Importance of youth carving their own destiny

The third day of Empowa Youth Summit in Orange Farm, south of Johannesburg, launched on Wednesday morning with a masterclass delivered by Sowetan S Mag editor-in-chief Emmanuel Tjiya. The hour-long session focused on the importance of networking and job-hunting. Here are the key areas and highlights that Tjiya focused on in his address in a panel discussion with Ignition TV presenter Sibusiso Skosana:

Individuality   

When going for a job interview, it is very important to be yourself... don't try to be anyone else. Don't be afraid to ask questions during an interview.  A few years ago, when my career started to take off, a lot of people would say I was going to be the next Lesley Mofokeng (veteran journalist), who was my mentor, and I started to believe it.

I used to look at Lesley and all that he has achieved in his career, he has contributed to the careers of big names such as Miriam Makeba, Lebo Mathosa and Brenda Fassie and here I am being compared to him. There was unnecessary pressure. However, I soon realised that I don't need to be the next Lesley Mofokeng but I had to be Emmanuel Tjiya – that was a turning point and I started to achieve my goals.  

Failure  

There is a lot of rejection in everything you do in life and it's okay to fail. There comes a lot of strength and resilience in failure. If you fall once, you have to get up seven more times... always stay encouraged no matter what.  You can learn so much from failure, I was unemployed for five years before Sowetan said "yes" to me after they saw what I did with my personal blog. So, just because a lot of people are saying "no" to you, it doesn't mean that you are a failure, it just means "not at that moment".    

Mental health  

You have to trust and believe in yourself. It's also important not to be too hard on yourself because a lot of the time we compare ourselves with our peers, where we hoped we'd be or the goals we wanted to achieve. Sometimes it's okay to not know what you're going to do at that moment but it's very important to remember to be kind to yourself.  

Avoiding exploitation

I believe we have all been exploited at one point in our lives, but because you know better now, you can take it upon yourself to let those who are coming after you to watch out for what you've been through.  

Mentorship  

Don't get taken by people offering opportunities, this is especially for young women. It's important to do thorough research on programmes or organisations that offer mentorship or training.  Also, bear in mind the danger that you might face if you seek mentorship from individuals who require you to come to their private property.