Achievers 2019


FIND A CAREER THAT BEST SUITS YOUR PERSONALITY
Choosing a profession can be stressful if you don’t know your interests, weaknesses and strengths.

Thinking about which career path you want to follow can be stressful because it is something that you will become for the rest of your life. Careers differ from person to person.
Being in a profession like an orator, doctor and lawyer comes with passion for some but you also need to have a relevant qualification.
Careers also go hand in hand with how much you wish to earn; if you want to spend the rest of your life doing that and if it will give you the lifestyle you’ve always dreamed of.
It is ideal to job shadow as that gives you an idea of whether or not you want to be in that profession.
Personality, as well as factors such as interests, values, aptitudes, salary, years, unique talents, and lifestyles choices, also determine a particular career field someone chooses.
Although it is possible to find personalities that are not always the same within a career field.
Check out these different personality traits and their matching professions:
- They say journalism or being a journalist comes with passion, as does being a writer. Creative writing skills and great patience gets you into the journalism industry.
- The highly technical person who is forever fixing gadgets might become an engineer.
- A number-oriented individual, stickler for details and precision should definitely consider being an accountant.
- An outgoing person, who is friendly, garrulous and very persuasive may become a sales representative or sales manager.
- The introverted, brainy, academic, bookworms might just consider becoming a scientist.
- A teacher can be someone who possesses qualities of calmness, patience, kindness and good management skills.
- If you are a positive, logical, analytical thinker and decision maker, you would do well as a psychologist or therapist.
- Business people are goal-orientated, entrepreneurial, optimistic and idealistic – if that sounds like you, you had better start thinking of a business idea.
In the end, it all lies on what interests you and the goals you have for yourself. Different people also usually choose careers according to the salary offered in that profession. Finding yourself doing something that you do not enjoy is draining. Waking up in the morning and driving to spend the whole day at work which you do not love is a waste of time.
Details: Penny Holburn,

HERE’S WHY SAVING IS ESSENTIAL TO YOUR FUTURE
Become more independent and in control of your finances by setting aside a certain amount of money each month. This can help you out in the future or anytime you’re in need of fast financial assistance.

Bankaroo provided some easy-to-follow tips to encourage school-leavers to save up for those rainy days…
Saving lets you buy things you might not have money for right now
The money you get from chores, your allowance or a job, like babysitting, does not always cover everything you may need. At times, you might feel that certain things are expensive and you can’t afford them, however, this is not true. Putting money aside can help you get yourself that gift you have always wanted.
Saving helps keep you out of financial trouble when emergencies arise
There are unexpected occurrences that people come across often, such as losing a job, medical bills or insurance excess. Sometimes borrowing money from the bank is not an option. Borrowing money can also put you under pressure and not to mention in debt. Be smart and start putting money aside now.
Saving means self-reliance
You don’t want to depend on someone else when it
comes to your finances. So, if you save your money, you don’t have to rely on your parents or anyone else to handle your spending. You are also taking a bit of financial pressure off their shoulders and you gain some much-needed independence.
Saving can help you dream big
Although saving up is useful for an emergency, it also helps you achieve your financial goals. If you’ve always wanted to take an art class or go on a vacation in a different country, you can do that by saving up those pennies. When you save, you have a better chance to turn your dreams into reality.

HOW TO CALM YOUR NERVES FOR YOUR FIRST INTERVIEW
Feeling nervous before a job interview is perfectly normal and can sometimes be quite a daunting experience. Here are a few tips to help boost your confidence.

To ace an interview, the Department of Labour has provided some useful tips:
Research the company: Know as much as you can about the company that is interviewing you. Check out their website, know their core business, latest projects/developments and objectives.
Be on time: The earlier the better! To be punctual, find the address and where exactly your interview will be held. Be there minutes before the interview. This will help calm the nerves and give you some time to freshen up. Who knows you can be hired for your time management skills alone!
Make sure you know the name of the contact person: Make a note of your contact person so that when you arrive you know exactly who you’re going to see. That alone makes an impression.
Dress for success: Rather be overdressed than under-dressed… always! The first impression you make counts the most. Being neat and presentable can earn you serious points in an interview.
Practice for your interview: Prepare answers to common interview questions which you think you might be asked. Also prepare a brief list of questions to ask the interviewer as well. This shows a keen interest.
Prepare a self-selling pitch: Put together a 30-second sales pitch about who you are, what makes you a perfect fit for the position and what makes you unique.
Body language: Humans not only communicate verbally, but non-verbally as well. People unconsciously send messages via body language during an interview. Based on your posture, movements and eye contact, interviewers are able to read more about your personality than you might know. So be aware of this.
Relax: As long as you have provided factually correct and honest information on your CV and cover note, there is no wrong answer. Be yourself and goodluck!
Keep in mind that the job interview is the chance that you get to convince your potential employer that you are the perfect candidate for the position. You need to showcase that you know what they are looking for and you have what it takes.
Details: www.gov.za

