"Nothing Prepared Me for This": Young Woman Opens Up About Harsh Reality of Job Hunting Struggles

• A South African graduate, Makaziwe Bangisi, shared a video lamenting the difficulty of finding a job after university
• She expected a smooth transition from student jobs to full-time employment but was soon discouraged
• Life coach Penny Holburn advises graduates to focus on their strengths, network, and keep applying for jobs despite the challenges

The reality of job hunting in South Africa is gruelling and even disheartening most times.

Woman humbled by unemployment

A young woman posted a video where she opened up about how she was humbled by trying to secure employment after graduating from university.

In the video, Makaziwe Bangisi (@melanatedkazi) shared that nothing prepared her for unemployment.

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"So when I was still in varsity, I used to get a lot of student jobs on campus, as a student assistant, and I worked in a couple of different departments. It was fun, and I think that gave me the idea that this job-hunting thing wouldn't be so difficult. I was like you know, I'm such a confident person, surely I'll kill all these interviews," shared Makaziwe.

However, reality soon hit, and she realised that getting a job was a lot harder outside of school.

She also went into detail about how she went through a promising interview process and assessment with a company last year, only to be ghosted when they proceeded with another candidate.

"Nothing prepared me for this. I definitely thought it would be much smoother, but we continue to trust God’s timing ❤️ ," Makaziwe shared.

Life coach offers sound advice on unemployment

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Experienced life coach Penny Holburn spoke to Briefly News about how young people can better deal with the hardships of unemployment.

Penny added that because job hunting can be very difficult and even soul-destroying, Makaziwe needs to keep reminding herself of her strengths and achievements.

"This is not happening because you are worthless, it is happening because that is the state of the job market in South Africa."

Penny also advised the young woman not to be discouraged and to keep looking for jobs available and applying.

"Build a network and keep building it. Talk to people in your network at regular intervals. Work on your CV and cover letter. Keep improving them. Finding a job is a numbers game to some extent, so you just have to keep applying," Penny advised.

Mom opens up about choosing motherhood over employment

In another story, Briefly News reported that a South African woman posted a TikTok video sharing her decision to be a present mom over having a job.

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Being a working mom is hard because it requires juggling the demanding responsibilities of a full-time job with the constant needs of caring for children.

Shamo (@shamonade) shared a TikTok video where she opened up about prioritising motherhood.

Source: Briefly News