Smart Search

It’s Monday. Job-hunt day! You’re up at 8am. Ready to go by 9am. Coffee in hand you think about where to start…tick…tock...10am

Where to start?

The key to any job-searching is knowing what YOU are looking for! You need to decide where you want to work, what you want to do, and how much are you willing to be paid to do the job.

It often helps to start with an exercise, which I like to call it “Brainstorm Myself”. This exercise helps to make sure you are looking for the right kind of job. You need to be honest with yourself and know what you are good at and some achievements you have made in the past (school/church/competitions). These things will also prepare you for the interview where the interview might ask you the same type of questions!  How can you begin to look for a job when you don’t even know what you want to do or what you CAN do?

Write down answers to the following:

• Your ideal first job (top 5 but, BE REALISTIC!) -what kind of job you are looking for
• Where you would like to work (what company/individual
• What skills and characteristics do you have to do that job, so you can get a better picture of what you have to offer
• Why do you want to do that job
• Your short and long-term goals

What’s next?

Job-hunting used to be about getting the newspaper and trawling through the jobs section or classifieds. Whilst newspapers are still a good place to look for opportunities, particularly your community paper, the internet is another great place to look –at home, school, your local library or internet cafe. Online job-hunting take practice. Be prepared, some internet cafes may charge by the minute. In Cape Town, most municipal libraries offer free internet access to library card holders (it’s free to get a library card)!

What do I search for?

If you do a Google search (www.google.co.za) for “job opportunities in South Africa”, approximately 441,000,000 results come up…EEK! That’s not a good place to start! Use the answers from your brainstorm exercise above and start by typing these keywords into the search field. Use these keywords to search for jobs with specific skill requirements rather than searching for jobs in general. Find out which job portals are most popular for the type of work you are looking for. You can ask your teacher/lecturers, friends, past employers, relatives or mentor. Many companies and recruitment agents advertise opportunities for “first jobs”, “graduates”, “Matriculants”, “Part-time” or “No experience needed”. Add these keywords in your searches. You may need to use the advanced search option. There are a number of websites listed at the end of this article to help you get started. 

You should also read about the companies you would like to work for and learn about what they do; understand their vision and see if you truly want to work for them. Check out what job opportunities they are promoting on their website in the Careers or Jobs section. Do they have positions available at your level? Do they have jobs for school-leavers, graduates or offer internships or apprenticeships?

Be SPECIFIC and CREATIVE

Be creative. E.g. Sales or Retail jobs- search for retail assistant, sales consultant, customer service agent, shop assistant etc. By doing this you are searching for the same kind of job in many different ways.When you’re typing in search terms or filling in entry fields on job websites, include as much detail as you can to narrow your hunt and get closer to the job that’s right for you.

·         Include:

• The industry you want to work in –don’t worry if you’re new to the world of work
•  Job type and title
•  Location: City or area you’d like to work in. 
• Level (junior/mid/management): keep it real! Look for jobs within your experience level to maximise your chances of getting an interview
•  Full-time/ Part-time/ Contract/ Permanent: in these hard times, explore what’s out there. 

Get smart – make the Internet work for you

With so much information to sift through online, it’s important to streamline the job-hunting process. Sites like www.jobrapido.co.za and www.jobisjob.co.za collect postings from other career sites in South Africa and put them in one place so you don’t have to jump from one site to another. Sign up for job alerts for new job postings that match your search criteria, and you will be notified when new jobs are advertised, making your job search quicker and easier! 

Some websites to check out:

www.Careerjunction.co.za, www.Pnet.co.za, www.skillsportal.co.za; www.Bizcommunity.com; www.ngopulse.org; www.Gumtree.co.za; www.skillspage.com

GOOD-LUCK!               

  

Employer Branding…A Gastronomic Opportunity!

I love to eat out. I arrive. I order a glass of wine, relax and start to read the menu. Just as I have made a choice and feel ready to order, the waiter arrives with the specials board. I usually find that everything on special sounds so good! Don’t you?

