Author: aspiringprofessionalshub

We started the Aspiring Professionals Hub to be an information hub for aspiring professionals to share their experiences – achievements, mistakes, successes, lessons learnt - with like-minded individuals. As aspiring professionals ourselves, we are aware of the challenges faced by other aspiring professionals in their career journey. Our aim is to provide a forum where we can engage with our readers and have discussions about Careers & Employability, Education, Entrepreneurship and Skills – related issues.

#APHCareerChat – 4 Ways to Kickstart your Productivity

January 9, 2017August 11, 2019by aspiringprofessionalshubLeave a comment

Happy New Year! It’s the second week of January and we are;

on our detox diets, #wholefoodchallenge, cringing when we look at our credit card statement, waiting for a treadmill at the gym (give it a few weeks) etc. We are also being bombarded by a plethora of adverts about the latest books, articles, podcasts etc. teaching us how we can lose weight, get a better job, find love etc. in 2017!

In the spirit of our tradition in the Hub of starting every year on a reflective note, I started thinking about how I would like 1 January 2018 to look like. Then I worked back to what I would need to get done in 2017 to ensure I hit my target(s). This ‘Beginning with the end in mind’ exercise was a great reminder that to have different outcomes in 2017, I would need to do things differently. In the words of Maya Angelou, ‘Do the best you can until you know better, then when you know better, do better.‘ In this article, I’ll share four things I am determined to do differently in 2017.

‘Not resolutions but determinations!‘ – I have no problems with making resolutions at the beginning of the New Year because it indicates at least an exercise in reflection! I didn’t make any resolutions this year because sometimes my list of resolutions ends up looking like a wish list. I decided to change my verb from ‘resolve’ to ‘determine.’ If you have a list of resolutions, try adding ‘I am determined to…’ in front of every action. Making it personal is a reminder that we have an important responsibility in ensuring we get the outcomes we want.

How many people start each year with a resolution to find another job? If January 3 was a tough day for you because it took everything to drag yourself out of bed to a job you hate, why not make 2017 the ‘I am determined to get a new job’ year. There is a way using the word ‘determined’ forces one to set realistic goals. Make a list of 3 things you are determined to do this year and set at least two Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-Bound goals underneath them.

For example, for someone determined to start a new job in 2017, some goals could be,

a. Update CV and LinkedIn profile by January 31 2017.

b. Upskill by attending x number of training workshops.

c. Send x number of job applications off each month.

Be #Healthaware in 2017 – Save a Life, Learn Basic CPR

January 5, 2017July 2, 2017by aspiringprofessionalshub2 Comments

It’s that time of the year when we all try to set new goals and new targets for the year. There are many ideas that people have at the beginning of the year usually packaged as New Year’s Resolutions. Some things people want to stop, change or add to their lives or activities in the New Year. In 2016, on the Aspiring Professionals Hub, it was our target to get to our one year anniversary, then continue the growth of the Hub…we have now as a result seen a rise in global readership to near 170 countries.

To start the New Year, we would like to get our readers to start the year with a health focus. There is a popular saying “health is wealth” and in line with that, staying healthy or keeping a healthy lifestyle in 2017 would be paramount to achieving any plans or targets for this year.

So what’s the health focus to start the year with? Learn CPR to save a life in 2017!

What exactly is CPR?

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) has been defined by the as a procedure to support and maintain breathing and circulation for an infant, child, or adolescent who has stopped breathing (respiratory arrest) and/or whose heart has stopped (cardiac arrest)¹. To the lay man or woman, CPR is usually known as mouth-to-mouth or chest compressions usually due to cardiac arrest.

#APHGradForum – Seven Steps To Enable you Prepare your First Lecture

October 31, 2016September 20, 2019by aspiringprofessionalshubLeave a comment

This was the statement made by a friend of mine who was invited to deliver her first lecture on an important but sensitive lecture topic. This feeling is not uncommon amongst early career academics. Unlike professionals developing their careers in primary and secondary school teaching who tend to be more prepared having gone through teacher training, for those going into lecturing in academia, your training comes on the job, usually after you have started teaching! In many cases, after completing a Masters degree or a PhD/postdoc, you could land your first lecture invitation. So what should you keep in mind if you find yourself in this situation? The handy tips below will give you a good starting point.

STEP ONE – Find the guidebook: The first bit of research you’ll need to do if you are about to teach at University, college or school is the curriculum. At University, this will the course/module specification. Here it will be important for you to know what the anticipated learning outcomes are for the students within the year group. What type of assessment(s) have been designed for the course? How does the topic you are about to lecture on connect with the learning outcomes and assessment? Do you have the skills to deliver this material?

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#MyUniStory – The Dilemma of an African International Student

October 24, 2016December 29, 2016by aspiringprofessionalshub1 Comment

Recently the APH met up with two vibrant individuals Brian and Belinda, recent graduates from a higher education institution in the UK. They are both passionate about supporting issues around global health and about Africa. In their two part opinion piece, they share their experiences as African students as well as of interning in Africa (Part II). Enjoy reading and do share your opinions in the comments section.

Many Africans can only “dream” of the opportunity to pursue quality training overseas at Ivy league and Russel Group Universities of this world. Institutions to which the local education system that has nurtured our knowledge and skills through years of learning, contribute to the almost blind belief that there is no better source for top quality education and I dare say, developed intellect. It doesn’t help that our African education systems have hardly changed for decades, left behind by colonial masters whose teachings of everything from the alphabet to our understanding of African borders in geography and scientific discoveries of Alexander Fleming we still cling to. An archaic system that still equates learning with memory and teaches the partition of Africa, the prairies of Canada, and for some of us, a grid by grid map of New York City.

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#APHCareerChat – 5 Ways to Deal with a Passive-Aggressive Colleague

October 17, 2016August 11, 2019by aspiringprofessionalshub1 Comment

It’s Monday morning and rather than being excited about the start of a new work week, your heart drops because you wonder what is in store for you from a passive-aggressive colleague. Will it be a snarky email, sulking, unreasonable behaviour, not responding to emails or full on aggressive behaviour? In this article, Grace shares some ways to deal with difficult colleagues while keeping your sanity.

Thud! I looked up to see the retreating figure of my colleague as she walked out of the office slamming the door behind her. She had just thrown a pile of paperwork on my desk. Ten minutes later I received an email informing me what she would like me to do with the documents.

This was not the first time she had acted aggressively towards me and I knew it wouldn’t be the last. However, this incident proved that things were escalating and and it was time to do something about it. The strategies I share in this article are based on my personal experience, particularly from the mistakes I made. I hope these steps can help someone else going through a similar experience.

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