PERSONAL AND

CAREER
DEVELOPMENT
What is self-esteem?
Self-esteem refers to how you feel about yourself

OR

It is your overall opinion of yourself

• Self-esteem is the opinion you have of yourself.

• It refers to your views or opinions of how valuable

(important) you are.

• It has to do with the value and worth you give yourself

as a person.
 Differences between high and
low self-esteem
HIGH SELF-ESTEEM LOW SELF-ESTEEM
To have a high self-esteem means that To have a low self-esteem, it means that
you have a good view or opinion about you have a poor or bad opinion about
yourself. yourself.
You accept yourself for who you are but You see yourself as being less valuable
also knowing that you can develop and than others.
improve yourself.
You feel good about yourself and see
yourself as deserving the respect of
others.
 Four main factors that
contribute or harm your self-
esteem
• Biological (physical) factors – this is about your appearance
(looks)
• Psychological (mind) factors – experiences that affect your mind
• Spiritual factors – our religious beliefs, morals, values and
lifestyle
• Social factors – this is when you receive feedback from people
about your social competence, your lifestyle and connections
(people that you know)
 Biological Factors (Physical
Appearance)
Positive Biological Factors Negative Biological Factors
If you are satisfied with what you look If you are not satisfied with your looks
like, your body and your appearance.
For example, you don’t like the way you
look, you think you are ugly, etc.
therefore you will be experiencing
negative feelings about your body, and
this is what can harm your self-esteem.
 Psychological Factors
Positive Factors Negative Factors
If you had a wonderful childhood You could have experienced
(you were loved and cared for), trauma, injury, told that you are
you have a positive mindset and not good enough or were labelled
you believe in yourself. That is as stupid.
something that can contribute to
your self-esteem.
 Spiritual Factors
Positive Factors Negative Factors
If you have a firm, good value If you do not have a firm, good
system, your beliefs are set and value system then you are labelled
you have a sensible lifestyle. as someone who cannot decide for
themselves, someone who is
unstable in their beliefs and this
can harm your self-esteem.
 Social Factors
Positive Factors Negative Factors
If you always have received positive If you receive negative feedback from
responses from everybody. You can friends and other people. You find it
socialize easily and have positive difficult to talk to people, and battle to
relationships and a good lifestyle. make friends. You do not fit in. These
are factors that can harm your self-
esteem.
SELF-IMAGE
Refers to how you see yourself
When I look into a
mirror, what do I
see?
A positive self-image means you see yourself
in a good way; you like what you see and
think well of yourself.
A poor self-image means you see yourself in
a bad way. You do not like what you see and
you only focus on the negative aspects.
 Unrealistic Self-image

You see yourself as someone you are not.

You see yourself in a much better way that
what you actually are.
 What is self-confidence?
• Being self assured and comfortable in your own skin.

• A feeling of having no doubt in yourself and your own

abilities.
 Benefits of being confident and
having a positive self-image
• Get more done because you know yourself and have confidence in
what you do.
• You choose to do your tasks immediately. You do not keep putting it
off.
• Overcome obstacles and use your skills to succeed in life, college,
work and in relationships.
• Make the best of your circumstances wherever you are.
• Aim high, reach your goals and cope well with setbacks.
• Have better relationships, because you can engage with people
without worrying about them judging you or how they perceive you.
• Withstand negative influences and peer pressure and make decisions
with your own interest in mind.
• Bounce back faster from unfortunate events, because you believe in
success.
• Work hard and play hard.
• Draw people to you because everybody wants to be around confident
people.
• Have good mental health and most probably higher grades.
• Master your fears by knowing what your fears are and not let them
influence your life and decisions negatively.
• Make yourself heard by voicing your opinion when it is important to
you.
 Motivation
Motivation is what drives/moves a person towards a goal or
achievement. The reason one has for acting or behaving in a
particular way.
 Two main types of motivation
Internal (intrinsic) External
When you want to reach/do something Happens when you get a reward for
for yourself. doing something good or from another
person.
For example, you work hard in your
studies because you want to receive the
laptop award.
You don’t do it for anybody else.
Ability to do what needs to be done,
without influence from other people.
 Self-motivation
• Self-motivation is the force that keeps pushing us to
go on.
• It is our internal drive to achieve, produce, develop
and keep moving forward.
• It is when you are not doing things to please your
parents, friends or lecturers but yourself.
• This is the strongest kind of motivation.
 Value for self-motivation
• Push yourself to grow regardless of the situation you are in.
• Set goals for yourself.
• Reach your goals and achieve your dreams.
• Overcomes stumbling blocks and challenges to get your goal.
• Don’t be influences by negative comments or people around you.
• Experience positive feelings such as joy and happiness.
• Persevere!
 SWOT ANALYSIS
This is what will help you discover yourself better
when you set your goals.
 STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
What you are good at and do well, What you struggle with and are
your positive qualities not good at, where you need to
improve.

