​​​​​Stellenbosch University's (SU) Unit for Graduand Career Services strives to be the link between students and employers.

The unit, which is based in the Centre for Student Counselling and Development, aims to connect students with the world of work by offering assistance in career management, individual and group career development sessions and career fairs. They also work closely with other SU centres, departments and faculties on their career initiatives, says Marquard Timmey who heads up the Unit.

Workshops on CV writing, cover letters, job-seeking skills, interview skills, personal branding and how to optimise your LinkedIn profile, have also been developed in order to help students manage their future careers.

Students are also afforded the opportunity to interact and network with potential employers on campus at three career fairs (General Career Fair, Accounting Career Fair and Engineering Career Fair) which take place annually.

The unit is also responsible for conducting the Graduate Destination Survey (GDS). “In our latest GDS, we found that about 4% of our students are uncertain about what to do after graduation, that is a very low percentage in comparison to the rest of the country, but our unit plans to reduce it even further."

Marquard says one of their main concerns is that many students start too late to work on their transition to employment. “For many of our students, being away from the university after graduating, might mean not having access to the necessary technology and career services. Some of our graduates go back to areas where there is a lack of resources," he says.

Marquard encourages students to make use of the available resources and opportunities whilst at University, such as MatiesCareers, an innovative career services management system that provides students with updated job postings, making it easy for companies and students to connect.

The site allows students to search for jobs and to register for the unit's work sessions and other career initiatives. More than 230 companies are already registered on the portal – which has been running for two years.

Marquard also encourages students to have an online presence. “Cleaning or pruning your social media profile is very important especially for job seekers, if you would rather hide a post or picture from your parents then maybe it shouldn't be there as it has become a norm for recruiters to check the social media profiles of candidates."

And given the rise of the GIG economy, a labour market characterised by a flexible work model rather than the traditional nine-to-five working model, students will need to adjust to the changes in the workplace. Students must develop an entrepreneurial mind-set, they need to be okay with uncertainty, take calculated risks and be more open-minded and flexible by not losing faith when one does not find permanent employment, says Marquard.

Click here for more information on the Unit for Graduand Career Services.