Ms Amanda Schroeder, Junior Lecturer: Office Management and Technology
Tell us about yourself, your background, where you were born, your high school years, university etc.:
My name is Amanda Schroeder, born in Rehoboth as the middle child of five children. I completed my schooling at M & K Gertze High School in Rehoboth after which I obtained a National Diploma in Commerce, a National Diploma in Information Administration and a B-Tech in Business Administration from the Polytechnic of Namibia, which makes me a proud product of the Polytechnic. I believe to be goal-driven, because it is not where you start in life but how you finish.
Your journey at the Polytechnic of Namibia
I started way back in May 1996 in the Examinations Department as an Office Administrator.
From April 1999 until February 2005, I was a Secretary in the Department of Business Management, serving four Departments: Business Management, Public Management, Human Resources Management and Economics.
During that time I worked closely with the HOD’s and full-time and part-time academic staff. My duties included dealing with visitors, answering the telephone, taking minutes at departmental meetings and typing various documents. I was also responsible for running the departmental library and ordering of stationery.
In the beginning of 2010, I started lecturing on a part-time basis and in March of that year I was appointed as a full time Junior Lecturer in the Department of Office Management and Technology, which currently falls under the Department of Management.
My duties include lecturing, 1st and 2nd year courses, setting of tests, assignments and examinations question papers, dealing with student enquiries and mentoring the OMT section’s intern. I am also the Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Coordinator of our Department where I have to liaise with Centre for Cooperative Education (CCE) to conduct workshops for the 2nd and 3rd year students informing them about the WIL requirements and procedures. Occasionally I also form part of the interviewing panel for new appointments at the Polytechnic.
By accepting all these responsibilities I am hoping to equip myself with the necessary knowledge and skills to eventually become a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Office Management and Technology.
Please share with us your success habits
I believe by surrounding myself with positive people, always doing more than is expected and successfully balancing my family life and career have made me what I am.
Learning to say no and listening before you speak are important traits to me. After all that’s why we have two ears and only one mouth - for us to listen more and speak less.
I have a habit of compiling a to-do list for every day, which helps me to prioritise all my activities logically.
However, I am humble enough to accept constructive criticism, since no one is perfect.
