntu Luthuli from False Bay College, Khayelitsha Campus
4. Are Hovstad Award 2019 presented by Wenche Hovstad was awarded to Ms Christine Thomas, from False Bay College, Fish Hoek Campus.

Christine portrays the MOT core values in her daily life and interaction with others.  She is the MOT Coordinator at the Fish Hoek Campus of False Bay College.  Christine has spearheaded many MOT programmes and initiatves to ensure the holistic development of students.

MOT South Africa recently trained a new cohort of 27 MOT Coaches from False Bay College, College of Cape Town, Mbekewni Youth Centre and San Souci High School.  These coaches are commended for taking the step to become a MOT Coach as it requires you to give so much of yourself in the holistic development of young people as well as being a role model, creating a safe and warm environment within which these students will thrive.

By Melanie Vermaak (Acting Deputy Principal Academics at False Bay TVET College)

Although we often hope that things will automatically go the way we want, coincidences (and/or luck) isn’t always on our side – especially when it comes to career goals. That’s why it’s important to effectively plan for the future, whether you’re still studying or have been working for a while.

What is a career plan?

A career plan is a practical strategy that allows you to determine your skills and interests, set career goals, and put actions in place that will help you reach them.

It’s a continuous process, and it includes an overview of:

• Your current skills and experience
• Your career goals
• Your interests
• Your priorities
• Your intended actions

Why is career planning important?

Career planning is a great way to ensure your career is going in the right direction.

Not only does it help you realise your passion, it also facilitates your career goals with tangible actions and aims. At the very least, it’ll help you to answer career goal questions at your next interview.

By assessing your situation, you’ll additionally be able to determine and fill any gaps in your knowledge or experience that might be holding you back from your dream job.

 Who should make a career plan?

Everyone can benefit from creating a career plan. Whether you’re still studying, you’ve just graduated, you want change careers or you’re itching for a promotion – a career plan will ensure your actions are in line with your goals.

And it’s not just big changes that a career plan helps implement. You can also use it to learn new skills and widen your knowledge in a particular area.

How to make a career planner

• Assess your options. First things first, you need to figure out what career is right for you. Prioritise your choice based on your interests and strengths, and consider the importance of factors like salary, company culture, working hours, and commute time.
• List your current skills. Listing your current skills, abilities, and experience will not only help you to understand what career path suits you, but it’ll also help you figure out if you’re qualified enough to take your preferred route. Areas where you lack knowledge will help you decide on the actions you plan to take in terms of training and development.
• Set goals and actions.
  Once you’ve decided on your ideal career path, it’s time to set some goals – which will help you decide what actions you need to take. These could both be short-term and long-term, and big or small.
• Give yourself timeframes. Setting deadlines for each of your goals will motivate you to get things done. Whether you work towards exact dates, or pick a broader timescale (e.g. a particular month) – adding this into your career plan will give your goals some realistic context, not to mention keep you motivated to keep going.
• Keep checking back. A career plan isn’t a one-stop-solution. To make sure your goals are up-to-date, it’s important to keep checking back on your career planner. Not only will it allow you to track your progress, it’ll also mean you can make alterations if your circumstances change.

 How should I structure my career planner?

Career plans can be laid out in many ways, depending on how specific you want to be with your goals – and what you want to place precedence on achieving.

However, your career planner should always follow a clear and easy-to-read format.To point you in the right direction, here’s our career plan example:

Career Planner

Personal overview
Include a brief outline of who you are and what you’re looking for. Include your strongest attributes and interests, as well as where you’re at in your current situation.

Education
Provide an overview of your educational qualifications.

Employment history
Write a short summary of your employment history.

Goals
   Short term: E.g. secure job with progression opportunities (in 6 months).
   Mid-term: E.g. get a promotion (in 2-5 years).
   Long term: E.g. become head of department (in 5+ years).

Current skills, knowledge, and experience
Sum up your key skills and competencies – whether they’re gained from work, study, or hobbies.

