100KIDS TO VARSITY, INTERVIEW OUTFIT AND ALEX MAHLARE
A job interview is your opportunity to make a great first impression on your potential employer. Dressing for success is a big part of the interview process. Are you prepared to make that terrific first impression? It's always a good idea to have some interview clothes ready to wear, so you don't have to scramble at the list minute to find a suitable outfit.
If you're wondering what to wear to an interview, the most important thing to keep in mind is that you must look professional and polished. While your interview attire depends on what job you're applying for, no matter what the position, you should come in looking neat, tidy, and well-dressed.
If you're a woman who needs some inspiration for your interview attire, get some ideas of what to wear to an interview.
Sweater and Black Dress Pants
A pair of classic black slacks is an essential part of a woman's interview wardrobe. It's worth it to invest in a pair of quality black dress pants that fit well and will hold up after many wears.
Once you have a good pair of dress pants, it's easy to dress them up or dress them down. You can pair your dress pants with a button-down shirt or a blazer for a formal look, or with a sweater for a business casual look.
With a bit of creativity, black dress pants don't have to be boring. Add a top with an interesting detail, like this heather-gray sweater with black stripes and a button-down blouse. It softens the look and makes it a bit special.
Peep-toe heels with a moderate heel height are fashion-forward but still tasteful. If you're looking to dress down your look, add a pair of ballet flats or loafers instead of heels.
Experimenting with Button Downs
Olix Wirtinger/Fuse / Getty Images
Guess what? Button downs don't have to be boring! And you don't have to limit yourself to the basic white, blue, or pink button-down shirt.
You can experiment with fabrics, like the sheer silk chiffon here, which works great when layered over a camisole. Try being creative with color, too. This shirt's color works well, as it's more interesting than the usual colors but still tasteful and professional.
When you're shopping for a button-down, just remember that the neckline should be modest. Make sure your bra is covered, and avoid showing cleavage. It's also a good idea to keep your button down tucked in unless it's a style that is designed to be worn without tucking in.
A Navy Blue Blazer Combination
These blazer and blouse combinations are great business interview outfits that are compromised of three pieces that are simple, but extremely versatile.
A navy blue blazer is a great addition to your interview wardrobe. Not only can you wear a blazer on numerous occasions, but it works well with many different outfits - over a button down, with a blouse, and even with a dress, for example. The gray collarless jacket with three-quarter length sleeves is a less formal look.
Of course, a navy blue blazer looks great paired with a simple blouse or button down shirt. It's a staple combination that you can wear with khaki pants, a khaki skirt, and even dark-wash jeans in a casual workplace or to a start-up casual interview.
A matching skirt or slacks, or a khaki skirt or dress pants round out the outfit. A khaki skirt is a good addition to your working wardrobe because it can be worn with many different tops. Like the blazer, it can also be dressed up or dressed down depending on the occasion.
Statement Dresses
Although it's important that your interview attire is professional and conservative, that doesn't mean you can't experiment with color. A tasteful dress in an interesting color, such as a muted turquoise or deep red, is a good addition to your interview wardrobe.
With a statement dress like the ones here, you don't need to bother with adding jewelry or other accessories - the dress speaks for itself. When working with bright colors, though, make sure the rest of the dress is modest.
It's always important to make sure that both the neckline and hemline are appropriate: avoid short dresses and low-cut, revealing necklines. With a bright-colored dress, it is more important than ever that the piece covers you appropriately. All you need to round off a dress like this is a pair of black heels or black ballet flats.
A V-Neck Sweater and Slacks
Pair a blouse or a button-down top with a v-neck sweater for a versatile look. You can dress the top up with black dress pants or a skirt, or dress it down with khakis or dark-wash jeans if you're interviewing at a start-up or casual company.
What's great about this combination is that it's easy to create a variety of looks, with only a few pieces. If you invest in three simple blouses or button downs and three sweaters that all coordinate with each other, you'll have nine different tops that you can mix and match with different bottoms.
Print Cardigans
Don't be afraid of bold prints. Although you should avoid anything too bright or flashy (animal prints, for example, usually aren't interview-appropriate, unless they are extremely subtle), a two-tone print, like the sweater here, can spice up an otherwise boring outfit while still looking professional. That's especially the case when you're not going to be working in a formal office environment. If you're going to wear a bold print, limit it to one print only and keep the rest of the outfit simple and subdued.
A Black Dress and Tights
A tasteful "little black dress" is the hallmark of a simple yet refined business wardrobe. Invest in a quality dress that skims the knee. A dress with a structured fit and nice details (like the capped sleeves here) is professional yet still modern.
