By Nhlanhla Molepo
After countless phone calls and arrangements, I finally manage to get Shakes to do an interviews for the empowerment section. We agree to meet at Sopiatown in Newtown
The interview day approaches and I'm nervous(call it pre-interview paranoia), but I come to my senses as I start the interview.
Dressed in a Lyle&Scott sweater, Carducci pants, shirts and Shoes, Shekeshe Mokgosi is a busy man with a hectic schedule.
‘Shakes’ as he is known by colleagues and friends around Jozi’s social circle is a Project Manager at Absolute Change which is a change management consultancy and human resource development and training organisation.
Kaizen got talking about him and his career and how he started out, so here’s what went down.
Who is Shekeshe ‘Shakes’ Mokgosi
Well...Shakes is a 35 year old socialite and a hard worker. I’m actually a project manager at Absolute Change.
What does a day in your life entail?
My day at the office starts with follow ups on current projects. I have to make sure that we stick to the budget, track some of our milestones, ensure that the are enough resources for the project and report back to the client. By reporting back to the client we deal with the current issues, goals and then make recommendations. So communication is very important in my line of work.
Why did you decide on this career?
I actually worked for government in the finance sector handling a number of projects after getting my junior degree. Whilst working Wits University was starting an Equity development unit and I got a call from them (Wits) saying that they would like me to be part of the unit.
Here we taught graduates with Masters and PHD’s life-skills basically this unit was more focused on capacity building. Then the Oprah Winfrey organisation called me to help them set up an orphanage this side which proved to be difficult due to the red tape so whilst handling this project, I was asked to be part of the team building the Oprah Winfrey Academy of Leadership. I managed the construction of the school building and from there I became a project manager.
I then later joined Absolute Change. But me being a project manager would have not been possible had I not been part of the Equity Development unit.
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| Looking stylish as ever |
Growing up, who did you idolise
I always looked up to my great uncle, who funny enough I was named after (Shekeshe). My great uncle was the first to go to varsity and what I idolised the most is that despite his achievements he still manages to be humble. Besides him, I’m always inspired by other people’s qualities both formal and informal.
What have been the biggest career moves you’ve made?
Well..like I said I started in government, I then moved to Wits for the Equity Development unit. From there I became a part of the task team responsible for the construction of the Oprah Winfrey School and then I moved to Absolute Change. So I’ve made some big changes from finance to University to construction and then project manager.
What type of person is best suited for this career
I would say this career requires a person who is a socialite, one must be a people’s person, must be patient, a mediator, must ensure team effectiveness and best of all should possess leadership skills.
What growth aspects are in this career?
There are many growth aspects in project management. Every business and government department has a project management division, so it’s relatively easy for one to work and to merge into other career fields.
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| On a night out |
