New Year's Resolutions...

Hi all,

Compliments of the season, even though the season is already a good 2.5 weeks behind us! Yeah yeah, I know, this blog has been pretty quiet the last few months. It was busy season after all! For this reason I am sure most of you haven't even noticed, being busy with doing game drives, hosting, guiding, dealing with clients etc. For example, I have been doing tours back to back the last 4-5 months. But now, quiet season has arrived. Most tourists have left again, and January and February are for many tour operators and lodges the quieter months of the year. Time to take it easy, right?
   I don't think so! Okay, admittedly we all need to take it easy, catch our breath after working hard last season but it doesn't mean we can sit on our bum and do nothing. Many operators and lodges will have to catch up on admin and marketing, perhaps maintenance as well. But guides, if not involved too much with the maintenance, have perhaps a little more time on their hands. And this brings us exactly to the title of this post: New Year's Resolutions...
   From FGASA KZN North we would like to encourage all guides to take this opportunity to consider furthering their career and improving on their knowledge. Make a late New Year's Resolution. Who says you can only make them on the 31st of December? Do it now. Look back at the past few years. You must have gained in experience and knowledge. If you have been guiding for 15 years and are still a Level 1 guide, isn't it time to up your game a bit and do your Level 2? You've got the experience, you've got the knowledge, so you know you can do it.
   And here some reply with the same old story: "Why would I do such a thing? They won't pay me more in any case...". Not true... The better and more professional lodges and operators do pay more for better qualifications. For example, Sabi Sabi pays their guides 500 per month extra for each extra qualification they have. This allows them to earn up to 7500 rand a month, and that is excluding tips! And it is logic that they pay their guides more for better qualifications, after all, now the guides are better able to give the clients a better experience which will reflect good on the lodge or operator. If you believe your employer is not willing to pay more if you get an extra qualification, talk them them, explain the above or even refer them to this blog.
  But more importantly than making more money is the fact that with studying for an extra qualification, you get to enjoy the bush a lot more and can even revive your interest in a park and in your work. I speak out of experience here, and I know many guides who have experienced it as well. Basically all guides get bored to some degree if guiding in the same area every day for 10 years. Especially if you repeat the same story to your guests and share the same knowledge all the time. Regardless how beautiful or awesome a given park is, you're bound to lose interest to some degree. When you feel that way, all you've got to do is go and study for another qualification. The new knowledge you get, you can start to use, and suddenly you will start to talk about diferrent things with your guests, and suddenly you even start to see whole new things in the park you have been working in for 10 years. Really, it is true! In the months practising for my Level 2, and in the months afterwards, I had a whole renewed interest in the park I was guiding in. And since I did my Level 3 recently I got another burst of 'energy and interest' in guiding in my area of operation. I also started working towards the Birding Specialist qualification now, and I assure you I suddenly look more at birds, talk more about them on my game drives and enjoy them a lot more than previously. In summary, getting a new qualification can indeed give you an odd 500 rand a month extra, but will surely give you a lot more enjoyment and a renewed interest in your work. And who wouldn't enjoy that?
   So now is the time... Have a look at the FGASA website, look at what qualifications they have (http://www.fgasa.co.za/qualifications.asp ) and which ones you are eligible to write, and choose one. Book the exam right away, and start studying. Especially now, when you have a little more time on your hands. It is worth it, trust me. It trains your brain, it keeps you young. A new year, a new challenge. Never stop learning.
   Watch this space, we will post a little more about the possible qualifications you can attain at FGASA over the course of the next couple of weeks. For now also look at http://fgasakznnorth.blogspot.com/2011/06/kzn-north-new-fgasa-marine-guiding.html
   New Year's resolutions from our side? Yes indeed. One, we would like to grow this region a lot more. Two, we want to have more regular posts. Three, we want to organise more activities that bring guides in the region together. Four, this year the mentor ship program will kick off (I myself have two recruits already. More info in a post in the next weeks).

Best wishes for now,

Nick van de Wiel