Job Search
Navigating the overcrowded job market
01 year ago
5 Tips for jobseekers on how to stand out in the job market, conquer discouragement & stay motivated.
1) Word of Mouth
Remember the old saying “news travels fast” – well it’s true! Nothing beats the good ‘ol way of spreading the news than word of mouth. In fact, in all my years of recruitment experience, this is something that is attributed a vast number of hires. Get your friends and family in the know about your desire to seek new opportunities.
2) Social Networking
The world is fast evolving and technology is daily innovating new ways to make connections between people more efficient and further reaching. Leverage off of these opportunities and use Facebook & Twitter to let friends know you are in the job market; search company Fan Pages and Follow them on Twitter as they often advertise job vacancies utilizing this media. Linked In is equally as useful in creating a professional online profile that looks just like an online CV. There, your details are searchable and again, it’s a great place to find jobs advertised and new career opportunities.
3) Register your Profile Online
Along with Linked In there are many online job boards where you can access job vacancies and register your CV & profile. Places such as Thirst4Work, and the best thing about it (much like the social networking tools) – its free!
4) Specialist Recruitment Partners
If you have a specialist skill, perhaps along with registering with local recruitment agencies, it is suggested to find specialist agencies that recruit for your niche area of expertise e.g. IT, HR or Finance. These expert agencies allow for your details to sit among a specialist pool of candidates as opposed to a general mix-match of candidates across varying job categories – the benefit being more focused attention.
5) “Like” attracts “Like”
A positive energy goes a long way to positive things happening in your life and in this instance; your job search. People are attracted to positive people and sure enough something will come through for you at just the right time. Remind yourself that negativity breeds negativity: remain focused, and realize that success never comes easy, its all about perspective and you probably wont get the next job you apply for – but look forward to all the people you meet along way, make new contacts, network and enjoy the experience as a learning one. There is always something for everyone, follow your heart and smile, you will find the right thing in the right time.
Kindly provided by Ashley Swanepoel from Talent Desk
ashley@talentdesk.co.za
Importance of recommendations
01 year ago
We’ve all been there, looking at a product or service. Undecided…should I or shouldn’t I? You may call a friend to see if they can make a recommendation, or you search the web for a review of the product or service. I’m sure we will all agree that we feel so much more comfortable with our decision once we’ve received a recommendation.
Now imagine yourself as an employer, you have this raft of applications to your vacancy and what looks like a load of good CV’s, but who do you choose. They all seem so good!
Introducing the recommendation. Thirst4work.com realises how important a recommendation is when it comes to hiring the right person. Even more so, it adds a whole new dimension to the old and one sided CV. Thirst4work, now gives professionals the ability to add recommendations to their professional profile, this not only enables them to create a professional CV that employers want to see, but now you are able to get your work at each of your positions recommended by colleagues. The employer can now see that you come highly recommended and you will automatically stand out above the rest of the active job seekers. Whats more, this is not only for active job seekers, it is for all professionals to demonstrate and showcase their abilities.
Just login or create your Thirst4work profile, go to your career history and add as many recommendations to each of your work histories as you wish. Your colleagues listed will receive an email asking them to write a recommendation. Thats it.
SA FIND IT – First to use career page plugin
11 year ago
Just launched today and already have our first client using our free plugin to display job openings on their site. Check it out here. http://www.safindit.co.za/careers
SA Find It has recently re-launched and is a site to check out. www.safindit.co.za If you have a business, you should register on the site.
A bit about SAfindIT.co.za
About:
We aim to connect people with their local businesses, service providers, organisations and groups!
Safindit Locl started out as a web-based business directory that was founded in 2004 to help South Africans find contact details for businesses of all descriptions throughout the country.
As of November 2010, the site has been relaunched in a new format that aims to be at the forefront of online technology. This is no longer a business directory as you have come to know them! This is a place for businesses to get the most out of a free online platform that exposes their company to their local community and the rest of South Africa.
But it’s not just for businesses! In addition to browsing our comprehensive business listings, users who sign in can also use SAFindit Locl to find events, special offers, read stories on their favourite suppliers and interact through various functions, supplying feedback and reviews, which can be shared with other users!
