HIM Alumna on a mission to motivate young corporates

What influenced you to study Hotel Management and why did you choose to study at HIM?

Funnily enough, I didn’t know what I wanted to study after high school. This said, I always knew that what I wanted to study had to be connected with people, as I am a lover of people. My studies also had to have an element of business and HIM seemed to offer just that.  

What skills do you think can be gained from studying a Hospitality degree and do you think they can be useful in corporate Botswana?

As it’s made so evident in most jobs today, a degree is only part of a small percentage of what employers are looking for. It is skills, it seems, that seals the deal. 

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With my degree, I can confidently say that I have learnt far beyond just the knowledge from my degree and that I’ve learnt imperative skills for corporate Botswana.

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These skills include; social skills from learning in a multicultural environment with over 48 nationalities at HIM (recorded last term), team working skills from projects and independence, as we are encouraged to embrace individuality. 
 


Tell us about ‘Corporate Conversations’. What motivated you to create this project?

The reason why I started ‘Corporate Conversations with Tsaone Tshekiso’ is because I felt I needed that guidance or rather advice when searching for a job and becoming an adult, as well as what one needs to know when working in the corporate world. I didn’t have solid advice, just bits and pieces from different people, so I decided to create a platform that will help recent graduates or anyone really that wants to enter the corporate world and succeed in their corporate career whilst balancing adulthood.

I definitely do not have it figured out, which is why on my platform we have Instagram Live Chats with those in the corporate world in order to help us better understand corporate life and also make smart decisions before entering our respective industries. Despite this, I do have a little bit of experience/knowledge and I share this on my IGTV Channel: @tsaone_tshekiso.  

What do you think are the main challenges for young graduates in finding a job in corporate Botswana?

I definitely think some of the main challenges include a lack of work experience when being exposed to a working environment after graduating. Many programs in the universities in Botswana don’t encourage students to get work experience, especially during the holidays, or even in their programs which results in a large group of unemployed graduates with no experience.

 

Be fiercer and more fearless about your dreams, remember your purpose and where you come from. And most importantly – BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!
 

You described the feedback for your project as ‘beyond imaginable’. Why do you think that so many people, both in Botswana and outside Botswana, have engaged with the content you have created?

Honestly speaking, when starting this project, I was not expecting such a big response from people. However, I certainly do think that many of us are struggling to find jobs globally as unemployment is a global issue and we certainly don’t have an adulthood manual to follow, so I think my followers engage with my content because it’s the advice we all wish we had had after graduating. 

What is the next step for your project and for you in your career?

For my project I aim to remain consistent with my content and hopefully work with different brands to help my fellow graduates to navigate life after graduation and possibly take part in speaking engagements, as that’s one of my passions. In regards to my career, I look forward to having a stable job that encompasses my interests and hopefully allows me to travel and meet new people.

 

 

Find out more about what other HIM Hotel Institude Montreux Alumni are up to today.