
Introduction
Elsie: Halo olgeta, I’m Elsie, welcome to the RoundTable Podcast. We’ve created this space for Ni-Vanuatu women to speak freely on issues affecting us today. Let’s navigate life in the islands together. Join me as I speak to a new guest every episode and ask the questions you’ve always wanted to ask. Ale yumi storian. This project is made possible with the support of the We Rise Coalition and PACMAS.
TRANSLATIONS: Hello everyone, I’m Elsie, welcome to the RoundTable Podcast. We’ve created this space for Ni-Vanuatu women to speak freely on issues affecting us today. Let’s navigate life in the islands together. Join me as I speak to a new guest every episode and ask the questions you’ve always wanted to ask. Let’s discuss. This project is made possible with the support of the We Rise Coalition and PACMAS.
Interview Introduction
Elsie: Did you know that the national 2020 census showed us that women make up 42.1% of the workforce while men make up 51.5% of it. Not only that, but the 2019-2020 national sustainable development plan baseline survey showed that youth unemployment was 20.1% for women and 16.1% for men. These were between the ages of 15-24 and this resulted in an overall youth unemployment rate of 18%. From5 these stats, we can already see a trend from women in the work force in Vanuatu. So, you can imagine that starting your first job in a competitive job market as a young woman can be intimidating. But young women brave these trends every day to enter the workforce.
We have invited one of these young women to talk about her experience entering the work force and to give us some insight on what it takes to brave the trends as a young woman entering the work force for the first time.
Our guest today is Melissa Bule. Melissa is a young woman from the island of Pentecost who currently works at a consultancy called “Naoia’’. She is a Young Women’s leadership program Alumni and since then, she has played a pivotal role in her community.
Hi Melissa.
Melissa: Hi Elsie. Thank you for having me here today and I am happy to share my experience with you, with women entering the workforce.
Elsie: thank you Melissa. So, how old were you when you entered the workforce and what was your experience like at your first job?
Melissa: So Ill start by saying, I entered the workforce very early. The reason being that my family had a family business and I had no choice but to sometime mind the work place while my parents are away. So, I have learnt a bit of the basic customer service, meet and greet the customers and so, to be honest, I was 22 when I entered an actual competitive workforce. It was exciting but I was also nervous at the same time because I did not know what to expect because I’ve never had experience in like you said, a competitive work environment. I did not know what to expect and what I was walking into. It was not something that I had studied for, it was completely different. So, I was starting this experience of something totally new, and I’m a bit nervous because of it. So yeah, exciting and nervous.
Elsie: I think those are all very true emotions for anyone starting their first ever job. Sista has had the opportunity of working with Balance of Power and creating the Nation Builders booklets which celebrated women working in the private sector and in the public sector by sharing wonderful stories from wonderful women. The women talked about the challenges they faced in their roles, how they got to be in the roles and they also gave great advice. One of my favourite stories from these series is that of the Commissioner of labour, Murielle Meltenoven who hopes to see more young, talented, educated women take up leadership roles in the future. In her story, she urges us to look at the workforce and ask ourselves what have I done to contribute to the development of my beautiful country. That kind of advice is really important, especially for us young women when we are entering the workforce.
What kind of advice were you given before starting your first job?
Melissa: So, I had two pieces of advice from one of the very people in my life, one of my support networks who supported me to really, and help me to try and find a job, when this person can. The advice that he kept telling me was, when you enter the workforce always offer to help anybody when your task is done and if someone reaches out to you when you are doing something and is like, oh hi, can you help me with something, but you know that you are doing something. You can just offer to say yes, help out for a bit and then come back and complete your task, but always offer to help someone when you have completed your task and don’t sit around and do nothing. Because sometimes when you sit around and do nothing, everyone will think, you know, people have different ways of interpreting whether you want to be there or whether you don’t want to be there. It really contributes to the end decision making of whether we want to keep you or not. The second advice was, fake it till you make it because I was telling him, I am so nervous but I am so excited because I was waiting for this for a long time and now, I’m there, and look at me. So yeah, I think that was the advice that I got and to be honest, I took those advice and I worked through it during my time when I was there. With doing this, I got promoted, I even got like the staff of the year award just 7 months in working and it was like…I could not thank this person enough for giving me advice because it was trues up and I really needed it and it really helped me.
Elsie: That’s great advice. I think a little remix to the fake it till you make it, in office we are always like face it till you make it so yeah, so many challenges will come your way but you just got to keep going. If you got to pretend that you know what you’re doing then that’s fine as long as you keep working through it cause eventually, you’ll get through it. I am so glad that that person was there to give you that advice and congratulations for your staff of the year award. That’s amazing, just in 7 months.
I read this interesting article a few years ago written by Howard Aru, the then CEO of the Vanuatu foreign investment promotion agency who also served as former Director General to both the Ministry of justice and the Ministry of Health. He said, you can be a masters or first-degree graduate but that does not mean anything when it comes to work attitudes and delivery of results. Work ethics and principles must play far greater and more significant and pervasive roles in our work places. Now its clear from your work background and the work that you do now that you not only understand what Mr Aru is talking about when it comes to work ethics and principles but you can set a practical example of that.
Why do you think it’s important for young people, especially young women to have a strong work ethic?
