Julia is free to make her mark in the tourism industry
Magoebaskloof Adventure Tour Guide and Operations Manager, Julia Maimela gives advice to women who have just entered a male dominated field of work.
POLOKWANE – “As a woman, working in a male dominated company or field can be tricky sometimes, but if what you do is your passion and you have the love for it, you need to focus, concentrate, be strong and tackle every obstacle that comes your way within the workplace. You also need to learn how not to take things seriously at times. Men have a tendency of making stupid jokes at work, judge your work and comment on some things you do wrong within work, learn not to take it seriously, always stay focused because some things men say can become or come across as cunning or rude,” Julia advised.
The 28-year-old, originally from Westenburg, is an Operations Manager and tourist adventure guide at Magoebaskloof Adventures. As a senior employee, Julia oversees the production of work and the provision of service while at the office.
“It’s an operations manager’s job to make sure our business is running as well as it possibly can, with a smooth efficient service that meets the expectations and needs of customers and clients,” she added.
“Working here, I always have the opportunity to create exceptional, meaningful work and do some problem solving with an innovative team by my side. We help our clients to embrace their wild, adventurous side, if only for a little while.”
Julia strongly believes women should make full use of the freedom afforded to them by those who fought for it.
She tells Review, that in the work place, women’s senses of communication is different to men’s. “Women like to talk, communication is essential to our emotional survival, and one of the reasons we talk and have conversations is because we want to bond. We speak more than men do and when working with men, we need to be more careful as women with what we say around men or how much we speak in front of them,” she said.
She also explains that women need to have limits in terms of what they do or say because men tend to shell up and get short tempered when they notice that a woman is intimidating them.
“Understanding these differences will go a long way in working successfully with men, and with other women as well.”
“Challenge yourself as a woman so we can prove we can do anything a man can. If you want a career in a male-dominated industry, don’t be afraid to follow your dreams. You are free to choose the life you want, regardless of your gender,” she concluded.