To give your outfit some life, pair the dress with textured tights, like the ones shown here. Make sure the pattern is subtle, though - a sheer stripe, cable pattern, or ribbed look adds texture and interest, but anything that resembles outright fishnets is not work-place appropriate. Finish your outfit with a pair of black heels for a classic, timeless business formal look.
A Blouse With a Bow and Skirt
A blouse like the one shown here with a bow makes for an elegant look, which can be completed with either a skirt or slacks. Add a skinny waist belt for a touch of detail that really makes the top pop. A skirt made of an interesting fabric or a simple black pencil skirt is a great way to make a business look your own.
A Khaki Mix and Match Suit
A menswear-inspired khaki blazer is an extremely versatile piece to have in your wardrobe. Wear it with a button-down or blouse. It looks great with a matching skirt, dark-wash jeans for a startup casual interview, or navy blue bottoms for a dressier look.
The button-down here might be a basic top, but the pink really makes the look pop. With a shirt that has an interesting collar detail, you can button it up to the top, eliminating the need for a necklace. Another option for a unique collar detail is a rounded "peter pan" collar.
Finally, a navy blue skirt is a stylish alternative to the traditional black pencil skirt. It's a bit more easygoing than the typical black skirt, but it's still professional, creating a look that is relaxed and also refined.
Stylish Interview Outfits for Women
Here are even more interview outfits for women who want to impress with style. Check out this trendy, both formal and more casual, interview attire, along with tips on how to get the look.
What Not to Wear
Regardless of the type of job you are interviewing for, there are some things you should never wear to a job interview. You want to get noticed in a good way, not stand out from the other applicants because of what you're wearing - or not wearing. From low-cut tops to excessive perfume, here's what not to wear when you are interviewing for a new job.
100KIDSTOVARSITY
#100KidsToVarsity is a registered Non-Profit Organization founded by varsity students from Bela Bela, Limpopo. The organization desires to aqueduct the gap between high school and tertiary in both rural and township communities across South Africa, bearing the motto; "No One Left Behind". This simply implies personal devotion towards helping everyone, everywhere with everything they need. The organization achieves this by hosting mass varsity applications, where we locate a suitable venue and utilising our computers, we physically assist students with online varsity applications. We are currently active in 4 Provinces, and we aim to reach national status by the end of the 2018 Academic year. We strive to enlighten high school students from underprivileged backgrounds about general varsity life, the do's and don'ts in order to have an eminent academic pilgrimage. Recently we have initiated a unique mentorship program devoted to usher high school students from underprivileged backgrounds throughout their academic year. This Mentorship program consists of 100 varsity mentors from all major institutions of higher learning, with 4 mentees each, therefore our Mentorship program has the capability to change 400 lives in one Academic year. We currently have consultants based Nelson Mandela University, University of Johannesburg, University of the Free State, University of Limpopo, University of the Witwatersrand, University of South Africa, Rosebank College, Orbit TVET College, Denver Technical College, Tshwane North College, Pearson Institute of Higher Education, Damelin, Varsity College, Tshwane University of Technology, Stellenbosch University, North west university, and the University of Pretoria, Meshack Kekana, the founder of the initiative completed his Bachelors‟ degree in Bsc Microbiology, and his honours degree in Bsc Biochemistry in the HIV Research Group. So far we have hosted four Mass Varsity Application days. The first took place on the 1st of May 2017 at Stutterheim, Eastern Cape. The second took place on the 1st of July 2017 in Bela Bela, Limpopo. The third took place on the 28th of July 2017 at Rapotokwane, Limpopo, and the forth took place on the 29th of July 2017 at Modimolle, Limpopo From the 3rd to the 8th of July 2017 Keep That Gold Shining (KTG) in collaboration with #100KidsToVarsity, through the partnership of the University of Pretoria‟s Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment decided to branch out their annual community based project and thus decided to collaborate with the above mentioned organisation, namely #100KidsToVarsity to host the 2017 maths competition.
This competition was held for 5 days at Maope High School. The event constituted extensive tutoring in maths for both grade 10 and 11 pupils from Bela-Bela, Hoerskool Warmbad, Maope and Raeleng Secondary schools. Furthermore, this event was facilitated, organised, and spearheaded by the mentors of #100KidsToVarsity who are both university students and some professional persons. With this being said, we would therefore implore you as the head of the school and perhaps also the mathematics teachers to read this report with pride and expectant joy.
