1 May marks Workers’ Day in South Africa, a day that commemorates those who fought for fair working standards in the past. Although it is an international holiday, the country has only been observing the day since 1994.
Modern times bring unique challenges for millennials (those born between the early 1980s and the late 1990s) in the workplace. According to the Robert Walters paper ‘Attracting and retaining millennial professionals’, 91% of South African millennials want rapid career progression:
“Millenials want more than just a job, 68% cited a clear path to grow in a role is the most important factor and motivator in keeping [them] engaged,” the paper notes.
‘Reach out for help as many times as you need it’
Letlotlo Malope (26), originally from Pretoria, works as a credit risk analyst for a retail bank, after previously working for a consulting firm based at Techno Park, Stellenbosch. Having done his undergraduate degree in applied mathematics at the University of Cape Town (UCT), he says the degree did not teach him the technical skills needed for his work.
“In hindsight, I did not structure my degree for the work I’d end up doing. If I [could] go back I would pick up a few programming and accounting courses. I was, however, fortunate to be active in student societies while studying. These prepared me for working in teams and dealing with multiple stakeholders,” Malope adds.
He advises young people in the workplace to reach out for help as many times as they need it, “[no one] expects you to have work-life figured out yet and [people] are always eager to help you.”
Malope says that although asking for help is important, things don’t always go according to plan.
“You will find yourself in the deep end a lot of times. I’ve had plenty of work assignments where even my managers did not know how to come up with solutions. I then have to own my work and come up with solutions. I’ve found these to be the moments when I learnt the most and created a brand for myself.”
Letlotlo Malope. PHOTO: Supplied
‘Always show up: be your disruptive self’
Mpumelelo Mazukwana, a 24-year-old professional from Khayelitsha, felt frustrated by the possibility of leaving school to become “yet another enabler [by] supporting the same type of businesses that make more money while having no impact in changing the status quo for black people”.
This lead to his decision to join a development finance company in Cape Town last year, after completing his Honours in taxation at the University of Cape Town (UCT).
“Through working with them I’ve learned what some of the bottlenecks and the bureaucracies are to support small, medium & microenterprise businesses (SMME’s) expand and grow sustainably.”
Mazukwana believes being open to learning goes a long way in the workplace, adding that one is generally hired for one’s attitude and trained for the required skill.
Giving tips on how to survive the workplace, Mazukwana offers, “You need to be grounded in your own values, know what you want and where you’re headed with your career. Have your path clear and have everything you do at work feed into your overall goal. For example, if you are trying to go into and specialise in renewable energy, your focus at work should be renewable energy projects. Also, always show up: be your disruptive self.”
Mpumelelo Mazukwana. PHOTO: Supplied