Job-hunting and electing to apply for a position at an “Employers of Choice” is no different. Candidates go online and read through the extensive “menu” of employment opportunities. A “special” few employers stand out. They are businesses with a strong social conscience both in terms of their relationships with their employees and what they are doing within the communities that surround them.

Minchington (2005) in Wikipedia.com defines Employer Branding as “the image of your organisation as a ‘great place to work’ in the mind of current employees and key stakeholders in the external market (active and passive candidates, clients, customers and other key stakeholders). The art and science of employer branding is therefore concerned with the attraction, engagement and retention of initiatives targeted at enhancing your company's employer brand."

So what are South African employers doing to enhance their brands? What are they doing to attract the right applicants in the recruitment process? Where do they meet graduates? Whilst many employers are doing a lot to promote their product, be it physical or somewhat esoteric, most of them ride on this reputation to be their employer brand. Candidates are thinking “just because we like your product doesn’t necessarily mean we like your business management style.” That’s not to say you are doing anything wrong or unethical but rather that the style of management employed in your business may not be right for a desirable candidate.

So what can you do to communicate a favourable employer brand?


I don’t have all the answers on the way that this can be done but I can start to scratch the surface. I believe a tangible starting point is engaging in employee development opportunities. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Does your business invest in its people? 
• What sort of training do you offer? 
• Is it on-going? 
• Is it technical or personal? 
• Do your employees value you more as an employer because of the development opportunities that form part of their package? 
• Do your candidates and potential employees know about these initiatives and seek you out as an “employer of choice”?
• Do you feel are you attracting the right talent?

HR.BLR.com highlights the importance of being able to answer these questions in a positive manner in order to attract top talent. They say business should:

1. Focus on independent goals and in doing so employers can extract the greatest value from the efforts of employees
2. Employers and managers should strive to bring out the best in their employees. Employers will benefits from adopting a collaborative and cooperative approach to decision making.
3. Good work-life balance results in energetic employees.  Employers should therefore give their employees the opportunity to refresh and renew. 

In summary there are substantial benefits that come from investing in people development. Organisations can look forward to attracting top talent, higher levels of performance from existing staff, greater workforce stability, and the level of continuity that assures preservation of the knowledge base, customer loyalty, employee satisfaction, and stronger profits.

Where can you start?


S-Connect offers an opportunity to network with University and college students and outside of their formal curriculum during Work-Readiness training sessions. Sponsoring this training gives employers an opportunity to have branded recruitment material available and integrated into training sessions. Students are able to access all information relevant to your organisation and begin the application process during the training session. Representatives from your company may be present before and after the training, or during breaks to engage with students and answer questions.

Not for you? 

Check out our Graduate Development program opportunity. Our structures programs are development in consultation with stakeholders at all levels in your business. We are focused on understanding your organisations values and culture and work towards developing a program in line with these.

By showing your commitment to development right from the start, before the recruitment process even begins, you are able to attract top talent that are hungry for growth and seek out employers who will feed this hunger! In an exceptionally competitive recruitment environment where future leaders are still “reading the menu” you have the opportunity to be on the specials board!

Future Forward...To Work or Play?

Whenever I attend university career-offices and expo’s I am amazed by the level of participation and interested coming from the students. I constantly ask myself, “How come I never went to these when I was a student?” In fact, I wonder if I was even aware that they were going on. What it also makes me wonder about is how many students like me are there out there today? I always knew that after studying I wanted to travel. Where, was not important, I just wanted to go!

Jobs are scarce and graduate opportunities limited, so students looking for opportunities for the new year need to be bright and on the ball. It is no longer good enough to wait until final exams are finished to start job hunting. You are likely to find that most companies with graduate development programs in place have filled there ‘quota’ before final exams even start! Companies are looking for forward thinking candidates, who know how to plan and have done the thorough research into their career prospects.

But starting your career might not be what you are after following your studies. You might want to take a “gap-year”, have a breather and see the world. Please, don’t underestimate how good this could be for you or your career!

