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The downside of digital learning has not gone unnoticed; however, the Department of Communication Science has shown that it has its benefits too, when it hosted its first-ever career webinar for first-year students across all UFS campuses. The webinar, which took place on 3 and 4 June on Blackboard Collaborate, was a cross-campus initiative that saw first-years from the Bloemfontein, Qwaqwa, and South campuses, along with students from remote campuses around the Free State, come together to learn from UFS alumni who now work in various industries in media, marketing, and journalism. The line-up included Zinhlezonke Zikalala, Nthabiseng Mokoena, Keneilwe Chologi, Lesle-Ann George, Nonsindiso Qwabe, Nthabiseng Thiba, and Rea Mabine, all of whom pursued undergraduate and postgraduate degrees at the University of the Free State.

Insights gained at UFS paved career success for alumni

The all-female panel spoke about their personal experience in their relevant industries, indicating the knowledge gained at the UFS as the element that paved their way to career success. Zikalala, Mabine, and George focused on digital marketing, while Qwabe and Thiba focused on communication and journalism. Mokoena, an all-rounder, focused on the relevance of Communication Science in any industry. Students could also satisfy their curiosity by asking the guest speakers questions about their respective industries.

Communication Science coordinator and lecturer on the Qwaqwa Campus, Rentia Engelbrecht, described the webinar as simply ‘magical’.

“As a first-year lecturer, I often don’t know where my students end up, but seeing and hearing how our module now actually helps them in their jobs has made me so happy and proud. I hope students realise that Communication Science can open so many doors for you. I also want our students on different campuses to know that they are all equally important and that we actually learn so much from each other, especially in the online space where we are now ‘closer’ than ever. I also think it was extremely empowering to see our all-female speakers do their thing out there in the real world.”

Communication Science Units lecturer, Avela Ntsongelwa, who was the brains behind the webinar, said online learning presented an opportunity for students to gain a realistic understanding of what the field of communication entails. “We felt that students always get the theoretical side of what one can do in communications. A lot of students also got into the degree, not really sure if this is what they wanted; so, the webinar brought about a deeper understanding and love for their studies.”

These sentiments were shared by one such student, Thembeka Malo, a first-year student pursuing a BA degree in Communication Studies and Anthropology. Malo said: “I enjoyed the talk so much. I was at a point where I started to doubt the path I have chosen. I’ve really drawn inspiration.”

Lesle-Ann George is a marketing specialist at Vodacom Central Region. She completed her undergraduate degree in Corporate and Marketing Communications in 2016, then went on to complete her honours in BCom Marketing in 2017.		Nthabiseng Thiba obtained her BA Communication Science degree, specialising in Media Studies and Journalism, and her postgraduate degree in Leadership Communication at the University of the Free State. She is currently a communication officer at the global mining company, Anglo American Platinum, based in Rustenburg.		Zinhlezonke Zikalala obtained her BA Communication Science degree, specialising in Media Studies and Journalism, in 2016. She is a journalist and digital marketing specialist, and co-founder of Sibizi Media.