Training and development requirements
Use this section to assess what training and development is needed to achieve your goals.

Action plan
Give yourself a clear, step-by-step guide of the actions needed to reach your goals – including timescales against each action.
You can include as many actions as you want, but it might be most useful to limit yourself to a smaller number – so you can add new ones as you progress.

How do I stick to my career plan?

So you’ve created the perfect career plan, but now what?

Although forming a plan is the first step – it won’t work without continuous effort. That means using your career planner to inform your day-to-day, whilst making ongoing changes throughout.

This involves tracking your progress, ticking off finished goals, altering/adding steps, or even changing your direction after realising it wasn’t quite right for you.

Keep doing these things, and your career planner is far less likely to fall to the back of your mind. And, if you’re struggling to stay motivated, consider giving yourself rewards for each goal you meet.

But remember: your career is a marathon, not a sprint. Trying to get too many things done within a short space of time is only going to set you up to fail in the long run.

 Source: Article courtesy of Reed.co.uk

Pic: Freepik.com

Whether you’re desperate to leave your current job, or you’re just itching to try something new – changing careers can sometimes be exactly what you need. And the good news is, it could just take the right attitude to get the ball rolling – no matter how under-qualified you may think you are.

Don’t use it as an excuse to run away 

OK, so you can’t stand your boss/colleagues/company.
But before you start searching for the fastest possible escape route, always make an attempt to fix your situation first – whether it’s by attempting to repair relationships, expanding on your skills, or working on your professional development.

And if you’ve already tried all of the above, it might just be a change of scenery you need, rather than something completely different. Especially if there are still elements of your role that you enjoy.
So don’t let unhappiness cloud your judgment. There’s a big difference between moving on for the right reasons, and running away.

Consider your finances

Changing careers might mean taking a pay cut – especially if you’ve been in your current career for a long time. So, being financially prepared to (potentially) start from the bottom is essential.

Firstly, find out what the salary expectations for your new career will be, so you can understand exactly how much you’ll need for a smooth transition. Then, make the necessary changes in advance – whether it’s adding to your savings accordingly, or looking at ways to supplement your income.

Although it might take a bit more time to get where you need to be, ensuring you’re in the right place financially will mean your new career search won’t come with any extra pressure.

Evaluate what you can offer

Once you’ve decided a career change is a viable solution – you need to work out how to sell yourself to potential employers.

The key to standing out when changing careers is how well you can communicate your skills, no matter what your background is. In other words, understanding exactly why and how you’re suitable.

Start by making a list of your stand-out skills and experience, and research potential roles that require these abilities – even if it’s only on some small level. Think transferable skills, and you’ll be on the right track.

Being realistic with your expertise is also a great way to ensure your choice is suitable. Some roles may seem like they require certain attributes, but you might find they involve something entirely different after a bit of digging.

Figure out what you want

Finding your dream job means more than simply utilising your skills. You also have to figure out what you actually enjoy doing, where you want to do it, and what kind of environment suits you best.

And because there’s more to a job than just a title and a description, it’s essential to take all factors into account before jumping at the first (seemingly) attractive vacancy.

For example, perhaps you find a job that, on the surface, seems perfect for you. You match the person specification and the benefits are good. But the role involves a lot of isolated working, not to mention a longer commute – two of the biggest reasons for leaving your current role.

In a case like this, this job probably isn’t as perfect as it seems. So always prioritise what’s really important to you first to ensure you’re making the right choice.

Remember: the first opportunity that comes up won’t always be the right one.

Act instead of analysing

Once you’ve figured out what you (think) you want to do – it’s time to take action.

Although it might be tempting to over-analyse each aspect of your dream job, realising there’s an open possibility is just the beginning. You actually need to start acting on it.

That doesn’t mean you have to quit your job and jump into something straight away though. Instead, test ideas whilst you’re still at your current job to get an idea of what actually suits you – in terms of working environment and job role.

