10 unusual careers you may not know about

Deciding what you want to do when you leave school can be difficult. Some people are lucky enough to have had certain ambitions from an early age, but most of us need to think quite hard about it.

When we're growing up we're generally told about the more "standard" careers that we could follow. We know that we can become school teachers or engineers, doctors or marketing professionals, accountants or web designers.

So we thought it would be fun to look at some of the more unusual careers out there. People are actually making a good living in these careers, and hopefully this list will help to spark some ideas for what you want to do with your own life.

Aquaculture

This is essentially farming in water. Aquaculture is about cultivating all kinds of fish, seafood and plants in set aside areas, which are then harvested for food. As the world's food resources become scarcer, careers like this are only going to become more in demand.

Living space management and design

While interior designers and architects have been around for a long time, growing population density is putting a lot of pressure on the space we have in which to live. People who specialise in designing and managing living areas to optimise the use of space and other resources are becoming increasingly sought after.

Video blogging

It may be true that the world has become very used to watching all kinds of people do all manner of things on YouTube, but if you pause for a moment to think about it, it's quite an unusual thing to do, compared to having a 9-5 job. There is also a very serious business side to it, with lots of advertising money to be made for those who can offer entertaining and valuable content.

3D printing designer

3D printing is set to change our world in many ways. For the first time in history, each of us will be able to take almost any material we want and create objects with it in our own homes, using a completely automated process. Like making coffee straight from the beans in a coffee machine, but making the mug at the same time. People who can design the computerised patterns that these printers use to create objects will find rewarding careers here.

Home server hosting

The entire Internet relies on servers. Typically these are owned and run by large companies – the Internet service providers we all know about. However, there is nothing stopping anyone from building a server system at home and offering website and application hosting. This is especially possible in the world of online games, like Minecraft, where many people have made a living hosting game servers.

Soil conservationist

Here's another career that is going to become more and more important as the world starts to run out of natural resources and land on which to cultivate the many crops we need for our survival and wellbeing. A soil conservationist's prime concern is the sustainable use of land.

Clinical ethicist

This is a speciality for those who are interested in medicine, and particularly the effect of medical advances on our society. Clinical ethicists deal with the ethical issues that advances like stem cell research and organ cloning raise, helping to inform and shape policies.

Sommelier

With South Africa being such a prolific wine-producing country, it's a great place for someone wanting to be a sommelier to learn. A sommelier is a wine expert, typically working in a top-class restaurant, managing its wine selection. This person also advises guests in top-class restaurants on how to pair the right wines with their food. Sommeliers can be very well paid and get to travel the world.

Toy creator

You only have to pop your head into a modern toy shop to understand just how many hundreds of different toys there are. Of course, someone has to design them all. This would suit someone with a flair for object design and a love of children.

Let's start a conversation. What unusual careers do you know of? List them here or connect with me on Twitter (@EduloanSA)

Inventing a career for yourself

Not everyone fits into an easy career niche. Fortunately, and often thanks to technology, it’s become easier to decide on something you want to do, and then identify or actually create a way of doing it as a career.

Let me give you my favourite example. A friend of mine was originally a copywriter in an ad agency. He moved into freelance copywriting and video scripting, but felt that he wasn’t really expressing himself as much as he really wanted to. His real passion was drawing.

A few years ago, he started using a handheld Palm device to draw caricatures of people, which he would print out and give to them. For free. From here he moved on to “painting” all kinds of things on his device, printing them and selling them at markets.

Then he got his breakthrough idea. Why not use digital technology, like a tablet, to illustrate people’s conference presentations while they are presenting them. These live illustrations would help to visualise the concepts and ideas for the audience. This idea was based on research that people retain information better if they can also see a visual representation of it. At the time, my friend was the only person in South Africa doing this. The career he has created for himself is now known as “visual facilitation”. He has clients that range from Sun International to Coca Cola.

 

The moral of the story – follow your passion

The world is an extremely big place, with a lot of things happening in it. There’s a very good chance that you will be able to find a career that completely satisfies your passion or your ambitions in life. Especially with the new opportunities that technology is opening up. It just takes a little ingenuity, a lot of effort and the willingness to not give up.

The reward is more than worth it. You can reasonably expect to spend more time working at your career than anything else you do in your life. So it makes so much sense that you do what you love. For some this will be an easy decision – they will have wanted to be lawyers or architects or doctors their whole lives. They’re lucky enough to have formal pathways towards these careers. But for those who choose more niche careers (for example, computer animation), these pathways have only recently come to exist, or don’t exist yet.

