Life at Work

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.

Thursday, 17 April 2008

Top tips: How to behave when you get your internship

Here are some good tips for the 2008 group on what to do once you have been placed in an internship. I've found it's really important to make sure that you are likeable and are a positive contribution in the workplace: so make sure you are friendly and SMILE, smile, SMILE!

Fiona McDonald may have shared with you that she knew that Celeste (a WOW intern in 2006) would do well on her very first day, when she ensured that she greeted everyone in the building.

The course that you are on now is like a training ground for your future job. Hope you can practice the smile now!

* Make sure everyone knows who you are and why you’re there
* Put in the hours
* Be a help not a hindrance

- Make yourself as indispensable as you can
- Show off what you’re best at – you’ll be hired because you add something no one else can
- Have a sense of humour
- Don’t be annoying
- Listen until your ears bleed – ask questions and remember the answers
- Read people – this is the hardest bit – knowing who to approach and when
- Get on the killer brief, even if it means you beg, borrow, steal and work through the night
- Only present your best work – 10 great ideas is better than 50 OK ideas
- Prepare to make tea and coffee, work late, be poor and do all of that with a smile!
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Wednesday, 02 April 2008

Welcome to WOWers 2008!

It was a great pleasure to welcome the new WOWers to the programme on Monday. As I mentioned briefly in the session, it was a nice opportunity to reflect on the process I've been through. I've built a lot of confidence in the last year and learnt a great deal, all of which began with my first day in WOW 2007.

Lesley and Jean, thank you for setting up such a wonderful programme that has helped me in so many ways.

I look forward to reading all the new blogs and also to sharing my thoughts on the blogging process with the new group today.

And a very big WELCOME to you all. I hope you are all looking forward to it!
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