GradX has found these awesome goodies to keep graduates on the go during as they enter the workplace   Kindle 2   The Kindle 2 by Amazon is a wireless reading device which allows you to download books from www.amazon.com. It’s an extremely sleek-looking gadget with a standard keyboard layout and two buttons on the side to page with.

The GradX team takes a look at the bestsellers that will give graduates the edge as they get ready to move off campus Outliers: The story of success – Malcolm Gladwell: Well-known pop sociologist Gladwell examines everyone from business giants to musicians and reveals what explains exceptionally successful people.

Taking a ‘gap year’ after finishing university can be a good investment in your future   In recent years, it has become an accepted rite of passage for young people to take some time out between completing their studies and settling down to real life and the pursuit of a demanding career.

When Kyle Vorster started Serve-Hosting he was on a mission to prove to the world that he could make something of himself. At 16 years of age he had the passion and determination to make it on his own. With his keen interest in web development Kyle hoped to generate development work from clients whose websites he hosted.

Meggan Liebenberg and her business partner Lara Magnus, colleagues at a global PR firm, decided to go into business together over a couple of drinks. Three months later Orange Ink came into being and six years later the company has six employees.

In 2002 when Sipho Pityana left his position as the director general in the Department of Foreign Affairs, he wanted to start his own business but was keenly aware that he had little business experience. To rectify this situation he took a position at Nedcor in its investment banking division running the Africa division, with a mandate to initiate projects for emerging black entrepreneurs.

Three years ago Christine da Silva saw a gap in the online marketing sector and filled it. She realised that there were virtually no companies offering a full-circle solution. There were companies that offered components of online marketing but none that provided or had the expertise to deliver what she could.

Being a successful entrepreneur is not just about having a great idea – it is about doing what you love coupled with commitment and hard work   Starting your own business isn’t for everyone but as a graduate it is an option worth considering.

In light of the international economic recession, graduates should be even more careful with their first paycheque   Your first paycheque will probably be more money than you've ever received in one lump sum before. What to buy? A car?

Job interviews are always nerve-wracking, especially when you’re going through them for the first time. Rebecca Kahn gives some advice on how to approach them.   The key to thriving – and not just surviving – an interview is to go in, make the best possible impression, and convince your future employers that they cannot survive without you.

Spending time on pulling this paperwork together in a professional way will be well worth the effort   Effective job-hunting starts with your CV and cover letter. Both have to make a good impression, without being over the top. Nikki Attwell, a career counselor and recruitment specialist at Abacus Consulting, explains the difference.

Shaheer Motala, ex-UKZN student, says... Having graduated from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (Howard College) with a B Com Marketing and Business Management, Shaheer Motala was faced with the daunting prospect of entering the job market. Seeking an employer that would make the transition from university to the working world an easy one, Shaheer joined the Mr Price Group’s graduate development programme, which provided an opportunity to be in a company that offered a platform to which to launch his career.

Despite the recession, many South African retailers are actively seeking graduates   The economic crisis is on everybody’s lips at present, as it has had a major effect across all industries. Sales in the retail sector have certainly been deteriorating this year.

Kamva Matshoba, ex-NMMU student, says... One of things Kamva Matshoba loves about working for SARS is that she feels like she’s at the cutting edge of the public sector. Kamva works in the economics division. She has a BComm Economics degree from Fort Hare University and an honours degree from the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University.

Job seekers who dismiss this space do so at their own peril   Ambitious graduates sometimes overlook the opportunities that the public sector offers, believing it is all about sheltered employment for under-achievers who are willing to trade job security for less pay and limited career growth.

Kathy Hadje Georgiou, ex-Wits student, says... Kathy Hadje Georgiou says that after attending the RCTE, she is confident that she has made the right decision to study chemistry. She is currently studying for her B Sc (honours) degree at Wits University and says she was very lucky that she was chosen to attend the RCTE programme in the UK.

The production line at GlaxoSmithKline's factory If you're service-oriented and feel strongly about contributing to the health care needs of South African, then take a look at this sector   Working with pharmaceuticals is not just about dispensing pills to patients and sticking labels on containers.

A group of Twenty30 volunteers working on a project at Hitekani Promary School in Soweto, Johannesburg Graduates looking for a meaningful career would do well to consider the development sector   Lauded as the most socially conscious group in decades by experts in generational theory across the globe, many graduating students will be looking for career choices that will allow them to make a real difference within their companies and the broader community.

Wandile Rikhotso, ex-UJ student, says… Wandile Rikhotso completed his honours in Marketing and Management at the University of Johannesburg. He currently works as a promotions and events co-ordinator for Volkswagen South Africa. Much of his work centres around organising car launches.

The production line at VWSA's factory in Uitenhage, Eastern Cape Graduates willing to work hard, stay positive and believe in themselves can thrive in this industry   The past year of global financial turmoil and instability has made ‘soon to be’ graduates wonder if their qualifications can still get them a job.

