Professional Job Hunting Guidelines.

Finding employment or new employment is not easy. If you have been job hunting for a while
now, you have already experienced this. And what’s more, economists predict that this is going
to get even more difficult. It is therefore of the utmost importance that you make sure that you
invest your best efforts when you apply for a position for which you have the required
qualifications, skills and experience.

The job hunting process basically entails the following procedures:

1. Get the interview; (Without getting interviews, you will not be getting job offers!)
2. Convince the recruiter that you are the best candidate for the position;

1. Get the interview:

Your CV is the most important tool in the job hunting process! No matter how good your
qualifications, skills and experience, if you do not show case it to recruiters in such a manner
that you get and keep their attention, you will not get invited for interviews and not getting
interviews means that you are not going to get job offers!

You need to keep in mind that your CV will not be the only one submitted in response to the
vacancies you apply for! The majority of advertised vacancies attract in the region of 100
applications - quite often more! - and if your CV does not tell the recruiters what they want to
know within the first few seconds after opening it, they simply move on to the next applicant's
CV. Recruiters focus on the ones that demonstrate professionalism, completeness and
fluency. A shortlist of candidates is compiled by scanning CVs for selected key requirements
after which the best resumes are placed under closer scrutiny to decide which ones are going to
be invited for interviews whilst the other go to File 13 (rubbish bin).

If you have submitted it in response to 5 or more vacancy advertisements where your skills,
qualifications and experience meet with the vacancy requirements and you did not get at least 2
interview invitations, you need to realize that your CV is incomplete and/or not up to standard.

2. Convince the recruiter that you are the best candidate for the position:

The very first step is to register yourself on the internet. There are various sites where you can
place your CV, but the following 9 is a must:
www.pnet.co.za
www.careers24.com
www.careerjunction.co.za
www.jobmail.co.za
www.jobs.co.za
www.jobs4u.co.za
www.bestjobs.co.za
www.getthejob.co.za
www.executiveplacements.com

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Recruiters can search virtually for anything if they use the search facility correctly.

When you register on these sites you have to utilize every opportunity to get the recruiters’
attention by displaying relevant information. You will have to provide all sorts of information and
the following is of great importance:

 Job title: Choose a title that explains best what you do even if it is not the exact
description of your current job, e.g. Export Clerk and not just clerk. Never display
yourself as “unemployed”. It says nothing. If you are unemployed put in a title that
suits your experience the best. Recruiters look at this title when they start working
through your profile. Recruiters will see from your notice period that you are
available immediately and will then conclude that you are unemployed.
 Where do you want to work: This is very important as recruiters search only for
applicants in specific areas. Don’t just say Gauteng. Be more specific, e.g. Pretoria.
 Cell phone number: Ensure that this number is correct as recruiters will most likely
call you on this number.
 SA Residence: Some companies only employ South Africans.
 Job Type: specify whether you want a permanent or temporary/contract position. If
you are unemployed you might want to select both temporary and permanent.
 Notice Period: this is very important. If you have to give a month’s notice make if
clear whether it is a calendar month or 30 days.
 Current Salary: This is very important and you should ensure that you specify the
correct amount. Some companies look at your pay slip before they make you an
offer. Supply the full amount before deductions (cost to company).
 Desired Salary: Many people are missing opportunities as they make this figure far
too high. You must stick to market related salaries. The company has a salary in
mind and if your expectation is too high they will not look at you. Even if you later
say that you will work for less, the recruiter will be concerned that you will keep on
looking for another position with a better salary if you are employed. It is good to go
in slightly higher and indicate that your salary is negotiable. A too low salary
expectation gives an indication that you are hard up for work and that you will in any
case just use this job as a platform to obtain a better one. Certain jobs have certain
salary ranges. Things have values attached to them and this also applies to your
abilities.
 Qualification: The recruiter is limited to specifications of the job. In some cases
however, they are permitted to supply CV’s with good experience with lower
qualifications.
 Synopsys: This is very important as it gives a description of the applicant’s abilities
even before the recruiter opens his profile. Make use of this to list as much of you
abilities as possible. E.g. experience of Pastel. Excel, Debtors, Creditors, etc. also
add the industry which you worked in here, e.g. retail, etc. you have a limited
number of characters to use. Refrain from writing long sentences, but ensure it
makes sense.
 Load your CV: You have the opportunity to post you CV on the website, always
save it in MS Word 97-2003 version. Recruiters use the website browse and if the
CV is in another format he has to open die CV itself to be able to view your details.
An MS Word CV can be properly searched for certain keywords when opened. Other
formats do not load completely and the recruiter will not pick you up in his search.

