Top tips for job seekers in 2024
As the new year begins, the promise of fresh beginnings and opportunities beckons, particularly for the dynamic and resilient cohort of unemployed youth seeking to embark on a transformative career journey.
SA’s latest unemployment numbers paint a gloomy picture for the country’s youth and navigating the job market may present its challenges.
But by developing their skills in ‘future-proof’ sectors, growing numbers of youth are finding jobs and opportunities, says the Youth Employment Service (Yes).
Yes works with the private sector to help create jobs for youth through fully funded 12month work experiences, giving them the critical experience and skills they need to secure future employment.
The initiative has created more than 128,000 jobs to date, with 42% of Yes alumni employed.
From skills development to mastering networking, Yes’s head of youth programmes, Aditi Lachman, has five tips for young job-seekers to secure employment and seize the possibilities the new year brings:
Develop skills for the future
Employers place the highest value on relevant work experience, education/skills and a good interview. Education/ skills is one of the strongest determinants of employment.
The jobs of the future are in areas such as information technology, solar panel installation, tourism, the creative sector, drones, and even baristas.
To get into these industries, identify the skills required for the job you want – and find a way get them.
This may involve pursuing formal education, attending training programmes, gaining free or paid for online certifications, or seeking internships to build practical skills.
Take Yes Youth alumnus Thobani May, who used the entrepreneurial skills he gained through the Yes programme to start his own environmentally friendly business, Eco Char, which uses alien trees in his area to make charcoal.
The business already employs five people from his community.
Work experience can replace formal qualifications
In Yes’s research, managers indicated that two or more years of related work experience would compensate for having only a high school certificate.
This means that even without formal qualifications, practical work experience can be just as valuable for a jobseeker.
Network and seek growth opportunities
Networking is crucial to getting job opportunities. Attend industry events, join professional associations, and connect with as many people as possible in your field of interest.
Building relationships can lead to job referrals and mentorship opportunities.
“If you already have a job, engage with colleagues, build relationships, and seek opportunities for growth within your organisation.
“Express your career aspirations to supervisors and explore possibilities for advancement or taking on additional responsibilities,” says Lachman.
Get a side hustle, or start your own business
Starting a micro-business can be the first step you need to get into the mainstream economy.
According to Yes’s Youth Employment Survey – the biggest youth survey in the country with 38,000 respondents quarterly – at least 15% of all Yes youth (active and alumni) are engaged in entrepreneurial activities.
Chulumanco Lonwabo Nomtyala, a Microsoft Yes alumnus, started his own business fuelled by a deep understanding of human settlement development.
He identified an opportunity to simplify the process of housing subsidy applications.
His solution, an app called Soft 4IRApps, allows people to easily apply for housing subsidies, streamlines the process for municipalities, and provides applicants with realtime updates throughout the application process.
Maintain good mental fitness
According to a Unicef SA UReport poll, two in three (65%) young South Africans have some form of a mental health issue, but do not seek help. This isn’t just damaging to them: it has knock-on effects on entire families and communities.
To help youth deal with the pressures of finding a job and being unemployed, Yes launched Yes Mindful Matters, a programme providing access to online support services by registered counsellors.
“Let the new year be the year we redefine collaboration, where corporates come together, pulling resources, expertise, and passion to uplift the youth, grow our economy and the future generations to come.”
For more about Yes programmes, visit