How you ask? Well, this is the way I see it…

You have spent the larger part of the past +/- 22 years in an educational institution that has created a strong framework for you to “operate” within. You have had classes to attend, homework to do, exams to write. You’ve had had to be there at certain times and had to conform to their rules. At the end of this road, you may choose to venture into the world without boundaries! Leaving this formal and fixed path is daunting for many. But it’s brave, bold and can be super fun!

The life experience you will gain along the way will make it clearer to you what direction your career should/ could take. You will be exposed to different people from all walks of life and they will introduce you to ideas/ concepts and opportunities you had no clue even existed! They will questions your past choices and the way you see the world.  And all this will mold you into a clearer (or more confused) version of yourself. 

Huh?? So why would I do this if it makes me more confused? 

Well, it’s much better to be confused outside of a job or formal graduate development program than to be confused in one! You have a much greater opportunity for “self-discovery” and “clarity”. You may also find out about careers you never even knew existed or jobs that match passion, you will learn about things that take your careers in unexpected directions. So if you are open-minded and adventurous this might be the route for you!

My advice:

• Take unexpected opportunities
• Be open-minded
• Go with the flow
• Research what’s out there to do

Here are some potentially useful links to post-graduates options:

Working-holiday in USA:          www.ccusa.co.za

Kibbutz:                                      www.kibbutzvolunteer.com/

Contiki:                                       http://za.contiki.com/

UK working visa:                       www.workpermit.com/uk/wh_working_in_uk.htm

General :                                    www.projects-abroad.org.za

 Bon-voyage! Enjoy the journey to.......

This is what they had to say about our Work-Readiness training...Hunt to Kill

"It was great attending the workshop, I feel like I am ready for the world out there. It was a privileged to attend. Thank you!!"

"The workshop was very good and eye opening. I have learnt how to professionally present myself."

"The training was informative and the trainer made every section clear to me and I think with all the skills I have learned today I will go places and I think it will be a good thing if you offer this type of training more often. "

"The most inspiring and encouraging presentation I have ever had to keep me going and driven. "

Interview Tips: EMPLOY ME

Thinking about a good and memorable acronym for some interview tips, EMPLOY ME seemed like a good, straightforward and direct choice. At the the end of the interview that is the message you want to send out to the recruiter! 

So here are a few tips: 

Engage: Be engaged and engaging in the interview. The interviewer needs to get to know you, as well as possible, in a limited time period. Show interest in the business and the role; listen to the questions; try to make the interview into more of a conversation than a Q & A session.

Me: Remember the interview is about YOU! You need to focus on YOUR achievements and accomplishments. Be focused on YOUR contributions to the team rather that what the team accomplished as a whole.

Proof: Back up all statements with proof. If you say you can do something , back it up with examples of past experience, times when you did this or something similar. Try to give as much detail as possible.

Look the part: First impression last! Make sure you are dressed appropriately for the interview. Rather be too smart that too casual! Even in a relaxed work environment you need to dress for an interview!

You should be clean, neat and tidy- body, hair and clothing.

Outspoken: Even if you are an introvert you have to be outspoken in an interview. An interviewer won’t necessarily have a chance to get to know you if you don’t use this opportunity to sell yourself. This is a MARKETING opportunity. They have your CV and have invited you for an interview, now you have to do the talking!

Yes I can: Always have a “CAN DO” attitude. Show willingness to learn and receptivity to feedback.

Manners: Be well mannered before, during and after the interview. You can do this by being polite on the phone during the pre-interview period. Greet the interviewer/s politely with a handshake and eye contact. Be polite to everyone you encounter in the office, including the receptionist, security guard or office administrator who greets you on arrival. Remember to thank the interviewer for their time and the opportunity.

Excellence: Focus on being the best possible candidate. Give an indication of your excellence through examples of past experience where you have made achievements. Highlight your excellence. Employers want winners! Know you are a winner and they will know you are an EXCELLENT candidate!