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 Another reason for loading an MS Word 2003 version is that many people may not
have later versions of MS Word and will not be able to open your CV.
 Change your online registration: Make changes on your online registration
regularly (even very small ones). This will ensure that your registration remains
under the frequently published portfolios. If you do not make changes regularly, your
portfolio will move to the very old publications and not noticed by recruiters or they
might think that those applicants might have found jobs and would not want to waste
time on those.
 Take care with your Face Book or other profiles: Recruiters make use of these
facilities to learn more about your personality. Ensure that this is set to confidential if
this concerns you. Ensure that you have a very presentable photo as your profile
photo. It should not be a corporate photo but a decent one. Be careful when you
accept friendship requests.

Applying for jobs on the internet: There are a couple of things to take care of when
you apply.

 Never apply for a job that you do not fit: Read the job specifications properly
before you apply. Many people just flog their CV’s through even if they do not
conform to the job specs. They waste the recruiter’s time and the CV will in any
case be rejected. Recruiters tend to remember names and you might be labeled
as a gambler and your CV might be ignored should you eventually apply for a
suitable job.
 Look at the salary that the company offers: If you are happy to work for a
salary in that region make sure that your salary expectation on the website is in
accordance with the salary offered. If it is too high your CV will be disregarded.
This is not necessarily true for professional and managerial positions.
Companies are sometimes more open for negotiations in cases like these and
might increase the figure for good experience and qualifications.
 Check if the position is BEE: Submit only if you comply with BEE requirements.
It might be a good idea to keep watching the advertisement as it could be
changed to non AA if they cannot find a suitable candidate.
 Applying directly: The same applies, except that you are going to forward your
CV to the recruiter.
 Phoning the recruiter: Some people phone the recruiters continuously, which
creates a negative attitude towards the applicant. You may phone the recruiter if
you do not receive any feedback from him within about 24 hours. Give him time
to work through your CV first. The recruitment website gives you feedback that
you were unsuccessful when your CV is deleted. If not, there is a good chance
that the recruiter is keeping your CV, in which case it might be a good idea to
follow up with him.
 Expect a call from the recruiter: If you have applied for a job for which you
have the required credentials, the recruiter will contact you in all likelihood. Be
sure that you have studied the job specs and be ready to answer the questions
properly on the phone. Many recruiters take this opportunity to eliminate
candidates, depending on the response they get.

Interview at the recruitment agent: This is normally not such a very formal interview and
agents use this opportunity to prepare the applicant, should he/she be invited for an

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interview at the company. Many applicants blow it here exactly for the reason that it is more
of an informal interview. When you go for an interview at an agent, handle it equally
professional. If it is a professional recruiter, he will do his utmost to get you relaxed in order
to experience your true personality. It is good that you relax but be careful not to display
negative sides of you personality. Always act professional. He is going to look for small
things to judge your personality. Remember, he wants to place you as he will earn
commission, but can only send you through if you are going to make a good impression at
his client.

 Prepare yourself with regard to your CV. Make sure you know every detail on
your CV, including dates of employment, designation of previous positions and
duties. Ensure that you can discuss your previous duties confidently off-hand. If
the recruiter asks you questions regarding your CV and you show signs of
uncertainty, he might start to doubt the authenticity and reliability of the
information. Should the recruiter ask you a question of which the answer is in the
CV, do not refer him to the CV, but answer properly.
 Before you go for the interview, make sure you study the job specs. The recruiter
is going to talk to you about your abilities that could match you with the job. Make
sure that you are well prepared.
 Plan your outfit and make-up ahead of time. Make sure the clothes are in good
condition and clean. There is nothing worse than finding our on the morning of
your interview that a part of your outfit has a stain on it, or your jacket is short of
a button.
 Obtain exact directions to the Co. DO NOT GET LOST on the way and end up
being late. It creates unnecessary stress. If possible, go to the company
beforehand, to ensure that you will find it easily on the day of your interview.
 Obtain the name of the interviewer and ensure you have the correct spelling. At
some companies, you need to complete security slips and it crates negative
image if you misspell the interviewer’s name.
 It is acceptable to have a notepad and pen with you. Never make notes regarding
yourself, or your CV – this you should know by heart. You can write down the
questions you would like to ask during the interview and make notes of matters
discussed during the interview that you want to remember.
 The recruiter will also be interested in certain aspects of your private life and
whether there are certain issues that might raise concern. Prepare yourself.
Please also ensure that you cover the following properly in your CV.