OPPORTUNITIES THREATS
The chances you have Things that can harm or stop you
from progressing
For example, being a TVET College
student is a huge opportunity. For example, taking drugs.
 Sources of job advertisements
• Advertisement in a newspaper e.g. job mail
• Notice boards
• Employment agencies
• Go to companies you are interested in and get information about
employment
• Department of labour
• Internet
• Networking (talking to friends and family)
• TV and Radio
• Career exhibitions and career guidance centres
• Department of Higher Education – learnerships and apprenticeships.
TIME MANAGEMENT
Means that you are in charge of your time and
you are using it well.
 Quotes about time
• Time waits for no man

• Time lost is never regained

• Time is money

• Time is the currency of life

Principles of time managements
• Adjust your attitude – adopt a positive attitude.
• Limit distractions – things that can disturb you, e.g. TV, noise.
• Be organized – clean desk, have a diary.
• Have self-discipline – stick to what you have to do.
• Keep proper time schedules.
• Do not procrastinate – when you delay doing things or postpone it.
• Follow a routine – you will not forget things.
• Prioritize – to do lists, saves time and keeps you informed.
• Give yourself extra time – extra time for unexpected things.
• Schedule down time – allow time to relax and charge your batteries.
Different categories of activities
you have to make time for
• Constructive activities and commitment time
Activities you take part in with a specific aim in mind e.g. study for a
test, do homework (things you must do)
• Maintenance time
These are unavoidable tasks and chores we have to do e.g. bathings,
doing the washing, buying food.
• Playing time
When you are done with your commitment and maintenance time,
then you can do whatever you want to do.
 What is punctuality?
• Punctuality means working strictly according to a fixed
time.

• It is to be on time.

• It shows respect to others, don’t waste it by having

them wait for you.
 What is a deadline?
(due date/final date)
• Is the latest date by which something should be
done, completed or submitted
 Importance of punctuality and
deadlines
• Helps you manage time.
• Stops you from putting off things.
• Provide a schedule for being productive.
• Save money, cuts cost and saves time.
• Sets your pace in completing tasks.
• Respect, not wasting other people’s time waiting for you.
 Time Management Tools
• Diary • Weekly planners
• Calendars • Monthly planners
• To-do list • Yearly planners
• Daily planners • Timetables
• Clocks • Time logs
• Schedules • Priority lists
 What is a time waster?

Is something that makes you spend time in a

way that is not useful.
 Common time wasters
• Indecision • Bad time management
• Procrastination • Television
• Aimlessness • Social networks
• Distraction/interruption • Friends
• Lack of organization • Too much sleep
• Lack of planning and
prioritizing
 Ways to stop wasting time
• Minimize distractions
• Plan your time
• Have time to organize yourself and arrange your things
• Write a to-do list
• Keep a diary
• Set deadlines
• Don’t allow anything to steal your time
 Negative effects of
procrastination
• May result in stress
• A sense of guile and crisis
• Severe loss of personal productivity
• Social development for not meeting responsibility or commitment
• Decline in self-esteem
• Paying interest for work done late
 GOALS
Describes something specific that a person
wants/aims to achieve in the future.
 An Aim

Is a long-term goal that explains what you

want to reach/achieve.

(What you finally want to reach)

 An Objective

Is a short-term steps that can help you get to

your goal.
 Types of goals
• Short-term goals – goals you want to achieve immediately,
few days or within a week or two.

• Medium-term goals – goals you want to achieve in a month,

six months or even a year.

• Long-term goals – goals you want to achieve in 3-5 years or

even 10 years.
 Prioritizing goals
Means to look at the things you have to do and put
them in order of importance and have set time
frames.
Use the following method when
prioritizing your tasks
• Things you MUST do – these are the most important tasks
e.g. studying for a test.

• Things you SHOULD do – next important tasks

• Things you WOULD LIKE to do – your hobbies or relaxing

time
 Criteria to set goals
• Specific – giving details of your goals e.g. want to become a chef, etc.
• Measurable – measure your progress, how long it will take e.g.
Month, two years, etc.
• Attainable – must be able to reach your goal e.g. you wont become
an engineer with hospitality,
• Realistic and Relevant – must be able to get there with your
qualifications and abilities e.g. you cannot become a manager without
the necessary qualifications and experience.
• Time-bound – set dates and a time schedule e.g. check whether you
are within the time-frame set, if you are moving according to your
plans.
 Positive attitudes, values and
skills that will assist in
achieving your goals
1. Self-motivation

• Driving force that will push you to reach your

goals even if you feel like quitting.

