From My Desk

Years ago, following my graduation from the university, and while on a desperate job-hunting spree, I found myself at internet cafes often, conducting internet searches for job vacancies on multiple online ‘jobs search portals’, and submitting job applications. In the process, I submitted literally over a thousand applications online. Consequent to these applications, a couple of text messages and calls came through inviting me for job interviews. In almost all these instances, the calls and text messages came from recruitment agencies, and in 9 out of 10 cases, it was a requirement for applicants to part away with a specified amount of money they characteristically called processing fee. During that period, I secured two low paying jobs but had to tender my resignations shortly thereafter. I got frustrated with my fruitless and yet frequent interface with recruitment agencies, and with the fact that my numerous job applications via online portals did not yield the desired results. I...

For readers who have followed my blog for quite some time, you will observe I have written a couple of posts about job hunting over the last few years, providing job seekers with the requisite resources that will come handy in the pursuit of their dream jobs. Unemployed graduates have been of major concern to me since I have found myself in this situation time and again, and never found it funny. My focus in this post is to drum home the absolute necessity for thorough preparation when job hunting. It was Benjamin Franklin who aptly noted, “ By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”             Scores of unemployed graduates are focused on submitting job applications and getting invited for job interviews with hopes of landing their dream jobs. This is well and good. However, there is also the tendency to while away time while on a job hunting drive. Many unemployed graduates simply hope that their efforts at landing jobs will one day ...

In this technologically advance era, some tasks that were once cumbersome and time consuming can now be done simply by the click of a few buttons. One of the areas where this has proven to be beneficial has been the emergence of employment/job search websites (or portals). The phenomenon of having to move from office to office to tender job applications is fast becoming a thing of the past.  One only has to sit behind a computer with internet access to submit job applications to several companies in a matter of a few hours, if not minutes. I have occasionally submitted over thirty applications at a sitting. This I did through a couple of websites that feature job vacancy listings. The sad reality however is that many job seekers are not exploring this viable option perhaps due in part to the ignorance of some.              Some job search sites offer employer reviews, career and job-search advice, CV writin...