Is your job portal giving away free access or trials?

Beware of Job Portals who currently offer companies free access to companies in the interest of trying to win them over as a client. By offering free CV database access to agencies or companies, these portals are potentially putting their Job Seekers personal details at risk.

Before registering your CV on a job portal, find out if they offer free trial options to clients. Unless the company signs an agreement with the service provider (portal) to guarantee that they will protect your confidentially, then you should think twice about posting your CV on that database. Even if such an agreement was signed, unless the company or agency is requested to pay for this access it is still at risk, as it is far too easy for anyone (including marketing companies) to gain access to your details via this database. However, if they are required to pay a premium fee and enter into an agreement with the Service provider (portal) to ‘trial’ the site – such as with Jobs.co.za – then you can rest assured that your job portal has the protection of your personal information and confidentially of such in their best interest.

The same applies to bona fide recruitment agencies. If your service provider is currently offering free access to every fly by night ‘agency’, how does that protect your investment? By being forced to pay a premium fee to access the database, your Service Provider is essentially also protecting your investment in their database.

Free trials seem wonderful to companies, but beware of the risks involved as either a job seeker or a recruiter. Choose a recruitment technology provider or job portal that enforces strict policies in order to protect either your personal identity, or your future investment.

Win an iPad: Tell us why your job rocks!

So you’re looking for a new job. Time to move on (or up) in your career, but there must be that one special thing that makes it impossible to hate your job. Whether you are in the job market or not, tell us why you love what you do. (After all, if you can’t convince us, how can you convince your future boss that you are passionate about what you do?)

We have had a great response to our Win an iPad Competition on our Facebook page. However, we would like to remind you that if you choose to post your comments on our Wall, and the comments are not in line with the competition (i.e. the comment does not tell us why your job rocks), then it will be deleted.

Please note however that formal entries must be sent to the lovemyjob@jobs.co.za. Please take note of the competition details on http://www.jobs.co.za/lovemyjob.

Entries not meeting these criteria may not be considered.

Important Notice: Protect your Online Identity and Beware of Scam Jobs on free sites.

We feel that it is our duty to make Job Seekers aware of the risks of publishing your CV (with address, ID etc) on any website that does not place your CV behind a secure login area.

We have been informed by some Job Seekers that another job website called Jobspace.co.za that publicly displays everyone’s CV’s on their website.  This means that anyone (including your boss) can see your CV and furthermore, that any fraudsters can use your identity or CV for fraud as all your information is available on Google and is not hidden behind a secure login area. Also be sure to read all websites privacy policies. In the case of Jobspace, they do have a privacy policy which states that they can make your information available to anyone on their website (remember though, that because it’s not behind a login, the world has access to your CV directly from Google or any other search engine). So if you don’t want this information public, don’t publish it.  If you want to list your CV on such a website, don’t include your ID number and address unless it is stored behind a secure login area. Provide very limited information – protect your identity always!

Also, be very careful NOT to pay any companies money when applying to a job as this is a scam. We were recently informed of a situation like this where a candidate was scammed out of money from an ad placed on Jobspace (which is a free job listing site). Because advertisers can easily place ads for free,  it is very easy for a scammer to sneak in a scamming job advert. Please be careful when you submit your information and to whom you send money. We are using Jobspace as an example of one instance only, however there are many other free job listing and classified sites as well that allow advertisers to advertise for free – so be cautious at all times. If anyone every asks you to send them money when applying for a job, be very careful.

On Jobs.co.za, your CV is protected behind a secure login. Only companies who have agreed to our terms and conditions to protect your confidentiality may have access to your CV – and even then, only if you have granted permission to make it visible.

In addition, companies are required to pay to advertise on Jobs.co.za. This enables us to control who is advertising and helps us detect any potential scam jobs before they get into the worldwide web.

If you have any questions or concerns about your internet privacy, you are more than welcome to email us at enquiries@jobs.co.za for some guidance.

The Jobs.co.za Team

How to Lose a Client in 10 Days

This is a shout out to all my fellow sales people.  You know that feeling of bliss and utter excitement when after weeks, months or in some cases even years you finally nailed it – You landed a new customer – Right now nothing else in the world matters, you are soaring high. . .

I urge you to come back down to reality for a couple of minutes and face the harsh reality of a little thing called CUSTOMER RETENTION & AFTER SALE SERVICE.

