Name: Sheryl Ming
Occupation: .Computer studies lecturer
Describe a typical workday.
The day starts by replying to e-mails and meeting with staff members to obtain specifications for the website being designed.
How do you start your day at work?
A quick cup of tea and a chat with colleagues helps to get the day going.
Is there a dress code where you work?
It’s relaxed, but we still need to create a professional image.
Whom do you report to?
Ansa Terblanche, principal of Damelin Bloemfontein, and Linde Minnie, manager of Damelin Computer School.
What do you like most about your job?
Being able to exchange, share ideas and knowledge with the students. Not only do the students learn from me, but I certainly learn from them as well. The most important thing for me is to see the students’ personal growth and skills development.
What do you like least about your job?
Marking of scripts.
What do you have to study to qualify to do what you do?
I completed the following courses at Damelin: a one-year full-time diploma in marketing and business management; a one-year full-time diploma in business computing and management; and a one-year full-time diploma in PC software support.
What personal skills are most important to do your job well?
A person will need to have a lot of patience, good communication skills, confidence, enjoy working with people, good knowledge of the subject, and be able to handle any conflicts that might arise.
What is the average starting salary in your job?
In Bloemfontein, you are looking at between R5 000 and R8 000.
What advice would you give someone wanting to go into this job?
As a lecturer, you will need to have lots of confidence to face the students in a professional manner. The way you project yourself will depend on the success of the training.
– The Teacher/M&G Media, Johannesburg, December 2001.