21-year-old Kyla Morgan has known she wanted to work in industrial psychology and HR since she was in Grade 11. “I got an awesome opportunity to job shadow at SACAP and was intrigued by the campus and the intimacy of the classroom sizes,” she explains.
SACAP students seemed to have a different mindset. This really peaked Kyla’s interest, she says. “I had never come across such open-minded perspectives!”
Kyla’s humble school-girl experience inspired her to apply for SACAP’s Bachelor of Applied Social Science (BAppSocSci) Majoring in Human Resource Management and Psychology two years later. “SACAP was my first choice!” she exclaims.
A sparkling start
Kyla completed her three-year degree in November last year and was headhunted shortly after. “Towards the end of my course I landed a four-month internship in the HR department at Teleperformance SA,” she says. “I learnt a great deal and was given so many opportunities in the short time I was there.”
This “life-changing experience” was Kyla’s first taste of being in a corporate environment and “I loved it” she stresses.
Then, before graduating, she received a job offer from Together Staffing Group. “I hadn’t applied, the company was simply impressed by my qualification and experience, which I have SACAP to thank for!”
Today Kyla is an internal recruitment consultant for Together Staffing Group. “It’s a holding company for institutions recruiting in fields such as mining, finance and engineering. It’s one of the largest recruitment companies in South Africa,” she notes.
Story to success
Happily, SACAP has had a lot to do with Kyla’s burgeoning success. “The BAppSocSci course that combines HR management and psychology was the best option for me. I didn’t want to dive too deep into psychology,” she explains. “Economics was one of my favourite subjects in high school so I’ve always loved business.”
Kyla attended SACAP’s Cape Town Campus on a fulltime basis. “I honestly can’t give my SACAP educators a high enough rating,” she asserts. “They really go the extra mile for their students. And it helps so much to have lecturers who are in a practice of their own. Their first-hand explanations around theory, for example, differ from the hypothetical approach of regular universities.”
SACAP encourages an alternative way of thinking, too, and it’s one of the key reasons Kyla recommends the college. “SACAP has taught me to think differently – more openly. Personally I think that’s what company environments need right now – a fresh perspective,” she says.
Choosing corporate
“I chose to work in corporate from the beginning because I believe that mental health, specifically in the workplace, is one of the most important aspects of an individual’s life,” Kyla says.
“In my opinion, it’s your ‘make or break’ between having a good day every day or being miserable,” she continues. “You can work at a top firm and earn a boatload and still be unhappy because of a bad company culture, poor leadership styles, or the way your co-workers treat you. My observation? Happy employees equals amazing work productivity equals good company reputation. It’s a winning recipe!”
“And that’s why I love corporate,” she adds. “With the right recipe, an organisation can thrive through its workers.”
The future and beyond
Kyla is currently completing her honours in Human Resource Management at SACAP’s Online Campus. “I had no intention of working,” she admits. The universe, however, delivered a slightly different itinerary and Kyla says she’s thrilled.
“My qualification opened doors that have catalysed my first major career moves,” she says. Her plans for the future? “It might be my goal to become an HR business partner in five years’ time. And perhaps an HR director a few years down the line,” she says. “But where I am right now is my dream job and more than I could ever ask for. I come to work every day and love what I do!”
“My experience at SACAP facilitated a truly unexpected opportunity; a blessing in disguise,” Kyla concludes. “I am forever grateful and I hope to give others the same chance one day.”
Certainly, Kyla’s future looks bright. SACAP can help kickstart your career, too. Interested in learning more about human behaviour in the workplace? Check out SACAP’s Bachelor of Applied Social Science Majoring in Human Resource Management and Psychology. It’s dual majors will help build your critical thinking skills and an understanding of how people can flourish within an organisational context.
Not that into HR? Take a look at the wide range of other psychology-based, industry-respected courses SACAP has to offer here.
Related Courses
Bachelor of Applied Social Science (Majoring in Psychology and Human Resource Management)
Management & Leadership
Bachelor of Social Science Honours in Human Resource Management
Management & Leadership
Higher Certificate in Human Resource Management
Management & Leadership
