Matrics: What to do when you Can’t find Jobs after Matric

You’re a matriculant in South Africa who has no money to study further and you can’t find any available jobs for matrics. You’ve been looking for jobs for matriculants in South Africa for quite a few months and there’s just no jobs available! What to do? You need a job!

Firstly, if you have finished matric and you have your heart set on finding a job in South Africa, don’t give up just yet. Have you really investigated all options? Do you know all the options that are available to matrics? Consider doing the “project” we have for matrics (or for teenagers about to enter or complete matric) that we detail on this site, which at the very least may make you think of ideas and options you hadn’t thought of before – just reading through the “project” criteria might spark off some ideas.

Right, so now you’ve looked for jobs for matriculants all over the place in South Africa. You have been looking for months, have applied to many jobs and even gone to a few interviews, but still no luck at actually getting a job – sure, maybe there have been some jobs you could start, but they’re really basic jobs that do not pay much and that will never bring in a big enough income to cover paying for rent, groceries, transport, medical bills, new clothes or going out, spoiling a girlfriend or boyfriend (or down the line raising children), or saving anything for the future.

So, what to do?

Are you going to continue living at home forever while looking for a job you may never find? Your parents may run out of money, or if not, may not like or have enough extra money for paying for your outings, gifts for your girlfriend or boyfriend, or even helping to raise your children in the future.

You have to do something. You have to take care of yourself.

Options for matrics in South Africa who have looked for a job for ages, but are not having any luck:

1 )
Beg your parents or an older sibling or a friend or a boyfriend or girlfriend to take care of you forever (this is not really an option; it’s just thrown in here as a joke or to make you realise that this option is not a good one)

2 )
Look for jobs in ways you haven’t thought of before or look for types of jobs you haven’t thought of before, or spend just 4 hours a night sleeping and look for (and apply for) jobs harder than you have been – be careful – do this for just 2 or 3 days/nights at a time, and then catch up on sleep again!

3 )
Consider trying our “project” to assist you in either finding work or for attempting to make money from the “project” itself

4 )
continue looking for that perfect job, but inbetween make craft items or food items and sell them at a flea market, or from home – get ideas on this site or on other sites

5 )
continue looking for that perfect job, but inbetween offer a service from home – get ideas on this site or on other sites

6 )
Apply for freelance work online (and do the freelance work)
- on freelance job sites like oDesk

7 )
continue looking for that perfect job, but inbetween start working at making money online, with or without your own website or blog – get tips on this site or other sites

8 )
consider combining options 4 and 7, or options 5 and 7

Conclusion:
Hang in there and keep trying to find a job in South Africa. If you can’t find a job after having tried for a very long time, then make a job “come to you” by working for yourself – remember that if you do find a job, what you’ve been doing to earn yourself income in the meantime could still be done in your free time, to earn you some extra income.

© copyright Teresa Schultz 2011

FURTHER READING:

What can I do during a gap year after matric?

Thinking about what to do after matric