It is not easy to secure a job. And nobody tells you that when you throw your caps high at the graduation ceremony.
It is not easy to secure a job. And nobody tells you that when you throw your caps high at the graduation ceremony. The reality actually dawns after a few days, weeks, months or years depending on how long you are able to wait until you can secure an interview, not a job. It is not always a surety that you will get the job until you get a call from the organization telling you to report to the office. There are instances where you will be called for the job, but you will be put on probation for three months before you are confirmed. While at it, there is always no pay or if you are lucky, you will receive transport allowance. As a result, we (graduates) have been left with the option of carrying boards bearing our qualifications by the roadside with the hope that we will meet our ideal employer.
I would count myself lucky because I secured an internship at a Non-governmental Organization (NGO), just a month after I had left campus and later on, I was promoted to a Communication Officer where I worked for one year. Through a friend, I managed to find an advert (Recruiting sites are very important, you should visit them often, just like Fuzu here) where they were looking for a Communication Intern for the organization. Since there was no particular email for sending the application, I paid a visit to the said organization where I inquired further about the job opening and dropped the required documents for the job.
It took a while before I got a call from the Human Resource Manager inviting me for an interview. This was actually a good sign. I conducted further research on the organization, including its background, mandate, programs, staff, physical presence and their beneficiaries. I did not pay attention to where it was located because I had been there before. This is important so that you are not late for the interview, first impression matters a lot. I had to wear an official trouser and top, though not my favorite, but equally key. I managed to impress my panel of three by maintaining eye-contact, having an upright posture, keeping my hands locked together on my thighs and answering the questions in line with the job description (It is important to read it because all the answers lie there).I would say I was lucky because Fuzu had just offered me a career counseling session and it came in handy for the interview. I got the internship.
By Mercy Awino.
