25 July 2008
	FM Campus Recruitment Edition Take control of your career by developing an ownership mind-set By Yusuf Mahomedy Entering the SA job market is often a frustrating and disappointing experience for tertiary students.

In spite of the shortage of talent, their job-search is influenced by a range of structural changes in the economy, supply and demand in the professions and organisation-related factors. When you add considerations such as regional employment markets, pre-existing perceptions about particular universities and race and gender issues, it becomes a tangled web. Consider the career path of many students: pursue a degree (sometimes poorly selected); pass with mediocre-to-good results; half-heartedly get vacation work and apply for jobs three to six months before final-year examinations; survive the job hunting obstacle course with recruitment agencies; and then, hopefully, land a job. Jump ahead to the inbox of an employer: "I am a second-year BCom student seeking vacation work or weekend jobs to get practical experience in the finance arena." Or: "I am a final-year marketing student and wish to apply for any graduate recruitment programme or any job available. Please find CV attached." While this shotgun approach may have worked in the past, today's graduate must have a personal career-management system in place. A career management system gives organisation, structure and direction to your efforts. It consciously puts you in the driving seat of your career. Having the right mind-set - particularly a "real ownership" mind-set - gives you a quick, cheap passport to success. "Real owners" know they can do a lot on their own to create work success. They accept responsibility for their career and do not wait for government, organisations or their parents to make it happen. Real owners understand that work will fill 33%-40% of their life and they want to make the most of the experience. Human resources consultants at corporations complain about a "generation Y" that comes to interviews with an attitude of entitlement about position and remuneration packages. Real owners do not feel entitled, play blame games or wallow in self-pity. While they recognise the effects of uncontrollable events and market realities, they leverage their existing levels of control to take informed career decisions. Twenty-first century career management demands consistent action. Ideally, you should start the day you enrol at your tertiary institution. Establish a personal advisory board to support your actions and hold you accountable. It could include your parents, a lecturer, a mentor in your field of work and a career coach. Expand your range of performance measures for each academic year. Besides examination results, track your number of job applications, correspondence with prospective employers, the number of Google pages about you, the growth in your business networks and the development of your CV. Yusuf Mahomedy, (CA(SA) AdvTax), is a reward consultant, business coach and founder of career website Worksucks Make Work, Work