I believe my core personal values are that of honesty, hard work and empathy.
The first job i ever had was back in Zimbabwe were I worked for a company that run Hunting Safaris. I can already hear everyones sharp intake of breath in rage building. I have always loved the outdoors and initially i wanted to train to become a professional safari guide. I found it difficult to get apprentice guide roles, however part of the assessment involves working with dangerous game so I took a role with this company. Now from the outset i have always had very mixed feeling about sport/trophy hunting but I know that with many things in life there are very rarely black and white situations in the world and we tend to inhabit a whole gamut of shades of grey so I wanted to see this industry for myself and make my own mind up.
Now having been in the thick of it as it were I still hold some strong reservations with regards to aspects of the industry. I have, however, also come to understand and even appreciate the significant role the industry plays in conservation and the protection of vast areas of wild Africa that I so dearly love. I also see how important it can be as well in managing conflict between wildlife and the local communities that live side by side with these wild animals.
I could go on for a while here but won’t as i know it is a very emotive topic. Suffice to say I see the ethical dilemma posed by the industry, but importantly I also understand how vital it is to preserving wild areas and helping impoverished local communities to benefit form co-existing with these animals rather than engaging in conflict with them.
By becoming involved I was able to gain deeper insight and understand into a topic that draws strong opinion from both camps. I was able to form my own nuanced views and be at peace with where I stand in them. I think in a world that moves at such a rapid place we can lose sight about how important it is to take the time to look into something before deciding there are only two sides.
I come from a big family so as a result it has had a fir bit of input on my values and identity. Being a big family it was important to compromise and work together to get things done. I think this has then transferred into my work and professional life. I work well in a team environment and think that giving everyone a voice is very important in the pursuit of success.
A big family has also input into my identity - To get noticed you need to speak up in an environment like that so I think it has contributed to me being quite extroverted. I think Africa is also a place that encourages these traits - It’s a big, loud and vibrant place and i think that has all fed into who I am.
I am quite a process driven person so if I have a set of directions or a task outline I am able to follow that well and can then got one by myself well.
I do have a knack of picking up new processes and systems quickly and with repetition i can feel comfortable relatively quickly.
I do work well in a team environment and I like to ask questions and understand why things are happening the way the are or why a specific route/method is being used.
As I alluded to above I am quite process driven and this comes at the cost of thinking outside the box sometimes, in my hobbies I am quite creative and I need to bring that over to my work more as it will help when I hit roadblocks in work.
I do often doubt my abilities and knowledge and like to seek constant reassurance that what I am doing is intact right. It is good that I recognise this however I do need to work on backing myself and believing in my own abilities.