Because whether it’s by taking a course or volunteering or by gaining insights from friends in your preferred field – there are many ways to test the waters without diving into a new job at the deep end.

That way, you’ll be able to make sure your career change is worth it – and, more importantly, actually right for you.

Source: This article courtesy of reed.co.uk

Most men grew up to become Bricklayers, Welders, Chefs, Bankers, Doctors etc, while women became Nannies, Housekeepers, Nurses, Teachers or Secretaries etc.  No-one ever considered doing anything else.  It was not accepted.

Now, … life is very exciting.  Due to new, non-sexist legislation, you (a man or a woman) can become anything you want to be.  Absolutely anything!

In this generation, men are making new career choices. It’s not unusual to find male Secretaries, Personal Assistants, Nurses, Fashion Designers, Florists and more.   Women are excelling in careers that were once reserved for men. Women Bricklayers, Chefs, Boiler Makers, and even professional Jockeys are now becoming the norm in the working world.

If you think you can do the job of your dreams, physically and mentally, the chances are, all doors will open to you to study for it.

Ask yourself these questions:

• What am I good at?
• What do I LOVE doing?
• What is my passion?
• What would be my ideal job?
• Am I physically and mentally right for this job?
• How can I prepare myself for this job?

Once you have the answers to these questions, you can start researching jobs that will fit your passion.  There are so many choices for young people today.  So many different jobs exist for both men and women.  The question is, what do YOU want to do?

It might not always be easy to make your choice.  If you choose a job that was usually done by another gender, you might, in the beginning, be teased.  This will eventually stop, especially when they see you become a success.

Be brave, go forward and live your dream.  The harder you work, the better the results, the happier you will be.

If your work is your passion – you will probably be a very happy person who loves going to work.  And if you love going to work, life will probably be great too!

‘Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.‘ – Oprah Winfrey 

Now you may be thinking that in order to help others in your career, you need to work for a charity. And while this may be one of the most popular ways to do so, it’s certainly not the only one – which is why we’ve put together this guide to jobs that make a difference.

What does it mean to make a difference?

Quite an abstract phrase, isn’t it? There are many ways to make a difference in your career, but what it boils down to is helping to bring about a change for the better in a way that you believe is important. This is often referred to as a “social good” or “social purpose”.

A lot of us, on the other hand, have a general sense of wanting to use their career to bring about positive change, or to contribute to something greater than themselves. The problem is that this on its own, this is quite a vague aspiration.

‘Making a difference in your career is about your personal beliefs and values’

What do you believe in?

One way around this is to think about what you believe in. What you really, truly believe in.

For example, if it’s the creatures we share the planet with that really matter to you, you could consider a job which helps improve animal welfare. Now, there are many ways you could do this, including as a vet, by working directly with animals in an animal sanctuary, or by raising awareness of animal rights.

Connect what you believe with what you do well

It’s not always enough to have strong beliefs. Although beliefs, and a sense of what we want to achieve, often drive our interests and skills, that’s not the case for all of us.

To be happy in your work, you need to do something you do well and that satisfies you in itself. Start by defining your skills and strengths, and thinking about what kind of job these might lead to. Next, think about how you might apply these in an area of work, or “industry”, where you’ll be able to make a difference.

Where can you make a difference?

The good news is, there are loads of jobs that make a difference! You can make a difference in lots of industries, so many that you probably won’t have thought about all of them. We’ve listed the main industries in our Job Descriptions section so you can read more about those which resonate with you.

Animal welfare

A career in animal welfare allows you to work directly with animals to improve their lives in a way you can see. It’s not just about being a vet – for instance, you could work as a zookeeper or a zoologist.

Charity and not-for-profit

Working for a charity is perhaps the “go-to” way to make a difference through your career. Charities work in all sorts of areas – caring for children, providing healthcare in poorer parts of the world, protecting animals, tackling women’s issues. Charities also bring art and culture into people’s lives – and even provide funding for other charities.

