Unemployed Graduate

Unemployment is Real


The date is the 11 of July 2019. Life is not getting any easier for a recent graduate by the of Zintle Notha aged 23. Its Thursday at 10 o'clock I woke up with great inspiration to go and look for a job in one of our local firms that I had its hiring. Its not that I am unemployed if you can go to the Labour department you can find my name under the list of employed people, I will tell you why is that.

I obtained a Diploma from the University of Johannesburg of Public Relations and Communications in 2017. Luckily just after my graduation, I found myself an internship opportunity, even though it was not related to the qualification I obtained I applied for it because I wanted something that will keep me busy and also financial stability. It was a Retail internship from one of the biggest Retail stores in South Africa which is also internationally recognised.

I was so excited when I passed the interview and couldn't wait to go and start my new and first job in my life.My first day was not what I expected I thought I was gonna work in an office space and deal with the marketing department of the Store, I even had new ideas about how they would enhance their social media and make it a point that they are able to engage and communicate with their customers better.. It was actually the opposite of that, I was a sales consultant. I worked so hard to make sure that I make the best out of my given opportunity and successfully completed my internship, the question was WHAT NOW????

I was offered a freelance position which is refereed to as a flexi timer, things changed, the hours went down and the salary was not even peanuts I do not even know what to call it. I could not believe my eyes when I saw a bank notification, things went from worse to worst very fast I ended up working 15 hours a week, as the company was deep in dept in the UK affecting the South African operations as well. I started applying for jobs that are not even related to what I studied. I remember seeing a meme in social media saying "Graduates in SA should put their degrees aside  and start hustling like drop outs other than that they will forever be unemployed", guess what I did exactly that. I started applying for cleaning jobs and other general positions, but still no luck.

Today I woke up and went to firm close by where I stay in Roodekop I could not believe my ears when I told the security that I am here to drop my CV, he looked me into the eyes and said " I do not wanna give you false hope, you must know someone from the inside in order to get a job here" I looked at him for a second and he was not bluffing. Some guy who works from the inside passed and he called him to confirm that for me, and he said the same thing. I was so devastated, I woke up from home and there was nothing to eat and in my bag I only had one rand, I cried all the way to the nearest library and started writing this blog.