Ever hear the saying it costs seven times more to find a new client that it is to retain them?  I can hear a lot of you go – blah, blah, blah – Wake up! This is true.  Dissatisfied clients will tell twice as many people, as satisfied clients about their experience, and do correct me if I’m wrong, but don’t many of us rely on referrals and word-of-mouth?

On a weekly basis I hear of what a war zone it is out there in the recruitment world, how people take swords out of their backs, how the recession has had a devastating impact on their business, this is where I go – blah, blah, blah – no offense, but is it just me, or has poor customer service become increasingly more acceptable to South Africans both from a receiving and handing out point of view.

You would think that all the work we have to put into landing a new client, we would hang onto them for dear life.  Most try and many succeed, but a lot of clients are still lost every day, by Companies who didn’t think too hard and long about what they needed to do to keep them.  One of the biggest challenges facing any business is maintaining a balance.  More often than not, more emphasis is put on getting new business than serving existing clients.

Many of you may think that your clients are loyal and that you have such a great relationship, perhaps even a personal one, again, if you want loyalty, buy a dog.

The only thing that will set you apart from your competitor is good, no, Excellent Customer Service.

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Strive for zero defect
• 68% of customers are lost due to the attitude of people, only 9% because of price
• Customers expect a product or service to measure up to their demands, make sure you exceed expectation
• Treat your customer as a person of value every time
• Should anything go wrong, correct it in an open friendly manner – no need to be hostile or shift blame
• Don’t make false promises – behavior breeds behavior –
• Make sure your staff are adequately trained and motivated
• Do unto others, as you would like done unto you
• A customer retention policy, should be driven from the top down with consistency across the board
• Combine high tech with high touch – your customer is NOT a number

Remember this one thing; a commitment to quality and service pays.

You don’t want to find yourself losing your customers quicker than you can say – EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE-!

Written by Cathy Gillmer – Jobs.co.za

10 Things Job Seekers look for in a job ad.

A Job Seekers Plea …

Dear Recruiter

I write this letter with the best intent and I sincerely hope that you can understand where this is coming from.  This letter is presented to you to better understand what a person like me (i.e. a Job Seeker is looking for in a job advertisement).

So without further delay let’s kick of the list of 10 things jobseekers look for in a Job advertisement:

1.  Job Title:

Job title is always a good start… it tells me what I will be doing for your company to make the company run like a well oiled machine, and thus be profitable.

2. Company / Client Name:

Please inform be who I will be working for. Come on there is no life threatening reason why your company / client name should be the best kept secret since the Coke a Cola recipe.  This way I can do some research about the company and be more prepared for my interview, which will mean that you’ll be able to hire me on the spot without delay and save time and money by not interviewing endless amount of Job Seekers.

3.  Location of the Position:

Location, location, location… If you just list ‘Gauteng’ as the location that leaves my mind to wonder, and that is a very dangerous thing.  Gauteng is a vast space of real estate and guess work is not by strongest point!  Let me know the location so I can start planning the shortest route to work to prevent always having to blame the traffic for being late for work.

4.  Salary Range & Benefits:

Is this job going to be worth my while?  This is the type of question I ask when I look at the job. The salary – and of course additional benefits – is always a top selling point, even if it just says that there is a coffee stand close to my desk (a major plus for any worker, caffeine keeps us peppy and happy staff are profitable staff).

5.  Job Requirements:

Am I qualified for this job?  I need numbers and minimum qualifications please… Minimum number of years experience to know how well qualified I am for this position.

6.  Job Description:

What are my duties?  How will my performance be measured?  What can I do for you and how can I add value to your business?

7.  Short listing questions:

Challenge me with some good questions regarding the job spec.  Let me prove to you that I’m suitable for this position by asking me a couple of challenging questions when I apply to the position.

8.  More useful information:

Please tell me more about my working conditions.  What kind of company will I be spending most of my day with?  Who will I be reporting to?  Let me get to know the company before I apply so that you and I know that I already appreciate your culture and business environment, hence I don’t waste your time in applying if I am not the right fit.

9.  Etiquette:

Please refrain for using CAPITAL letters and too many exclamation marks throughout the job spec. I know that you are very excited to hire a great Job Seeker like me, but this will seem to me that you are shouting at me before you’ve even hired me. Let’s be honest, the shouting may only start once you’ve actually hired me (and of course if I’ve done something wrong, which won’t happen because I’ll be peppy due to all the coffee you have provided me).

