Tip 1: Update Your CV

“A polished and professional CV will go a long way in improving your job prospects. Remember to tailor your CV and covering letter to the job for which you are applying,” she advises.

Listing your most recent and relevant work experience first, and keeping it to the point are also important when updating your CV. 

Often, when we attend networking events, we have an idea of what we want to get out of them: great contacts that will be of use to us, and a long list of new leads. We attend business breakfasts and industry events armed with business cards, ready to spring a sales pitch on the first poor soul who shows any interest. Of course, the reality is often different from what we’d imagined and we are disappointed when big things don’t seem to come out of these events.

 

The problem with this is the approach that many of us take: “what’s in it for me?” In fact, I would go so far as saying that when we network selfishly, we’re actually setting ourselves up for failure.

 

Consider for a moment one of the world’s biggest word of mouth referral organisations, BNI. This networking body has achieved such a level of success because the focus of its members is on how they can refer each other to useful contacts. Each member tries to put other members in touch with people who can benefit from their business services or products. Instead of asking “What’s in it for me?” they ask, “Who in my network could benefit from this person’s services?”

 

If you’re like most people, when you’re attending a networking function and someone introduces themselves, you probably don’t immediately think about whether there are opportunities for them to benefit from your network, even if you don't have a particular need for their product or service yourself. Successful networkers are people who try to think more about others.

 

Read the book review for this contributors book Branding & Marketing YOU! - click here.

 

Don’t feel guilty if you have always thought of what you can get out of a networking event. You are not alone. In fact, research suggests that people think about themselves and their own needs 95% of the time. It’s not a natural state to spend the majority of our time thinking about what we can do for other people. But this means that even if you start thinking of other people 6% of the time (instead of 5%), you will be at an advantage over other people.

What you need to know

 

There have been rapid advancements in technology over the past few years with constant new developments. We have seen the launch of Apple’s smart TV, Microsoft’s Windows 8, the Blackberry 10, Samsung Galaxy S4 and a myriad of quirky digital apps. Social networking continues to grow exponentially with Facebook hitting 1.11 billion users globally at the end of March 2013 and Twitter at over 550 million users by the end of May 2013. With so much happening in the tech environment, it can be difficult to stay up-to-date. 

 

Head of Products at MWEB, Rihana Hoosain, provides a review of today’s tech advancements and outlines what’s important to know.

 

Smartphones

The fall in smartphone prices has boosted sales and expanded their user profile. According to the 2013 edition of the TomiAhonen Almanac, this year will hold two milestones - the count of mobile handsets will match the count of the human population alive on the planet, as well as reaching the point where half of all new phones sold will be smartphones.

 

The mobile market is increasingly competitive; which is a huge innovation driver for manufacturers. Earlier this year, an Internet Trends report shows that Android smartphone adoption is increasing rapidly, and is now nearly six times higher than iPhone adoption. The constant competition amongst players like Samsung, Apple, Blackberry and HTC mean better prices with more value added services included for the consumer. According to Gustav Fachs, Mobility Director, Microsoft Middle East & Africa, Microsoft aims to become the number 1 smartphone provider in South Africa by 2016.

 

With the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S4 this year, there has been more talk around Near Field Communication (NFC). This Wi-Fi short range technology enables you to transfer data between two devices, meaning you can simply connect your smartphone to a payment terminal and it will pick up your account details and make the payment from your phone. Depending on how much information you want to give the device access to, the NFC chip could prove to be very convenient as your phone becomes your very own e-wallet.

 

Mobile apps

Mobile app stores are emerging rapidly, with more apps continuing to advance and shape the way we consume media. A report from Analytics Firm Distimo reveals that the most downloaded Apps from the Apple Inc App Store are games, whilst Google Inc’s Google Play store is more popular for utility apps such as Google maps and free messaging service WhatsApp. Download the right apps for your needs, and it can make life a little more convenient.

 

Tablets

The International Data Corporation (IDC) increased its 2013 forecast for the worldwide tablet market to 190.9 million from its previous forecast of 172.4 million units.  Indicating an extreme shift in computing, tablets have changed the way we consume and share media, enabling on-the go convenience and 24/7 connectivity. This high level of mobility empowers businesses to revolutionise the way they communicate and instigate customer engagement with their product offerings.

 

So how do you know which is the best tablet for you?  This all depends on your needs. The Apple iPad is user-friendly as it is all about simplicity with fewer hardware extras. Android tablets offer more advanced tech features with additional hardware options such as HDMI ports that enable you to connect to a TV. Important to consider, is the amount of memory you will need, which will influence the number of apps you can store. Most tablets offer a 16GB memory that is sufficient for the general user.  If you want a tablet that has the simplicity of an Apple iPad, but runs on Android, the Samsung Galaxy 10.1 is a good start. If it’s the latest buzz you’re after, the Google Nexus 7 has been very well received as one of the more popular Android Tablets this year.

