Student Talk

When entering into the working world, especially as a student or learner who neither had been exposed to the work environment nor has a mentor to guide them, exploitation may be an inevitable thing to happen: you might accept it before you even recognise it. It’s your first time working. You have this notion that you must impress your boss, to not be problematic, because it’s your first job and you also need a positive reference for future jobs, right? But what happens in an event that you find yourself doing jobs that are not in line with your job-description or what you expected to do? What do you do? Let me give you an example: You are employed to work as a trainee accountant at a small accounting firm to become a Professional Accountant (SA). The training is for 3 years. During your first year, you’re tasked with the following, along with very few accounting jobs: Making filter coffee for the boss Answering the phone when the secretary is not around (twice a...