10.  Conclusion:

If you can please follow these guidelines then I’ll have all the information that I need to prepare my application to the best of my ability so as not to dissappoint you either before or after the job interview.

Also please be so kind as to let me know whether I was successful (or not) in my application.  There is nothing worse for us Job Seekers so as not to get feedback on the status of our application.  Please, Please, Please at least do us the courtesy of letting us know.

Thank you for your time to read my plea.

Hope to here for you soon.

Best regards

All Job Seekers Everywhere.

Written by Hane Calitz, Jobs.co.za

Social Media Jobs

On CBC News: Ottawa at Six (June 16, 2009)

How To Use Social Media To Get A Job

The credit’s crunched, the recession is biting and certain jobs are getting harder and harder to come by, especially by the traditional means of finding employment. To get ahead of the game you need to utilize the social media world in your quest for another job. That’s right, Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin can all help you to find that next pay-check… here’s how!

Step 1:

Clean Up Your Profile

First things first, clean up your profiles across all the social media sites you use.

Remove any inappropriate photos, comments and applications that might give someone the wrong impression!

Once you’re happy with everything, make sure your profiles are all set to be accessible publicly.

Step 2:

Twitter

As more and more people are using it for business purposes, Twitter has become one of the ultimate recruitment tools.

Many of the recruitment agencies that use Twitter have an RSS feed which you can find a link to on their Profile pages. Simply follow the prompts and subscribe to their feed so you’ll be instantly informed when new jobs are posted.

Its Important that you regularly communicate on Twitter with other users if you want to build online relationships that might bear fruit in the jobs market. As well as using hashtags in your own posts you should also re-tweet comments by people you want to develop connections with.

Step 3:

LinkedIn

Recruiters are starting to use LinkedIn as one of their primary means to source candidates so getting a profile up and running is a must if you want to be ahead of the crowd.

Once you’ve completed your profile there two key things to do to increase your chances of finding work through LinkedIn. Increase your number of connections and get some recommendations.

The easiest way to start making connections is to import your contacts from Outlook or Gmail and see if anyone you know is already on LinkedIn. If they are simply find their profile and click to add them to your network. By adding connections, you increase the likelihood that people will see your profile first when they’re searching for someone to hire or do business with.

The other way to increase your employability is to get people to recommend you. If you have a former employer or friend already on LinkedIn, you could ask them if they would mind recommending you. This simply adds a little thumbs up icon to your profile that prospective employers will be able to see when they search for job candidates.

Step 4:

Facebook

Whilst one of the biggest social media sites on the internet, Facebook mostly caters to personal networking rather than businesses. However, there are things you can do to try and utilize Facebook to your advantage in the quest for employment.

The main tool at your disposal is Facebook’s Social Ad’s. These allow individuals and businesses to advertise via Facebook’s news feed, meaning that your ad will spread through all of your friends mini-feeds in a ‘word-of-mouth’ friendly way.

Its important to get your Social Ad right. The title is the most important piece of the ad as it has the most text emphasis. Try to be specific and toute your skills.
Next select an appropriate image, something professional but personal would be ideal.
Finally your description should be concise, no more than 25 words for instance, giving the viewer a quick overview of who you are, what you do and what job you would like.

Once you create your Ad, link it to your facebook page, and also your LinkedIn profile or Twitter account to have the maximum impact.

And there you have it, all the knowledge and advice you need to find employment using Social Media sites!

Thanks for watching our video How To Use Social Media To Get A Job For more how to videos, expert advice, instructional tips, tricks, guides and tutorials on this subject, visit the topic Starting A Job Search

Source: www.videojug.com

Urgent Jobs on Jobs.co.za – Apply Now!

