Venturing out into the working world can be daunting - but arming yourself with the right information can be an empowering experience.
Luckily, finding the information you need is a process that begins close to home. The best place to start your job hunt is on your campus. Most university career guidance centres have company brochures and recruitment information available, as well as tips and advice for getting a job.
Each year, companies also visit campuses around the country to recruit graduates. Your career centre should carry all the information you need about the various graduate recruitment programmes on offer and how to go about applying for them.
Your lecturers can also help you with your first steps into the working world. They know people in the "real" world, and could possibly give you some direction in terms of who to contact.
In addition to the resources available at your university, the following resources could help you get your career on track:
Newspapers, magazines and books
- The Sunday Times, The Times and the Mail & Guardian are good places to look for national jobs. Local and regional newspapers also have job listings, as well as workplace supplements with career advice.
- SA Career Focus is a 10-issue-per-year magazine that provides career advice and an overview of various industry sectors. For more information, visit: www.sacareerfocus.co.za.
- For career advice and job-hunt tips, the following books could prove useful: Jumpstart Your Career: Essential Steps to a Brilliant Future (by Philippa Lamb and Nigel Cassidy, BBC Active); The Business Student's Handbook (by Sheila Cameron, Prentice Hall); Killer CVs and Hidden Approaches (by Graham Perkins, Prentice Hall); The Secrets of Success at Work (Richard Hall, Prentice Hall). They are available at most good bookstores.
Job-search websites
There are loads of online career portals offering job listings as well as online career advice. For more sites, do a Google search. Also remember that many companies advertise on their own websites.
- With more than 1 000 companies using its services, www.careerjunction.com is SA's leading online recruitment site.
- For on- and offline recruitment solutions, visit: www.recruitmentdirect.co.za.
- Jobs on the Internet (www.jonti.co.za) is a specialist graduate recruitment agency.
- For career listings in the ICT and finance sector, visit: www.careerweb.co.za, www.facareers.co.za and www.datafin.com.
- For engineering listings, visit: www.engineeringcareers.co.za.
- For temporary and permanent assignments, visit: www.findastudent.co.za.
- For job listings and advice for graduates, visit: www.gradzone.co.za.
- Other sites to search: www.jobportal.co.za; www.bestjobs.co.za; www.ioljobs.co.za; www.jobs.co.za; www.careers24.com; www.jobmail.co.za.
Career advice
- The SA Graduate Development Association (www.sagda.org.za) offers programmes in job readiness and life and business skills, as well as career advice and guidance.
- For information on graduate placement and recruitment, visit the SA Graduate Recruitment Association on www.sagra.org.za.
- www.gradx.net is the online version of Student Village's career guide, GradX.
- The Job Search Clinic (www.jobsearching.co.za) is managed by CV writer and job-search coach Gerard le Roux, who sends out e-newsletters and holds job-search seminars.
- www.damngood.com and www.quintcareers.com both offer valuable online career advice - but bear in mind that they are based in the US, so not everything you read on them will be applicable.
Professional associations
- Actuarial Society of SA: www.assa.org.za.
- Association for the Advancement of Black Accountants of Southern Africa: www.abasa.org.za.
- Association of Black Security & Investment Professionals: www.absip.co.za.
- Independent Regulatory Board of Auditors: www.paab.co.za.
- Institute of Management Consultants of SA: www.imcsa.org.za.
- Economic Society of SA: website: www.essa.org.za.
- Engineering Council of SA: www.ecsa.co.za.
- SA Institute of Chartered Accountants: www.saica.co.za.
