This blog reflects on life at work at comments on the latest news that shapes my 9-5 working day in a Corporate Communications consultancy.

About Me

I am a born and bred South African who has always loved to read and write. As a child my mother used to read to me and my siblings, from classics like the “Lord of the Rings” but later also from her own stories. She would write children’s stories and then use us as her test audience, but I loved to hear what she had written long after my siblings had tired of it. So I grew up in an environment of reading and writing, which inspired my love of these things. I hope to write a great book some day, and have learnt first hand the determination and will that it takes. My love of English inspired me to continue my study of it at university. I majored in Law and English in a BA degree at UCT where I found that I took to English much more than law. I enjoyed learning about South Africa’s history and the development of our liberal Constitution, which increasingly made me committed to the hope this country has for the future. Ideally, I’d like to find myself in a job where I am able to write; that allows a good mix of time spent with people and being able to work on my own.

Tuesday, 01 May 2007

South Africans in a globally competitive market

Kuseni Dlamini from RBCT spoke to us about the increasing globalisation of the market place. Being successful means being able to compete on an international level, and the challenge for us is to build up our skills so that what we offer becomes a global commodity. Most of us know that countries are clamping down on immigration laws and it is more and more difficult to get visas, passports and work permits. But Dlamini’s view is that if we are really excellent, countries will be competing to attract us- any and every door will be open.

After Dlamini’s talk, an article in the Star workplace (25th April) caught my eye. “We have the skills to compete on a global stage”, announces the headline. The article is about Peter Hanwith-Horden, an IT specialist who spotted some errors in a textbook produced by an American publisher. He took the initiative to contact them after he found errors that had slipped through the cracks of their quality control. The publishers were so impressed that they asked him to edit their next book.

Hanwith-Horden’s specialist skills were good enough for the firm to take notice. He is an example of an individual achieving with excellence. It’s encouraging to know that there are South Africans who can compete on a global level.

1 comment:

Ijeoma Uche-Okeke said...

It is encouraging that all our speakers have been quite motivating and have in most cases supported their points with practical examples. At the end of the day, how you approach the work place is up to you. I like to be realistic about what is attainable at this stage, while keeping a sharp eye for opportunities.