• Doing things for yourself and not expecting a

reward.
 2. Perseverance

• Perseverance is a continued, steady effort to achieve

an aim and reach your goal.

• It is also to persist and to be steadfast in what you are

doing.

• Not giving up if things go wrong or does not work out.

 3. Ambition

• Ambition is a strong desire to achieve.

• It is the strongest form of self-motivation. The desire can be

to become successful, famous, etc.

• Drives people to work towards fulfilling their desires.

• It moves people to set plans for their future, within set

timeframes.
 4. Responsibility

• That is if you have a duty to take care of or do something,

you can be held accountable if something goes wrong.

• You will be called to account or answer for decisions made

and tasks done.

• Taking full responsibility for the consequences of your

decisions.
 5. Punctuality

• You are working on program of time.

• You stick to a strict time fixed program.

• Begin each task at the appointed time and finish it in time.

• It will enable you to reach your goals in the planned time.

• Shows respect for other people because you honor their time
program
 Obstacles that will keep you
from achieving your goal.
1. Absenteeism
• Being absent has negative effects on your studies and life.
• You can miss information like dates or changed dates for
writing tests and assignments.
• Deprive yourself of knowledge and understanding of
information.
• At work you will be fired.
 Contingency measures for
absenteeism
• Make a choice in life that you will not be labelled as the person what is
always absent.
• Make a decision to attend everything you have to.
• Change your negative attitude towards attending class to a positive
one.
• Force yourself to attend everyday.
• Try to get help if circumstances at home like taking care of others are
influencing you.
• Use a notebook and coloured pens to take notes during lectures, make
it interesting.
• Decide to be focused.
 2. Making harmful choices
• Bad choices we make will have negative
consequences.

• It can be not to care about your future, your studies,

other people, bad attitude, to be late, not attending
classes, taking drugs, drinking and partying, sleeping
around, stealing and cheating.

• All of the above can destroy lives.

 Contingency measures for
harmful choices
• Decide to make only positive choices for your life – positive
consequences.
• Good choices can be – to attend class everyday, to study, to
set goals and stick to them, to work hard at achieving your
goals, not to harm anyone, etc.
• To check your choices ask yourself the following question –
what will be the consequences of my choices?
 3. Unplanned pregnancies

• An unplanned pregnancy can have great influence on your

life and plans.

• Children take long to grow up and be independent.

• It can cause you to stop your studies or to fail.

• You might not get the opportunity again for a better future.
 Contingency measures for
unplanned pregnancies
• Consider all the consequences before you become pregnant.
• Think of your plans for your future and then ask yourself questions
like:

How will a baby change them?

Will this baby become part of poverty?
Can I afford to have a baby?
Can I afford to interrupt my studies and fail and waste a year?
How will I cope with a baby and my studies?
Am I emotionally ready for a baby?
 4. Late coming

• It is a sign of a person that is not dedicated to living a

successful life.

• It simply means you did not plan your time.

• There’s no excuse for late coming.

 Contingency measures for late
coming
• If it is your nature, you need to change. It takes self-
discipline to change a bad habit.
• Make a decision to be on time – no matter what.
• If traffic is the problem – get up earlier and start travelling
earlier.
• Change this bad habit for a good habit like always being on
time.
• Change the transport you are using if possible.
 5. Poverty

• Poverty causes people to be pessimistic (always

expecting bad things to happen to them.)
• It can cause negative attitudes and not take advantage
of new opportunities.
• It will result in lack of education, malnutrition,
violence, abuse, etc.
• It can result in low self-esteem, anti-social behavior
and committing crime.
 Contingency measures to
overcome poverty
• Do not label and exclude students that don’t dress as smartly as you do.
• Use every opportunity you have as a student to develop your skills.
• Study hard – education can open doors that might end poverty.
• Break the chain of poverty by not having children that you cannot
support.
• Use the poverty around you as a motivator to escape the poverty trap.
• Do not get involved with peers who do drugs or drink – risk of addiction
which will trap you in the life of poverty and dependence.
 POSITIVE
RELATIONSHIPS
Is a relationship that is of mutual benefit to all
the parties involved
 Characteristics of positive
relationships
• Respect for different opinions – respecting other’s views as you
would like others to respect yours. We are all not the same.
• Trust – trust is something that you earn. If you never lie to others,
cheat or disappoint them, you will gain their trust.
• Empathy – refers to the ability to recognize and understand/share in
someone else’s feelings. It means you can put yourself in another
person’s shoes and feel their emotions.
• Inclusivity – accepting a person totally, including all mistakes and
differences. Accepting them for who they are.
• Non-discrimination – not treating anyone worse or better than others
irrespective of race, gender, nationality, sex, being clever or not clever,
language, disability or religion
 Types of relationships
• Personal relationships – friends and family

• Professional relationships – lecturers and students or

employers and employees.