Like any other business, they need employees in all areas – from advertising their work and raising funds, to running their IT systems and manning their phones. There are lots of smaller charities which often rely on people getting stuck into tasks outside their main expertise.

Education and teaching

Good teaching helps young people succeed in what you’re doing now – planning their career and striving for the kind of life they want to lead. If you’re drawn to academic research, you could also think about teaching in a university.

Medicine and healthcare

Medicine and healthcare are some of the key jobs that make a difference. We rely on doctors, nurses and surgeons at the most critical times in our lives. Behind the frontline, researchers and laboratory technicians work towards new therapies and analyse samples to make sure we get the treatment we need.

Public sector and government

Politicians are rarely flavour of the month, but in reality, they use their careers to stand up for the ordinary people they represent. Also in the public sector are the civil servants, who work in the different government departments, carrying out research and making politicians’ decision a reality.

And that’s just the tip of the ice berg – roads, schools, hospitals, parks and many more services are all run by public sector employees. Without the public sector, the country would come to a standstill.

Police, security and emergency services

Like doctors and nurses, we rely on these people to keep us safe. They protect us from crime, get us to hospital when we need medical help, look after us at the beach – and even get our cats out of trees!

Science and research

Through science and research, we work towards cures for diseases, develop technology for communicating and getting around, and solve big problems like climate change.

Making a difference in your own way

Think creatively. You can make a difference in almost any profession or trade – very few things exist in isolation. Just because you’re heading for a career as a programmer, doesn’t mean you’re destined to sit in a darkened room, completely cut off from the world. For example, charities need programmers to help with their IT systems and websites, just like any other company.

The feeling of making a difference is all about staying true to your own principles and beliefs. Don’t feel limited by our suggestions! Pursuing a career in art and design, for example, could bring joy a lot of joy to the people who see your work – and you could work as a designer for a charity or in the public sector.

Credits

Content used with kind permission from successatschool.org

Why? Because your body language gives people big clues about how you feel about yourself, how you feel towards them and even what you’re thinking.

What am I really saying?

Whatever words you say, a tilt of the head or crossing of the arms can make all the difference to the vibe you’re putting across. Welcoming or hostile, confident or shy, interested or fed up, your body says it all.

However, unless you’ve got a mirror in front of you every time you talk to someone, you won’t always be aware of your body language. The most important thing is to understand and learn to be aware of the signals you could be giving out with your body language.

We’ve put together some classic examples to highlight how the way you choose to stand, sit and hold your hands can reveal a lot about you and how it could affect your chances at work.

Infographic time

But before we get started, take a look at this infographic listing the dos and don’ts of body language, as well as some surprising facts which certainly came as news to us:

Keep it casual

There’s nothing wrong with putting your hands in your pockets when you’re at home or out with friends. But, in a formal work or job interview setting, you might come across as uninterested or lacking in confidence. If you’re being interviewed, keep your hands open, on the table and don’t be afraid to move them to help express what you are saying.

Bored

Either you’ve temporarily lost the use of your neck or that classic chin in hand pose means that you are tired – or well and truly bored. Checking your phone whilst you are talking to someone is a big mistake too. You might be listening, but to the person you’re with it looks like you’re not.

Next time you catch yourself leaning on your hand or glancing down at your phone, stop, sit up straight and put your shoulders back, this pose shows you are paying attention and will teach you to be more mindful of your body language.

Check your handshake

It’s polite to shake someone’s hand when you meet them, but a simple single shake is all you need, save special handshakes for, er, special occasions.

Is this what you normally see?

Spending a bit too much time staring at people’s shoes? Looking down frequently and avoiding eye contact can be a sign of shyness. It’s also something we do when we’re feeling a bit guilty. At work, school or in a job interview, try to always look at people when you are in a conversation. Maintaining eye contact is an important part of showing that you are interested, enthusiastic and open.