Prior to us explaining further the outcomes of the maths competition, we need to applaud the schools for allowing their children to attend the event. It is true to say therefore that some schools actually work hard to bring this somewhat „difficult‟ subject to the learners in a way that is „easy‟ and understandable. However, it has to be stated that we faced challenges in dealing with the learners because some of them really struggle with understanding basic mathematical concepts. Now the question of paramount importance is this: are the learners struggling because of not giving attention to the subject or are some teachers not coming to the party and not really taking their jobs seriously? This is a pertinent question that needs to be addressed if there is to be lasting changes to the level of mathematical understanding.
The problem that the children are facing at the moment is that most of them feel that mathematics is only for a “selected few”, so they have developed a mind-set of mathematics being impossible to do. Now the question is, why are these students failing like this? We think one of the reasons could be that the transition from primary to high school mathematics was filed with uncertainty and confusion and not much clarity was given. And this could be as a result of the teachers always wanting to “finish the syllabus”, this results in children rushing to finish or cover the scope before they could actually understand that particular chapter or module. They then proceed to the next grade with that confusion still lurking in their mind. This therefore results as already mentioned above in confusion and lack of understanding of important mathematical concepts. We wish to make a suggestion that the understanding and explanation of mathematics change from the archaic pedagogy that is still present in the understanding of maths. This somewhat confusing suggestion will be given explanations in this document. What could be the problem? Why are children failing maths and failing it dismally? We would further want to suggest that it might be as a result of schools not having enough resources i.e. books. Most of the learners that came to the maths competition told us that they do not have study material and that is a serious concern because maths needs to be practised, so how will a learner practice maths if he/she does not have the material to do so. Another problem that came to the fore is that most learners do not have calculators, this is a problem because it means they will fail to make necessary calculations. We once more suggest that schools make means of buying or getting calculators either by asking donations from companies or corporations or by them as a school getting the calculators and lending them to the learners.
In addition to all of this, we have come to notice that when the learners are given an opportunity to form study groups or have study partners with other learners who have a better understanding of certain concepts they tend to understand better and faster. This is great indeed because it means that the learners are more receptive and are able to understand faster if they are helped by their own peers. As an organisation we encouraged the learners to be independent thinkers, self-motivated and driven. The ones that understand better must take it upon themselves to help the ones that are struggling and this is not just an isolated exercise, it is an exercise that derives and should be borne of love for one another as friends. This kind of “peer teaching” should be fostered, encouraged and developed in our schools because it allows for effective and efficient learning. It is not enough just for a school to
concentrate on the “clever” ones and negate the “less clever” ones because it creates a system that supports and purports segregation and individuation which will lead to a backlog of illiterate learners. We are therefore as an organisation highlighting all of this to you as teachers and as leaders of the respective schools to really find means of addressing this pertinent issue. Youth Development & Educational Society-YDES and #100KidsToVarsity partnered together in an expedition they named #100KTV YDES Science Day on the 12th of August 2017 to accompany Grade 11s from Bela Bela High School to participate in National Science Week held at UNISA Science Campus. The point of the outing was to offer a one of a kind ordeal to distraught students from Limpopo Bela Bela to be part of national science week, learn, gain knowledgeable information and have the capacity to impart it to others. As the theme for the week was advancing science tourism, we chose tourism learners based on merit and conduct to represent not only their school but their province as well.
The day constituted of various scientific experiments together with bits of knowledge to different disciples found within the university campus as well as opportunities to learn. The day did not modest far from the startling and the build-up encompassing national science week as praised yearly. For our students this was one of their noteworthy and extraordinary encounters for all the correct reasons obviously.
The day began by a very powerful and educational insight into 3D modelling of objects. These gave the students to completely get a handle on the idea of 3D demonstrating, the significance of 3D displaying, and the principals of compelling 3D digitizing and the utilization of it thereof. The exhibitor was as enthusiastic and very knowledgeable in this field as was his presentation and conveyance of the substance being referred to. This was effectively detectable on the students as they were comforted and could draw in with the exhibitor through intuitive addressing and interest. This was followed by presentations from the college of Agricultural and Environmental sciences were the department of geography displayed different vocations found inside the University and the connection of it to ordinary way of life. The learners here ended up being proficient in this field as they have geography as one of their subjects at school.
The college of engineering then offered the pupils a tour to see their labs and research at present in progress at the college. The pupils could take in the contrast amongst light and heavy current, the use of the two and the important legitimacy expected to enlist inside the school. The chance to enter and visit Cutting-edge building research centres was an overwhelming experience for the pupils and they couldn't shroud their delight and fervour.
