My Professional Development

It's been an interesting week for my to reflect on where I am in my career...

We have a new Head of Department this year, and he decided he wanted to meet with each of us individually to discuss how we are doing in the four areas that we are supposed to perform in - teaching, research, social responsiveness and student/departmental admin (not actual admin work, but more student support stuff).

Because I'm currently on contract I am in the fortunate position that I only really have to worry about my teaching at this point, and at this stage of my life that about all I can handle. He's quite happy for me to renew my contract when it expires, instead of becoming permanent staff, so that I can focus on my family for the next few years still while my kids are small. It's great to work in an environment where they are so supportive!

But Mark made an interesting comment... Before becoming HOD he was the head of the Financial Reporting section, which I have always fallen under. So when I did academic training in 2006, and then when I came back he was my "boss" (in the informal kind of way that our department works). And in our meeting on Tuesday he said how he's been so impressed to see how much I've grown and come into myself since 2006. He said that his impression of me was that I was very shy back then. I was kind of surprised because I didn't really think of myself as shy - I had already been tutoring for 2 years before that, and at church I had had various leadership responsibilities etc, so I guess I thought I was already pretty confident.

But when I thought a bit more about it, I realised that yes, I have come a long way. And it's amazing for me to reflect (again - I'm amazed every time I do this reflection) on how the entire training program for CA's is designed to make us into confident leaders. Over the 3 years of traineeship that we have we are gradually, and yet remarkably quickly when you think that this all happens in 3 years, built up to a point where we can assume the leadership of a team, dealing with senior staff within our client companies, and taking responsibility for a significant portion of an audit. The program really is impressive.

And so yes, I am more confident now than I was 4 years ago. And if I also look at how I've settled into my job, and as I have become more comfortable, also become more confident, I guess the past year at UCT has also seen me growing significantly.

And one exciting aspect of that growth is that I have co-authored an article that is going to be published in the Accountancy SA magazine - SAICA's monthly magazine. And I am also helping with the 3rd edition of the textbook that is prescribed for the course that I mainly work on. So my name will also be on that textbook when it gets published in 2012! My part in the revision of the textbook is pretty small - the biggest changes that I've been involved in have formed the basis for the article that is going to be published, so that are very closely linked. But it's still getting my name out there, so I am very grateful to Ilse who has really been a mentor for me over the last year - on being a CA and being and academic.

I have been very blessed by Heavenly Father to be placed where I am. My training up to this point, and then the people that I work with in my department who all are interested in me as a person, and who are helping me to become the professional that I can be. I really am amazed when I stop and reflect!