Women in the workplace
Budding economist Naufiku Hamunime joined Standard Bank through its graduate programme in 2016 and has taken to her new environment like a fish to water.
STAFF REPORTER
Q: Give us a brief background of your academic credentials and your upbringing.
NH: I was born in Windhoek, on 24 April 1991. I grew up in Windhoek with my two siblings and parents and I absolutely loved growing up here. After I finished high school at St Paul’s College I went on to obtain my Bachelor of Science in economics at Rhodes University. I then also obtained a Bachelor of Science Honours Degree in geography, also at Rhodes University. And finally, I obtained my Master of Science degree in African development from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Q: How would you describe your career journey at Standard Bank?
NH: I’ve had a unique start to my career, and I feel very fortunate that I’ve had the opportunity to start my career at an organisation as versatile and unique as Standard Bank. With a national and regional footprint that literally spans across the continent, Standard Bank is a great place to be for a young professional who is eager to gain international exposure and leverage knowledge from experienced professionals.
Q: As a leading figure at work, how do you juggle the career and family life balance?
NH: As a young professional I feel very fortunate that at this stage of my life I have very few commitments outside of my work, with the exception of my close family and friends. And as a result of that I don’t feel that I have to juggle my work just yet, rather I feel privileged that I’m in a period of my life where I am able to fully commit to developing myself and my career.
Q: The theme of this year’s Women’s Month is ‘Be Bold for Change’. How do you relate to it?
NH: Being ‘Bold for Change’ speaks to me of living confidently and, very importantly, not being afraid to take risks. A phrase that I always keep in the back of my mind and one that I try to live by is that “the greatest mistakes we make are the risks we don’t take”. Bringing about the change we want to see in our lives will often require us to step outside of our comfort zones, and as women I don’t believe we should be afraid to take risks in our careers or personal lives in order to achieve our goals.
Q: How do you define career success?
NH: I believe that Millennials have come to define career success for themselves in a completely different way to previous generations. Whereas at one point career success may have been defined by status or wealth, I think that for more and more young people we’re beginning to define our success by the level of fulfilment and purpose we find in our careers.
Q: How has Standard Bank promoted your career development?
NH: I feel that working in an environment where I’ve felt encouraged and motivated to try new things has really enhanced and accelerated my ability to learn. Working as a graduate gave me so much exposure across the bank’s business units, and through that experience I was able to tap into my passion and grow as an economist and researcher. And because of that I now have a clearer understanding of where I would like to be in the future and I feel more equipped to reach my potential.
Q: What is your work ethic and how do you achieve this?
NH: I believe that it is really important to have a strong work ethic because in life there aren’t any shortcuts to success, and anything worth having requires commitment. I try to focus on building a strong work ethic by being cognisant of the fact that hard work has the ability to enhance our character.
Q: How easy is it for women to climb the corporate ladder?
NH: It really disturbs me that women still face significant obstacles in the working world, and while we have come a long way I believe that there is still much to be done in achieving gender parity in the workplace.
Q: Give us a brief background of your academic credentials and your upbringing.
NH: I was born in Windhoek, on 24 April 1991. I grew up in Windhoek with my two siblings and parents and I absolutely loved growing up here. After I finished high school at St Paul’s College I went on to obtain my Bachelor of Science in economics at Rhodes University. I then also obtained a Bachelor of Science Honours Degree in geography, also at Rhodes University. And finally, I obtained my Master of Science degree in African development from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Q: How would you describe your career journey at Standard Bank?
NH: I’ve had a unique start to my career, and I feel very fortunate that I’ve had the opportunity to start my career at an organisation as versatile and unique as Standard Bank. With a national and regional footprint that literally spans across the continent, Standard Bank is a great place to be for a young professional who is eager to gain international exposure and leverage knowledge from experienced professionals.
Q: As a leading figure at work, how do you juggle the career and family life balance?
NH: As a young professional I feel very fortunate that at this stage of my life I have very few commitments outside of my work, with the exception of my close family and friends. And as a result of that I don’t feel that I have to juggle my work just yet, rather I feel privileged that I’m in a period of my life where I am able to fully commit to developing myself and my career.
Q: The theme of this year’s Women’s Month is ‘Be Bold for Change’. How do you relate to it?
NH: Being ‘Bold for Change’ speaks to me of living confidently and, very importantly, not being afraid to take risks. A phrase that I always keep in the back of my mind and one that I try to live by is that “the greatest mistakes we make are the risks we don’t take”. Bringing about the change we want to see in our lives will often require us to step outside of our comfort zones, and as women I don’t believe we should be afraid to take risks in our careers or personal lives in order to achieve our goals.
Q: How do you define career success?
NH: I believe that Millennials have come to define career success for themselves in a completely different way to previous generations. Whereas at one point career success may have been defined by status or wealth, I think that for more and more young people we’re beginning to define our success by the level of fulfilment and purpose we find in our careers.
Q: How has Standard Bank promoted your career development?
NH: I feel that working in an environment where I’ve felt encouraged and motivated to try new things has really enhanced and accelerated my ability to learn. Working as a graduate gave me so much exposure across the bank’s business units, and through that experience I was able to tap into my passion and grow as an economist and researcher. And because of that I now have a clearer understanding of where I would like to be in the future and I feel more equipped to reach my potential.
Q: What is your work ethic and how do you achieve this?
NH: I believe that it is really important to have a strong work ethic because in life there aren’t any shortcuts to success, and anything worth having requires commitment. I try to focus on building a strong work ethic by being cognisant of the fact that hard work has the ability to enhance our character.
Q: How easy is it for women to climb the corporate ladder?
NH: It really disturbs me that women still face significant obstacles in the working world, and while we have come a long way I believe that there is still much to be done in achieving gender parity in the workplace.
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