Alumni 2002: Mphokolo interviewed
In celebration of Brightest Young Mind’s tenth year of existence, we’ll be showcasing two of each year’s alumni from May till September (when BYM Summit 2010 will be taking place). From the alumni group of 2002, we interviewed Mphokolo Makara .
Name: Mphokolo Makara
Current occupation (study/working; which field; social organization involvements etc.etc): Manager: Structured Asset Finance, Standard Bank Corporate and Investment Banking
BYM Class of (year): 2002
Occupation during the alumni year (study/working; which field; social organization involvements etc.etc): final year studies. BCom Business Finance, Economics & Marketing. University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg.
What made you decide to apply for BYM? I was in my final year of university and had to make career decisions. Given the profile of BYM, the selection process and the corporate sponsors behind BYM, I thought participating in BYM would give me an opportunity to meet with my peers – given that we were probably in the same situation and had to make decisions with possible limited information. The exposure to the corporate sponsors definitely put us in good stead as it gave us an idea of what is required in the corporate environment and what would be required from you as an individual to make that transition. As final year students, we often have an idea of what career path to follow which is informed by our perceptions of the world versus the reality of the corporate world. It always helps to have a perspective on both these worlds before making a decision that is cast in stone and will affect the rest of your life. Although it may be that you are not completely off track, given that you have been on this “journey” for 3-4 years already, there is a whole world out there that we only begin to discover once we embark on our working lives and the real world.
How has BYM made a difference in your life? Some of the individuals I met during my year, are people I have kept in touch with since, some I have run into and met throughout my working life. In an environment where relationships are important and open doors for opportunities – professional and personal, it’s never a disadvantage to be able to relate with a person on the other side of the table. In addition, I would like to think over and above the basic requirements that I had to meet to be considered for employment, having been part of BYM must have made a difference in the eyes of perspective employers relative to my peers in being considered for “the job”.
Who (what type of person), in your opinion, would find most benefit in the BYM summit and its goals? Young people who are driven and ambitious to know more about their fields of study or work. The ability to engage with people outside your area of interest is always an opportunity to learn and expose you to new and different perspectives. being at a stage where you are leaving your academic field and looking to enter the professional field can be daunting especially when you do not know the various disciplines in your general area of interest, more so for people who have not had the opportunity, through career guidance or access to information, to explore before making a final career decision.
