Job sectors to consider when looking to land a job after high school

Estelle Nagel at Gumtree

Once the bell rings on the final day of Grade 12, matriculants who opt not to study or who’d prefer to take a gap year may choose to find a job instead.

While finding a job can be stressful and often disheartening (cue the “we require candidates with four years’ experience for this position” disclaimer in almost every job ad), landing a good entry-level job has a lot to do with where you’re looking.

Here are a few job sectors that first-time job seekers should look to for potential employment.

Sales

Sales representatives are responsible for identifying potential customers and selling company products. A company would usually offer you a fixed basic salary, but the great thing about sales is that the opportunity to make more money exists in the commission structure. This means that your salary can be high or low depending on how much work you put in. Sales positions often require you to have a driver’s licence and your own vehicle to get around, so keep this in mind when applying.

Customer service

Companies and recruitment agencies are always on the lookout for people to join their customer service arena. The requirements usually include a completed national senior certificate and basic telephone etiquette. These jobs tend to operate on shift-basis as many local companies serve international clients which operate in different time zones, or customers may require 24/7 support.

Retail

Much like customer service, working in the retail sector also has to do with interacting with customers – only in this case it is physical interaction by greeting and assisting customers in a store. This type of work requires you to be on your feet most of the day and possibly work on weekends or public holidays too.

Internship (applies to any sector)

An internship is where an employer offers a potential employee, called an intern, the opportunity to work for a company for a specific period. Not only is it an easy way to gain experience in a particular field but can also lead to permanent employment. It is also worth remembering that internships can either have a fixed stipend, or the employer may even expect you to work for nothing in exchange for experience, so make sure that this fits in with your personal requirements.

Now that the job sectors to be looking at are clearer, finding out where to find these jobs is the next step. Online classified sites like Gumtree are updated with thousands of job entries every day, increasing job seekers chances of landing a job they will love and grow in.