Crossed arms

Crossing your arms can be an act of defiance (you or your parents might have used this gesture when trying to negotiate what time you’ll be home…). But it could also be a sign that you are feeling fed up or a bit hostile. Crossed arms are also close friends with the sarcastic eye-roll. Try to avoid using this combo at work at all times.

That’s some fine slouching

Slouching in a chair or against a wall can be mighty comfy, but it can also make you seem grumpy, unapproachable or unmotivated. Keep an eye out for slouching and try to sit or stand up straight next time you do it. It will help you avoid back problems in future too. Double win!

Remember to smile

The simplest way to show warmth, confidence, kindness and openness, is to smile and make eye contact with the person you’re with. A simple smile can actually help you feel better and even up the mood of the person you’re with. It’s also the best way of indicating that you’re OK. Remember, you need to show these things, not just say them.

Positive body language

This guy is demonstrating lots of examples of positive body language. He is sitting up straight, making eye contact, his head is to one side indicating he is interested and his hands are open. Nailed it!

Activity: Ask a friend to observe you for an hour in class or on your lunch break. Get them to look at how you stand and sit, what you do with your hands, and your facial expression. When the hour’s up, get them to report their findings back to you and tell you what they thought you were feeling. Did you do any of things above? You might be surprised!

Observing the right etiquette can really help you in a job interview, a new job, or even in a new circle of friends. 

This article was kindly supplied with permission from successatschool.org

“Our society teaches us to spend a lot of time looking out there for success, but the ability to drive yourself to your full potential starts internally with personal mastery.” – Rapelang Rabana, founder and CEO of Rekindle Learning.

They say hard skills get you the interview but soft skills lands you the job. So what are soft skills – and how can you make them work for you?

While hard skills refer to your skills set and ability to carry out work-related tasks – from typing up memos to drawing up plans for your architecture firm – soft skills are personal attributes that impact how you go about handling everyday challenges and tasks. These habits or traits also affect your relationships and interactions with clients, colleagues or your boss.

According to Liz Cowell, recruitment specialist and owner of Vega Recruitment, good examples of soft skills include: “being able to listen to others’ point of view and understanding their position – listening properly to what is being said and understanding and interpreting things at the correct level are vital to any job; knowing when you are wrong and to admit it; and to take ownership of your job and your role, and to be responsible for your actions.”

Showcasing your soft skills

Also known as transferable skills because you can often use them in various situations or jobs, it’s important to highlight your soft skills early in the job-hunting process. You can integrate them into your CV or cover letter by giving specific examples of when you demonstrated soft skills such problem-solving, team work, flexibility, negotiation or motivating others, etc. in past jobs or internships.

Joanne Wood of Achieve Careers (www.achievecareers.co.za) says:
“Key transferable skills that all employers look for are interpersonal and communication skills. These soft skills are particularly important if the position involves any interaction with customers as employers would like to see that the applicant would portray an appropriate image of the company when interacting with clients.”

When it comes to showcasing your soft skills during an interview, Woods recommends arriving with specific examples to draw on – it’s one thing writing down skills for your resume; it’s another trying to unpack them in a stressful job interview. Think of how you have developed interpersonal skills at your last job or while you were at college or university. Perhaps you led a team and had to interact effectively with people from different backgrounds. Examples like these show an employer that you will be able to implement this skill in their work setting.”

Adds Woods: “With regards to communication skills, your CV will already be an illustration of your written communication ability (it’s also evidence that you can be concise and stick to two pages!); the interview gives an employer insight into how clearly you communicate. Again, preparation is key and you’re likely to be calmer and more confident if you have specific examples ready to draw on.”

To illustrate you have developed communication skills, Woods suggests using examples such a having conducted presentations, facilitated workshops or written newsletters.

Identifying and improving your soft skills

While it may be tempting to cram in as many soft skills as possible into your CV or at your next interview, don’t go overboard! Start by doing a self-evaluation: jot down what you do well and how you approach various tasks and situations, from always meeting a deadline to resolving conflicts in a team. Next, remember to include only those soft skills that you have concrete examples to show how you used these skills.

