If you want to find a specific job opportunity, you will have to compete with many others. There are many educated and even overly qualified individuals in South Africa who are looking for the jobs that are available. If you have earned a diploma or certificate of training, and you want a job in the area for which you have trained, you will need considerable motivation to find an appropriate job opportunity. In such cases, the job interview represents an important way to differentiate yourself from the competition. You must convince the interviewer to take a chance on you.
It can be beneficial to use an employment agency to help you locate the right job opportunity. Employment agencies have the skills and resources needed to match workers with the right jobs. Because so many people are looking for good job opportunities, you will need to ensure that your resume is up to date and that it offers the kind of information about your credentials and experience to make a potential employer hire you over your competition.
You must remain flexible and be ready to adjust your schedule to meet the time constraints of any company that wants to interview you. With some time and patience, you will be able to find just the job opportunity you dreamed of. Of course, if you need an income right away, you may have to settle for a lower paying job that you can get immediately. You can always continue to look for the job you really want while working at a job that is less desirable.
The more ways you attempt to find a job, the greater you increase your chances of landing one. You can look at advertised vacancies online, read through your local newspaper, get friends to help by asking around or maybe try cold calling companies you’d like to work for.
Job Vacancies Online
There are many job vacancy websites available to use online. Some sites list a variety of vacancies where others list vacancies for specific industries.
Many companies list on job vacancy websites however most will post listings on their own websites as well. If you have a company in mind that you would like to work for, it is a good idea to check out their home website first to see if any vacancies are available.
Check Local Newspapers
Most major newspapers issue a daily paper and have a weekly employment issue that advertises job ads and vacancies. Papers with a weekend addition will often have a large employment section attached.
Using Recruitment Agencies
Recruitment agencies advertise their job vacancies in newspapers, on their own website and on larger employment websites as well. You will need to register with each individual recruitment agency in order to apply for their situations vacant. Registration is usually free because the recruitment agencies are paid by the employers.
Recruitment agencies are often known to contact you via phone or email about other jobs that they think will be suited to you. These agencies are an effective way to access jobs that are not advertised publicly.
Contacting Employers Directly
Cold calling employers will allow you to find positions that are not publicly advertised, increasing your chances of landing a job. Many of these jobs are filled by friends and relatives of current employees or people who have taken the initiative to contact the employer directly. Approaching an employer directly will allow you to target jobs that are in your industry of interest and often lead to a variety of employment opportunities.
Other Places to look for Job Vacancies
Professional and industry journals are a good resource to check through for job vacancies and can be purchased, borrowed from libraries or downloaded on the Internet.
Career fairs and expos are run by universities, recruitment agencies and industries where employers provide career options and information about job opportunities. You can apply for positions, take flyers and talk to representatives, so be sure to take along a few copies of your CV and prepare for any impromptu interviews.