Youth Day marked with tips for a brighter future

RMA Career Day offers practical employment advice to the youth:

South Africa’s youth are the future of our country. In order for South Africa to reach its full potential, our youth must realise what they have to offer prospective employers and market themselves accordingly.

“Young people with tertiary education are frequently told that they have the world at their feet,” notes Rand Mutual Assurance’s (RMA) general manager of sales and marketing Nomfundo Mcilongo. “Without polishing the image they project both in applying for new jobs and in the workplace, however, they may sell themselves short and not reach their full potential as quickly as they should,” she says.

“RMA is passionate about the youth as the future leaders of this country. We therefore wanted to mark Youth Day with an initiative that would reflect the value we place on young people and help them to make their mark on the future, as this ultimately benefits the whole country.”

RMA will be hosting a career day breakfast workshop on Thursday, 16 June, at the Hilton Hotel, 138 Rivonia Road, Sandton?from 9am until noon. Mcilongo says that at last count there were only 30 spaces still available, and so interested delegates should RSVP to Mmapule Ntshudisane at mntshudisane@randmutual.co.za immediately.

The event is aimed at individuals between 19 and 30 years old, who already have at least NQF Level 5 education and have already entered the job market. Areas covered in the workshop will include how to craft a curriculum vita that stands out from the rest and how to follow through with a winning interview. There will also be a question and answer session to allow delegates to get personalised advice.

“We identified the need for this workshop because too many young people’s CVs are not a good reflection of who they are. We want to help the youth capture CV writing as an ideal chance to put their best forward.

“This workshop presents a wonderful opportunity for RMA to connect with young talent who are as passionate about provision of excellent care for our nation’s workers as we are. In the session, we will also be sharing information and experience to help equip delegates for the highly competitive job market. It is hoped that the seeds sown in this session will help to bridge unemployment, not only for this generation but the jobs that they in turn will create in the course of their illustrious future careers,” she explains.

“Some young people we have spoken to, for example, do not list their non-professional experience or volunteer work on their resumes because they feel it is not relevant to the higher-level position they are applying for. In reality, if one emphasises what they have learned in each position – no matter how lowly – this reveals much about the individual, their attitude and their work ethic,” Mcilongo elaborates.

“Every interaction with a prospective employer is an opportunity for your professionalism to shine through. This extends from your first call back on a job application, through the interview process and should not be neglected once you are secure in a company.

“The talk will also cover the importance of interview preparation, listening carefully to questions posed in an interview and tailoring answers to match the employer’s corporate culture while remaining true to yourself. We also encourage delegates not to be afraid to ask questions and seek clarity to ensure that they are conveying the best, most relevant information in their interview,” she says.

“A wide range of subject matter relating to seeking employment and optimum career planning will be covered by our recruitment experts. The overall message we hope to impress on delegates to the RMA Career Day is that each of us is an ambassador for our own future. We therefore bear the responsibility of presenting the best of ourselves, with confidence tempered by humility,” Mcilongo concluded.

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