Feature Article of Saturday, 1 August 2015
Columnist: Brako-Powers, Kwabena
Job searching frustrates the strong. It makes one looks stupid. Often sad. Sometimes the period of looking for work serves as moments of reflection. Many conflicting thoughts race through one’s mind. Did I do the right program in the university or polytechnic? Why did A get that job and not me? Did I miss something back in school? Why is the economy so challenging? How come one doesn’t get something to do after suffering to get a degree, diploma or certificate? The thoughts at this moment are innumerable. Scientists say man processes about 60, 000 thoughts on daily basis.
Stop being a suspect and act as a prospect. Focus on what you want and not what has gone past you. If you find yourself in the above situation you’re not alone. Know: you’re in with about 33,000 Ghanaian graduates walking on our streets each day in search of work to do. I know a friend who walked from Nsawam to Adabraka sharing letters to businesses situated on the road. He printed several copies of his certificate, cover letter, and CV. He’d served fifty (50) letters before he got to Adabraka. Perhaps you may not be that desperate as he was. He backed this with several calls to his course mates back in the university. The news is that, he got a job after 5 months being hungry and being labeled as ‘lazy’ by his parents.
In chapter 9 of my book ‘Lost Leadership Conscience’ titled ‘Dilemma of a Graduate’ (now if you’ve not bought one please do because there’s so much in it for you) I detailed how graduates have contributed to the joblessness situation in the country after the education system. We have fed into the system that we’re getting education to work for ‘some’ lucrative businesses to lift our family to the isle. As a consequence, we approached education in one direction – to be educated but not to learn. The difference between education and learning is the lurking passion to do something different. Finding creative ways of solving the economic puzzles the country finds it difficult to surmount.
Now following are seven (7) proven steps to getting a job in a week.
Check that CV it’s a harmless bomb – now the whole business of searching for a job is marketing. A company receives so many CV’s and settle on one. It’s simple. The one chosen is a good brand. Yours was not. Finish. What this means is that, your brand is weak and not sellable. In short. Your CV was a harmless bomb. Redraft your CV to unsettle the employer who sets his eyes on it followed by a call offering you the job. If you’re desperate don’t impose that on your CV. It should be sharp. Well organized. Cute. Or immaculate.
Accept your status – many people are walking contradiction. They’re desperately looking for job yet would lie to a friend that they’re working. Perhaps this should be on top of the list. If you want to get a job within a week as promised you’ve got to accept your status and prepare to change it. Shoveling it aside will create a temporary relief but the horror will permanently lurk in your room. When you close your door to sleep in the night, the thought of being unemployed will begin to haunt you. I’m not advocating you sign up for membership of the Unemployed Association of Ghana (UAG). That will be too harsh a move to do to announce your jobless status to the world.
Prioritize your to-do-list – what gets you occupied the whole of the 24 hours a day? How much time do you spend looking for job either online or from office to office? To get results spend if possible the whole day searching. Make the job searching your priority. Find yourself doing something that will inch you closer to your dream job.
Don’t focus too much on the internet – Are you desirous of getting the job? Don’t limit your search to only the internet. A vacancy online may receive more than 1000 applicants who share your frustration too. However what separates the next employee from you is the former’s ability to go fishing out too. Sometimes the too serious companies/businesses will not display their vacancies online. Why not try the newspapers in your country also? What about moving from one office to the other? They help.
Activate your old school contacts – oft ignored by many job seekers today. Contacts of course mates should be activated at this stage. If you believe time and chance happens to everybody then you will act right. Some people have the ‘right’ connection so upon completion they get employment in plush businesses. A friend may be part. Pick your diary or phonebook and start making those calls. Rehearse on what to say so as not to fumble and appear stupid before them. Engage them and ask for referrals to businesses that are employing. You may shine.
Job cold calling (JCC) – Now go online right now. Visit websites of prospective businesses and pick their phone numbers. Make a call to them introducing yourself and advancing you’re available for employment. Sell your skills to them and if possible send your CV to them for reviewing and consideration. As a ‘marketer’ of yourself you’ve got to take this serious. Be passionate because your next job depends on how active and effective you discharge this salesmanship. JCC is the practice of finding phone numbers of businesses online and calling them to sell oneself for a job to do. Many of my graduate clients have had their dream job through this exercise. You’re next.
Volunteering – I know a friend who got his dream job through volunteering. After severally searching without success for a job he decided to place his talent at the disposal of his dream company at no cost. I see you murmuring that it must be a joke. I’m serious. He’d a paradigm shift. He lifted his eyes from the coveted salary to experience. He walked to the office to book an appointment with the Secretary to meet the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company. On the scheduled day he met the man and told him he would volunteer till he gets a job. He was given a try and he proved himself. When a vacancy became available he was the first point of call. Sometimes our focus should be moved from the salary as the ‘price’ to the experience we’d stand to benefit.
Now get to work. I bet you. If you’ll follow these seven (7) proven steps carefully and dutifully your dream job is yours for taking. If you keenly observe the first six steps to the letter you won’t get to the seventh step and you’d have landed your dream job already. Or let’s get talking. Link up for further advice via Facebook or LinkedIn. Know: it’s possible to have that job right now.