• Intimate relationship – romantic relationships

 • Sharing – it means that you are allowing someone to use what is
yours with your permission. You share the joys and disappointments,
ideas and experiences.

• Listening – listening to someone is important in a relationship. You

should not interrupt or have a worse or better story to tell them
 Constructive and beneficial
relationships
• Are positive relationships

• They are relationships in which there are advantages and

benefits for both parties.
WHAT IS PEER
PRESSURE AND
BULLYING?
Peer pressure can be positive or
negative
Positive Negative
Your friends encourage you to do Your friends can encourage you to
something that is good for take part in negative activities.
you/positive things.
For example, drugs, do crime or
For example, join a study group, sex
having good manners
 How to resist negative peer
pressure
• Decide for yourself.
• Learn to say NO to things that are not good for you.
• Leave the group if the negative pressure is too strong.
• Set boundaries for yourself and friends, tell them
what you are willing to do.
• Ask yourself certain questions.
 Peer Pressure
• Peers are people who are around the same age as you
are e.g. your friends.

• Peer pressure refers to the way your peers try to

influence or force you to change your behavior so that
you are the same as they are and do what they do.
 Bullying
• Is an aggressive behavior tha intentionally hurts
others, physically or mentally.

Bullies
• Are individuals who intentionally use their physical
strength, influence or verbal abuse to intimidate
others who are smaller, weaker or different.
 Types of bullying
• Verbal – name calling, insulting, making racist or sexist jokes.

• Social – gossiping, spreading rumors, breaking up friendships.

• Physical – punching, hitting, kicking, taking or damaging someone’s

belongings.

• Cyber – happens when using the internet (such as facebook, twitter)

smses or email to harm others by threathening, posting embarrassing
photos.
 Effects of bullying
• It can cause fear (feeling afraid)
• Low self-esteem
• Anxiety
• Unable to sleep/having nightmares
• Bad performance in studies
• Suicide
 How do we stop bullying
• Talk to someone about it.
• Leave the group if someone in the group is bullying you.
• Report it to the police.
• BLOCK cyber bullies
 Strategies to build constructive and
beneficial relationships.
• Have good communication, listening and understanding.
• Support one another’s goals and dreams.
• Be trustworthy – don’t speak behind anyone’s back.
• Accept everybody as they are.
• Be loyal – don’t gossip.
• Be honest about your feelings, don’t lie.
• Be patient and understanding
• Show respect for other’s views, values, opinions and feelings.
• Uplift one another and strive to reach higher levels in your life.
• Find solutions to problems with a win-win attitude in mind.
• Commit yourself to these friendships – no matter what.
 Characteristics of a negative
relationship
• Lack of respect • Lack of trust
• Lack of empathy • Lack of honesty
• Not sharing with others • Not caring
• Not listening to people • Not helpful
• Lack of communication • Not supportive
 Strategies to cope with
challenges of being a student
1. Resilience
• Whenever you experience a setback you should take
the punch but keep on functioning physically and
mentally.

• Push yourself to keep functioning and ask help and

support from others.
 2. Decision-making

• Use decision making steps.

• It will help me to be in control of my life.

• I will eliminate wrong decisions.

 3. Independence and choice

• Make sure that you have strong values before you become
independent. Moving away from people that looked after
you may leave you vulnerable.
• You should take responsibility for your own choices.
• Adhere to rules and regulations wherever you go.
• Don’t follow negative influences and abandon your values.
• Stay true to yourself and your family and friends that put
their faith in you.
• Make choices that everybody will benefit from.
 4. Coping with change

• Embrace the change as soon as you can. To fight against it will get
you nowhere.
• Try and find the good, maybe the change could be better.
• Decide to take the first step in finding and creating a new secure spot
in the changed circumstances.
• Make the new circumstances your friend and not your enemy.
• Attach positive meaning to the changes you experience.
• Use change to help you grow in your personal development.
• If you really struggle to adapt find support from people you know.