Get creative with job hunting

The urgent need to solve youth unemployment is in the spotlight, and both the State of the Nation address and the budget speech cited job creation and unemployment as top priorities.

While it is encouraging that this crisis is being taken seriously by policy makers, the youth may be tempted to sit back and wait for government to create jobs for them.

This is a big mistake. Make yourself as employable as you can, and you will rise to the top when opportunities arise.

Six tips to keep in mind if you are in the job market and help you ace that job:

Volunteer your time
It is a Catch 22 – you need work experience to get a job, but you cannot get a job without work experience. Enter volunteering.
Volunteer your services at a local community centre, non-profit organisation or project. It will add skills to your CV, increase your employment-ability and let potential employers know you are serious about being productive and personal growth.

Grab opportunities
In the current economy, you want to grab any work opening that comes your way, even if it is part-time, badly paid and not your ideal industry.
Today it’s all about work experience, and any job opens doors, create networks and gives you a chance to move forward.
Any job takes you one step closer to your dream job and sets you apart from the crowd.

Stay active
A negative mental state will impact your ability to find a job. No matter how tempting, don’t lie at home in your pajamas all day watching television.
Get up, get dressed, and move. If you arrive at an interview despondent and negative, it will reflect in your body language and an employer won’t be inclined to hire you. Employers want positive, energetic staff who will add to the morale

Upskill yourself
We can’t emphasise enough how important it is to keep developing professionally.
It doesn’t only have to be an accredited qualification – there are dozens of free courses at local NGOs as well as hundreds of free courses online.
Again, it shows employees that you are driven and motivated and take charge of your own development.

Go digital
Digital recruiting is where it’s at. Make sure you register your CV on every available career portal.
Set up automatic alerts where you can be notified of new openings as they come up.
It does get repetitive, and you may wonder if anything will come of it, but keep at it.
Make sure to create a free email account and check it regularly (gmail is super easy to use and free).

Write a killer CV
Your CV is the first thing an employer sees. Keep it short, to the point and with correct grammar.
Get a friend or family member to check the grammar and spelling to make sure it’s perfect.
Good language skills are important for many jobs, and the fact that you took time and effort to present your CV well speaks volumes.

HAVE YOUR SAY

Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter.

For news straight to your phone invite us:

WhatsApp – 072 069 4169

Instagram – zululand_observer