We want you to tell us about your experiences and feelings about organisations in your area and we want you to share your love for the local products and people that drive your life.
Business owners, or people involved in an organisation, such as a charity or social club can easily create a free listing where they can add and edit information, pictures, links and videos relating to their business.
We will continue to add businesses along the way, so you may find a listing already exists for your business. People unaffiliated with a business can also add a listing if they feel it should be included and we will verify that all information is correct before publishing the listing.
Features:
Each business listing gets a unique URL which they can send to other people so they can admire it or add the link to their emails or website, Facebook page or other profiles.
Some of the cool features on the business listings include:
- There is a full gallery of pictures relating to the business
- There is a Google Streetview map that takes the viewer to your door
- There are links to Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare and other social media platforms
- A QR Code allows viewers to upload the business info directly to their Smartphone
- We can also load videos and PDF files of Menu’s Price lists or catalogues onto listings so that people can view them.
- Each listing has a section below it where users of the site can review that business/ organisation, so they can interact directly with their customers.
We are adding new and exciting interactive features daily and eventually there will be paid features and businesses will be able to ‘own’ their listing and use it to promote their specials, events and promotions.
Aside from the actual listings, Safindit also has an Events diary where users can add or browse upcoming and past events from concerts and gigs to expos and conferences.
The Collections feature is really exciting! By grouping listings into Collections users can find specific listings easily and effectively. For example, if you’re looking for an awesome Bunny Chow in Durban, you can just look in the ‘Klup a Durban Bunny’ collection. If you were getting married in KZN and were looking for venues, you could just browse the ‘KZN Nuptials’ collection.
We are also adding celebrity collections where celebs and well-known South Africans give us their favourite places and businesses and we put them in a collection. For instance, ‘Ryan Sandes’ Cape Town’ or John Ellis’s Durban’.
We also have a blog that is updates daily with interesting stories unique to South Africa and we are now running bi-monthly competitions where users can win fantastic prizes sponsored by businesses on the site.
The CV is dead!
11 year ago
It is with great sadness that we mourn the passing of the CV. It joins the list of items whose usefulness has been eroded with the advent of the internet and development of social networks.
Why? We hear you ask. Quite simple, in today’s competitive job market place, you need to stand out. We are not talking about creating a flashy CV with pics and colours, we are talking about a CV with a new dimension. The traditional CV is a document which, to be honest, not everyone knows how to write, furthermore, it is your own opinion of yourself. In today’s online and highly networked world, reputation, referrals and recommendations are the order of the day.
Introducing the Thirst4work Professional Profile.
Today, Thirst4work.com, the innovative and connected career portal has launched the “Thirst4work Professional Profile”. Various functionalities have been built into this tool, for example: import your LinkedIn profile, attach your word CV and even better, a sleek step by step prompted guide through the entire process of building a professional online profile. To top this, for each job you’ve held in the past, you are able to request recommendations from colleagues and employers. This feature adds a huge amount of weight to your already professionally presented CV/Profile thus increasing your chances of being called up for that job interview you deserve!
Even if you are not in the job market, you should have a professional profile prepared and maintained.
The tool has already had some fantastic feedback from jobseekers, professionals and employers alike.
Want to see what all the buzz is about? Create your FREE professional profile today. www.thirst4work.com
Work Experience Key to landing a job
11 year ago
The year is has just begun and many new students have enrolled with colleges and universities to gain a better education which will help them secure a good job in the future….or will it??
Let’s place ourselves in the shoes of an employer for just a moment. They have a vacancy, which actually translates to “they have a need for an individual to add value to their business to help it grow.” You place a job ad and start sorting through the applicants.
Before we go any further, who would you choose?
A person with experience for the role that can hit the ground running, or a person with no experience that you have to train?
I’m sure we will all arrive at the same answer, we would rather hire an individual with experience.
Back to the here and now. Many of you have just enrolled in your new courses, have big dreams for the future and expect to land your dream job at the end of your qualification…but as we’ve just explored, it is not that likely.
So what should you do?
My suggestion is that you start today contacting companies or businesses in your chosen profession and try and secure part time work or even offer your services for free to gain experience. This serves a number of purposes, firstly you now have contacts in a company that should you succeed, may offer you a paid job when you graduate. Secondly, you are gaining valuable experience that is relevant to your course and qualification. You will get more out of your studies as you can equate it to real life work experience. Thirdly, your CV now has experience and will soon have a qualification to go with it.