GOOD-LUCK!!

Application time...2012

It's that time of year that recruiters love and dread! A time of year when they are out in full force on University and College campuses selling themselves to you as "Employers of Choice" and building their Employer brands so that you aspire to be part of their organisations. This is the fun part- the part where they get to see the faces of the future, before being snowed under a pile of CV's and online applications.  

So my questions to you are as follows:

Have you thought about your future?

Where will you be in 2012?

Have you been to any career fairs or talks on your campus?

Have you prepared your CV?

Have you researched companies that you would like to work for?

HAVE YOU APPLIED?

If you are planning to work next year, now is the time to get your applications in. All going well you will head into final exams with a job lined up for the new year. This means you will be able to focus on your studies and enjoy your holiday!

Check out: S-Connect on FB and LIKE for regular tips on CV writing, job hunting and interviews.

www.facebook.com/pages/S-Connect/148227138581215

Introducing S-Connect

S-Connect (Student-Connect) believes that building a strong employer brand is crucial to recruiting high potential graduates. As Graduate Specialist consultants we are able to offer a holistic service that will help build your employer brand and follow through to build strong relationships with employees after hire.

We are able to offer 4 unique services to you:

• S-Connected Program (Monitor and mentoring of bursary students)
• Work –readiness training
• Graduate recruitment
• Consulting on Graduate Training programs

The S-Connected Program is a monitoring and mentoring program for students on bursaries. We will act as a liaison between companies/ trusts and the students who are being sponsored by their bursary funds.

Building this relationship with students will ensure they are kept abreast of business news and results, creating a strong sense of “connectedness” with their bursar. We will see students face-to-face throughout the year and saving travel and in some cases accommodation costs for bursars.

Work-readiness training, these would be short training sessions focusing on basic topics like business etiquette, job-searching, CV preparation and interview skills.

Our “bite-size” training offering will create a platform for meeting graduates and engaging with them outside of the recruitment process it is also an excellent opportunity to establish the employer brand. The type of training we will offer will include Business Etiquette and Communication, Translating Academic Knowledge in the Work Environment, CV Preparation (industry specific); Interview Skills including mock interviews.

University gives graduates the knowledge to perform a role at a certain level and develops the graduate’s ability to think, analyse and problem solve. We aim to equip graduates with the tools to use this knowledge and ability, efficiently, effectively and with utmost professionalism. We hope to present the working world with graduates that are corporate savvy and smart.

We aim to ensure that every graduate that passes through our hands or that of our clients will not only be corporate smart, savvy and set but they will be able to apply and utilize their tools with absolute aplomb.

Recruitment of graduates to businesses with graduate training programs in place. We will supply a full range of options from partial recruitment services or end-to-end recruitment services (with various options in between).

In a persistently fragile economy where labour costs are high, recruitment mistakes potentially disastrous and companies are constantly looking at how to save money. We propose recruiting graduates who show excellent potential for industry, brand and technical fit. This will enable companies to recruit potential high performers at a lower cost and focus on fast tracking them into key strategic positions.

We will strive to work hand in glove with the recruiters ensuring that the best graduates are selected for their programmes, satisfying a need for a culture and corporate fit, skills and attitude and aptitude for the role.

We will help develop clear and structured Graduate Training Programs training programs with specific measurables in place to monitor progress.

Many employers are actively recruiting graduates directly from the tertiary institutions but are not nurturing of the graduates they recruit. Graduates are expected to fulfil junior roles in the businesses with little support and are often accountable for important portfolios without the necessary support, management and leadership that they need. We offer to help structure programmes that will meet business needs and graduate expectations.

With huge amount of time, energy and money that is invested in training graduates the ultimate goal of the Graduate training program should be RETENTION. We will measure the success for the graduate training initiatives based on the companies’ ability to retain these graduates at the end of the program.

We aim to ensure that they are valued, respected and nurtured throughout their program and will be there to assist both the graduate and HR.