Job prospects into the future

byMihlali Ncukana

In a fragile graduate market, graduates need to equip themselves for a changing future.

THE START OF 2020 SAW A SURGE IN JOB-SHEDDING across the economy with many organisations calling a halt to hiring new staff . The prospects of graduate recruitment thus look bleak given that the economy was struggling even before the Covid-19 pandemic. In April 2020, our unemployment rate was hovering at 30.1% and 43.2% for those in the 15-34 age group. Instead of looking forward to a world of opportunities, more graduates are staring into a changing future and questioning their job prospects.

A study in March 2020 by Adzuna revealed that the hospitality, food and beverage industries would suff er the most in South Africa, along with travel, tourism and industries requiring people to meet and gather. Justin Hess, a UWC graduate who was interning at a distillery, is one of those who suff ered the brunt of retrenchment together with other corporate interns. He reported, “The only interns who remained were those doing their in-service training to complete their degree.” Hundreds of graduates rely on internships to gain a competitive advantage to enter the world of work. This is demonstrated by the 1258 internships advertised in 2019 by the UWC Careers Service.

On the other hand, Andisiwe Kaji, a UWC graduate, is still doing her internship that she started in March 2020 during the lockdown at a food processing company. She shares, “I am appreciative of the company in allowing my internship to proceed. It’s an intense time and I think everybody’s feeling anxious about their future.” The impact on the Class of 2020 graduating into an economy in a recession could last beyond the downturn. This can be seen in the Employers Survey conducted by the South African Graduate Employers Association (SAGEA) where they report a 0.8% decrease in their graduate intake plans for 2020. CU

Fast facts from the SAGEA Survey

ì THE MEDIAN (MIDDLE) OF: 23 graduate vacancies in companies. 2000 applications. 82 applications per vacancy.

ì 20% OF THE APPLICANTS WERE INVITED TO THE FIRST INTERVIEW.

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ì R95 000 IS THE COST PER JOINER.

37% OF EMPLOYERS DID NOT FILL THEIR GRADUATE OPPORTUNITIES BY MARCH 2020.

84% OF RECRUITERS USED LINKEDIN FOR RECRUITMENT AND MARKETING.

References

• Green, J. (2020). Impact of Covid-19 on SA job market. Adzuna.com; • Jacobs, E., O’Brien, A., Andrew, J., & Beioley, K. (2020). What are the job prospects for the class of 2020? Financial Times. 4 May 2020; • Statistics SA. (2020). Quarterly Labour Force

Survey Quarter 1: 2020.

Tips for graduates

Just like taking a gap year, 1 employers want to know “how you utilised your time constructively during the lockdown”. Consider applying for 2 post-graduate studies to gain additional knowledge of your discipline. Broaden your job search 3 prospects by setting up job alerts on the job search engines. Polish your CV and Letter of 4

Motivation. Build your online professional 5 presence on LinkedIn. Article available at https://uwc-csm. symplicity.com/students See the Menu Bar on your left to access these resources. Practise your online interview 6 skills using the Career Xplora

Mock Interview tool. Take online courses to 7 complement your fi rst degree and hone relevant skills.