 Your age:
o If you are on the young side for a specific job, you’re going to have
to convince the recruiter of your maturity and dedication.
o If you are on the older side, you are going to convince the recruiter
of your good health and fitness level, if you are indeed in this
condition. I have seen older people presenting copies of Doctors’
letters to confirm that they are in good state of health. Do
whatever is required to prove this.
 Your health:
o Are you in good health? If not, what are the problems?
o Do you smoke and how much? Smoking has another
disadvantage as people have to leave their desks to smoke

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 outside. This sometimes results in unnecessary chatting among
the smokers, which constitutes a drop in productivity.
o Do you drink and how much?
o Do you exercise and what do you do? People that exercise
normally have more energy and is mentally more alert.
 Your marital status and relations around that. Companies want to ensure
that you are emotionally well when they employ you:
o Stable marriages/relationships are important.
o If you are divorced or in the process of divorce, it will be important
that this has no, or very little, influence on your working abilities,
take into account to what extent the other party influences you
negatively. In some cases it might even be necessary to obtain
court orders against these parties to enable you to continue with a
productive life.
 Children:
o Of you are divorced or a single parent, the recruiter could ask
about your children’s mental and emotional condition and how
they are dealing with the divorce.
o In all cases, and especially if you are a mother, they could be
interested in back-up plans should the children get sick of become
sick/injured at school. They normally do not have a problem if
mothers take time to attend to emergencies but it makes good
sense to have a plan B should you not be able to leave your
workplace immediately. If a child has a chronic illness, it is
important that the child is in proper care.
 Your general health:
o You could be asked about both medical and mental health.
Ensure that this is under control and that you have good medical
care if required. Exercise and/or participating in sports are of great
benefit.
 Driving license and transport:
 Distance from home to the prospective work place:
o It is important that you are in a situation to easily get to work and
be on time.
 Means of transport between work and home:
o It is important to be mobile, whether you use public transportation,
the recruiter wants to know whether you have a back-up plan,
should the public transport fail.

 It might be a good idea to take a copy of your CV with, on which all aspects
relevant to the job are highlighted. Tell the recruiter that you have done this and
hand him the CV to work from.
 It is also good to have a set of certified copies of your diplomas, certificates, ID
document etc. handy, should it be required.
 Ensure that you have the correct time for the interview. Never be late for an
interview. If you are running late due to circumstances completely beyond your
control, phone and inform the recruiter. In fact, try to be early, as many recruiters
want to complete forms beforehand.

