Training the next generation of innovative web developers

Guest post by: John Wesonga
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Preparing for 2008 - By John Wesonga

Two weeks ago I sent an email to the skunkworks mailing list advertising a web developer trainee position, the response was very positive. I received over 10 emails from eager techies and web designers who expressed interest in joining the Multiple Choices team. I begun assessing the resumes of the potential trainees yesterday and settled on 3 people to kick off the first round of interviews today. The interview process was informal and I made a point of stressing this when I called them up, even the location was a restaurant the reason being that I wanted them to be relaxed and not be afraid to speak their mind. The purpose of the interview was to gauge their level of interest and desire to learn, one of the most important criteria of anybody who joins our team is their attitude and motivation due to the fact that our emphasis is on self-learning and passion in the things that will change the continent.

"This is a marathon we are in and not a sprint, changing the world (Africa first) takes time, blood, effort, tears and sacrifice" these were the words I echoed to all of them in one form or another. The message I wanted to drive in was that we were in it for the long haul and we needed people who felt the same way about Africa and technology.

Attitude is the most important ingredient in a "world changer" and it supersedes academic smarts. The most average person with the right attitude can change

During the interview I made the point of stressing that the training process would involve 20% of Multiple Choices input and 80% of personal input. The formal education process all the way from primary to university fails to foster the "go getter" attitude, in fact many times it yields individuals who are not driven to go after the prize and are not motivated the extra mile. It amazes me the number of business ideas (even the ones that fail) that come out of American universities, what it tells me is that the educational system and the culture is driven towards pursuing and executing ideas. I believe that if this approach became part and parcel of our educational system and our culture the number of successful businesses that would come out of this continent would be too many to contain.

I challenged the applicants to think outside the box and to dream solutions that will change Africa and the world. I could tell that some were inspired while others were intimidated by the very thought of taking on this herculean task, at the end of the day I had 3 willing applicants but I allowed them to go and think about it in depth before committing to this journey. I will be conducting more interviews next week and I'll make sure I post about my experiences.

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Preparing for 2008 - By John Wesonga

About the Author: John Wesonga

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Born in Nairobi, Kenya, John Wesonga is a partner and the Technology Director of Multiple Choices, a communications company that builds web 2.0 applications for the Internet and provides strategic advice on Online Brands. His interests include: web development, blogging, mobile technology, Africa, and Kenya. His blog, Afropreneur, is one of the most popular online resources for news regarding business and technology in Africa. He is also currently a student at Strathmore University, where he is pursuing a degree in Business Information Technology.
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