Jobs are hard to come by in Kenya and word gets around quick
about any vacant positions thanks to social media and the general workings of
the internet.I recently put out an ad on my facebook page looking to hire
someone for a TV show host position (the position has since been filled). Here is what my post read;
This post was shared with thousands of people on text,
whatsapp, facebook and twitter and as expected we got an avalanche of
responses. Unfortunately, most of these people who applied stood no chance of
getting the job; hell, most of them stood no chance of getting a response.
Luckily a lot of this mistakes can be improved on and in
effect increase your chances of not getting eliminated in the first round and
hopefully getting the job.
What to do
Follow the instructions on the advert
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Most people who advertise for job positions are busy. As
such they will put details that describe the candidate they’re looking for. The
rule of thumb is you should only apply if you meet at least three quarters of
the listed requirements.
Ensure you’re applying for the position advertised
The reason we advertised for a TV show host position is
because we were actually looking for a TV show host. Had we been looking for a
secretary, a cameraman, a HR manager or a chef, we would have said so. You
wishing it, does not change the position. Save the person hiring and yourself
time, email space and pain by only applying for the position advertised
Adhere to the medium of communication
When you do apply use the medium listed in the advert. This in
most cases is a physical or email address. Send your application to the address.
Don’t call, don’t text, don’t comment questions just send the bloody application
to the said address.
Take time on your application
This was taught heavily in school and applies to life.
Bosses care about how you communicate in real life as much as the teachers did
in school. If it’s an email as my advert was, ensure your email contains the
following;
A heading: This should briefly and clearly describe what you’re
writing about e.g. “Application for Wedding Show Host Position”
Salutation: Say a good morning/good afternoon/Hello Miss,
Mrs. or Miss So and so
Introduction and Reference: The first line should be an
introduction of who you are (full names) and where you heard about the opening.
Corroboration: After the introduction, justify your application
by stating ways in which you feel you meet the listed requirements in the
advert.
Attachments: Attach the requested documents and be sure to
include a note in the email stating what you have attached. Try and attach
everything that is requested.
Contact Information: Make it easy for the person hiring to
get in touch with you. An email address and phone number are sufficient
Sign off: Regards, followed by your name in full should be
enough
Remember to double check your spellings and grammar
What NOT To Do
Do not forward an email that you have sent to someone else as your application
Do not simply attach your CV and expect whoever is receiving to start deciphering what it’s for
If a position asks for pictures, do not send trashy pictures, pictures of you on holiday, partying or lying in bed (these are all pictures we got)
Save the sad stories for your mother
Most people hiring are not looking to help you. They are
looking for someone to competently fill a position they have and effectively
get a task done. Your sad stories about
your sick mum or your pet that recently passed away are of no use to the application.
Nobody likes an entitled whiner, can you do the job or not?
In the words of one wise man…sisi tuna shida zetu, tuskize
zako kwa nini?
5. Do not make excuses
There’s a very good TV show that if you find sometime you
should watch, it’s called 'How To Get Away with Murder'. In one of the episodes,
the lead character who is a law professor says to one of her student’s
“The way
you’re whining right now makes me believe you think I’m your mother, Ms. Pratt.
Show up tomorrow, or drop out of the competition; it’s that simple.”
If half your application is excuses of why you don’t have
this and that, don’t write it.
6. Don’t try to get the person hiring to do some of the work for you
I had a lot of people writing to me after my ad asking what
a screen test is and whether I could do one for them. You know what these kind
of people are called? Lazy! And in most cases they do not get the job.
7. Do Not Canvass
In business, canvassing is when you know the person hiring and
you reach out to them in other ways other than the officially listed line of
communication with the hope of swaying their choice in your favor. Common ways
are flooding their private social media or phone with messages or asking mutual
friends to call and throw in a good word.
Now we leave in a pretty corrupt society and for some reason
this has come to be almost acceptable. It is not. There are two reasons.
- Canvassing implies you do not trust you qualifications, skills and application to do the job of convincing the people hiring that you qualify...or worse still
- You do not trust the people hiring to make the correct judgment without your unsolicited call or incessant messages
Both will get you disqualified by managers or business
owners who are serious about their jobs.
Let the strength of your application speak for itself.
Let the strength of your application speak for itself.
Be Patient
Sorry to break this to you but the world does not revolve
around you. You made a job application and everyone must stop what they are
doing and immediately respond to your email or you will keep pestering them
through all mediums known to man until they respond? You know what these kind
of people are called? Entitled ass holes, and they usually don’t get hired.
Be patient and await the response.
If it doesn’t come; it’s clear you didn’t get the position.
It happens, life isn’t fair.
Don’t take it personally, dust yourself up, cry if you must, improve your application and try the next door.
Don’t take it personally, dust yourself up, cry if you must, improve your application and try the next door.
All the best in your job hunt.