Finally, use your soft skill self-evaluation to not only identify strengths, but to also find out your weaknesses. Like hard skills, you can spend time improving soft skills such as poor time management, not being able to perform under pressure, or always taking work criticism personally. Ask a co-worker or mentor who demonstrates these skills you need to work on for tips and advice – and remember, practice make perfect!

By Joanne Wood

With the growing use of email to apply for jobs, internships and other opportunities, email messaging skills have become more important than ever before. From grammar to greetings, remember these basic rules every time you hit ‘send’.

1. Mind your language!

“Grammar rules apply to emails,” says Ulrike Hill, business facilitator and writer at Writer’s Write, which offers practical courses in business and creative writing. “Capital letters should be used at the beginning of sentences and are used for proper nouns.” She adds: “Using capital letters throughout an email is the same as showing you’re angry.” The same applies to using only lowercase letters in an email, which may send the message that you’re lazy or unprofessional.

2. Spell check!

There’s no excuse for sending sloppy emails! MS Outlook, Windows Live Hotmail, Gmail and Yahoo all have spell check features to check your messages – so take the time to figure out how these work. If you pick up typos or spelling errors after you’ve sent an email, and you’re applying for a job or the recipient is an important person, “resend the email without errors and in the subject line state that the previous email should be ignored,” advises Hill. She adds that it’s a good idea to get into the habit of always reading through emails before you send them: “There are errors that may creep in that are not picked up by the spell-checker, such as ‘there/their’.”

3. Laws of attachment

Sent an email but forgot that all-important attachment like your cover letter or CV? Now what? “Honesty is the best policy,” says Hill. “Emails are a common form of communication and to a large extent have replaced telephonic conversation. Send another email with the attachment. In the body of the email explain that you had forgotten to send the attachment.” As for sending very large attachments, rather link to downloadable documents or use free services such as sendspace.com or dropbox.com. Large files (over 5 MB) are more likely to get blocked or could slow down your recipient’s email – not a good way to start your relationship with them.

4. All in a name!

If you’re sending attachments such as CVs and cover letters, “save your document in .pdf format before sending the email,” recommends Hill. Word documents can result in formatting issues if opened on a different system to the one used to create the document.

Also read job advertisements carefully as they may stipulate in which format CVs etc. should be sent. If instructions are not given and you’re still not sure – send both a pdf and Word document so the recipient has both options to choose from. And don’t forget to name your documents correctly. Put your name on CV and cover letter attachments as employers and recruiters may be sifting through hundreds of attachments simply labelled ‘CV’.

5. DNT Abbrvt!

Emails may be a more informal mode of communication, but that doesn’t mean you can get away with writing ‘dis’ or ‘dat’, and signing off ‘c u l8tr’. Slang, abbreviations and so-called SMS speak don’t belong in emails – especially not in professional messages sent to recruiters or potential employers. Also refrain from putting in cute smiley faces at the end of your e-mail : )

6. Name’s no game!

Pick your e-mail address carefully. Applying for a job with aliases such as sweetthang or sexychick look unprofessional, or worse yet, could land you in the recipient’s spam folder.

7. Addressing job search mails

Read job advertisements carefully as they will often note the name of the person to whom you should address your application. Take the time to check for a name and always start your mail with Dear Mr. or Ms. (rather than ‘hey’ or ‘hi’). Also stay away from starting your email with “I’m not sure if you’re the right person, but…”. Do some research, call the organization and ask who is person responsible for recruitment to show you have put in some time and effort.

