Wise words..........

Since this months issue of the Matopos newsletter has been released at the beginning of the year,we thought what better way than to start this new year than get wise words from a piece written from one of Rotaract Matopos members who is currently residing in USA, Tebogo G.H Ndlovu who gives us wise words in her beautiful piece titled "The misnomer of ‘better’"

The misnomer of ‘better’

Words of advice for my mirror image..

I see you, Lady In The Mirror

 Ever concerned about Being Better

 I’ll give you a hand then

 This is what being better is Not

Being better is not having the last say in a quarrel

 Or delivering the blow that kills

 Being better is not having the upper hand

 Or conniving to stay that way

 Being better is not owning

 The appeal of a coarse voice

 Or the sharpness of a sleek tongue.

 Being better is not yelling the loudest

 Or expertly throwing daggers with your eyes

 Or how large your fist is

 Or the charisma in your gait.

Being better isn’t the price of your perfume

 Or its scent carrying with it pomp and circumstance

 Being better isn’t in your last name

 -Your tribal inheritance

 Or which chunk of the country you hail from

 Being better isn’t lording your wealth over others

 Or using the sound of your accent

 To label them lowly.

Being better isn’t in how well

 You manage your high heels

 Or how far you’ve travelled

 From your hometown

 It isn’t in being a certain race

 Or boasting a certain complexion within a race

 Being better isn’t reserved for those of the first world

 Nor is it lodged in your background.

Being better isn’t being the best

 Or being the worst

 Or abiding in the security of mediocrity

 Being better isn’t about Comparison

 But about Exchange.

 Being better is understanding

 How common you are

 How fragile good fortune is

 And that chance -like music- is universal

 A gift awarded us by the grace of God.

Being better is stainless elation

 When your best friend gets married first

 Being better is admiration

 When your nemesis wins the race

 Being better is blameless pride

 When your sister succeeds

 In changing the world.

Is there someone you don’t like?

 And for no particular reason?

 Being better is neutrality with all

 -If not outright fondness

 For that stranger who could be

 A beautiful person

 Believing

 That everybody is magnificent

 Acknowledging

 That your worst enemy is only so

 Because of the weight of his worst days

 Extract the color of discrimination from your vision

 View the world in black-and-white

 For you are the same as your worst enemy

 And his too

 -You are human.

Copyright © 2012 Tebogo Ndlovu

First published ; http://theamateursquill.wordpress.com

Second publication;   http://scribbledn.blogspot.com

How to write a C.V.....

The CV is a critical tool for getting you the interview for the job you want. There has been a paradigm shift from focus on qualifications to a focus on experience and competencies. An employer wants to know what difference you will make to his bottom line and he only gets this information from the information you provide him in the CV. Nowadays there are several types of CVs. You don’t strictly have to stick to a chronological one. It simply depends on your particular circumstances, employment history and what you feel comfortable with. If you don’t have a lot of work experience or you are changing careers, then you can write a functional CV. This type of resume focuses on skills, responsibilities and accomplishments with little emphasis on dates and specific work experiences. It is organized by functional titles that explain general areas of expertise. It is important to note that the employer will catch on to your avoidance to put down specific periods of employment and naturally they will be suspicious and raise an eyebrow. A combination of the chronological and functional formats is probably the best. Chronological work dates and competencies / skills are highlighted. Always make sure you provide all the information the employer is looking for. A CV should include the following information:- Personal particulars including starting date, reasonable salary expectations and contact details. Educational Background – school subjects and qualifications Work Experience Other relevant information – special memberships, hobbies, extracurricular activities and miscellaneous skills. Unless otherwise specified keep a CV brief. Depending on your level of experience, it should be no more than 3-6 pages. You will therefore have to leave out irrelevant work experience such as your holiday job at Edgars in April 2001 when you are applying for the Marketing Manager position. In your CV, be sure to use keywords. Keywords describe the skills required for each job. These words can easily be picked up from the advertisement or job description. However don’t simply repeat the words in the advert elaborate on them to show that you truly are proficient in that particular field and you understand what the employer is looking for. Know your limitations and don’t exaggerate your achievements. Don’t leave out any information about yourself. This includes references. People like to say “referees available on request”. This is giving work to the employer. Put references that the employer can contact without you priming them first. It gives the employer confidence that he will receive a reliable reference. Make sure you present your resume well. Employers will give it a brief initial glance and depending on how it catches their attention they may or may not give it another look. So it needs to be striking and attention grabbing. It should be neatly typed on good quality paper and it should match the paper used for the resume. As I mentioned last week, the spelling and grammar needs to be perfect. Also make use of standard fonts and avoid any complex formatting especially when sending your resume via email or submitting it online. Through implementation of these tips, you will be one step closer to the job interview for your dream job.

By Thembani Chikowore.

#Thembani Chikowore is the Recruitment Manager at Sesani Skills which specialises in Procurement of Management Skills for the Mining and Construction industry.

And one of our own achieves!!!!!!!

Our former Vice President of The Rotaract of Matopos  our very own Pamela N Mukwenha  who is currently in exile  in South Africa *for academic reasons* was selected out of a million global applicants to be a delegate at a Global Change makers summit which was held in England recently. Pamela  an undergraduate student of Chemical Engineering at the University of Pretoria is also the cofounder of Jamili Afrika an organisation that she started with her friends to promote the good name of Africa.Her selection to be a delegate at the summit automatically makes her an ambassador of the Global Change makers programme .The Global Changemakers programme is managed by the British Council Switzerland. The British Council is the United Kingdoms’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities .The Global Change makers are a select group of young people, aged from 16 to 25, who have demonstrated a significant track record of achievement in their local communities through social entrepreneurship, community activism and volunteer work. These exceptional young people are part of a global network where they share ideas, knowledge, and best practices, and where they work individually and together on projects that directly impact the lives of those in their local communities. Currently there are over 730 change makers from 120 countries working alongside more than 50,000 other young people to promote positive social change.

Pamela credits her love for community development through social entrepreneurship to her work as a youth ambassador under the Ministry of Education & JICA, her experiences with Rotaract Matopos and Lead Us Today . The Club congratulates her on her achievement and clearly the world will continue to shake because of ‘small giants” like her. Amhlophe ,Makorokoto "usifake emephini siyaziqhenya ngawe'   #we are proud of you#.

By Xris Chaks