Mentor Interview
Mentor Interview Essay
By Lerato B
I have taken the opportunity to interview Nicholas Lonwabo Gobha who is working at Rural Education Access Program as a Financial Administrator to give me wisdom and experience to transform my success. Most of the time when a child is released by parents to go study at a tertiary level they are given advice on how they should conduct themselves in order to be successful in their studies and also in the workplace, this is when the experience of the elders or the ones that have gone through the journey takes place. Ocean Robbins wrote, “I want to awaken the passion and creativity of youth , combine it with the wisdom, experience and insight of elders, and transform our world.”
In order to succeed …show more content…
or be competent in academics you need to have certain skills that you will utilize and he mentioned a few which is to have listening skill, Group-working skill and Communication skill where these skills help during lectures and amongst fellow students. Nicholas stated, “And most of all it is to have resilience so that what ever comes in your way you do not give up but keep on pushing until one achieves that goal”. One other skills that I think has mad my school life better is planning whatever task I am about to do, and to make sure that I follow it.
Throughout the interview Nicholas mentions that the Job he does entails most of the above mentioned skills as he works in a finance department of an organization where he has to communicate with different departments regarding payments and other financial tasks to the organization like communicating with creditors and stakeholders. This also requires one to be able to work as a team. Cleary has mentioned in one of her books that “communication is always purposeful and that the purpose in business communication is to inform, to persuade and to create goodwill” (Eileen et al., 1999,p.8). Without communication I do not think we as people we would be able to share knowledge amongst each other.
For Nicholas, participation at school really played a bigger role in his success and as part of his memories about school, mentioning that he attended a self-development camp at EDUCO,meeting with mentors and coaches, making sure that he works hard in order to keep his scholarship, participating in clubs and societies at TSiBA, but the memory he says he will never forget was graduating with 10 Pioneers as it was quite an achievement because they all have gone through some challenges.
I can truly relate to this because I have seen how effective it is to take part in development programmes where I get to learn more about my strengths and weaknesses as well as leadership …show more content…
skills.
One other aspect he still has about school is the battle of finding a way to balance work life and academics. Nicholas writes, “I had to work as no one was working at home, and also having a lot of work but limited time”. Which makes me realize that if he can do it through those battles, nothing could stop me from making my own dreams come true.
According to Nicholas, the importance of time management is being able to meet due dates on assignments by so you are also reducing stress and pressure. He said this also reflects on the quality of work be it in the workplace or assignments at University on how well did one do. Victor Hugo wrote, “He who every morning plans the transactions of that day and follows that plan carries a thread that will guide him through the labyrinth of the most busy life”. This is true because by not being mindful of my time I realize that theres no enough time to modify or rectify my ideas and just end up aiming to pass or get the task done and not do exceptionally well instead.
He says he still applies time management even in his work life and believes that he wouldn 't be able to produce quality work without managing his time well. According to L. Kleinschmitt (Blogs: March 12, 2012) “Life is such a wonderful, beautiful thing and it 's made out of time. That 's why wasting time is essentially wasting life. I mean, time management is about so much more than organizing papers. It 's about making the most of your life”. Through his talk I have come to realize that managing my time well somehow has created self-discipline for my work, because this serves as guidance to what happens tomorrow and in order to prove my discipline for that plan I have to fulfill it.
He feels that time management does not go alone in the workplace, you have to be able to balance all your skills and that requires a skill also.
He mentioned them saying it is team-working skills, communication skills, leadership skills, networking skills and a skill to handle work individually. He feels that the fact that you have gotten a qualification does not guarantee that you will get work, that is why these skills are important so that you can be competent amongst other employees but most of all to do your work very well. I think if I could put these skills to life in general and master them in my life, I can be able to apply them easily in the workplace.
It is very easy to apply these skills in the workplace if you are determined and know what you want to achieve, what is nice is that I work with different individuals who have different abilities and behaviors. Some skills like Leadership skills depend on your position in an organization, says Nicholas. Leadership has been ranked as the 12th essential skill in the workplace out of 16 skills ( Employment skills for the 21st century workplace,2012). Dealing with different individuals has opened a lot of doors for me in terms of knowing myself and how to work with others even here at
school.
I still apply these skills at work in order to work well, and to have a better relationship with my manager and colleagues. But learn to always accept that you may not get them all correct, but as long as you are doing what is working for your work. I think it is essential that one knows what skills they are very good a so they can enhance them, and rise at the top in terms of competency.
Before this interview I thought I knew everything that one needs in order to succeed academically and also at work, which is to “study”, not realizing that is not all I need. But I have found out there is still a lot to learn from mentors. This interview has served as the first step to learning from those that have knowledge. The most interesting thing I have learnt also is to have control over your future, and strive to learn more from others.