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 Even if you never have breakfast, on this day, you should. It will make you feel
good, strong and confident, as this is a stressful situation.
 The correct level of stress is good, as the adrenalin boosts your motivation and
alertness. Too little stress might indicate that you are not really serious about the
position and you might appear over confident.
 Ensure that you arrive in a relaxed state. You need to be relaxed to present
yourself properly and professionally. Be confident, but NEVER arrogant.
 Wait patiently for the recruiter. Do not fidget (put away anything that might tempt
you to fidget with), do clock-watching or ask the receptionist when die recruiter
will be available. If you get impatient, your adrenalin level will go through the roof
and cause anxiety.
 Remember to switch off your cell phone.
 When meeting the recruiter, give the person a firm hand shake (without
crunching the person’s hand).
 Accept if coffee/tea is offered. It creates a relaxed atmosphere.
 Wait until you are shown a seat. Do not sit down in any seat, since you might
take a seat intended for someone else.
 Men should keep their jackets on until someone suggests you take if off.
 Remember that each company has its own identity and you will be evaluated to
establish whether you would fit in.
 When you are seated, sit still and in a proper manner. Sit up straight and relaxed.
Do not lean on a desk or over a chair. Remember you are being evaluated.
 The interview sometimes starts with small talk to relax also to get a picture of you
as a person.
 Never talk too much. Many people go to interviews and do not stop talking. It
creates an extremely bad impression. It might create the impression that you are
going to be a chatter box in the office and you might lose the opportunity right
there.
 Refrain from laughing too much. Some people tend to laugh/giggle when they are
nervous.
 On the other hand, you should also not just sit there and say nothing. Participate
in the conversation without running away with stories. Practice this beforehand
with somebody you can trust to correct you. Maintain a healthy balance.
 Let the interviewer take charge of the interview. He will work through your CV
with you and ask relevant questions. Answer them and motivate your answer
briefly if it is required. Do not run away to other sections of your CV. He will get
there. Just be prepared for when he does. If there is something important that he
left out you can bring it to his attention after he has worked through your CV.
 When discussing reasons for leaving each company, the recruiter will need to
know what the reasons were. If you’ve left a company under difficult
circumstances, discuss this with the recruiting agent (or the recruiter, if an agent
is not involved) who will ensure that this is tactfully communicated with the
potential employer. Make 100% sure that your way of reasoning is correct before
you discuss this with the recruiter. Never run a previous employer down in your
CV or in an interview with the potential employer or recruiter. It might create the
impression that you are running employers down. Just provide facts and keep
emotions out of it.

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  Listen very carefully to questions asked, think before you reply, but not too long,
and answer correctly and to the point. If you do not understand a question, rather
ask and refrain from guessing.
 Be prepared for questions as to how you would deal with certain situations. This
tests your creativity, skills and personality.
 Do not mumble – speak loud and clear for all to hear.
 It is acceptable to have a notepad and pen with you. Never make notes of
matters discussed during the interview that you want to remember.
 Keep eye contact with the interviewer. You look more honest by doing this.
 When you answer a question look the interviewer in the eye, speak clearly and
be honest.
 Always be polite. Remember he is judging your personality.
 If you are a bitch, drop it now. Drop it forever. Do not tell the interviewer that you
can be one. No company easily tolerates this and these people create problems
in the workplace. People might think they make an impression with this but it is a
clear indication of the person’s inability to resolve problems in a mature manner.
The workplace is for adults and being bitchy is not mature, adult behavior. Other
staff has to act maturely and keep quiet to defuse such situations.
 Put emphasis on your strong characteristics. They are divided into two
categories. Your personal qualities and your word specific abilities. Allow the
recruiter to “discover” them during the interview. Ensure that you disclose them in
a subtle manner. Suitable opportunities shall arise. Look out for them and use
them.
 When the interviewer is finished he will give you the opportunity to ask questions.
It is important that you ask questions to emphasis your interest in the job. Do
your homework before the interview and formulate suitable questions regarding
the position.
 On completion of the interview, shake the recruiters hand and be polite when
leaving.
 Do not pressurize him by asking any questions on your chances of securing the
job or even ask him if you have the job. This is not professional and could cost
you the job.
 If your current employer is not supposed to know that you are job hunting, be
careful not to let him recognize the signs, such as: over-dressing (tie & jackets, if
you never wear these).

It is acceptable to follow up with the recruiter after your interview but don’t make a nuisance
of yourself. Recruiters forward your CV to the company and rely on them for feedback.
Sometimes companies take a long time before providing feed-back to the recruiter. He will
phone you if the company asks for an interview with you. Ideally, you should put this
interview out of your mind and continue with job hunting. You have done your best and
because of that you should have a good chance, but do not take it for granted that you will
be offered the job. Companies give their vacancies to various agents and it is not possible to
know what quality of applicants was received from other agencies.

Interviews at the company:

There are normally extreme differences between interviews at the recruiter and the
company. The company could deal with the whole process in greater detail, but be
equally well prepared for both with the information you have at your disposal.

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 Sometimes you might initially only see the HR person at the company and be called
for further interviews at a later stage. They are all equally important and must be
dealt with as such.