Melissa: I think it’s important because it does not only help you to excel in your professional career but it helps you in your personal growth as well and its for everyone. Like having a strong work ethic for me is something that I’ve learned from my home and I’ve put it into practice in the work place and so it would be something that for us young women, it’s not something that’s new. Basic things, having respect, being humble, being on time. For us women, young women, if you are a big sister, if you’re a young mum, you can relate to that. Being on time, just making sure everything is in order you know. Those are the things that will not only help you in your professional career but only help you in your personal growth as well as a young woman or a young leader in the future. Acknowledging what Mr Harold Aru said, its very true. From the work experience that I’ve had, coming to this day, I’ve worked with a lot of different people, I’ve experienced a lot of different things and I can really relate to that.
You’d be surprised with the number of, like not a lot of people have strong work ethics, they’re just there to do the job and go, get done for the day or even do nothing and get done for the day and sometimes we question why? But you know, for me, having a strong work ethic is very important because it pushes you to move out of your comfort zone and it makes people recognize you in one way but its good for you. If you don’t have a strong work ethic…you need to be excited, you need to have that, you want to wake up, you want to go to work because you know you are providing, for us young women we are providing for either our family or for you know, whoever that we support.
It really helps you because if you don’t have a strong work ethic you will end up not wanting to go to work and find yourself unemployed for some time and then you lose time and then you start again, but yeah, I think it is very important to have a strong work ethic and those are the good practices that, for me I start in the hoe first. I practice it in the home and then I put it into practice in the work place. For some people they learn it in the workplace and they come back, it’s a vice versa, but it’s very good, because it helps in both ways. In your workplace and in your home. So yeah.
Elsie: I think as well, this is where your support comes in, or the advice that you are given, you know, to take the initiative to help others in the office and not just sit there and not do anything. So, I think that also comes into play here and shows the wonderful work ethic that you have.
Okay, Melissa, if you could go back in time, what advice would you give yourself before starting your job and what advice do you want to leave our listeners with?
Melissa: What advice would I want to give myself. If I could go back in time, I would tell my young self that the workforce is not easy. For one, work politics is real, you will go in there, okay yes, if you have a strong work ethic but if not all the working environment are the same and you have to be strong and you must not give up because its either you start a very low position and you know your work but you’ve entered a workforce with a very low position. Humble yourself and see where it’ll take you to next, don’t rush to quickly jump in to a high position and say oh yeah, okay I’m there. You have to, given that work politics is real, you have to always be ready and you have to be ready to improvise because it was for myself now, I am learning to improvise everyday and its something that I’ve learned but if someone told me, you need to learn to be ready to make quick decisions, improvise, yes do that. But, if I were to tell my younger self, that would be the only advice I would tell my younger self before going there because it will put my younger self in a right mindset to be also mentally prepared for this so yeah.
And your last question, was what advice would I give to everyone listening is put God first always and yeah always again, be humble. You have to be willing to learn, ask all the questions. If you are not sure, ask questions, it doesn’t matter if you’ve studied for it, All the working systems are different. Ask the questions, What the process is, know the process of everything just so that you can do your work efficiently so don’t be afraid to ask questions and lastly, not everyone in the workplace is your friend so be careful with what you say or be careful with who you become close with because that person can be the person that will try to push you out on the very good work that you are doing so yeah that would be my advice.
Elsie: Great advice, thanks Melissa.
So Melissa, as you already know we love to ask this question to our guests. In 3 words, describe what your journey has been as a proud Ni-Vanuatu woman navigating life in Vanuatu?
Melissa: So my 3 words would be, challenging yet empowering and Adventurous because you have to, despite working and being busy and please enjoy life while you still have it. I mean, you don’t want to regret one day when you are older and be like, man I should’ve done that. So yeah. Yes, you have challenges, but there will be people that will be able to empower you, which is your support network and you yourself have to enjoy life as well. Your work will always stay, life, you only have one life.
Elsie: Thank you. I love the adventurous part, that’s always a, I think that’s something that especially young women, we forget. To enjoy ourselves so that great. Thank you so much and thank you for joining me for that wonderful conversation on young women entering the workforce I am sure that a lot of other young women out there will learn a lot from your experience and be able to take your advice as well with them on their journey but thank you so much.
Melissa: Well, thank you for having me and again, it was my pleasure to share with you my experience and yeah, I am happy to, if you have any other questions or if you want to reach out to me for any other advice, I’m always here, you can let me know and I come back.
Elsie: As always, we love to leave you with good information to take away from each episode.
- Strong work ethic starts at home, being respectful, being humble, being punctual. All of these things matter, all of these things could potentially start at home or could be things that you pick up from your work space to then bring home with you.
- Face it until you make it. Even if you start with what is seen as a low position, to enter the workforce and be offered at the highest position there you need to face it until you make it.
- Take initiative when you enter the workforce, ask questions and don’t be afraid to support others in your place of employment to show that you want to be there and tat you are willing to learn.
We’ve got lots of other resources and links which you’ll find in our show notes. That brings us to the end of another episode. We hope this conversation has opened your mind to the importance of having a strong work ethic. As always, thanks for listening to the round table.
Conclusion
Elsie: Make sure to check us out on Facebook, Instagram and Tiktok as Sista Vanuatu and our website sista.com.vu. This is Elsie, from the RoundTable. If you want to hear from The RoundTable podcast, make sure to tune to the next episode.
