Finding the right job need not be left to chance

SOUTH Africa has the third highest unemployment rate in the world for people between the ages of 15 to 24, according to the World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Risk 2014 report.

Figures provided by Stats SA (www.statssa.gov.za) indicate that the unemployment rate among young South Africans increased to 36.1 per cent in 2014, many of whom have become discouraged and have stopped looking for a job.

Many youngsters leave school without the adequate information of how and when to look for a job that suits their skills. June is also known as Youth Month, and to assist school leavers or those who have tertiary education but are still unemployed, there is means and ways to find the suitable job.

Angelo Pereira Managing Director of GOAL2WORK, who is situated in Walkerville, said, “Among unemployed youth there is a perception that finding and securing a job is beyond their ability to control, and therefore they simply drift aimlessly waiting for something to happen.” Based on 20 years of experience, Pereira said, “This is a misperception, and job seekers can take control and conduct an effective job search.”

He said, “The search for work is about much more than money, it’s also about the search for daily meaning and a way to organise time. Work is a source of self-esteem, recognition and belonging. Joblessness often leads to stress, isolation and loneliness. With a job search plan that fulfils some of these needs, a jobseeker has a far greater chance of succeeding.”

There are vast numbers of programmes and interventions directed at the crisis of unemployment in South Africa. These initiatives are predominantly aimed at skills development and job creation, leaving the essential skill of job search largely unaddressed. “Searching for and securing meaningful employment is not instinctual; it is a skill that needs to be learnt. Multigenerational unemployment has left many young people with no role models or mentors to guide their quest to find a job” said Pereira.

Coupling experience gained over 20 years in guiding thousands of work seekers through the steps that lead to job search success, with input from skilled educationalists and talented career specialists, the Options Recruitment and Training Group developed the GOAL2WORK Jobseekers Toolkit, designed to provide a clearly defined course of action aimed at viable positioning in the market in the shortest possible time.

Pereira said, “The first stage jobseekers should concentrate on is understanding and appreciating their uniqueness, developing their personal brand. In this way the jobseeker’s self-esteem is reinforced. The next step is the preparation and implementation of an effective job search plan, which includes goals and timelines. The GOAL2WORK team designed the Toolkit with these aspects in mind.”

The GOAL2WORK Jobseekers Toolkit addresses many other obstacles a jobseeker may face, and is seen as a comprehensive job search programme.

Initially only offered in a lecture-led workshop format, the GOAL2WORK Jobseeker’s Toolkit has been launched in a new, inexpensive, online, self-study version (www.goal2work.co.za), ensuring all South Africans have access to this irreplaceable job search aid.

For more information on GOAL2WORK or if you want to be kept up to date with the latest job search news, like them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter.