Nkele (26 years old)
I would like to share with you the past eight and a half years of my life as an employee of
an internationally successful company.
I started as an accounting clerk, GR IV. With lots of ambition, I envisioned myself
reaching accountant, GR V, within three years. Most people take over five years to reach
that level. I kept my line manager informed about my ambitious goals. The company had
a strict hierarchy, with advancement based on performance. Within two years I advanced
three levels and was one level away from reaching my goal. I felt like I was achieving
success, and I enrolled for my BCom degree to show my potential to the company. Then
the company started flattening its structures. I was forced to take a transfer to another
department, as the financial department was centralised in head office.
My dreams were shattered and I felt like a failure. However, I picked myself up and
attacked my new designation with just as much drive and ambition. I had a mentor in
my new position, where I learnt a great deal with regard to following processes. This also
helped me to advance in the field of my interpersonal communication skills.
Over the next three years I transferred laterally within the logistical department,
handling product dispatches, local sales and eventually production and export sales.
I built a network of contacts to assist with information and to support my function.
This exposed me to a knowledge diversity ranging across all the dimensions of the
department, and it was great for my employability.
I felt I had reached the point where I had nothing more to learn in that department,
and I applied for a transfer to the contact centre of another business unit in the
organisation. There I had personal contact with clients of the organisation, addressing
their concerns and learning more about the corporate affairs department as well as the
procurement and supply department. I was then seconded to the PSM department, as
I showed promise in that direction. Again, I was placed under mentorship, and by using
interpersonal career-enhancing strategies I learnt a lot about their processes.
By taking ownership of my career and enhancing my career development continuously
over the past eight and a half years, I managed to get my dream job as a consultant on
behavioural safety — a mere year after completing my degree and just in time to assist
my future studies.
For each of the following constructs provide an example from the case study
Protean career, career agility, career concern, career control, career curiosity, career confidence, employability
Protean career: Nkele's career path demonstrates a protean career as she continuously adapted to changes in her company's structure and took control of her own career development.
Career agility: Nkele showed career agility by quickly adapting to different roles and departments within her company, gaining diverse experiences and skills along the way.
Career concern: Nkele had a strong career concern, as evidenced by her ambition to advance within the company and her proactive approach to furthering her education and networking.
Career control: Nkele exhibited career control by actively pursuing transfers to different departments, seeking out mentors, and taking ownership of her career development.
Career curiosity: Nkele's career curiosity is evident in her willingness to explore different departments within her company and her eagerness to learn new skills and processes.
Career confidence: Nkele displayed strong career confidence by setting ambitious goals for herself, enrolling in a degree program to showcase her potential, and ultimately achieving her dream job as a consultant.
Employability: Nkele's diverse experiences, continuous learning, and networking efforts enhanced her employability within the company, allowing her to successfully transition to different roles and ultimately secure her desired position as a consultant.