Jorandi Scholtz

Current Employer/Organisation Name

SACAI

What have you been doing since leaving Exeter, and what are you doing now?

After returning to South Africa I spent a number of months planning what I would want to do next and applying for jobs. In the end, a position opened up at my previous employer and I was asked to interview. I have been employed at SACAI, a private assessment body, again since January 2020.

Why did you choose this career? And what do you enjoy most about your work?

I never envisioned a career in education, but I have really been enjoying it thus far. Many people might choose to work in education because it is such a rewarding experience to be able to contribute to the development of someone’s mind, and while this rings true for me as well, I am mostly excited about the many opportunities there are within education to make a big impact. In my current role, I have the opportunity to contribute to the development of a brand new policy on distance education in South Africa – something I am very excited about!

Please tell us if you were a member of any societies, groups or sports clubs?

I was a member of the Postgraduate Society, as well as the Out of Doors Society.

What did you enjoy most about your programme and what was the biggest highlight?

I enjoyed sharing the classroom with individuals from 25 countries – this was my highlight! It was such an enlightening experience to learn with and from people from diverse backgrounds.

What did you enjoy most about studying here?

I enjoyed being exposed to new concepts and ideas in my studies and at events such as the MBA Speaker Series. This exposure has widened my horizon and I am a more curious person today than I was before my studies at Exeter.

Why did you choose to study at Exeter?

I chose to study at Exeter because of its good ranking and affordable tuition fees. If I had to choose again today, I would choose Exeter simply for its beautiful campus – that alone is enough reason for me!

What skills and experiences have been most useful for your career?

As part of the Exeter MBA, we did a lot of consulting projects with companies, helping them solve challenges they were facing. These consultation and problem-solving skills have proven invaluable in my current role. I am a better team player and more confident problem-solver now than I was before the MBA.

What advice would you give to a current student who wishes to pursue your career?

Working in education can be a very rewarding career, but be sure find clarity about what exactly you want to achieve early on! There are many different opportunities within education and if you try to go after them all, you might find yourself never truly reaching that one goal you really wanted to achieve.

What are your plans for the future?

I want to make a slight career shift and move into education management within the Higher Education sector. After making this move, I plan to start working on a PhD.