By doing this, you have greatly enhanced your chances of landing the first key role when graduating.
The alternative is you can sit back, study and have an easy year and the struggle to find a job when you graduate.
The choice is yours, make the right one.
Your experiences with Recruitment Agencies – your views
01 year ago
Thirst4work.com is hosting a seminar next week Friday for many of the leading recruitment agencies in KZN. We will be providing guidance on how they can improve their businesses and provide a better service to all.
We would love to hear of your experiences (Good and Bad – no name mentions please) of your interactions and experiences of working with an agency.
Was it a great experience?
Would you use them again?
What would you like to see improved?
Did they provide you with good advice?
Did you get a job through an agency?
This is the ideal opportunity to let your voice be heard.
Please post your comments below and invite your friends to do the same
Staying Motivated
2 years ago
Job searching is rarely quick or easy.
That initial burst of enthusiasm and drive
– often disappears all too soon!
To keep you motivated, we’ve listed out some simple tips to keep you positive along the way.
Be realistic from the start Many people have high expectations when it comes to job searching and expect that new role to land on their lap within weeks. This is not realistic and finding the right job can take many weeks or months. Dedication and commitment to the task are vital. It’s easy to start off full of drive, but maintaining it can be hard. Being realistic from the start will help avoid disappointment - it may take a while before you see results.
Commitment is key Once you’ve completed your Winning CV and decided on clear career goals, commitment to the task in hand is key. Be organized in your approach, keeping track of your applications and ensuring you follow up on each one. Be consistent and constantly learn and adapt along the way.
Turn rejection into a positive Dislike of rejection is one of the main reasons people give up quickly and stay stuck in their career. Getting rejected for a role often means it is not the right role for you, or that your CV did not represent you properly.
Rather than allowing this to get you down, use it as a positive! Review your CV and double check that it really shows all your skills and abilities. Check through the job spec for that role again, did your CV show that you had experience in the listed skills required? It may simply be that you are applying for the wrong roles or not representing yourself properly but you can take action to ensure this does not happen again.
Learn from your mistakes Ask for feedback along the way. Whether you weren’t successful in an initial application stage or at the final interview, ask for feedback on where you fell down. Recruiters are more than happy to give you honest feedback if you ask. Get as much detail as you can, as this can prove valuable in ensuring you don’t make the same mistakes. It’s a simple thing to do but many candidates don’t think to ask.
Look to your future, not your past When difficulties arise, you may convince yourself that it is easier to stay put in your current role. Remember why you started your career search and keep focused. Write a list of the reasons you want to move on and the be clear about the career path you want to follow . When in doubt, take that list out.
Improve your Interview technique Your job search will lead you to many interviews. The key here is practice, they really do get easier the more often you do them. A few trial runs in front of friends or family can give great results and make the process on the day far less daunting. Don’t take any negative feedback personally, instead take it on board and do better next time. Before long you will be a pro.
Decide ‘no more’ excuses We all make excuses to put off making the calls or writing the letters we need to write. It’s not about being in the right mood. You have to just commit to your search and remind yourself of the reward at the end of it.
Exercise It doesn’t matter what you do, or how long you do it. Just getting the blood moving through your veins will make you feel better physically and mentally. When you feel stressed, go for a workout or a nice long walk. Everything will seem better afterwards.
Reward Yourself along the way Celebrate every success, no matter how small. Focus on the good and treat yourself along the way. We are often quite hard on ourselves and focus on what we haven’t achieved … instead focus on the good. When we are happy, this comes across and you are more likely to see positive results.
Eat Healthy, Exercise & Sleep Well Yes, it sounds like common sense, but a healthy mind needs a healthy body. Most people tend to eat badly when stressed, which leads to a tired and unproductive mind. Good eating habits, some exercise to release stress and getting to bed at a reasonable hour will give you all the energy and zest you need to succeed in your job search.
Finally, remember you’re not alone!! The challenges you face are experienced by all other job seekers, so you’re in good company. Stick with it and it will pay off.
GOOD LUCK!