First Annual AU Career Expo 2014

Career Expo 2014!!!

This is a one-page supplement featuring Africa University and the Career Expo which ran in the Manica Post on Aug. 29, ahead of the Sept. 4 event!  Several businesses and other universities bought ads at the bottom of the page congratulating AU on holding their First Career Expo!  And another local university even sent one of their staff members with a clipboard to take notes on how and what we did!!!
     The Coordinators in each Faculty who work with students on their internship placements had worked with us since last Oct., providing us with lists of businesses, email addresses and phone numbers.  Over 50 companies in Mutare and Harare received email invitations to send representatives to this Career Expo.  Very few responded at all, so we spent much time trying to contact them by phone!
     In the end, 11 of 16 companies/organizations that had committed to attend actually showed up!!!  It was a good start; we got good feedback on ways to improve; and now at least we know the process of putting an event like this together!!

     We opted to spend some of our budget dollars on a couple of large signs and large posters rather than rent a tent!  The morning dawned cloudy and cold, and by 10 am it was raining~~not hard, but raining!  Thank goodness it didn't last long, and we had the shelter of some thick trees along the walkway near the dining hall!!  This weather was VERY unusual for this time of year, but we lived through it, and by 3:00 pm when we finished the sun was shining!!
     Approximately 300 students took advantage of the opportunity to talk with these employers, and some actually shared their resumes in hopes of connecting for an internship in Jan., 2015. 

     Two companies sent reps from Harare, both of whom said they welcomed a chance to talk with students and get out of the office!  Of the 11, 4 were banks!!  We also had a Chartered Accountants Group, an Environmental Management Assoc. that uses throw-away materials (i.e. aluminum, etc.) to make new and decorative items!  And a funeral home, and bed company!  We did not have representation from companies related to all of our Faculties, so we need to think of ways to attract folks in agri-business, sociology & psychology, health sciences, etc.
    

 We found a many-page directory online listing the numerous NGOs that operate in Zimbabwe.  Fortunately, students can access the directory on line so we don't have to print it all out!!
     The feedback from reps and students was good and helpful!  Several student comments included:  "Now I know why I have to study harder!"  And "I learned what it takes to succeed in my chosen career area!"

 Since this was a first experience, we know that there are other things we can do on campus to prepare students to make the most of an opportunity like this.  It has now prompted many students to come and ask for a seminar on how to write a CV (curriculum vitae or resume).  We will be holding several in the various Faculty areas within the next few weeks, as these students are already beginning to feel anxious about finding an internship opportunity for next Jan.

Dr. Machinga and I dream of the day when there will be a separate building for Counseling and Career Services, where we will have room to hold seminars, workshops, etc. and display information of interest to students!  We have only just touched the surface of ways that we can enhance student experiences and information relative to careers.
     The economy in Zimbabwe seems even worse than when I arrived last year, with 80-85% unemployment.  We encourage entrepreneurship and seeking employment outside the country.  There has already been a tremendous amount of "brain drain," and it will continue until the economy improves.
    

 During the day we were highly entertained by this marimba band and dancers who came from a primary school in Sakubva, the absolute poorest part of Mutare.  Their music was very pleasant, and they called attention to the activities that were happening between the dining hall and the chapel.
     When I can get away from the office I have been attending lectures about Zimbabwean  history.  Time and time again leaders and groups (Portuguese, South Africans, British) have moved into what is now Zimbabwe, have built up centers of commerce, trade routes, etc., only to be run off or killed off, by the indigenous people.  And now Pres. Mugabe has run out all the multinationals and others who could help build up the economy.

      Last week one of the headlines read that Mugabe had made a deal with the Pres. of China for millions of dollars worth of help in about 9 different areas to build up the infrastructure, but I doubt that very much of it will actually ever make it to the local level.  These millions are in exchange for many of the mineral resources here in Zimbabwe, so none of the local people are getting any benefit from their own resources.  Colonialism has not been good for any of these countries, but many of those who have gained their independence have also not been able to do a satisfactory job of leading and building up their own economy.  What are the answers???  Yet, people find ways to survive, even on the meager amounts they can get from selling some commodity, goods, or service.

     Please offer prayers for the following:
1)   Those who suffer from the Ebola Virus and their families.  And for all the health care workers trying to contain the spread of the virus.
2)   For More Blessings, who is 40, pregnant, and worried about having another child at her age.
3)   For Theo who continues to seek God's help in getting into a Master's level program in horticulture in the U.S.
4)   For students at AU who are still seeking scholarship assistance for tuition and fees.
5)   For the 9 students from Rwanda and Burundi who have come from a refugee camp north of Harare, seeking a good education.

Remember ~~  Grace is freely given and freely received.

Much love and joy,
Mary Beth