Talking Referees

It's Friday again, and after a fortnight of absence, we're back with a piece that deviates from the typical Richie Online approach of sharing opinions. Instead, I'd like to offer some insights from my freelance editing work.

You might recall the days when I heavily promoted RK Edits as the go-to solution for proofreading and editing needs. You may have also noticed the relative silence on that front and wondered if the service is still operational. While I can't provide a definite answer, I can say that I still find myself reviewing documents, albeit less frequently. Occasionally, people reach out to express how much they benefited from the service, albeit infrequently.

The decline in activity at RK Edits can be attributed to various factors, some of which I've detailed in my article titled "The Lamentations of an Editor" here on Richie Online. Another reason is the growing hostility towards document editing and proofreading services. Typically, I don't pay much attention to such criticisms, but one particular social media post prompted me to contemplate the implications of my work.

Consider this scenario: an individual applies for a position requiring extensive report writing skills. Their initial application lacks the polish needed to impress, but after editing, they secure the job. However, they struggle to perform because the writing skills showcased in the application don't reflect their actual abilities. While this criticism may seem far-fetched, it's often directed at those who assist with resumes, cover letters, and personal statements.

To some extent, I agree that individuals should handle their own applications. Yet, I still believe that a second pair of eyes can enhance documents. Despite being a statistician and my wife a communication specialist, I frequently seek her input on my manuscripts. She often provides valuable suggestions and identifies overlooked issues. Thus, I remain a proponent of editing and proofreading services, despite feeling overwhelmed by clients who rush through the process and are reluctant to pay.

Many people overlook the fact that proofreading and editing services go beyond correcting grammar and spelling. For me and others in this field, it involves analyzing applications to identify areas for improvement. I often advise clients on formatting, email etiquette, professional development, and selecting referees, the latter of which deserves further discussion.

When applying for jobs or study opportunities, institutions require referees to vouch for your capabilities. The attractiveness of application documents and eloquent language may not suffice to gauge an applicant's suitability. Sometimes, hearing from someone who has observed the applicant's work firsthand is necessary.

In the workplace, prospective employers typically request a reference from a former colleague, while academic institutions may require an academic referee who supervised your training. Some scholarships may also necessitate a character reference. While this may seem obvious, it has implications that are often overlooked. Given the flexibility to do so, it's beneficial to have a pool of referees. Over the past few years, I've had to change the set of referees on my CV for each application I submitted. While not everyone may have this luxury, being open to changing referees based on the application's requirements is essential.

So, how do you choose a referee for success?

Two words come to mind: seniority and relevance. For job applications, select a referee with authority and, if possible, opt for the most senior individual who can attest to your abilities. In academic settings, a senior and renowned academic referee is preferred. A referee with extensive research output holds more weight than one without. Similarly, having a referee with a PhD is preferable.

Relevance is crucial. Your referee should be relevant to your field and, more importantly, to your career or training. I've declined requests to serve as a referee because I lacked the seniority and shared no significant work history with the individual. A reference should provide insight into your work ethic and cannot be fabricated. If there's no meaningful professional relationship with a prospective referee, reconsider your choice.

Furthermore, a good reference requires willingness. This choice is critical for those pursuing postgraduate opportunities. Lecturers who taught us years ago may have forgotten us, making it challenging to secure a strong reference. Similarly, consider your current boss's willingness to provide a reference for prestigious opportunities, considering that income status often necessitates separate applications for admission and scholarships. Convincing someone to write multiple letters about you, with no direct benefit to them, requires careful consideration.

In conclusion, the selection of referees is a process, not an event. If a former lecturer has forgotten you, they may struggle to write a compelling reference. Build strong relationships with lecturers to stand out, and strive for excellence in the workplace to facilitate positive references.

If you take away one thing from this, remember this: don't choose referees out of convenience; make it convenient for them to help you.

Recapping the Interview

Consider this my apology for not writing on Friday.

Times Exclusive: If you've been a regular at Richie Online, you may know that I am a big fan of the program. The reason is simple—it's one of the very few programs that allows me to keep up to speed with what’s happening in Mother Malawi.

On Saturday, I found myself tuned in. To be fair, watching this was a matter of routine and it wasn't much of an anticipated program for me. I had a fair discussion with one of my friends on why I wasn’t looking forward to this program. I was in for a surprise, though, because the guest of the day, Dr. Thomson Mpinganjira, kept dropping gem after gem throughout the interview.

There are so many things that I could pick as talking points from the interview. For the fear of my peers from Chitawira and Naperi, I will not focus on the issue of the honor of marriage, as described by his narrative. That is one subject which I could dissect into an article of its own, but I would like to share something about the reason you and I know the man called Thom Mpinganjira; his money.

If you think about it, the man is one of the top richest gentlemen in the land. He happens to be a majority shareholder of FDH Holdings, the owners of FDH bank, which has millions of both private and corporate customers. His Ekhaya empire is booming, owning a luxury and picturesque resort on the shores of Lake Malawi and a number of farm shops across the country. To back the farm shops is a cattle farm in Chikwawa and an abattoir in Mpemba, catering for the shops’ needs. Those are the things that are bringing him money. Then there are the Mighty Mukuru Wanderers that have drained close to a billion in Chakwera’s finest currency from his coffers since he started sponsoring them a couple of years back. I will talk about that later.