INDEPENDENCE IS KEY TO FUTURE SUCCESS
Life after matric can be tough if you don’t have funds. Life coach, Penny Holburn gives school leavers advice on how to be independent in this situation.

Independence is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself. By finding a job – any job – after matric, you will gain much needed confidence, experience and start earning some money! This way you can slowly save up and make a plan to further your studies and obtain a qualification if you want one. There are so many success stories of people who have studies part-time and worked full-time. It isn’t easy, but many have done it. Ideally after matric, if you’re not able to study full-time, you should try to find a job that will help you progress into the career you want to get into. However, with the employment situation as dire as it is, any job will do, even if it’s not the ideal job you want.
Work experience matters! Get valuable work experience while studying part-time, if that’s what you want to with your earnings. This will be a great opportunity to learn how to manage your money well. All challenges that come with becoming independent help build character and self-esteem.
Penny breaks down a few things you can do to kick-start your independence journey:
- If you are studying full-time then commit to your studies and do well in them. When there are too many people and not enough jobs, you want to have done really well in your studies.
- Network and look for opportunities to build contacts so that finding a job is a bit easier. If you are looking for a job then networks are everything. You must network and build contacts.
- If you are looking for a job then learn how to find a job. Read up about how to write your CV and how to be successful in interviews. There are a lot of skills involved that you can learn and that can make your job application so much more successful. Don’t try and wing it. Learn what you need to.
- Engage in personal development. Develop more knowledge about yourself, and at the same time more self-esteem and self-confidence. You will do better in everything, including getting a job!
- Learn interpersonal skills – such as social and communication skills. The world is all about how you get along with people and the better you do that, the better you will handle life and its challenges
- Learn money management. Unless you were fortunate enough to learn about it, it’s quite likely that your school or parents did not teach you about money matters. So make a point of reading up about them too.
Perhaps most important of all – ask. Whatever your problem, someone out there has probably had the same problem and solved it. So ask. The more you ask, the more you learn and know. Keep asking until someone says something that just clicks and helps you to move past your challenge.
Details: Penny Holburn, www.lifecoachingbusiness.co.za
SIDE HUSTLES THAT CAN EARN YOU EXTRA CASH
Teresa Voorendyk shares her thoughts on how life after matric and can be difficult however finding a part time job helps build independence, confidence and a career.

What better way to learn about the working world than by getting a part-time job either while still in school or in college.
Take it as a stepping stone into gaining experience in different work fields and as a gate pass to future jobs. Normally the sensible thing would be to find part-time work that will help you build the experience and skills that will help in your chosen career. A person who wants to be a business owner or entrepreneur can start by working at a retail or food store. Here, you gain experience related to customer care and management skills.
Different part-time jobs to consider:
Graduate programmes: These programmes put you a step closer to your career dreams, you become exposed to different environments that help you towards building your career.
Waitressing: Forget about serving people food and drinks. Think skills … being organised, management, dealing with pressure and skills of diplomacy.
Working at a store: It is seriously not downgrading; it is more about building a career for yourself. Working at a food store during school holidays is the perfect time for earning extra cash and a perfect chance to gain skills on how to run a business.
Freelancing: This could be anything from writing, graphic designing, taking videos and photographs. This does not only help with extra cash, you gain experience and exposure to these fields as well.
Helping kids with homework: Sciences and mathematics have been the toughest subject for most kids. Why not dedicate your weekends into helping them with homework and in return you earn extra money which you can use to cover your expenses?
Part-time receptionist: Answering calls and setting up meetings sounds like a lot of work but it is more exciting when you get rewarded for the job. You also gain skills and good telephone manners, not to mention witnessing the operation of a business.
Details: Teresa Voorendyk, Head of Subject: Life Orientation, St David’s