Advertising Telesales Consultant
South Africa – Gauteng – Bryanston
Salary: R7000.00 to R10000.00 MONTHLY

SEO Developer
South Africa – Western Cape – Cape Town
Salary: R15000.00 to R18000.00 MONTHLY

Senior Linux Systems Administrator
South Africa – Gauteng – Bryanston
Salary: R360000.00 to R440000.00 ANNUALLY

Customer Services Manager
South Africa – Gauteng – Johannesburg
Salary: R40000.00 to R45000.00 MONTHLY

Retail Branch Manager
South Africa – Mpumalanga – Hazyview
Salary: R17000.00 to R25000.00 MONTHLY

Senior C/C Developer
South Africa – Gauteng – Sandton
Salary: R5000.00 to R50000.00 MONTHLY

Brand Manager
South Africa – Gauteng – Bryanston
Salary: R400000.00 to R500000.00 ANNUALLY

IT Sales Executives
South Africa – Gauteng – Midrand
Salary: R18000.00 to R25000.00 MONTHLY

Sales Executive – Car Care/Motor Industry
South Africa – Gauteng – Randburg
Salary: R6000.00 to R10000.00 MONTHLY

External Junior Sales Reps
South Africa – Gauteng – Sandton
Salary: R4000.00 to R6000.00 MONTHLY

Java Developer
South Africa – Gauteng – Sandton
Salary: R15000.00 to R30000.00 MONTHLY

Vehicle Branding Sales Executive
South Africa – Western Cape – Cape Town
Salary: R10000.00 to R20000.00

Account Manager – PR
South Africa – Gauteng – Randburg
Salary: R10000.00 to R15000.00 MONTHLY

Office Automation Sales Agents
South Africa – Gauteng – Sandton
Salary: R5000.00 to R10000.00 MONTHLY

Graduate Finance Clerk
South Africa – Gauteng – Rivonia
Salary: R10000.00 to R10000.00 MONTHLY

Sales & Marketing Manager
South Africa – Gauteng – Roodepoort
Salary: R45000.00 to R55000.00 MONTHLY

Health Service Manager
South Africa – Gauteng – Sandton
Salary: R30000.00 to R30000.00 MONTHLY

Vehicle Branding Sales Executive
South Africa – KwaZulu-Natal – Durban
Salary: R10000.00 to R20000.00 MONTHLY

Web Graphic Designer (CS3)
South Africa – Gauteng – Randburg
Salary: R15000.00 to R20000.00 MONTHLY

Receptionist / WIP Controller
South Africa – Gauteng – Johannesburg
Salary: R5000.00 to R7500.00 MONTHLY

Graduate Finance Clerk
South Africa – Gauteng – Rivonia
Salary: R10000.00 to R10000.00 MONTHLY

Storeman
South Africa – Gauteng – Randburg
Salary: R6000.00 to R9000.00 MONTHLY

Online Advertising Sales Executive
South Africa – Gauteng – Randburg
Salary: R8000.00 to R8000.00 MONTHLY

Sales Representative – Courier Industry
South Africa – Gauteng – Johannesburg
Salary: R15000.00 to R25000.00 MONTHLY

Graduate Finance Clerk
South Africa – Gauteng – Rivonia
Salary: R10000.00 to R10000.00 MONTHLY

Hottest Jobs Spotted!

This weeks hottest jobs spotted on Jobs.co.za:

• Sales Executive Learning and Training Job in South Africa – Gauteng – Bryanston
• Privaty Equity Associate Job in South Africa – Gauteng – Sandton
• New Business Sales Executive Job in South Africa – Gauteng – Bryanston
• Flash Developer (Freelance/Contract) Job in South Africa – Gauteng – Randburg
• Health Actuary Job in South Africa – Western Cape – Cape Town
• Fleet Mechanic Job in  South Africa – Gauteng – Midrand
• C# Developer Job in  South Africa – Gauteng – Randburg
• Master IT EngineerJob in South Africa – North-West – Rustenburg
• J2ME Job in South Africa – Gauteng – Johannesburg

SA Recruitement Survey 2009 results are out.

The SA Recruiters Network recently conducted a survey amongst South African Recruitment agencies as well as Human Resources and Hiring Managers of Corporate South Africa to review the impact that the recession is having on recruitment and the results are out!

hroughout the month of June the network ran two separate surveys – one focused on Recruitment agencies and another on HR and Hiring Managers from Corporate South Africa. There were over 170 participants.  The surveys were both geared around acquiring insight into the impact that the recession is having on hiring within companies as well as the effects that are felt as a result thereof by the recruitment industry. A second part of the survey focused on understanding how both the Companies and Recruitment agencies are adapting their recruitment strategies to meet their current hiring needs under the financial crunch.Over 170 companies participated in the survey.

You can catch up on the most important info on Jobs.co.za by reading the article: The Impact of the Recession on Recruitment in South Africa. Or you can download the full report right here by clicking on the PDF icon below.