Overall, I trust that all this information will assist me in transforming and making my dreams come true, both at school and at work.
REFERENCES
Do One Thing, (DOT). ( n.d.). Elder Quotes. Retrieved from http://www.doonething.org/quotes/elder-quotes.htm
123HelpMe. (2013). The importance of effective listening skills in the Workplace. Retrieved from http://www.123helpme.com/preview.asp?id=63751
Scheckle, Luck, van Heerden, Harran, van der Merwe, Potgieter & Cleary. (1999). The Communication Handbook. Republic of South Africa: Tandym Print
Johnson, R & Demand Media. (2014) What Are the Benefits of Effective Communication in the Workplace. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/benefits-effective-communication-workplace-20198.html
Martin-Young, N. (March 1996). Communication Skills in the Workplace. CEI Newsletter. Retrieved from http://www.sandhills.edu/academic-departments/english/teaching/comskills.html Taylor, L & eHow Contributor. (2014). Importance of good Communication Skills in School. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/info_8128342_importance-good-communication-skills-school.html Montgomery, A & Yahoo Contributer Network. (20 October 2008). The Importance of Communication in the Workplace. Yahoo! Voices. Retrieved from http://voices.yahoo.com/the-importance-communication-workplace-2026988.html?cat=3 Good reads. ( n.d.). Quotes About Time Management. Retrieved from http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/time-management Carlson, A. (n.d.). 5 Important Benefits of Time Management for Students. Retrieved from http://totallyuniquelife.com/5-imphj,v/ortant-benefits-of-time-management-for-students/ Lucier, K.L. ( n.d. ). Benefits of Time Management. Retrieved from http://collegelife.about.com/od/TimeManagement/a/Benefits-Of-Time-Management.htm Eastman, E. (May 2014). The Benefits of time management. Retrieved from http://collegelife.about.com/od/TimeManagement/a/Benefits-Of-Time-Management.htm UNJLC-Logisics. (15 March 2013) . What are benefits of time management. Retrieved from http://www.unjlc.org/benefits-time-management.html Work Life Balance Ireland. ( 5 December 2011). The Importance of Time Management. Retrieved from http://www.worklifebalance.ie/the-importance-of-time-management/
Yahoo Answers. (2009). Why is time management important?. Retrieved from https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081214152642AAqi8mk Hodge, K.A & Lear, J.L . (22 June 2012). Employment Skills for 21st Century Workplace. Retrieved from http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JCTE/v26n2/hodge.html
By Lerato B
I have taken the opportunity to interview Nicholas Lonwabo Gobha who is working at Rural Education Access Program as a Financial Administrator to give me wisdom and experience to transform my success. Most of the time when a child is released by parents to go study at a tertiary level they are given advice on how they should conduct themselves in order to be successful in their studies and also in the workplace, this is when the experience of the elders or the ones that have gone through the journey takes place. Ocean Robbins wrote, “I want to awaken the passion and creativity of youth , combine it with the wisdom, experience and insight of elders, and transform our world.”
In order to succeed …show more content…
or be competent in academics you need to have certain skills that you will utilize and he mentioned a few which is to have listening skill, Group-working skill and Communication skill where these skills help during lectures and amongst fellow students. Nicholas stated, “And most of all it is to have resilience so that what ever comes in your way you do not give up but keep on pushing until one achieves that goal”. One other skills that I think has mad my school life better is planning whatever task I am about to do, and to make sure that I follow it.
Throughout the interview Nicholas mentions that the Job he does entails most of the above mentioned skills as he works in a finance department of an organization where he has to communicate with different departments regarding payments and other financial tasks to the organization like communicating with creditors and stakeholders. This also requires one to be able to work as a team. Cleary has mentioned in one of her books that “communication is always purposeful and that the purpose in business communication is to inform, to persuade and to create goodwill” (Eileen et al., 1999,p.8). Without communication I do not think we as people we would be able to share knowledge amongst each other.
For Nicholas, participation at school really played a bigger role in his success and as part of his memories about school, mentioning that he attended a self-development camp at EDUCO,meeting with mentors and coaches, making sure that he works hard in order to keep his scholarship, participating in clubs and societies at TSiBA, but the memory he says he will never forget was graduating with 10 Pioneers as it was quite an achievement because they all have gone through some challenges.
I can truly relate to this because I have seen how effective it is to take part in development programmes where I get to learn more about my strengths and weaknesses as well as leadership …show more content…
skills.
One other aspect he still has about school is the battle of finding a way to balance work life and academics. Nicholas writes, “I had to work as no one was working at home, and also having a lot of work but limited time”. Which makes me realize that if he can do it through those battles, nothing could stop me from making my own dreams come true.
