“There were less than ten black students on this campus when I joined UP in 1991,” says Senior Admin Assistant, Robinson Mosebe, who tells Tukkievaria more about his role at Career Services on campus and how we can all make difference to students’ careers to enhance job opportunities.  

Tells us about your background.

I was born and raised in Eastwood, currently known as Menlyn in Pretoria. In 1958, the apartheid government forcibly moved my parents when I was two years old and relocated us to a farm called Vlakfontein, which was later renamed Mamelodi. The Group Areas Act designated Mamelodi as a blacks-only area, though this became moot with the fall of Apartheid in 1994.

I joined the University of Pretoria in 1991 as a qualified motor repair shop assistant in the Technical Services, and later became an admin clerk at the Marketing Services Department, working with student recruiters and call centre agents to supply them with brochures aimed at prospective students. In 2000, I joined the Department of Enrolment and Student Administration (DESA) under the Dispatch division, and to date I’ve been based at the Career Services division.  

What is your day-to-day role?

My role ranges from debt collection and liaising with advertisers and students, to rallying behind our departmental marketing campaigns and preparing students for the work environment through helping to compile CVs, offering mock interviews and hosting Career Fairs.

What do you understand about loyalty in the workplace?

My take is that loyalty implies that your many years of service are a true testimony of your dedication to the institution, and that you are truly valued for your contributions.

How do you feel your Department can best reach its goals?

The point of departure is to ensure that we simplify the definition of a career for our graduates, inter alia, through the Ready for Work Programme. Many of us think that there is only one occupation that is best suited for us, but there are really several that may be good choices. The secret is to identify those occupations in which you have a high probability for success and happiness.

However, the reality is that there are more graduates than potential employers. My advice to all educational authorities within various spheres is to let the commercial schools in our location be altered to technical schools. My hope is that by achieving a 80-20 ratio between technical colleges and commercial schools, we can address the skills shortage and enhance employment statistics.

We should also encourage our graduates to venture into their own businesses rather than solely depend on looking for jobs. For example, those studying law can run their own law firms, qualified engineering students can run private Research Engineering Laboratories. Career Services at UP is continuously offering entrepreneurial short courses through the Ready For work short Course. It is also important to establish relationships with other stakeholders such as the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), Department of Trade Industry (DTI) and other financial institutions. 

What do you do during your free time?

I enjoy a variety of music genres and to watch TV.

Quick quiz:

Sport: Soccer

Food: Vegetables, fruits and meat

Movies: Fast and Furious & Mr Bones

Musician: Lucky Dube & Dr Victor

All-time hero: Martin Luther / Robert Sobukwe