 

E-Reading

Following the launch of the Kindle in 2007, the market for e-reading has gained huge momentum. Research has revealed that many people prefer e-reading to reading paperback or hardcover books simply for the convenience it provides. Online bookstores also offer consumers a wide selection of available books at affordable prices without any check-out queues.

 

The e-reading market has become a competitive one. In South Africa, the Kobo, made by Japanese Company Rakuten, launched last year as a more affordable option to Amazons highly regarded Kindle.  Although the Kobo wins in price, the new Kindle Paperwhite, hailed as the world’s most advanced e-reader, with higher definition, higher contrast touchscreen with built in light and 8 weeks battery life, is enjoying great demand.

 

Exclusive e-readers themselves are, however, in some danger as the tablet market produces smaller, more affordable models that offer e-reading apps along with all their other uses.

 

Social networking

It’s no secret that social networking is growing.  What’s interesting to see is the growth in the use of Pinterest, which focuses on high quality visuals that users share to their personal “pin boards”. In February 2013, Reuters and ComScore stated that Pinterest had 48.7 million users. In addition to this, video social networking has risen as the latest medium to create and share videos online, with new additions such as Twitter’s Vine but YouTube remains the most popular for now.

 

Social networking is now focusing on more ways to share content across platforms and continues to replace traditional news sources for information gathering. We are seeing many brands jumping on board with new social networking accounts being opened every day. Consumers are endorsing brands by using their personal social platforms to recommend preferred products to their friend base. Businesses are using social media to create engagement with their clients and provide and receive real-time feedback.

 

Telecoms

Cutting spending on voice communication is a key focus for most consumers and small businesses. VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), which has been used by call centres and larger companies in South Africa for a while, uses your standard Internet connection and enables you to make cheaper calls over the Internet. This innovative technology is fast on the rise and being introduced into a lot of small or start-up businesses as a substitute for standard telephone usage. There are even VoIP apps available on some smart phones. 

 

Final Word

Most of these technologies require access to reliable, affordable,high speed data services and ISP’s continue to develop and provide solutions to meet these needs. In the past few years South Africans have gained access to uncapped Internet, VDSL (Very-High-Bit-Rate Digital Subscriber Line), reliable Wi-Fi, and 4G (4^th Generation)/ LTE (Long Term Evolution) Networks.

 

Be sure to look into all available Internet options available to you through established, reliable providers, in order to maximise your use and enjoyment of these and upcoming tech advancements.

 

For more information on MWEB’s products visit www.mweb.co.za or like their Facebook page at .

In the last five years, online recruitment has become an essential HR practice with US research showing 92% of companies now recruit via Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Seven in ten companies have successfully hired this way.
 
The South African situation is very different. Only half of companies have moved online and technology is still used in a very basic way to advertise on job boards and direct candidates to an email address or applicant tracking system. A tiny number of companies have fully woken up to social recruitment and are driving relevant jobs and content to niche online communities to engage talent.
 
We see three big opportunities this year:
 
1. Mobilising recruitment: With Africa’s 650-million mobile phone owners growing 40-fold since 2000 and eight in ten South Africans now owning a mobile phone, it is the best way to reach candidates, especially blue collar workers. Different to the US, Africa will have 85% non-smartphone users by 2015, which makes SMS an ideal communication channel.
 
Recruiters should start figuring out how to integrate mobile into the recruitment process as a job application channel. When looking for options, choose software that not only does mobile marketing of job ads, but can also automate the job application process via various mobile channels including SMS, mobile Internet, Instant Messaging (like Mxit) and USSD.
 
2.  Opting for job aggregators: Job boards are based on an outdated model of big databases with no relationship to job seekers and poor integration to social media, if any. The traditional SA job board model has been to charge companies large sums to advertise their jobs with the chances of success being somewhat of a lottery.  Aggregators are disrupting the market by collating and featuring jobs from multiple sources on one site for free.
 
Only the strongest and most innovative will survive and the days of the traditional job board is numbered. Recruiters need to start focusing on aggregators like Indeed.co.za for smarter use of their budgets and better exposure on a job-search tool giving candidates what they really want: quick, simple and effective search of their job niche.
 
3.  Tapping into relationships: While personal recommendation is a top source of outside hires, most companies don’t have formal referral practices. Recruiters need to make sure employer branding is well executed on their career sites. By making jobs easy to share across social networks, employees will be even likelier to pass on opportunities. Equally important is to properly track and reward referrals to avoid great candidates falling through the cracks and to continue encouraging great leads.
 
An increasing number of vendors are now building candidate referral systems. Integrating these with an applicant tracking and workflow system can easily help track referrals along with the source, comments, notes and other content to make better hiring decisions.
 
2013 will be the year that companies deploying well thought out strategies can get a massive advantage. SA recruiters have to urgently up-skill on technology in the recruitment space and how it merges with marketing to stay relevant.
 
In the US, recruitment has already started unraveling for companies that are behind the curve. Local recruiters will start to feel the pressure this year as stopgaps for timely, cost effective and efficient recruitment stop working.