Ongoing development, opportunities to network, and well-being support are the three critical things that Rohan van der Merwe believes hold the key to the success of young people in the workplace.

Van der Merwe, a young person who works in the University of Pretoria (UP) Residences as Coordinator: Residence Facilities explained that with these three things in place, young people are likelier to succeed in the workplace.

“For me, the top three things that are most important to supporting young people in the workplace are ongoing development; opportunities to network; and well-being support. Enhancing employability is critical for young professionals to ensure that they will still be relevant in the context of accelerated and ever-changing society. Employability has become the most important factor of job security. Organisations can help young professionals enhance their employability by not only training and developing skills that are needed now, but also on skills that will be needed in the future,” he explained.

He added that while living in the digital age has its perks, like being able to have a well-managed and extensive social media presence and to use this as a marketing tool for themselves in the work market, good old mentorship is still key to growth and a successful career. “While an extensive and well-managed social media presence is critical in a contemporary society, I believe that there is still a great need for young professionals to have in-person contact and make a human connection. With active network opportunities, young employees will have a greater opportunity to learn from experienced professionals in their field,” he said.

On challenges that face young people in the workplace, Van der Merwe flagged uncertainty and high youth unemployment.

“I would say uncertainty is one of the biggest challenges young professionals face in the world of work. With all the changes that are occurring, especially due to the rapid pace of digital technological transformation brought on by the fourth industrial revolution, along with global crises and disasters such as the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change, making career choices can be daunting. Not knowing if the profession you chose will still be relevant in the future, or having to choose a career that doesn’t even exist yet -of which there is very little information or career role models on which you can base your career decision - is a challenge,” he said.

Sharing some of his own experiences in the workplace, Van der Merwe shared that he is at the point in his life where he is defining his career. The choices he has made up until now have been mostly based on the opportunities available for personal development.

“I would describe my career as a work-in-progress and I am still carving out my career path as I go along. In the first couple of years after school I found it very difficult to choose a specific career. Through gaining work experience and further education, I started to realise what I like and what I don’t like and what is most important to me in my work. I then started to realise that my career choices are not in terms of a specific profession or line of work, but rather based on opportunities to develop myself and use my abilities to contribute to society. My current career phase is still very much focused on development; thus, my career choices are based on whether I will be able to further develop myself,” he said.

Central to this has been his inquisitive nature as well - for him a viable and successful career entails something that will quench his thirst for knowledge, while lending itself to the opportunity to learn new skills.

“I would describe myself as being very inquisitive. I am always busy with some sort of learning activity, whether it be formal studies or learning a new skill through a short course or online tutorials. Being an active and lifelong learner is one of the biggest motivators in my life and career. I like to understand how things work and understand why people do what they do. I relax by spending time with my family, and I also enjoy watching a good game show, political drama, or something with historic value when I watch a series or a movie,” he said.

Van der Merwe said his hope is that in the future he will be able to contribute meaningfully to the career journeys of other young people.

“In the vision of my future career, I want to be able to help others plan and navigate their career and be able to help young professionals with identifying development opportunities. The opportunity to continue my own learning, perhaps through research, and to transfer my knowledge through teaching is also something that excites me,” he said.