According to Nicholas, the importance of time management is being able to meet due dates on assignments by so you are also reducing stress and pressure. He said this also reflects on the quality of work be it in the workplace or assignments at University on how well did one do. Victor Hugo wrote, “He who every morning plans the transactions of that day and follows that plan carries a thread that will guide him through the labyrinth of the most busy life”. This is true because by not being mindful of my time I realize that theres no enough time to modify or rectify my ideas and just end up aiming to pass or get the task done and not do exceptionally well instead.
He says he still applies time management even in his work life and believes that he wouldn 't be able to produce quality work without managing his time well. According to L. Kleinschmitt (Blogs: March 12, 2012) “Life is such a wonderful, beautiful thing and it 's made out of time. That 's why wasting time is essentially wasting life. I mean, time management is about so much more than organizing papers. It 's about making the most of your life”. Through his talk I have come to realize that managing my time well somehow has created self-discipline for my work, because this serves as guidance to what happens tomorrow and in order to prove my discipline for that plan I have to fulfill it.
He feels that time management does not go alone in the workplace, you have to be able to balance all your skills and that requires a skill also.
He mentioned them saying it is team-working skills, communication skills, leadership skills, networking skills and a skill to handle work individually. He feels that the fact that you have gotten a qualification does not guarantee that you will get work, that is why these skills are important so that you can be competent amongst other employees but most of all to do your work very well. I think if I could put these skills to life in general and master them in my life, I can be able to apply them easily in the workplace.
It is very easy to apply these skills in the workplace if you are determined and know what you want to achieve, what is nice is that I work with different individuals who have different abilities and behaviors. Some skills like Leadership skills depend on your position in an organization, says Nicholas. Leadership has been ranked as the 12th essential skill in the workplace out of 16 skills ( Employment skills for the 21st century workplace,2012). Dealing with different individuals has opened a lot of doors for me in terms of knowing myself and how to work with others even here at
school.
I still apply these skills at work in order to work well, and to have a better relationship with my manager and colleagues. But learn to always accept that you may not get them all correct, but as long as you are doing what is working for your work. I think it is essential that one knows what skills they are very good a so they can enhance them, and rise at the top in terms of competency.
Before this interview I thought I knew everything that one needs in order to succeed academically and also at work, which is to “study”, not realizing that is not all I need. But I have found out there is still a lot to learn from mentors. This interview has served as the first step to learning from those that have knowledge. The most interesting thing I have learnt also is to have control over your future, and strive to learn more from others.
Overall, I trust that all this information will assist me in transforming and making my dreams come true, both at school and at work.
REFERENCES
Do One Thing, (DOT). ( n.d.). Elder Quotes. Retrieved from http://www.doonething.org/quotes/elder-quotes.htm
123HelpMe. (2013). The importance of effective listening skills in the Workplace. Retrieved from http://www.123helpme.com/preview.asp?id=63751
Scheckle, Luck, van Heerden, Harran, van der Merwe, Potgieter & Cleary. (1999). The Communication Handbook. Republic of South Africa: Tandym Print
Johnson, R & Demand Media. (2014) What Are the Benefits of Effective Communication in the Workplace. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/benefits-effective-communication-workplace-20198.html
Martin-Young, N. (March 1996). Communication Skills in the Workplace. CEI Newsletter. Retrieved from http://www.sandhills.edu/academic-departments/english/teaching/comskills.html Taylor, L & eHow Contributor. (2014). Importance of good Communication Skills in School. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/info_8128342_importance-good-communication-skills-school.html Montgomery, A & Yahoo Contributer Network. (20 October 2008). The Importance of Communication in the Workplace. Yahoo! Voices. Retrieved from http://voices.yahoo.com/the-importance-communication-workplace-2026988.html?cat=3 Good reads. ( n.d.). Quotes About Time Management. Retrieved from http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/time-management Carlson, A. (n.d.). 5 Important Benefits of Time Management for Students. Retrieved from http://totallyuniquelife.com/5-imphj,v/ortant-benefits-of-time-management-for-students/ Lucier, K.L. ( n.d. ). Benefits of Time Management. Retrieved from http://collegelife.about.com/od/TimeManagement/a/Benefits-Of-Time-Management.htm Eastman, E. (May 2014). The Benefits of time management. Retrieved from http://collegelife.about.com/od/TimeManagement/a/Benefits-Of-Time-Management.htm UNJLC-Logisics. (15 March 2013) . What are benefits of time management. Retrieved from http://www.unjlc.org/benefits-time-management.html Work Life Balance Ireland. ( 5 December 2011). The Importance of Time Management. Retrieved from http://www.worklifebalance.ie/the-importance-of-time-management/
Yahoo Answers. (2009). Why is time management important?. Retrieved from https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081214152642AAqi8mk Hodge, K.A & Lear, J.L . (22 June 2012). Employment Skills for 21st Century Workplace. Retrieved from http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JCTE/v26n2/hodge.html