From the time we are old enough to decide which career path to follow, we quickly learn that we’ll have to start right at the bottom of the ladder and work our way up.

Moipone Raphahlelo’s story follows the same pattern in that when she joined Quarphix in February of 2019, she started off as an intern in the HR department. Now, she plays the role of HR & Operations Coordinator.

To be part of the Quarphix family, Moipone got wind of the job opportunity from a friend. She reacted by sending in her application and crossed her fingers for the best. After the team worked through the submitted applications, she received an interview invitation. The rest, as they say, is (quickly becoming) history.

“Walking into the interview room, I was nervous and the panel broke the ice with jokes,” remembers Moipone about the day she met her soon-to-be colleagues for the interview.

On the point of her major highlight since joining the team, she lauds being offered unlimited exposure to new knowledge in the HR domain. This has led to most of her personal and professional growth. As a result, there has been more room to take calculated risks; this involves pushing through any boundaries to become sharper at her work.

As time went on, Moipone’s growth within the business saw her getting drafted and offered more responsibilities. This became even more crucial when one of her seniors had to go on maternity leave and she had to step in and help hold the fort.

If there’s anything that’s appreciated by almost everyone who has experienced uncertainty is that those feelings eventually go away. Moipone is no exception. One of the lowest moments was feeling out of depth compared to her colleagues during her initial days. And because of this, she had to quickly adapt to the reality of a demanding workload and the need to meet pending deadlines.

Through uncertainty we can find opportunities to open up a door to the unknown, and only from the unknown can life be renewed constantly. How Moipone survived being thrown into the deep end was by prioritising her work and her ability to be vocal whenever she felt she’d be unable to complete certain tasks on the allotted time.

Her personal and professional growth thus far has been an experience that has stood out as a highlight for Moipone since she became a Quarnede.

Now, it goes without saying that trust between team members is essential to create an organisation worth working for. And one way of building trust and a strong team bond is offering a word of advice to a colleague who might benefit from a different perspective.

“Avoid gossip. You don’t want anyone talking about you behind your back, so return the favour,” was Moipone’s timeless advice ever received at the office.