If you still cannot locate a contact name, address your email to Dear Sir/Madam or the Recruitment Officer. Next step? Briefly introduce yourself, say where you found out about the job opening (the name of a website, newspaper, etc.) and put the job you are applying for (and reference number if one is supplied) in the subject line of your email. Even if you are attaching a cover letter to your email that outlines who you are and why you’re applying for the position never leave the body of an email empty or blank – this will not impress the recruitment agent or employer and may create the impression you are lazy or unprofessional.

by Esther Etkin
For more info about Writer’s Write, visit www.writerswrite.posterous.com

‘Take advantage of every opportunity to practice your communication skills so that when important occasions arise, you will have the gift, the style, the sharpness, the clarity, and the emotions to affect other people.’ – Jim Rohn

_{Choosing a mentor is not an instant process. Finding someone willing to take an interest in your career requires time and energy, but the rewards can be worth the effort.}

What is a mentor?

A mentor is someone who takes an active interest in your career and personal development. They may be relative or friend; they may work in the field you’re interested in, or occupy a role you would like to fill one day.

Your mentor can guide you in a number of ways. They can help you understand more about your role in a future position. They can help open doors for you in their industry; or inform you about things to be aware of once working in a particular field or company (such as company politics or ways to approach certain people). And they can provide you with important feedback and constructive criticism about your work or studies.

Your relationship with a mentor is an important one and may last a number of years. For this reason, you must trust him or her, and feel comfortable enough to share important experiences and information with them.

How to choose a mentor

Ask yourself these questions to identify the right person for the job:

1. Do you know someone in your desired career choice with whom you already communicate?
2. Do you know someone in your community or area that you respect and aspire to be like one day?
3. Do you know someone who has shown an interest in your life?
4. Do you know someone willing to listen and provide feedback to you about ways to improve in your future profession?
5. Do you know someone passionate about what they do and is happy to share their knowledge and expertise?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then you already know someone to seek out as your mentor.

Asking someone to be your mentor

1. Many people will feel privileged and grateful for the opportunity to be a mentor. Approaching someone to fill this role may be as simple as formally asking them to do so. But, for others, it may take a little bit more work.
2. If you don’t already have a relationship with your future mentor (e.g. the person is someone you admire but have never connected with before), start by making the effort to introduce yourself. You could request a coffee meeting and explain that you’d like to know more about what they do and learn from their experience. Build a relationship with them until you feel comfortable enough to formally ask for their guidance. But, don’t hound the person – and respect their decision not to take on the role if they refuse. Move on and thank them for their time, as you never know when your paths could cross again.
3. Sometimes, you may not even need to formally ask for someone’s mentorship – your relationship with them may evolve into a mentoring one on its own. In these cases, it’s nevertheless just as important to stick to the guidelines for a successful mentoring relationship to get the most out of your time together.

Getting the most from mentorship

One of the most important things to remember when building a mentoring relationship is that you’ll only get out what you put in. Mentoring and guidance is a two-way street! So, when working with your mentor, define upfront what you wish to achieve out of your relationship. Setting goals for your time together will ensure your relationship is productive and worthwhile – for you both.

It’s also important to adhere to the times and dates you set with your mentor. He or she will have a range of commitments, so give them enough warning to set aside time to meet with you.

Finally, communicate, communicate, communicate! Being able to talk freely about your challenges, dreams and current position, and getting feedback on these things, will help you to step out of your comfort zone and help you grow – both in your career, and as a person.

Struggling to find a mentor?

1. Visit Fetola at www.fetola.co.za to apply to be a mentee (or mentor). For more information, call 021 701 7466/8096
2. Big Brother Big Sister SA is a mentoring programme for young people under 18. For more info, visit www.bbbssa.org.za or call 076 174 3789
3. Heartlines.org.za also offers opportunities to those interested in volunteering as mentors. For more information visit at www.forgood.co.za.
4. SEDA (The Small Enterprise Development Agency) offers business development and support services for small enterprises for more information, visit www.seda.org.za

by Simone Lingenfelder

Simone Lingenfelder is a youth life coach. To contact her, visit www.lighthousecoaching.co.za

‘I think kids should have a mentor and a role model, but that they shouldn’t take one person’s opinion to be what we call final assessment or judgment about how life is supposed to be.’ –  Sean Paul