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Expectedly, my last week’s article on the
above subject generated considerable interests. I got numerous
inquiries via mail and Twitter on some of the issues raised in it. The
contemporary unemployment situation in Nigeria makes the competition for
the few available job spaces keen.
Nigeria is not a solo traveller on the
corridor of unemployment. According to a 2012 International Labour
Organisation report, of the 202 million people unemployed globally, 40
per cent of them are youths. The ILO estimates that about 30 million
more people became unemployed globally as against 170 million people in
2007. And 75 million people of this figure are young men and women.
Continue reading after the cut...
In Sub-Saharan Africa, the picture is not
too different; youth population continues to rise swiftly. About 297
million people are between the ages of 10 and 24. That is about 297
million youths. By 2050, the projection is that 561 million people would
be youth on the continent. If the age bracket is expanded to 35 years
(which captures the job-seeking population on the continent) in concord
with the African Youth Charter then the figure would likely double.
Nigeria, the most populated country on
the continent, had 54 per cent of her youth population unemployed in
2012, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. The report
indicates that two in five Nigerian youths are currently unemployed. The
clear implication of this is that it is a difficult task to get a job
in Nigeria. That is one sound reason why the first step, which is
sending an application, has to be excellently done.
Back to the story of the experience I
started recalling last week, one of the applications also copied (cc:
carbon copy) three other email addresses and one could not but wonder to
what end that was supposed to serve. Was the applicant informing a
friend or was he or she sending it to his or her other email addresses
to serve as reservoir for applications? It is also erroneous to leave a
blank subject line. Every mail serves a particular purpose and it is
only civilised to label it in that light. This is in addition to
labelling the document(s) being sent appropriately as mentioned last
week.
One major goof that featured consistently
was the inconsistency in font types and sizes used in the curriculum
vitae and the letter that followed. The employer is human and it is only
smart of an applicant to make his job easier. He or she is seeking for
the right candidate for the opening and it means there is an obligation
to read through the letter and the curriculum vitae. The document should
be easy on the eyes. This means a single font should preferably be used
throughout the length of the document. Is there an official font for
applications?
Not necessarily; as there are a number of
fonts that serves official purposes (‘Googling’ official fonts may
help). It all depends on the preference of the applicant.
Also incorrect is the use of the lower
case all through the document. The font size should also not be too big.
For most official fonts, anything between 10.5 and 12 is fine. There is
also that problem about aligning documents. In my judgment, I think
this was the major problem with most of the applications. The document
should be justified. The spacing should be decent, bullet points similar
and the document should be like a properly-done make-up — good to look
at, superficial and certainly not distracting.
The grammar and spellings in some
instances were also awful. Most word applications have a spell check
provision that can be deplored. And even when it is not enough, respect
for the application process would make the applicant to seek help from
friends and family. See it as the first meeting with the prospective
employer and you are already sending an unsuitable indicator.
Predictably, as a number of employers have complained since the new
media waves hit us, there were equally a number of social media-styled
abbreviations in the cover letter.
Seeking help from another pair of eyes
before sending such could help in correcting this fatal blunder. We also
saw applications that had attachments we did not require; at least, at
that moment. The Primary School Leaving Certificate, Project Management
Certification, National Youth Service Corps Certificate and a number of
others were attached by a particular applicant and it was plainly wrong
to have done so.
One dominant issue in the emails I
received following the first part of this commentary is the issue of
referees. A particular reader sought to know the propriety of saying
‘available on request’. My thought is this – at that primary stage of
decision-making by the employer, the merit of your personal profile is
what would count and not that of your referees. However, if one is
fortunate to be called for an interview, then it is the responsibility
of the interviewee to have all the referees and their contacts neatly
typed on a sheet. Of course, this should be clearly titled; for example
– ‘Referees for Victoria Daniel’ – and should also carry a summary of
your personal details again.
Nevertheless, these things are not cast
in stone, especially since we know there are instances of people who
have got jobs despite not having colourful CVs. I also do not think it
is appropriate to display referees’ phone numbers indiscriminately. An
email address at most and maybe job specification of the referee should
suffice given the proliferation of phony vacancies. At least, save your
referees from potential scammers!
Applicants should also take note not to
send PDF documents. It is not a preference, except when the employer
specifically requests for it. And wait for this: three of the CVs we got
also had the passport photograph of the applicant on the CV. I think
only a modelling agency would likely admire such misplaced ingenuity!
Graphics and designs should generally be avoided in any business
correspondence of this nature.
The concluding part of this subject will
occupy this space next week. I am hoping to dig my claws into the future
of job applications and how the social media would count in that almost
foreseeable future. Let’s continue the conversation.-Sola Fagorusi/Punch
Share your thoughts...thanks!
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