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Seek career guidance as early as possible
Maureen Tweyongyere is passionate about children, youth and women affairs. PHOTO/GODFREY LUGAAJU
What you need to know:
- Careers. Maureen Tweyongyere is the director of Career and Skills Development Centre at Makerere University Business School (MUBS).
- Tweyongyere suggests children should be guided on their future careers from the age of five.
How did the pandemic affect careers?
With the lockdowns, most businesses closed down. Because they were not making money, they started laying off people. Some of those that were laid off might never get those jobs again because companies found ways of getting their work done without them. The people affected most were those interfacing with clients and have now been replaced by an app or a self-serve digital option.
How can one reinvent their career to fit the new normal brought about by the pandemic?
We should observe the trends in technology and adopt new skills to match the new career demands. As Apple founder Steve Jobs says; stay hungry, stay foolish. We must never let go of our appetite to go after new ideas, new experiences and new adventures. We must continuously improve through acquisition of new knowledge.
What does it take to build career resilience?
It is all about knowing that there is no better person who can manage your career than you. Observing the career trajectory and making adequate preparation for lifelong learning is also key in achieving career resilience.
What are some of the career guidance gaps the country is dealing with currently?
There is no single primary school in this country that has a career support desk or officer. Children have to wait to enroll for secondary education to be able to access career guidance. This, to me is a serious career guidance gap. Career guidance should start as early as five years. I know that the government of Uganda has initiated skilling initiatives to deal with these gaps but they are still not adequate.
What lessons have you learnt from the Covid-19 pandemic as a career expert?
No career is permanent. Careers evolve and some can vanish due to disruptions by technology, health and social phenomena. It is better to plan and choose a career wisely.
What are the greatest accomplishments in your career?
My ability to support young people in realising their careers has so far been my biggest achievement. I have able through the Makerere University Business School Career and Skills Development Centre to support MUBS students in developing and shaping their careers. We also help students in secondary schools through our career visits to introduce to them different career prospects in the economy.
I also started a children’s and teens’ empowerment club called Early Risers Club to help nurture children’s careers at a tender age.
What are your personal goals and how did these align with your job?
I am in the process of acquiring my PhD which is a requirement for my teaching career. As one of the changes, the PhD today is a minimum requirement to be a lecturer in a university. This PhD will enable me to become an academic authority in careers.
What has been your biggest challenge so far?
Balancing family and work. I have a job that requires me to travel and at times stay late at work and work on weekends. This does not allow me to give enough time to family hence my children missing out on some aspects of parenting.
When would you say was a major turning point in your career?
It was when I discovered the career guidance gaps in Uganda. It posed a great opportunity for me to make a contribution in that area. I also appreciated the role that MUBS was playing in supporting young people to realise their careers.
What are your strongest management skills?
Planning and organisational ability, implementation skills, communication, networking, problem solving, emotional intelligence and digital skills. And knowing that the boss is always right.
Take us through your career journey
I am a member of the MUBS management and also a member of the National Task Force on Labour Productivity. I was selected as Top 40 Women under 40 years in the country. I hold 15 years work experience and 10 years in management.
I am a Young African Leadership Initiative (YALI) fellow, former board member of The Forum for Africa Women Educationalist Uganda Chapter and Women in Tech Uganda (WITU).
I am the co-founder of the graduate Mentorship Programme Africa (GMPA). I also hold professional certificates in Child Protection, Guidance and Counselling. I am passionate about children, youth and women affairs.
What are some of the challenges you face in your line of work?
Inadequate resources since our budgets are constrained. Most people also have a poor attitude towards work as some simply want to warm chairs and walk away with a salary at the end of the month. Also, having been a difficult year worldwide with the pandemic, it has not been easy to cope under the new normal.