If you’re one of these people, once again, technology can help you to create your career.

The importance of self-learning

We live in an era where more information and knowledge is available to more people more easily than ever before in history. The Internet is truly a treasure trove in this respect.

With enough research it’s often possible to find all manner of resources that you can use to embark on the career you’re considering. Very importantly, there are online courses that can give you an informal, but structured education in the area you’ve chosen. You can sign up with distance learning organisations. Or you can join forums that contain people already working in the area. This can be an invaluable resource – it gives you access to first-hand experience you probably won’t be able to get in any other way.

 

Don’t give up

One last thing is worth mentioning. Life won’t always be easy and your career path might not be smooth. The important thing is to persevere. You’ll stumble a few times. There will be times when you want to throw in the towel. Don’t. You never know just how close you might be to achieving your career dream.

Let’s start a conversation. Let me know what you think here or connect with me on Twitter (@EduloanSA)

Top careers for the future

Many people who are fortunate enough to have the opportunity to study further after school have known for a while what careers they want to follow. Then there are those who are not yet quite sure. Still others have the luxury of being able to take a gap year in which to think about what they want to do with their lives.

For those who aren’t quite sure of their career choices, we’ve done some of the legwork for you and compiled a list of the best careers to pursue if you’re looking those that are flourishing, and that are about to become increasingly relevant to our society.

Like any list, this one is of course open to debate and adjustment, so let’s use it to start a conversation too.

As you might expect in this day and age, a lot of these careers are in the broad field of IT, which is easily understandable, given the modern world’s reliance on it. However, there are plenty that as are important, but overlooked.

Community services manager

Particularly in a country like ours, caring for communities, especially impoverished rural ones, is an important area of endeavour. It will remain so for a long time, given the scope of our challenges – and also given our need to keep these services running into the foreseeable future.

Computer systems analyst

Everything is being digitised in our modern society. It could be argued that we stand on the brink of yet another technology “revolution”, with the so-called “Internet of Things”. This means that many, more everyday items that we use are going to be interacting intelligently with global Internet networks. So we will need people who can build and programme them.

App developer

A short while ago mobile phone and device use surpassed laptop and desktop use as the way that African connects to the Internet. These smartphones are able to use more and more, increasingly sophisticated apps that we use in our everyday lives. Which creates massive demand for those who can create them. Some other good news for learners is that much of what you need to know to create apps can be learned on the Internet.

Nurse and paramedic

By the same token, some of the more traditional careers will remain just as important as they ever were. No matter how much we evolve in our technology, we will still need specialists like these to care for us when the unexpected happens.

Information security analyst

The more the world relies on technology and digital data, the more the demand will be for people who can make sure that all of it is secure. For those interested in a hard core IT career, this will be highly rewarding.

Health services manager

Health services at the most basic level are absolutely crucial to our population. The sheer number of people who need these services in far-flung places ensures that there will always be a need for those who can manage processes and people in this sector.

School teacher

Education is of course at the top of the agenda in any developing country like ours, and we could almost never have enough teachers. It will remain one of the most important careers in South Africa for many years to come.

Food scientist

Food is expected to become an endangered resource that will need to be carefully managed worldwide. Those specialising in helping to solve the world’s food problems will be in great demand.

Epidemiologist

Some of the most threatening scenarios for our planet, but particularly for Africa, is that of a disastrous disease outbreak. This career helps to prevent this, and also involves lot of research, community education and formulation of health policies. These are exceptionally necessary activities in Africa.

Natural energy specialist

As our planet faces environmental challenges we all know that energy provision is going to continue to be one of the single biggest problems that we have to solve. Those who choose careers that involve alternative energy sources have bright futures.

Cloud computing

Cloud computing is becoming the dominant technology and business model in modern enterprises. There are many different aspects to the Cloud, all of which present excellent career opportunities.

Let’s start a conversation. Let me know what you think here or connect with me on Twitter (@EduloanSA)

Inclusive education

South Africa is a country with a history of exclusion. It wouldn't be stretching the truth to say that exclusion is the basis on which the entire apartheid system was based. Which is why, in the post-1994 democratic South Africa, such an emphasis is placed on integrating the previously excluded, in a myriad ways.

