1. Sign up to get HeadHunted

We're all rather busy these days - they don't call it the rat RACE for nothing. While we all recognise that every 2-3 years we should look for career opportunities, job hunting is time consuming, stressful and not much fun. If you're already juggling a family and career then weekends should be saved for things a lot more enjoyable than reading the Job Ads. That's why JobCrystal decided to offer a headhunting service to busy employees that allowed them to be confidentially matched to job offers from top employers. Everybody we've spoken to agrees it's a better way to do job hunting.

2. Supply us with a few personal details

No, nothing as personal as THAT, gosh. (We're blushing now. And you should be too.) We're just going to ask you to fill in your name, suburb, current job, that sort of thing. And by the way, everything you share with us stays with us, until you give us permission to pass your contact details on to a potential employer.

3. Complete the rest of your profile info as you have time

We'll even supply you with a handy Completeness Indicator(TM) so that you know how much more you have to do before you can pat yourself on the back for a job well done. The information that makes up your full profile includes things like your career history, personality type, references, your dream job, and so on.

4. Introduce your friends to JobCrystal

This one's important. Every time one of the friends that you've introduced gets successfully placed by us, your candidate rank improves. Yes, that's right. For doing nothing, except having smart friends. So if you don't have smart friends, best you find some right away, and invite them to join JobCrystal.

5. Join groups and meet up with people like you

“Bob's in IT.” That's what Bob's mom says whenever one of her friends asks what Bob does for a living. Bob's mom (and most of Bob's friends) (and even Bob's wife) have absolutely no idea what an “Enterprise Integration Architect” is. Jo-Ann has the same problem with “Certified Public Accountant”, and Sid's given up telling people that he's a “Chief Environmental Scientist” because he doesn't like getting blank looks. Bob, Jo-Ann and Sid would love to talk shop with people who actually understand the concepts they deal with every day. It's always been pretty hard to find those people, but not with JobCrystal. We will hook you up with other people in similar careers and give you opportunities to meet, share ideas and network with them, both online and offline. Wouldn't it be nice to go to a gathering and introduce yourself by your full job title, knowing that for once people's eyes will light up, rather than glaze over?

6. Make use of our career resources and career pathing information

We'll give you the tools to manage your career – salary surveys to find out what you should be earning, suggestions of careers you could consider based on your personality profile and skills, the inside track on who's hiring right now, and even what skills you should consider acquiring if you want to move up a rung or two on the career ladder. Useful stuff. The kind of stuff that makes smart people even smarter. And you're a smart people, presumably, or you would have stopped reading long ago.

7. Await the arrival of your next job

Yup. You just sit back while our gears and cogs and levers go to work behind the scenes. Employers approach us with positions that need filling, and our system picks out the best candidates by matching their profile information with the job offer. If you're one of those candidates, you'll get an SMS telling you that you've been shortlisted. You can log in and check out the details of the job, and if you decide that it might be worth a closer look, you let us know. Only then do we release your contact details to the employer, so that they can set up an interview. This means that you won't get harassed by recruiters offering you heaps of unsuitable jobs, and you're always in control of who has access to your contact details.

8. Send us your story

Because the truth is that we're big softies at heart, and we like to hear feel-good stories: stories about poor kids becoming international singing sensations, harrowing tales of kittens being rescued from tall trees by brave firemen, and best of all, true-life stories about hard-working people who've discovered that their dream jobs really do exist, and it is possible to bounce out of bed every day. You can either let us know through the section called "Have Your Say" on your Dashboard or email us at my-story@jobcrystal.co.za.