Letters to the Editor

It’s not about the outcome, it’s about how you get there

Tamzen Thomas Business and Integration Architecture Analyst BCom Information Systems and Financial Accounting

APPLYING FOR A JOB IS THE EASY PART, what’s hard is staying motivated throughout the process. I will not forget the excitement I felt during my fi nal year, especially around the time of the career fair. I would attend the career fair every year, and for once it fi nally felt real. It felt like opportunity was right on my doorstep!

One of the fi rst companies I interviewed with was actually through a connection that I established with a recruiter from the university career fair. I was initially very disappointed when I heard that my interview was unsuccessful, especially because I believed that company would be “the one”. I refused to let the one ‘no’ hold me back from all the other ‘yeses’ that were out there for me. A battle of the mind is defi nitely not an easy one to win, especially during when receiving those dreadful “We regret to inform you” emails.

What I found particularly important was to constantly remind myself that I am good enough and that the right opportunity will come along, I just had to practice some patience in the meantime. So send that application, even if you aren’t sure if you are going to get the job or not. Your degree does not determine your future, you do. So here I am, working at one of the top consulting fi rms in the world and I could not be happier. If there is one thing that I’ve learned through this process is that patience and perseverance goes a long way. CU

Interview tip

Sell your personality, not your qualifi cation. This is what landed me the job at Accenture and made me stand out from the rest of the candidates. Dress professionally and avoid bright colours.

A good foundation

the recycling-tech company, in the 2019 Career Update magazine, I was attracted to them as a prospective employer. This company provides solutions to environmental problems that are faced by South Africans through behaviour change methods. As a start-up, Regenize was the perfect place for me to gain experience in this sector. Then I saw their job advert on Career Xplora for Recycling Activators and on LinkedIn. This seemed an ideal match because Regenize wanted someone who can teach others about recycling and help them with behaviour change. Being part of Save the World from A to Z (ASEZ), I learned about the practical aspects of environmental issues by participating in their projects. Having studied Environmental and Water Sciences at UWC, set a good foundation. After consultation with staff at Careers Service about my job search documents, I realised that my CV and Letter of Motivation were not up to standard. However, I did not lose heart but revised it several times before the

Trevor Malgas Marketing Analyst, Regenize. B Sc Environmental and Water Science, 2019.

AFTER READING THE ARTICLE ABOUT REGENIZE,

staff give it the thumbs up.

I believe that my Letter of Motivation set me apart from other applicants as I was one of the few to submit one.

This was a great learning experience. I believe that my Letter of Motivation set me apart from other applicants as I was one of the few to submit one. I showcased that my education and volunteer work was relevant to the job description. These eff orts helped me to become an employee of Regenize.

Thank you so much Careers Service.

CU

Writing tip

A well edited CV and Letter of Motivation is appealing and stands out amongst the rest, thus increasing your chances of being called for an interview.