I was educated under one of the best education systems in Africa, the Zimbabwe education system. Matric, known as A level (GCE Advanced Level under the British education system), was a defining moment for one’s entire existence thereafter. Obtaining good A-Level results is generally required for university entrance. But is university the only option for matriculants? Is it the end of the world if you don’t get good Matric results? Should anyone consider taking their life (you only have one shot at being alive) because of poor Matric results? Absolutely not!
Besides going to University, here are your options:
- Go straight for a Professional Course
The simple truth is that a bachelor’s degree alone is no longer enough. We have seen many graduates in South Africa, even more in Zimbabwe, being reduced to vending or desperately standing at a traffic light with cardboard asking for any sort of work. Professional qualifications are more valued by employers because they are a mark of excellence in the field. Professional curriculums are designed in consultation with employers. The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), recently updated its syllabus to include topical Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) issues such as Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain Technology, Big Data Analytics, Crypto Technology, Cyber Security, Deep Learning, Machine Learning, Robotic Process Automation, Open Data, Nano Technology, after consulting with more than 75 employers worldwide. Employers therefore generally value professional qualifications more than University degrees. Go straight and enroll with CIMA, ACCA, CIS, IMM, ICB. These professional bodies, and many more, accept students directly from Matric or A level.
Register for a professional course here
- Go straight to a Technical College (TVET)
Technical and Vocational Education and Training courses are vocational or occupational by nature meaning that the student receives education and training with a view towards a specific range of jobs, employment or entrepreneurial possibilities. Post your TVET qualification, you may qualify for admission to a University of Technology to continue with your studies in your chosen field. There are fifty registered and accredited public TVET Colleges in South Africa which operate on more than 264 campuses spread across the rural and urban areas of the country. Get in touch with them.
- Start a business
After University, graduates generally look for a job, in business, started by someone else. That someone is you. There is nothing special about business owners, they are just ordinary folks with a clear vision and a high-risk appetite. I say so because I own a business and I am just an ordinary guy with no capital but a clear vision. The hot industries to consider starting a business in this Fourth Industrial Revolution are E-Commerce, Big Data Analytics, App Development, Responsive Web Designing, Wearable Technology, Digital Marketing, Drones, 3D Printing, Gamification, Recycling, Meal Prepping Services, Nano Technology, Sustainable Agriculture and Virtual Reality. Take a shot. You may be the next Billionaire from our shores.
- Take a gap year to think clearly
In life, you always have three real options when making decisions. The decision to wait, the decision to follow through and the decision to abandon. You don’t have to make a decision about your future right away. Consider traveling and dedicating yourself to finding your passion. Whilst I am a qualified Chartered Accountant, my passion is aviation, and I find myself pursing being a Pilot some 18 years after Matric. Should I not have just taken a gap year back then in 2001? Maybe the gap year would have made it clear for me to just pursue my passion and become a Pilot? Making a career choice is a big decision. It doesn’t have to be rushed. You can take this year to think and pursue a clear well thought out decision next year.
Register for a professional course here
Good luck!
Trevor is a Chartered Management Accountant (FCMA), Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA), holder of a Master’s Degree in Business Administration with Distinction and Bachelor of Commerce Honours Degree in Accounting. Trevor is a Finance Director, a CIMA, ACCA, CFA & SAICA lecturer, and Pilot by passion. He is Founder & CEO of the College of Chartered Accountants www.cacollege.co.za. info@cacollege.co.za. +27 87 284 6390.