Life – not as you studied for it

Many young matriculants and graduates face unemployment after the completion of their studies. What should they do?

“Not only does being qualified yet unable to land a job erode your confidence, you are likely to have financial concerns and pressure from family and friends,” said Nola Payne, head of Faculty: Information Technology at The Independent Institute of Education (IIE).

“Being an unemployed graduate is enormously stressful, and an active strategy is required to turn the situation around.”

She said a key strategy to avoid becoming trapped by the negative experience is to treat the process of looking for work as a job in itself, by dedicating time and energy to it, and doing something every day that will take you closer to your dream.

“It could be small tasks such as updating your curriculum vitae (CV) or registering on a new job site, or larger ones such as going to an interview. Make finding a job a routine and be disciplined about it. Spend at least two hours a day actively working on your job search,” she said.

Lillian Bususu, the national graduate development manager for IIE said when she matriculated she did not have proper career guidance.

“Graduates and matriculants often choose a popular career path,” she said.

“But that does not necessarily mean the economy needs people in the field that you are studying.”

This often is the reason for unemployment among graduates, Lillian explained.

Payne said it is also common for unemployed graduates to start doubting their abilities.

“Many young, inexperienced job seekers feel this way, but it can affect others such as those returning to work after a period of staying at home looking after children or those needing to change jobs due to retrenchment.”

The News decided to open a discussion about the subject by posting a question on the Facebook page Krugersdorp Community Network.

Some responded that school never taught them about the real difficulties they might face after school.

Desire Fowler, a human resources and office administrator, said today she uses nothing that she had learnt at school.

“Last December I started working at a law firm as a personal assistant, thinking it would be a temporary job. I have been working at the law firm for six months now and I am still trying to find a job in a position a studied for,” said Elzie Viljoen, a local BTech graduate in multimedia design.

She said she will be moving to Pretoria in search of more opportunities.

“I found the West Rand is running out of opportunities for young adults like me.”

Elzie eventually started her own business to create opportunities for herself.

The News invites more comment. You can do so in the comments section below. Tell us if you are in a similar position or if you know how to escape from it. We would love to hear from you.