Consequently one of the most important functions of education in this country is to equip previously excluded people with the skills and knowledge they need to live productive lives, with a full measure of self-worth, and to make meaningful contributions to their communities and the country as a whole.

One of the traditionally excluded and neglected communities is that of people with disabilities. Society in general poses serious challenges for such individuals and there are many ways in which they are still excluded. So it's very important for the education system to do its utmost to prepare and equip people with disabilities, in order that they too may make meaningful contributions to their communities and the country, and live fulfilled lives.

 

The concept of inclusive education

Inclusive education is the opposite of the previous approach to educating learners with disabilities. Previous thinking was that it was most beneficial to separate these learners from the general school population in order to provide them with specialised attention and assistance.

Inclusive education, however, is based on the concept of teaching those with and without disabilities in the same class. This idea is supported by research that indicates that there are significant positive effects of this approach for learners with disabilities.

Of course, it's not that simple – merely placing these learners in the same class is not enough. Positive outcomes are achieved with inclusive education when there is ongoing advocacy, planning, support and commitment.

 

The principles of inclusive education

We can identify three central principles in the inclusive education approach.

 The first principle is that all learners belong, and should be treated and made to feel that way. Inclusive education's simple approach is that all children are equally valuable – both intrinsically as human beings and in society – and they should have the same opportunities. The important point about inclusive education is that it focuses on learners with disabilities participating in everyday activities, as they would if they did not have these disabilities.

Of course this is done with support, because one has to be realistic about the challenges that many of these learners face. It's the social lessons that are the most meaningful in this context – learners with disabilities should be exposed to opportunities to make friendships and ways to have different types of memberships in society, as represented by their peer groups.

The second principle is that every child has a right to be included. Inclusive education proponents make it very clear that in the context of a society that places a priority on educating its youth, inclusive education is a right, not a privilege. Learners with disabilities should have the same access to the general education curriculum as those without disabilities have.

The third principle is that different people learn in different ways. This means that inclusive education places an emphasis on helping learners to learn and participate in ways that are meaningful to them. And it proposes exposing learners to as many different ways of learning as possible.

 

How does this affect South Africa?

In a country now dedicated to equality and access to education for all, inclusive education should be a standard part of the educational approach. Equality can only be said to have been achieved when we give those with disabilities the very same chances for success through education that others get.
Let's start a conversation.

Let me know what you think here or connect with me on Twitter (@EduloanSA)

Educating the girl child in South Africa

In many senses our country has come a long way in providing better education to more people. We see schools where there hadn't previously been any, and children of all races able to access any school they choose, provided they can afford it. This is a far cry from the conditions under the apartheid regime, where equal access to education was deliberately prevented.

However, there is one burning issue that we must still properly address in our efforts to provide quality education for all. This is the particular challenge of educating the girl child. On the surface it may appear to be a simple matter of giving girl children access to equal education. This ignores the underlying, systemic challenges that the girl child faces, both in life and, consequently, on her educational journey.

Girl child access to education

Looking north across Africa we see that the girl child generally enjoys less access to education than boys. Enrolment rates at primary schools are typically lower for girls, and their proportion continues to drop off as they move through secondary and tertiary education.

Fortunately, in South Africa things have become more equal. For instance, female enrolment at higher education institutions has steadily increased over the years, reaching parity with males in 2001.

This does not mean, however, that the plight of the girl child has improved much. Even though they have better access to education, the ability to take advantage of this right is sabotaged by a multitude of factors that have an impact on their lives as a whole. This has caused a situation where, despite virtually equal enrolment rates, girls have a much higher drop-out rate than boys.

The girl child's reality

The girl child is subjected to the worst results of historical injustice and current social prejudice, particularly in the rural areas of South Africa.

One of the most critical realities that she faces is the horrendous rate of violence and harassment against women and girls. This can have huge ramifications for the girl child, not only psychologically but also for her education. The psychological effects of harassment or rape are long lasting. These can in turn manifest in the classroom, including the inability to concentrate and social withdrawal. Then there is the high rate of teenage pregnancy, which is related to the sexual violence incidence. Many young girls are left with children that they have to raise, even though they themselves are mere children. This is a significant contributor to school drop-outs.

There are other factors that prevent the girl child from getting the most out of educational opportunities. Poverty is a serious obstacle, not only in the sense of being able to afford education, but in a much deeper way. With poverty generally comes some form of malnourishment. This prevents optimal development in a child, which can lead to later learning problems.

