Page 36 - Graduate Recruitment Handbook 2024

Andiswa Landingwe

Year of Graduation: 2023
Qualification(s): Higher Certificate Business Studies, BA
Development Studies, BA Honours Development Studies

| What company/organization do you work for now? What is
your job title?
Working for the Engagement Office at Nelson Mandela University
under the Hubs of Convergence. My job title I work as Project Assistance.
| How did you become interested in your field?
When I chose Development Studies, I honestly didn’t know what development studies were I went on Google
and did my research I saw Economics as a Major. So, economics made me interested in the field.
| What skills or knowledge did you learn throughout university that you found most useful in your career?
Communication skills
Confidence and believing in myself.
Ability to work in a team.
Research
Engagement

| What extracurricular activities did you participate in? How did your involvement in these activities help
you in your post-university paths?
I did not participate in other activities, guess I was too busy.
| How relevant is your degree to your current role?
Very relevant, the engagement office is related to what I have studied in Development studies. The engagement
office is about the university being in service of the community, development studies are about developing
communities.
| What do you enjoy most about your current career position?
Engagements with different stakeholders. In service of Communities.
| What have been the biggest challenges in your career?
The challenge is getting a job opportunity in a government position.
| Based on what you know now, would you pick the same career path?
Definitely
| What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishments (both personally and professionally)?
Being in the academic space, currently I’m doing my master’s Research.
| What advice would you give to younger alumni or current students who aspire to follow a similar career
path?
They must be patient with their first. Dev is a good career it just needs patience and what is also good about
it you qualify for economics positions also since the economics module is the major in Dev. As a developing
nation South Africa with so many socio-economic problems with needs more developmentalists that will bring
change to our country.

36 2024/2025 Graduate Recruitment Handbook