South Africa has one of the highest unemployment rates in the world. A lot of people are unemployed and it’s not because they don’t have the skills necessary to get a job. But because of the scarcity of job opportunities. Job hunting without any success can be very depressing and draining. This guide will give tips on how to search for a job in South Africa both physically as well as online.
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How most people do it
Most people just print CVs and go to places of work and leave them there. This is a very tiring and frightening way to look for a job especially for introverts. At some point in my life I was job hunting, fresh out of high school, I took this approach and didn’t get very far with it. I remember at one time going to submit my CV at McDonalds; it was very early in the morning, it was so packed that I got very nervous and turned back. I couldn’t bear the thought of getting inside the store while everyone was looking at me and enquire about job openings in front of people. Some of us are just not that brave.
A lot of people do find jobs using this technique but I realised that it could be modified, especially for people who sometimes get frightened. I realised that I would not get any job if I was afraid of people but I could not completely go and ask for a job right in front of many people. What I did was to go into the store/shop or business and find the nearest worker and just ask if they don’t take any CVs, if the answer was yes then I could submit my CV with confidence and if it was a no, I could leave. You can use this approach too.
Most effective approach
The most effective approach has to be online job searching in South Africa. You will never go wrong with online job searching in South Africa. It is easier to just scan for all the available jobs in your area that you qualify for. You also don’t spend a lot of money on travelling expenses and CV printing. Physical job searching is very demanding and unsustainable; it often feels like a job itself. That is why most people hunt for jobs for one week then sit at home and wait to be called to an interview and months go by without any luck.
I found my first job online, it was a job I didn’t like very well but it was something, I received an email calling me to a job interview.
How to search for a job online in South Africa
In order to get a job online you can always go to Google, Bing, and DuckDuckGo and start searching for jobs in your area. You will get hundreds of results, see how different this is from the other approach, with online job hunting you are able to see who is hiring and submit your CV there. Most results will likely come from Indeed, Careers24 and other reputable platforms.
The next step would be to screen through all those job posts and find the ones that are suitable to you and send your CV. In order to send your CV, you need to have scanned it into your phone or Computer. This is much more effective than the other method, you are also able to leave your CV on platforms like Indeed and recruiters can find your CV and contact you. You also have an option of getting job notifications that fit your qualifications.
Recruitment agencies
You can pay a recruitment agency to do the job hunting for you. They will handle everything on your behalf and you can just lay back and relax. You will receive a call to an interview, you will have to pop up some money for this privilege. Agencies like Harambee help people with job placements for free. Here is one of our favourite recruitment agencies below.
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Conclusion: How to search for a job in South Africa
This was a brief guide on how to search for a job in South Africa. People have different experiences when it comes to job hunting. Your qualifications and skills might also impact how you search for a job. This is an open article, anyone with experience in job hunting can contribute to it. Do you have any thoughts or questions? Comment below.
