HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY IN THE JOB MARKET
Honesty Is the Best Policy in the Job Market
ARE YOU CONSIDERING A JOB CHANGE? OR HAVE YOU RECENTLY COMPLETED YOUR TERTIARY STUDIES AND ARE JOB HUNTING?
There is no denying that the country is still experiencing a tough economic climate. And, while unemployment did drop by 1 % (to 26.7 %) for the fourth quarter in 2017, the numbers remain high.This means that there are many people looking – and more importantly, competing – for available jobs.This can make securing that dream job quite a tough feat. If you are one of these people, you may be wondering how you can make yourself more “employable”.
Of course, focusing on your CV is a good starting point.Whether you are seeking a new job just for change or wanting to enter the workplace for the first time, there are some critical aspects to consider when putting your CV together, and getting it out there.
BACKGROUND SCREENING
Did you know that more and more businesses now thoroughly check up on and look into potential candidates?
This process not only ensures that the company hires the right candidate for the available job, but given the tougher economic situation businesses are operating in, most can’t afford to make a “hiring mistake” and therefore this process is very stringent.This usually involves undertaking checks on the CV submitted, the qualifications the candidate states as having, past employment, and so on.
Therefore, it is critical to ensure that all the information included on your CV is factual and truthful. While it may be tempting to “embellish” certain aspects of your qualifications or work experience, lying on your CV is just not worth the risk. In fact, if the company you are applying to should undertake a background screening analysis based on the information included in your CV and comes across any untrue information, this is in effect fraud, as you have deliberately misrepresented yourself.
The risk is that once this act is discovered a company is more likely to exclude you as a candidate for the job opportunity, and may even “black list” you from applying for any future available job positions with that company. Moreover, if this is investigated further, it could even lead to a criminal record, which will follow you around for the rest of your life, and impact any other future job opportunities.
If the company you are applying to should undertake a background screening analysis based on the information included in your CV and comes across any untrue information, this is in effect fraud, as you have deliberately misrepresented yourself.
So it is best that job seekers only apply for positions that they are suitable for – where they have the correct qualifications and necessary work experience – or be honest about their need to learn. Don’t forget to include character references, where possible, and be truthful about what you can offer the organisation.
THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
Given the insight social media pages can provide on individuals – especially if the pages are open to the public – there is growing interest from businesses to make use of these platforms as part of their basic screening methodologies. This is a great way to ascertain more personal information about a potential employee, such as their likes, recreational activities and possible hobbies, which can be used to gauge their fit with the business’s culture.
If you are seeking employment, take this on board and ensure that your social media pages truthfully reflect your personality and do not compromise you in anyway.While many of our pages are aimed at personal activities, outside the office or working space, these are still public platforms that hold your information and can be accessed.
The job market may be tough, but you should never be willing to compromise your credibility. Companies will see through this and it will impact any prospects you may want to explore.
Remember the wise words of business magnate Warren Buffett:“In looking for people to hire, you look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence, and energy. And if they don’t have the first, the other two will kill you.”