The D-Day, 16 July 2007

My first day at my host organization started at 8h00 am. I was not sure about the dress code. To be on the safe side, I went for formal outfit.

There were ten of us – three males, myself included and seven females. During the gathering of the ten interns a human resource manager, Mr Alfred Tau, gave a presentation about the organization and the code of conduct, among other things. He highlighted that systems in the public sector are the same. That is, it does not really make any difference whether you are in the Health Department or the Department of Housing, procedures in the public sector are similar. He went on to mention that in the event of dismissal on grounds of misconduct it will be impossible to find employment in the public sector as all details about each government employee is kept in a single data base. Alas!

Then came, Terrence and Poppy, human resource representatives who grouped us according to our respective expertise and later on sent us to different Directorates. I was sent to a unit called Governance, Policy and Research which falls under Intergovernmental Relations (IGR)

Mankwe and I were the only two interns in the IGR unit. Upon our arrival work stations were already in place. Moreover, we had already been allocated a mentor, Mr Johan Beukman. Mr J. Beukman is a manager in the unit. At 4h30 pm we knocked off.

After work I went straight to bed as I was not feeling well. I had contracted flue – both my nostrils were blocked. But before I succumb to bed I took some medication.

On the March

On my own initiative, I responded to an advert of internships in the public sector, carried by the Sunday Times careers section. I am pleased to inform you that I was successful in my application. I will be joining the public entity as a research intern for a period of 12 months. The interview occurred on the 1st of June 2007, which happened to be my day of birth. I must mention that topics or themes explored during the WOW programme, to a great deal, helped in improving my approach to interviews, among other aspects.
Though the internship’s financial rewards are not so impressive, I maintain that I shall benefit by way of accumulating experience. However, of utmost importance is that I shall be doing what I enjoy. Moreover, I regard this internship as a unique opportunity for me to serve my country, the Republic of South Africa. I look forward to my first day at the host organization.