Getting Ahead

Congratulations on securing a job! The skills and personality traits you possess enabled you to secure this job. You now join your new colleagues on an equal footing and your focus shifts to the business goals. In order to get ahead in the business, meet personal and organisational goals, you will need to build on your existing knowledge and convert this into good business practice. You will also need to learn new skills to ensure success. You face the challenge of fitting in but still need to stand out enough to make a good impression. Grounded in what enabled you to secure your job, here are specific areas that you need to focus on to ensure you are successful.

Timekeeping

In most work environments timekeeping is a vital part of creating a positive first impression. As a new joiner, the hours you put in often reflected how hard you are working.  It is not only about the hours you put in, but also about arriving on time! Graduates are notoriously oblivious of the importance of timekeeping and often arrive late in the morning. In general, the world of work has high standards and norms in this regard. Until you have settled in and understand the organisational norms it is advisable to arrive on time, follow teams norms for lunch breaks, and leave when you manager lets you go, or when you are sure you are done with all your work for the day. Try not to be the first to leave!

Office Politics

What’s the right way to behave in the office? Who are the “right” people to engage with, and/or model your behaviour on? To begin with align yourself with the right people and model your behaviour on the behaviour of successful individuals. Find a mentor at work by taking notice of who performs well in your company and model your behaviour on them. This leads us to the issue of office politics which can be used positively or negatively. Positively, it is about thinking smart and making strategically good decisions to get ahead. Negatively, it is about taking advantage of others for personal gain through inappropriateness, gossip or slander. There is always a political game at work and even choosing not to participate is a political decision. Don’t complain, gossip or join in backstabbing conversations- what goes around comes around!

Communication

A common mistake for first-timers at work is that they tend to speak without thinking about the consequences of sharing their views or opinions, without being able to support their views in practice. Similarly, when sending emails, make sure your message is clear and that you are able to action all views or proposals. One of the dangers when communicating over email is that how you intend the message to be received (i.e. your tone) might not be the way in which the recipient receives it. As such, you should always be very careful of not only WHAT you communicate over email but also HOW you communicate. Also remember that it is not appropriate to forward joke and chain letters at work or to people in the office.

Communication in the work environment, whether it is verbal or non-verbal, has a direct impact on our effectiveness at work. While much of your communication with others at work is verbal, it is important to note that 70% of our communication is non-verbal. It is important to always be aware of your body language when communicating with others. Make sure that your body language is conveying the same message as your words.

How can you raise your profile at work?

It is great to be armed with some tricks on how to raise your profile in the business. Getting involved in meetings, especially at a higher level, is an opportunity to get exposure to what’s going in the business, (even if you are just the person taking the minutes of the meeting). You never know when you might be called on to give an opinion. However, if you are there as a minute-taker you may be there for that purpose only. It is important to know how best to behave in meetings to ensure that you always make a good impression. Be sure you know what is expected of you before the meeting, and don’t actively participate in the meeting UNLESS that is expected of you! Don’t be intimidated at the thought of  taking minutes, it is likely that there is a set format that is used at  such meetings, just make sure you go in prepared with the correct stationery and knowledge of what you are expected to record at the meeting (follow the format). This is a great opportunity to raise your profile in your team, provided you are good at it!

Best foot forward…away you go!

Blast off your career...

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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!!