 Deal with this interview as professionally as the one above. You should be able
to deal with it even better, as you would have gained more information.
 Before you go for an interview at the company make sure that you learn as much
as possible about them. Do research by visiting their website. If possible, make
use of other sources to get more information. Formulate some intelligent
questions regarding the company and pose them during your interviews. This
immediately creates an image of your level of interest in the position and
thoroughness.
 The interviewer will tell you more about the job and the company. Take this
opportunity to inform them that you have visited their website. Pay attention and
ask questions where necessary.
 The majority of recruitment agents retype the CV’s and might leave out important
information regarding the job. It is therefore a good idea to request the recruiter
at the company to word from your CV as explained above. Explain that you have
highlighted the important issues to make it easier for him. If he does not want to
work on your copy, leave it be. If you are properly prepared you will find the
opportunity to bring this to his attention. Make a list of these issues relevant to
the work, and if he misses some of them, you can deal with it when you are able
to ask questions.
 Some ideas of questions during the interviews at the company is:

 Will I work on my own or in a team?

 To what extent can I use my own initiative?
 What are the challenges of the position?
 What is the reason for the vacancy?
 What are the future expectations and growth possibilities of the position?
 When will they make a decision?
 How do they rate personal achievements and growth?
 What is the dress code of the company?
 What benefits do they offer?
 What are the normal office hours?
 What is their policy regarding leave?

 Salary negotiations:

 Most people wouldn't put salary negotiation high on their lists of desirable
activities. Even though you may prefer getting a root canal to negotiating your
salary, if you want to get paid what you're worth, you better learn how to do it
right. These dos and don'ts can help you get the salary you deserve, whether
you're entertaining a job offer or asking for a raise.
 Don't look at how much money your friends in other fields are making: You may
be envious of your friends who are earning more money than you are. If they
aren't working in the same field you shouldn't make those comparisons.

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  Do research salaries in your field: Look at recent salary surveys, talk to others
working in your field, and contact your trade or professional association to find
out what other people are paid for doing the same work. Remember that salaries
differ by geographic region.
 Do consider how much experience you have: Those with more experience can
hope to earn more money. Remember to talk about the amount of experience
you have if it will help you negotiate a higher salary. If you don't have a lot of
experience, be realistic about the salary for which you can ask.
 Don't talk about how much money you need: When you are going through salary
negotiations, don't tell your boss (or future boss) that you need to make more
money because your bills are high, your house was expensive, or your child is
starting college.
 Do talk about the salary you deserve: When presenting your case during a salary
negotiation, talk about how you will earn the salary you are requesting. Highlight
what you have done, or will do, for the company. Also discuss the salaries in your
field (based on your research).
 Do be flexible: When going through a salary negotiation you aren't likely to get
the exact amount of money you want. You will probably have to compromise.
The trick is to figure out how much you are willing to compromise and what you
will do if your boss doesn't offer you a salary you find acceptable.
 If they are interested in you they will call you for a second interview, usually if you
did not see the decision-makers the first time. Sometimes they just call you back
to meet management and to ensure that management would be happy to employ
you. Remain professional at all times and act according to what we have
described above.

 After the interviews:

If you were referred to a company by a recruitment agent, phone him and tell him how it
went. Tell him whether you are interested in the position, as the company will report
back to him. If you change your mind later and decide that you are no longer interested
in the job, inform the agent. Applicants sometimes just ignore protocol if they have lost
interest and do not concern themselves with any inconvenience they cause. Recruiters
have long memories and you might suffer the consequences later if you are not
professional.

Do not phone to find out what is happening. If it takes a long time you may email the
agent of HR recruiter, if you do not work through an agent. Simply ask them if you
should continue looking for other jobs.

You should, in any case, continue marketing yourself as the competition is tough these
days.

By following these steps you will have made extremely good impressions, as you have acted
professionally at all times. This would have improved your chances tremendously. Companies
are looking for professional, capable, skilled and mature employees. If you are not appointed,

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you can rest assured that had to take a very good applicant to beat you. You are in with a great
chance next time round.

Good luck with your job hunting and remember, without a complete and up to standard
CV, you will not be getting interviews and with no interviews, there will be no job offers!

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