Greetings Graduates!
Are you feeling frustrated, and tired of hearing “I’m sorry, but you do not have enough experience for the position”, or simply not knowing where to look for work?
Your pain is felt! Everyone with a job, started in your position and there is no awe-inspiring answer. It has always been tough, the economy has always gone through ups and downs, there has never been enough jobs for everyone, and there have been massive devastations, that have brough the world to its knees (For example: World War 1, World War 2, The Cold War, The Spanish Flu and now Coronavirus). This is called life. However, don’t use this as an excuse to give up!
Today, we have tools that we didn’t have before, such as Google, social media, and job portals. These can be invaluable to a Graduate’s job search and “Post Graduate Self-Education”.
Here are a few tips for you in your job search:
- Manage your expectations. You are not going to earn a top salary straight out of varsity. Here are a few links to articles and websites that will help you gauge your expectations: https://www.careerjunction.co.za/marketing/salarysurvey https://www.michaelpageafrica.com/2019-south-africa-salary-survey https://www.careers24.com/salary-comparison/
- Use social media to create a personal brand that you are proud of, and that will boost your network and career, not hinder it. Clean up your social media accounts. Companies and Recruitment Agencies are stalkers. They will find your dirty laundry, so clean it before they do. Make sure that your social media communicates an image that you want your future employer or clients to have of you. Post and share articles, thoughts and images that are in line with your passions and brand. This will showcase your authenticity and create trust in you as a person.
- Use LinkedIn! It is a brilliant tool. If used properly, it can make you stand out to employers, make your job search a lot easier (because you can apply for jobs using your profile) and all the information you will ever need about business, the economy and its trends, will be at your fingertips. For tips on how to make your LinkedIn profile stand out, CLICK HERE.
- Use Job Portals. There are a few…Google them. Recruiters and large corporates use job portals to advertise vacancies and search for candidates. Having your CV on a job portal will significantly increase your chances of finding a job.
- Never stop studying. Watch educational talks and read article about business. When you do get an interview, you want to have an intelligent answer to the question “what do you do in your spare time?” and be able show that you are informed.
- Motivate yourself! Your job search and life in general will bring you down. Watching or reading something motivational every day will make the world of difference to your state of mind, and help you to push through the bad times.
Here is a little motivation to get you started:
- “Never do anything by halves if you want to get away with it. Be outrageous. Go the whole hog. Make sure everything you do is so completely crazy it’s unbelievable…” ― Roald Dahl, Matilda
- “What you’re supposed to do when you don’t like a thing is change it. If you can’t change it, change the way you think about it. Don’t complain.” ― Maya Angelou, Wouldn’t Take Nothing for My Journey Now
- “Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!” ― Lewis Carroll, Alice Through the Looking Glass
- One of The Most Inspiring Videos Ever – KEEP GOING | Morning Motivation! – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReKoFBezPo0
Keep your head up, make your own luck and create opportunities for yourself.