Of course it can truthfully be said that poverty affects boys too, but the unfortunate reality is that poverty has a far greater impact on women than on men. Girls are disproportionally affected by cultural and economic issues, and are also responsible for domestic duties from an early age.

HIV/AIDS has also had a severe impact on girl child education. There has been an increase in child-headed families, due to AIDS fatality rates among the previous generation – and the responsibility for looking after the family falls disproportionately to the girl child.

Other, perhaps more subtle, conditions contribute to the challenges that the girl child faces in education. Relatively simple issues to solve, like a lack of sufficient sanitary facilities, negatively affect the girl child's educational experience.

What to do for the girl child

This is admittedly not an easy problem to solve. It's clear that the challenge of educating the girl child is a societal one, requiring interventions and development in many diverse areas. We need to put in a concerted effort across all levels of society so that the girl child can start to derive the most out of her education.

In many ways, solving the issues that girl children face requires solving the issues that our country as a whole faces. However, as we do this, it's important to remember that the girl child faces additional challenges that need to be squarely addressed. In essence, the challenge of the girl child is also the challenge of all women in our society today.

Let's start a conversation. Let me know what you think here or connect with me on Twitter (@EduloanSA)

Getting ready for exams – how to study like a genius.

We all get nervous and stressed when it’s that time of the year again. By that time of the year we mean exams or test weeks and if you’re still at school or varsity this happens more often than not.
You really don’t need to be stressed or nervous, all you need is to be prepared and ready, this makesa world of difference.  Give yourself the best chance with these 10 study tips to study like a genius!

1. Begin preparing early
   The best possible way for you to do well during exams or test weeks is to pay attention during class, every minute that you aren’t giving your full attention means many more minutes of studying and trying to understand later on.
   
   
2. Know your teacher/professor and have a good relationship
   This is fundamental in achieving good results, to have good relations with your study instructor means that you enjoy the course and if something is unclear to you, you will consult with him/her later or during class to see to it that you understand everything fully.
   
   
3. Form a study group
   Not only will other students be able to help you understand the material, but by helping others you are actually teaching yourself. Remember that this is a study group and not a socializing event and you will need to stay focused on why you are there
   
   
4. Organize your study space
   Make sure you have enough space to spread all your material and notes out. Get yourself comfortable and keep all distractions out of sight.
   
   
5. Flow charts and diagrams work best!
   Use flow charts and diagrams to review your work visually. People tend to remember visual information better. Condense your revision notes into one-page diagrams to reflect when nearing the examination date.
   
   
6. Practise on old examination papers or tests
   After you have studied the relevant material, practice on old papers to test your knowledge and do so under test conditions.  This will help comfort you to know that you will be able to complete the paper within the allocated time.
   
   
7. Take regular breaks for 10 to 20 minutes
   Studying for an entire day might make you feel good, but this could actually be counterproductive. Studies have shown that for long-term retention of knowledge, regular breaks are crucial.
   
   
8. Eat well
   Keep away from heavy saturated foods such as margarine and foods with high sugar levels. You will need to eat balanced meals, containing foods such as eggs, fruit, cereal, lean meat and vegetables. Don’t overeat, rather eat dark chocolate as a treat as studies have shown that this helps  boost your brain.
   
   
9. Get to bead early
   Allow for your body to get the correct amount of rest that it needs to perform the following day.  Thus plan your day so that you will get to bed early and allow for yourself to relax before falling asleep.
   
   
10. Wake up nice and early on the day you are writing
    Give yourself enough time to get up and get to the examination location on time. Getting up nice and early will help you to start the exam/test stress free and with a clear mind.

The privilege of education in South Africa

Being a citizen of such a beautiful and diverse country as South Africa is an immense privilege and one we regularly take for granted.

Not only are we the only country in the world with 11 official languages, but we have a rich and powerful history of reconciliation and forgiveness. Our country has also delivered one of the most powerful figures in the history of mankind, Madiba, the father of our nation.

As diverse and as beautiful as this country might be we do not always realize the task that we as citizens have to bear to uphold this legacy of beauty and greatness, no we rather leave it for the person sitting next to us. We disregard the responsibility of being loyal and responsible citizens that was fought for by so many.

Totsie Memela, CEO of Eduloan, recently said in an Interview with SAfm; that education is your way out of your circumstance, your way of taking responsibility for your life.  Never has this been more true for us as a nation and a country as now.

