The Challenges Faced By Job Seekers
You come across so many hurdles when you embark on the journey of finding yourself a job. A lot of people that speak from a place of privilege will tell you that it’s easy, just remain focused and have patience. It’s not easy and it definitely does not get any easier because there is more room for entrepreneurs than actual job seekers.
It is very discouraging when you keep sending out applications and all you receive is “We regret to inform you…” responses. After a few hundred job applications, giving up would make sense, right? I am not here to tell you not to give up, that it gets better with time, or that your next big break is coming. I know exactly how annoying those words of motivation can be when you see no light at the end of the tunnel.
We do not speak a lot about the challenges job seekers face when trying to find a job in both the public and private sectors. If we are being blunt, our recruiters are not making it any easier. They are the gatekeepers, after all. And technology has made their job so much easier; systems buy them time. You are rejected before they even get to see your CV. ATS is hard at work!
In a recent interview on Cape Pulpit Radio, Bokang Mabiletsa, the CEO of SA Gov Jobs, discussed the challenges faced by job seekers when they are trying to find job opportunities in the public sector, and he further unpacked what recruiters are and should be doing to make the process easier for South Africans looking to work for the government.
Unemployed people looking for work go through a lot. Finding a job comes with so many obstacles; quite frankly it is not for the faint-hearted.
Time. Most job seekers have no time, so telling them to be patient and not give up is a bit inconsiderate. These are people that are looking to feed both themselves and their families, and unfortunately, you cannot put a timeline on hunger. Apart from dealing with the increasing complexity of the modern lifestyle they also need to decide how much time they are going to put into this job search activity, for others, balancing it out with hustling on the streets to make ends meet.
Another thing job seekers lack is a compelling online presence. Checking you out online has become the norm for recruiters. Not only that but this is where they headhunt too. Job seekers are not usually mindful of the content they share on these social spaces and fail to build themselves profiles that will, for example, attract a hiring manager.
People don’t know how to build relationships. When you are trying to find a job, the “It’s not what you know, but whom you know” concept applies. Forget that you can decipher a code with your eyes closed. If you have no networks, then you will only be building useless codes in your backyard. No one has ever made it by themselves; people need people, remember that.
Your CV. It could be the reason why you are not even getting invited to interviews. A lot of job seekers fail at this first step, having a well-constructed CV and cover letter. Remember, these are the documents that represent you when you cannot represent yourself. No recruiter is interviewing someone whose CV displays broken English and tons of grammatical errors. Fix it up. You have no excuse for having a mediocre CV. Even if you have no experience, there are way too many tools to help you build that part of your professional brand.
Competition is tight. You might have optimised your career brand, but so did John, Lindiwe, and Parker. The challenge here is to set yourself apart from the competition. Too many people are competing for the same job. What you do differently, and your confidence will determine whether you or Lindiwe gets the job. Sometimes you are better than your competitors, you just lack the ability to convince your potential employer.
To help eliminate some of the challenges that job seekers experience when trying to land themselves a job within the public sector, Bokang took it upon himself to build a system that streamlines this process.
SA Gov Jobs is South Africa’s first private recruitment agency focused on government vacancies. The recruitment management portal provides a multi-functional role that bridges the gap between South Africans looking for employment in government, and HR departments of over 750 government entities looking to fill positions in their respective departments.
For the public, the portal:
- Acts as a one-stop shop, bringing jobs from over 750 government departments, SOEs, and educational institutions together on one platform, so job seekers avoid having to search the various departments’ websites individually.
- Provides guidance on how to properly complete the required Z83 form.
- Simplifies the search for the latest jobs available in government by breaking them down into sections such as province and departments.
- Uses its seasoned recruitment experts to provide professional career advice and guidance to those in need.
For government HR departments, the portal:
- Allows for access at the back end for employers to log in and easily post jobs, shortlist candidates and perform background checks.
- Is free for all government entities.
- Ensures that applicants’ data is secure, POPIA compliant, and easy to store and access.
The challenges are always going to be there, you need to decide how you want to tackle them. Do not try to do it alone and all at once. Be strategic and tell people to stop telling you to be patient and not give up. If they have no solutions to offer, they might as well watch you play your cards the way you know how.
