In early 2012,  like all the other graduates, I found myself unemployed. I had finished writing my last exam in November 2011 and  remember this exam explicitly, it was a communications exam. I then, like all the other graduates who come to the big city to study, went home for the December holidays. I only started hyperventilating about my no work status in January when I had to make my way back to the big city to look for employment.

By Oluchi B Carter

I would like to paint the sad story about my poor parents having to use money they didn’t have to get me to Johannesburg and having to financially support me until I could find employment; and having to use all my money and time in internet cafes and subsequently remaining unemployed for four months.  I cannot put in words the amount of frustration and depression I endured during that time period. However, this is not the article for that. The article aims to give direction on how to avoid that and be pro-active in looking for an organisation before you even graduate so that you can avoid being part of South Africa’s unemployed graduate statistic which is getting bigger every year.

I thought I would work for Draft FCB after my graduation, little did I know that things would turn out so differently. First, as an undergraduate, you need to identify industry players in the field you are aspiring to work in. Identify at least 10 players and follow them on all social platforms including but not limited to company website, Facebook, twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. LinkedIn is one of the best platforms for budding careerists; please use it as frequent as possible. Do check employees and senior management profiles on Linked in, specifically their qualifications as well as previous employment. This helps you get the gist of the organisational structure and its culture. It may seem like a lot, but as a tertiary student, one of the few things you have in abundance is the internet.

Take risks, find a manager in the department you want to work it and send them an email asking if you can job shadow for at least a week at no cost to the company. This will look good in your resume. The aim of job shadowing is so that you can be familiar with the work environment in the filed you aspire to work in. You might not get a response, you might get a no or you might get a yes.  Life is about taking changes. I was fortunate enough to job shadow for a week at an electrical engineering company in high school. In that experience I learned that I actually do not want to be an electrical engineer. And nor do I want anything to do with the sciences.

The aim is so that you get a job, and get a job that you want. Websites like Gradza etc. are doing a great job in directing graduates to companies that offer internships and learner ships. The limitation is that they only offer direction, like any other regular job hunting site. I was not one to be buddy buddy with lectures but I have learned that some form of relationship with a lecture helps in steering one in the right direction. Pick their brains on best companies to work for, what to expect once you start working, do they have any contacts in the industry and so on.

Last but not least, your CV speaks volumes. Please use a professional template. Also, make sure that your cover letter is at least two paragraphs long, get to the point as well as add a recent professional picture of yourself.

The sooner you start your job search, the higher your chances of finding employment. Start while you are still a student. If you are fortunate to know certain individuals that work in a similar field, ask them for guidance. The more visible you are, the higher your chances of being employed. Again, take risks.

Article republished with full permission from Oluchi B Carter from his page: https://blackchronicles101.wordpress.com/2018/05/01/the-unemployed-graduate/

Are you completing college this year? If yes then congratulations in advance from the Zim Business Ideas and Network. In this post we look at possible entrepreneurship opportunities which you can pursue.

Job Prospects
Beef up your resume with voluntary work experience working for organisations in your community..small businesses, preschools, churches etc. When you finish college, your greatest disadvantage is that you do not have work experience. So beef this up with a lot of voluntary work which you can do on a part-time basis. You can even talk to your pastor and come up with a small income generating project that gives you and other youngsters practical work experience.

Spruce up your curriculum vitae,writing old fashioned curriculum vitaes  where you have four pages of your academic transcript is medieval! Talk to your guardian and approach Human Resources Practitioners in your area and get skills on writing winning cvs and interview techniques. Cv writing is forever changing and the best way for fresh graduates is to get professional help. Less than 1% of college graduates do this, so gain a competitive advantage by working with professionals. 

A recruiting manager usually has less than 5 seconds to make a decision whether to shortlist your cv or not. The cv above 2/10 and the one below 4/10. Know how to get 6/10 and you are on your way to improving your chances of landing an interview.

Know all the sources of job postings and join. In Zimbabwe The Kubatana.net online newsletter has a number of intern jobs coming out on a weekly basis.

Entrepreneurship Route
It is best to keep in your field of study for the first few years after college. We recommend this because you need to beef up your cv with relevant experience. If you studied Marketing then doing Digital Marketing …helping SMEs, Churches or NGOs with Digital Marketing work means you can put work done on your cv. With the Digital Marketing field expanding, you may not even need to look for work again!

If you study accounting and you get no job, then consider registration of companies (very easy), developing business plans, setting up online stores, developing websites, helping the SME sector with bookkeeping or accounting services. You beef up your cv and also earn extra income.Set up your own registered accounting services company and slowly develop it. Imagine applying for a job with your peers and during the interview.

If you studied Human Resources Management, set up your own HR Consultancy firm. Business is not going to come easily but if you master digital marketing then only the sky is the limit. Think of small companies in need of HR services?

If you studied law but got no job, think of areas that are expanding…business! We have few legal minds entering the corporate law field.Enrol for ACCA, consider CISA, Fraud Examination courses. If you can learn app development then you will get ahead of everyone especially with online legal services being the next big thing. Closely look at areas you did not study enough at college…look at the needs of society and fill the gap. Digital Marketing is not part of the law degree and a good number of legal firms would be needing these services in the not too distant future.

Extra Skills for Graduates

1. Website development: You can learn on your own by researching on Youtube. I developed Zimbabwe’s best followed small business website in 6 hours! No prior knowledge of website development and noone to direct me how it is done. Look at the number of companies or NGOs with no websites or those with no up to date information on their websites. If you cannot learn on your own then enrol for a formal course. Certification is a big plus on your resume!

2. Graphic Design: It is closely related to Digital Marketing, learn how to do graphic designs and charge a minimum of $20 for small company logos

3. Online Store Setups: E-commerce is the next big thing in town, help clients to set up and earn between $300-$500 per client. Also set up online shops for many products and services

4. Dial a Service: Did you read our article on ‘convenience and competitive advantage?’ Dial a Service is gaining momentum especially in the leafy suburbs. Dial a beer, dial a meal…we comprehensively covered this area in our book on opportunities for Zimbabweans.

Last but not least, Learn Arts and Crafts with the regional market in mind. Huge potential in regional cities such as Durban and Cape Town for art and crafts. You can also try  Tapestry which our organisation launched regionally with huge success. Tapestry or shaggy rug making is providing extra incomes for those making carpets or teaching others. You can also make money through the selling of carpet making material such as tapestry mats or knitting yarn. Great demand in South Africa where many of our trainees have made a lot especially in Cape Town, Limpopo, KZN and Gauteng.

So build up experience in your relevant field and do other side hustles such as vending, baking cakes, bead making, mabhero, car selling. Do not lose money on Online Forex Trading, Bitcoins or other ponzi schemes.

Taken and edited from the book ‘Business Opportunities for South Africans’.