What fascinated me the most about the interview was the extent to which he has used his money to reach out to people. If my memory serves me right, he mentioned how FDH Holdings employs over 900 people in addition to Ekhaya group’s 500. When you add the different suppliers and service providers he deals with, we are talking of thousands of families that directly benefit from transactions with this man.

The story of his reach will be incomplete without a mention of his charity. Until this interview, I was not aware that the Mpinganjiras sponsored the running of a High Dependency Unit at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital. This is in addition to aiding individual patients and guardians with transport money for follow-up appointments at the referral hospital. When he was in prison, the man helped out the prison authorities and inmates with resources for things ranging from personal needs to prison maintenance and everything in between.

The Mighty Mukuru Wanderers have been a beneficiary of Mpinganjira’s sponsorship for a couple of years now. In his own words, he mentioned how his sponsorship comes out of passion and has no financial gain on his end. According to him, he is trying to build the structures that are going to attract more corporate sponsors and it is for that reason that he is not using his financial muscle for naming rights.

The other big highlight was the mention of the cancer center that will start operating next month. Having been involved in cancer care and lost his wife to a battle with cancer, the man thought it wise to bring advanced cancer care to Malawi. For the first time, radiotherapy is going to be offered in-country, and people will not have the need to go to Tanzania, South Africa, or India for the same. Through some clever partnerships, we have a hospital that gives us assurance of continual service provision to up to about 1 million patients in a year. If that does not impress you, I don’t know what will.

Watching the interview had me thinking about the state of my wallet in comparison with the man. You may jump at me and say that it is a bad idea, but hear me out first. Like I earlier mentioned, I always look for inspiration instead of intimidation. Having never hired anyone, I am inspired to work hard to find myself in a place where I can be directly responsible for the employment of a reasonable number of people. For some time, people have asked me to employ them, albeit jokingly and I have always dismissed that as macheza. Thinking about the interview had me realize that some of the people who dropped that “tilembeni ntchito” on me would actually jump at the opportunity if I offered them one. It may be because they do not have anything to lean on, or that they are seeking something better, but whatever the reason, these are people who could benefit from my resources if I had any.

The story of Mpinganjira’s generosity in prison drew my attention to the times that I have been approached by different people for assistance. These may be the people I know, asking me for a 100K to sort out an emergency. On occasion, these have been students from secondary and tertiary institutions asking for financial assistance which they hoped I could provide. In most cases, I could sense the legitimacy of their need, but my bag of coin did not just have enough to spare at the time. For the few you manage to help, there are a whole lot that you do not, and worse still others that are not courageous enough to hit the Facebook inbox of a stranger to ask for help. Some have failed to complete tertiary education because of financial lack. If only there were people to help.

I applaud the fact that a cancer center with radiotherapy is coming to us. While I did not work in cancer medicine in my clinical days, I have encountered many people who could have used this facility had it been there on time. In many cases, many have had to contribute their money for people to seek treatment outside of the country. That comes with many complications which can be solved by having a treatment that offers similar care at home. Cancer is not the only thing, though. We could use new or more of services like heart surgery, transplant surgery, treatment of liver and rheumatological conditions, and dialysis. That is not an exhaustive list. If I could put together money for such, I would jump right in because it makes sense to provide such services to the nation. To that list add the mega farms, law firms, aviation companies, institutions of higher learning and anything you can think of.

I will not talk about Wanderers for the fear of being beaten. I once saw a Nyerere supporter beat up my fellow Zomba United fan on the stands back in 2009. I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of those blows. I will say that, though. Given a reasonable pot of resources, I would build a team from Chiradzulu and embark on a project to send them to the Super League or whatever you call it these days.

This interview reminded me of a speech made at one event some time last year when Dr. Matthews Mtumbuka launched his company called Weagle Holdings. The company’s aim is to fill the gap that was created by the demise of Peoples supermarket in the retail arena. In his speech, the Guest of Honor at the event, Dr. Wisely Phiri, talked about the importance of financial prosperity. He talked about how his village transformed from having grass-thatched houses to iron-sheeted roofs the moment one person built an iron-sheeted house. That man was a pioneer and a source of inspiration to the rest of the village. He also talked about how the opening of companies creates employment and has a wide impact on people.

In case you do not know Wisely Phiri, he is the Malawian Tech Guru who has built that impressive five-storey building in City Center, Lilongwe. After the completion of the building, he says, many Malawian individuals and companies are coming to seek his wisdom on how he managed to erect that structure. He is their source of inspiration and I hope that soon we will see more of those structures.

For me, the Mpinganjira interview was nothing but a call to financial prosperity. I hope that like him and the other sons of the soil, we will examine our attitudes towards money and work on making it for ourselves. Reason? Even if we are not going to give some away in charity, we will have a wider reach. More money and more projects will necessitate employing people and partnerships. Such a reach will make you inspire people who will strive to make it, and in turn inspire others.

What was your take home from the interview?