Category Archives: Work

Is age discrimination legal when employing people — Naspers think it is.

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Naspers has a advert going for a Programme Manager at the moment — yes I know it is Naspers after making inquiries about it.  Without even looking at the skills and experience I could offer, I was told that they will only look at candidates of around 30 to 35.

I am no legal expert but I am sure that the constitution of this country guarantees one against any form of discrimination whether it be age, gender, religion or race.  The race one is a bit different since exceptions are being made for BEE and Affirmative Action and that I can accept.  What I however cannot accept is discrimination based on age.  Who in their right mind can think that a 30-35 year old person can be a better fit than a 52 year old person  without even looking what the person can offer or even talking to the person.  

It is a very big mis conception that only young people understand the technology environment that operates today and that only young people understand social media like Twitter and Facebook.  These young people should get off their high horses and acknowledge that there is older people around that knows just as much as they do or even more.  And in particular the media industry needs to understand this.  It is time that companies start to learn that experience count a lot more than great ideas … great ideas needs to be executed and put into practice.

 

Views from my new work place – I just love Cape Town :)

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A bit more than a week ago I started working at a new company.  On Friday I took my camera into work to share some of the views I have from my office.

I was fairly early at work and this is the sunrise that greeted me when I arrived at the office.

Office sunrise

The office is next to the M5 in the M5 Business Park which is in a area called Maitland.  It looks out over the Liesbeeck River that flows past, with the Riverclub Golfclub just behind that. And behind that is Tablemountain.

Office view

To the left of this is Rhodes Memorial and University of Cape Town.

Rhodes Memorial

UCT

The full set of photographs can be seen in my Picasa Gallery. 

What I was up to on my last day at IBM

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Yesterday, Friday, the 13th was my last working day at IBM.  IBM really do not want you to work on your last day.  When I arrived at work I was no more authorized to use my email and some other IBM systems.  ILC was still working and I had to do that …yes you not going to get away with not doing your ILC.

I did my last paperwork and then handed back all I had to hand back.  The office then got together and said good-bye .. thanks Herman and Alex for the speech.  I was handed this massive card – the photo does not do it justice.

Good-bye Card

and the inside was full of personal messages (and a gift card for some gadget buying) – thanks guys & gals, I will treasure it.

Card - inside

I then said my good-bye’s, which took a while and was out of the office by 10:30.  Met up with a friend for some vida coffee and just sit in the sun and chat.

Then drove through to the V&A Waterfront and met up with another friend who is in town for the weekend from Pretoria.  It was such a gorgeous day that we again sat outside, had some drinks and just chatted away.  It is always so good to meet up with close friends from far away whom one only see once or twice in the year.  The time is never enough to catch up.

Drove through the Stellenbosch in the afternoon to go pick up my son from varsity.  The 2 of us then went to The Dros in Willowbridge for some drinks and just catch up on each others life.  Was so good to sit down with him and get to know what is going on in his life.  

Was a great day spending time with dear friends and my son.  Now a couple of days off not thinking at all about any work since I am actually unemployed until I start my new job on Wednesday, the 18th.

One Chapter comes to an end, and another start – new work.

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In a week’s time I will be officially unemployed for a couple of days .. luckily only a couple of days.  It is that small period after leaving my current job at IBM and start my new job.

Next Friday, 13 August will be my last day at IBM after almost 5 years at IBM.  Working for one of the biggest companies in the world is an experience in itself.  I have learned so much over these past 5 years.  Working in virtual teams with people from over the world is something one has to learn and experience.  IBM have managed to do that mostly right.  But working for IBM can also be very frustrating.  It is like a bureaucratic government organization where the wheels turn very slowly.  It is process and procedure upon process and procedure.  Everything gets double and triple checked. 

Then I will be unemployed for a whole 4 days – can I go stand in the queue for UIF 🙂 I will be starting at AAPM (All About Project Management) on the 18th as Development Manager.  Looking forward in getting back to my roots per se .. working with a group of techies doing software development.  As most of you know, I am a techie by hart and it will be great to plow back my experience from on of the biggest companies to a smaller niche company that specializes in Project Management software and tools.

The thing about social networking and the global world we live and work in means that the people I have met at IBM will not just disappear.  All of them are someway connected via Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or some other network.

4 day week — I can live with that.

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According to this article on NewScientist

The four-day week could boost employment, save energy and make us happier.


If one really think about this, it makes a lot of sense.  In the state of Utah, they actually experimented with it and energy fell by 13% and employees were much happier, even though they worked the same amount of hours in the week. 

Now I just wonder if my company, IBM will allow me to do this.  Then again we can in any case work from home if and when it suits us.  It is a known fact that around the world, IBM only has office space and desks for about 50% of their staff.  The rest, either work on customer sites or at home.

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That ideal work/play/relaxing place.

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Now this is what I want.  I do not own my own house at the moment but the one thing that it will have when I buy a house, is a attic/loft.  I just love the feel and privacy what a attic/loft gives.  This one is not bad at all.

I am not a drummer so will replace the drums in the corner with something like a little bar.   I did say the attic/loft is also for relaxing and not just work.  Mine does not need to be as big as this one since I would not put a bed in it. 

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