The highlight of the day came when the pupils together with the team took part in the I-SET robotics challenge. Here the learners showed us the glimpse of what they can collectively do and achieve as a team given an opportunity to do so. The students were partitioned into two groups of equivalent members with educators or the group offering some assistance. The challenge was to build, program and command a robot inside the distributed Sixty seven minutes. Cooperation was the key as the two groups took around twenty minutes to finish the challenge thereby acquiring accomplishments. Each team member was awarded a certificate of completion for the robotics workshop. This was made possible by NRF, SAASTA, Department of science and technology and UNISA Science Campus together with the workshop coordinator Patricia Gouws. Little did we know that by competing in this challenge we were earning ourselves a history entry as stats and history suggest that we are now part of the world‟s one percent from Africa who possess such certification.
As the executive of the organization we saw it fitting to ponder achievement of the occasion and the open door thereof. We would like to thank every last exhibitor, moderator, the occasion facilitator, the security group and each one of those engaged with granting us the chance to offer the students an extraordinary affair. We were able to gain valuable knowledge and broaden our horizons within the science and tourism field. It is not every day one meets passionate and warm-welcoming team of experts who are eager and open to sharing knowledge and research to average citizens. The experience presented our pupils to various perspectives towards science and tourism and has left a mark not soon to be erased. The engagement in various experiments indirectly encouraged them to do more, be more and become more unwillingly so. We do trust their conduct was not of a bother to anybody. The reception we received led us to believe in expanding and forming a formidable partnership in the foreseeable future with the University robotics division to advance science, scholarly magnificence and self-strengthening. The professional and friendly conduct the team showed was of utmost perfection and compassionate. Humanity is a rare trait and it is not regularly you discover the workforce brimming with it; however the science day team had all the perceptible qualities of humanity. We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude for the gesture we received. We as #100KidsToVarsity are committed and resolute to helping the learners wherever we can. We have seen a great improvement in the learners and it makes us proud to witness such a change in the attitudes of the learners towards mathematics. We hope that this seed that we have planted in fertile ground may be watered with fresh water so that it may germinate and bear much fruits that will last. We look forward to visiting all schools nationally, and you may contact us per province on:
-Gauteng: Meshack 073 421 6920
-North West: Bokang 078 580 2055 -Eastern Cape: Tilda 073 319 6961
-Limpopo: Lettie 073 243 7641
12 December 2017 HOW COME SOON TO BE DIVORCED? Divorce is something which is associated with pain and frustrations amongst other emotions. It is not a subject that most people find it easy to engage about. I think it is because of the fact that no one get married with the aim of later getting divorced. Marriage is a risk. Loving someone is also a risk. Because how can one be sure that you are loving the right person? There is no certainty at all no matter how one feel about someone it cannot be a guarantee that the other person would also feel the same about you. The challenge is that all of us have a the desire to love and to be loved. How can we switch that off? On the other hand, divorce must be one of the most disappointing experience. Your differences could not find a common ground and you look back and wonder, what went wrong? Soon To Be Divorced came about after I have experienced failure in marriage. Twice! I was left with more questions than answers. I then decided to go on a journey to discover myself. I went to look for a solution for the pain and it is in the process where I came to know and understand myself. Moreover, it was in the process of finding solutions where I also discovered that most couples are having similar challenges to what I had experienced in my previous marriages. They are experiencing frustrations and pain. And some are thinking of leaving the marriage. Because they have lost hope. I have gone through the worst situations within my marriages. You do not have to suffer like I did. I am not blaming anyone for the challenges. I have played a role too and I am taking responsibility for the things I did and and for those I failed to do. Part of the reason I wrote the book is to share my experiences with the aim of helping someone who is going through some challenges in their marriage so that the marriage could be saved from ending up in divorce.
This book is about bringing an awareness that challenges in marriage are bound to happen and that there are solutions as well. Rather than I tell you how smart I am on marital issues-- --which I am not. I thought it is better to tell you how I dug deep holes, fell into them and dug my way out. Rather that I tell you about all my successes, I believe that you will learn more from my mistakes and failures. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Alex Mahlare is an Author, Life Coach,Speaker and Entrepreuner He is the founder and Director of Amabeloane Group. Its aim is to empower and inspire married couples to be the best that they could be despite their personal challenges and to leave a legacy for generations to come. And to also assist under privileged youth with financial assistance to further their studies. FB: Alex Mahlare www.soontobedivorced.co.za E-mail:info@soontobedivorced.co.za