Raymond Ranta graduated from the University of Pretoria with a B Eng Mining degree. This lively, talented graduate is now a participant in AngloGold Ashanti’s management training programme. He cautions that some entry-level employees may find moving into the sector a bit of a shock.

One of AngloGold Ashanti's mines The local mining industry still has enormous potential as our country has the largest mineral reserve base in the world The local and international mining industries have undergone significant changes in recent years and face an interesting future.

Imogen Patzer, ex-Vega student, says... Imogen Patzer is living proof of the varied career paths available to someone entering the marketing and media sector. Graduating from the Vega School of Art and Design in Cape Town with a BA Degree in Creative Brand Communications, she currently finds herself in a job that is very different to what she studied.

As this sector plays such a big role in stimulating growth, graduates can look forward to growth opportunities here   The marketing and media sector inevitably conjures up idealistic images in the mind’s eye of a student. Whether it’s the idea of the hip advertising executive developing a controversial ad campaign, the hardboiled journalist getting the big scoop or the first-time film producer winning an Oscar, it is clearly a romanticised industry.

Shelagh Rule, ex-Wits student, says... Shelagh Rule, an LLB graduate from Wits, is one of 36 candidate attorneys in Webber Wentzel’s 2009 graduate intake programme. Hiring candidate attorneys makes up the better part of the firm’s talent acquisition activities, which also include ‘parallel’ recruitment (head-hunting), and mergers and acquisitions.

As the global recession bites, competition for articles at private firms is stiffer than ever. But there are many alternatives.   Most legal graduandi have their sights on a career in the private sector. For many it comes down to a choice between attorney and advocate.

Melanie Vorster, ex-Wits student, says… Melanie Vorster is doing her legal articles at Everingham’s, a firm of attorneys with specialist knowledge of insurance law that provides a full range of legal services. She has a B Com LLB from Wits, where she enrolled in January 2003.

While graduate recruitment has slowed down here, employers are still in the market for scare skills   When you ask most five-year-olds what they want to do when they grow up, unsurprisingly most of them don’t say they want to work in insurance.

Ewa Swart, ex-Tukkies student, says… Proving that academic achievement is only the first step towards success is Ewa Swart, a recent addition to Standard Bank’s CIB division. Her drive and ambition complements the successful completion of her studies.

The Trading Room at Nedbank in Sandton, Johannesburg The investment and investment banking sector is under pressure, but graduates can still find space to shine here   The world is a very different place from what it was just a year ago.

Gareth Taylor, ex-Wits student says... For Gareth Taylor, the ICT sector is a very exciting place to be. “It is one of the more fast-paced industries,” he says. “Technologies that were ahead of their time yesterday are obsolete tomorrow.

With South Africa becoming a global leader in the technology stakes, there are plenty of opportunities for graduates   South Africa is the leader of information and communications technology (ICT) development within Africa. With the ICT and electronics sector in South Africa becoming increasingly sophisticated and developed, it has become an important contributor to the county’s gross domestic product.

Debbie Lombard, ex-UCT student, says... Debbie Lombard has been at P&G as an assistant brand manager since January last year and has loved it. She studied for a business science degree and majored in organisational psychology at UCT. “Every day is different.

The production line at the L'Oreal factory in Midrand, Gauteng This sector is dealing with the downturn and career choices here are almost limitless   The fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector is a diverse and exciting space that affects our daily lives.

In a country suffering from a recession, construction is an area where graduates are guaranteed to build their careers   Travelling around the major cities in South Africa, it’s easy to see that the construction industry is booming.

Schalk Vorster, ex-Rhodes student, says… Schalk Vorster of BSG Africa prepared for working life at Rhodes Univeristy with a BSc in information systems and computer science, followed by an honours in information systems. Today he’s a business consultant, which means his current primary mission is to analyse client organisations from both a technology and a business perspective, and to model solutions based on their needs.

Looking to travel, enjoy varied assignments and make good money? Then take a look at the options in this sector   You sip that creamy cappuccino in your campus cafeteria and someone mentions the word “consulting” in the context of a conversation about really dynamic career options.

Ivan Serwadda, ex-UCT student, says... On graduating from the University of Cape Town with a bachelor’s degree in electrical and computer engineering, Ivan Serwadda quite clearly had the world at his feet. But his thirst for knowledge was not yet slaked.

The retail banking sector is still actively seeking young talent   To graduates about to take their first tentative step into the working world, the retail banking sector offers an attractive proposition as a widely recognised, skills intensive sector.

Lara Maré, ex-Maties student, says...   Lara Maré is a management accountant that gained membership to CIMA in February this year. “I studied management accounting at Stellenbosch and finished in 2003,” she says.