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Bloemfontein - Last week’s warning by trade union Solidarity that only four out of every ten matriculants who enter the labour market directly after matric will find jobs has made many young school-leavers – and their parents – feel rather despondent.
However, all is not lost, say labour experts consulted by Sake24.
“The labour market is very competitive at the moment, but at the same time companies are urgently looking for the right kind of young talent, says Ilse Killian-Ross, the founder of Unidas, an employment and life-skills agency.
“The market is opening for alert and talented young people who are willing to learn. I would even like to predict that there will be far less focus on colour, gender or any other quotas this year and that companies are looking instead for school-leavers who have the right attitude.”
Start at the bottom
One of the first things a matriculant who is looking for a job must realise is that he or she must be prepared to start at the very bottom, says Nritika Singh, MD of recruitment company Isilumko Staffing.
“There are many examples of senior executives of South African companies who started as receptionists or counter clerks. If you are ambitious, your superiors will notice it.”
Matriculants who can’t find a job should even consider doing voluntary work or offering their services free of charge to the company where they are most interested in working, says Hanchen Korff, the owner of Focus Personnel, a Bloemfontein company that places staff countrywide.
“In this way, you will be able to mention work experience on your CV, and companies will also see that you are prepared to do that bit extra.”
Equip yourself as well as possible
The problem is that a matric certificate alone doesn’t really give job-seekers much of an advantage, says Solidarity’s Dr Dirk Hermann.
“School training doesn’t really equip school-leavers adequately to enter the labour market successfully.”
That’s precisely why the onus rests on the young job-seeker to do research on what the labour market is looking for, and how he can comply with that, says Killian-Ross.
“Young people must focus their job applications. Don’t send out all-purpose, generic CVs and applications. Identify the companies where your skills could be required, and read up on the Internet so that you can go to an interview fully prepared and meeting all the requirements. You only get one chance to make a good first impression.”
She warns that companies advertise vacancies on their own websites nowadays and don’t necessarily make use of agencies.
Job-seekers must therefore do their homework and get to know the names of companies in their chosen sectors, so that they can check regularly whether there are vacancies.
Korff says that matriculants who have the necessary computer skills, as well as subjects like accountancy and maths, do not have problems finding jobs.
There is also always a demand for artisans like diesel mechanics, plumbers and electricians.
She recommends that job-seekers should also learn a third language, for example Sotho, to improve their marketability.
Singh points out that options like administrative work or getting a job in a call centre should also be considered by matriculants who have to start earning money immediately.
“Seize the opportunities”
In a country with a critical shortage of certain skills, companies could benefit by being more flexible in their screening of young applicants, says Singh.
“Sometimes it’s worth while inviting ‘rough diamonds’ for interviews and determining what their potential is, rather than just focusing on experience and how someone fits into a predetermined pattern.”
If you get an opportunity like this, grab it with both hands, says Killian-Ross. “Go for it for all you’re worth. Don’t send in an application half-heartedly as if you know in advance that you don’s stand a chance. Show them what you’re made of.”
- Sake24
For business news in Afrikaans, go to Sake24.com.