The mistake we make, is to think that opportunities such as education is a right and not a privilege.  And rightfully so, the basic need to be educated is global, but many only view this as a part of the circle of maturing, of growing up.

Mandela said that education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world.  To really realize this, we need to accept the fact that not everyone wants to change the world and therefor there are those that take education for granted. The reality is this, what has been taught to you, no one can ever take away from you. Your education is what shapes your opinion and views.  You don’t know what you don’t know, it’s as simple as that.

Education is the path to development. It creates choices and opportunities for people in terms of access to employment, reduces burdens of poverty and disease, and empowers people. We need to realize that for everyone, education produces a more skilled and competitive workforce, thus opening the doors to economic and social prosperity.

If this were to be true, why are we taking education for granted?

Perhaps it’s not an economically viable option for everyone at this stage. However the example of other European countries such as Austria and the Netherlands, who are succeeding in providing almost free university education for all EU students, suggests that it would not be impossible to provide cheaper education. 

The question then is this; would education be regarded as a privilege and be embraced by everyone once it’s free?  It might be, but that will only be determined once it’s in motion.  For now, we need to realize that even though we can consider Education a basic human right, we need to realize that this in not yet true for everyone. So if you have been through school, college or university; be thankful for the experience the privilege of it. Especially for having done it, in such a beautiful and diverse country.

Leadership in the youth

Developing leadership traits among the youth of South Africa is a critical requirement in order to produce the next generation of leaders. This is true of all fields. No matter what the endeavour or environment, be it government, the corporate world, in communities or individual entrepreneurship - the country needs those who are equipped to take central roles in guiding us into the future.

Why is youth leadership so important?

It has been shown time and again that developing leadership among the youth makes a significant contribution to community development. Youths with leadership skills are generally better able to make a difference in solving community problems and these people are more likely to participate in civic activities¹.

The development of leadership also has a great effect on the individual. Leadership is comprised of natural talent combined with learned skills. These skills include goal-setting, problem solving and sensible decision making². It’s obvious that these traits are of great benefit to the individuals in any endeavours that they undertake. In other words, there is an overlap between leadership and personal success. Youths who have competent leadership skills show higher career aspirations, increased self-esteem and improve school performance and completion rates³.

Nurturing leadership thus benefits the individual, the community and society as a whole, in a variety of way.

Nurturing leadership traits in the youth

Nascent leadership traits often emerge by themselves, which is what allows educators to identify those individuals. But developing leadership takes more than just a natural aptitude.

Developing leadership traits in the youth is something that involves a multitude of people surrounding the individual – family, teachers, youth workers and the broader community. All of these ideally need to work together to produce healthy, successful adolescents with leadership skills.

One of the more successful methods of developing leadership in youth is the incorporation of service projects into the school curriculum. This allows learners to get a taste of making an active contribution to the community and allows them to see what they have learnt being put into action, along with the results that ensue.

Leadership role models in South Africa

Of course when we look at the role models that have and are having an influence on the youth of South Africa, one name stands head and shoulders above the rest: Nelson Mandela. So much has been written about the many ways in which he has been and is a role model for not only the youth of the country, but the country at large.

However, many more role models are needed in all spheres of society, particularly in the home environment and the surrounding local community. In other words, grass roots leadership is always needed to guide the development of the youth. General violence, violence in families, and violence against women and children are particularly acute problems in South Africa. This illustrates the other side of the coin – the effect of the lack of good role models in the family environment, especially with the number of absent or violent fathers, and the number of child-headed homes that exist in our communities.

If one reads articles about successful South Africans, one finds great diversity in whom the individuals name as their role models. Some were inspired by well-known figures, like Steve Jobs and Adrian Gore of Discovery. Others were inspired by role models more close to home, like their parents. Still others are inspired by ordinary South Africans, while others have mentors specific to their careers.

What emerges from this is that anyone can be a role model. These don’t have to be luminous figures; it can be anyone who displays admirable qualities that others, particularly young people, emulate. The lesson for South Africans is that each of us in our own lives can end up being role models for the youth, which is why it is important to provide the kind of example that is worth following.

Let’s start a conversation. Let me know what you think here or connect with me on Twitter (@EduloanSA)


References:
1. O'Brien & Kohlmeier, 2003
2. MacNeil 2000
3. Bloomberg, Ganey, Alba, Quintero, & Alcantara, 2003