Written By Jeremiah Buabeng - My heart was broken over the weekend. Yeah, literally. I was part of a panel of four in charge of interviewing job applicants for a new firm. It is one of a number of interviews I have conducted this year; some for my firm and others for businesses that hired me in the capacity of a consultant. And I can't help but bemoan the sheer lack of preparedness and job readiness of many of our graduates. It appears that many of our graduates need a rude awakening; a bottom-spanking, sleep-banishing, mind-reviving awakening. First of all, let's stop perpetuating this unfounded belief that there are no jobs. My friends, there are. In the past year, I have been both remotely and proximately involved in job recruitments and I can confidently say there are firms looking for refined, skilled and results-oriented graduates to work with. They just can't find any. Many firms and recruitment agencies have run several interviews and yet struggle to find proper, prepared and poised professionals to fill their roles. It appears that many of our graduates not only lack knowledge of how to properly package themselves in order to secure a job, they also have no idea of the skills or value they can contribute to their prospective employers.Recommended: Top Ten Tips for Your Job interview
It is shocking to find the number of graduates who cannot spell the word "career" on their CVs. Spelling mistakes on CVs are as common as the number of unemployed graduates who carry them. If a product of a four year degree or a 3 year diploma cannot spell experience, what experience is he bringing to the world of work? It is almost proverbial to meet a marketing graduate who cannot define marketing not to talk of identifying the specific job functions of a marketer. Many a CV are littered with worn-out clichés such as "able to work with little or no supervision", "able to work to meet deadlines" and "team player" so much that it is almost irritating. And these are listed under Skills. My dear graduate, these are not skills! And by the way every professional is obligated to show these qualities. They are not special attributes that will guarantee you a job. Recruiters are tired of seeing the same English on everyone's CV. It's boring.
If you are a student in any tertiary institution, my advice to you is take charge of your own education.
We have all come to a consensus about the state and quality of our current educational system. It has its inadequacies and yet you can refuse to make that your excuse. Attend seminars. Most people who attend proper seminars on career development and job search strategies are more likely to avoid the ubiquitous errors many others make. Don't live on campus with only an obsession to attend lectures, study and pass exams. You can get all A’s and yet be poorly prepared for the job market.
Do internships! There is a clear disconnect between what is taught in classrooms today and what is required to succeed in the world of work. But if you get to do as many internships as possible, you can rectify that and give yourself a winning edge over your peers. Don't see internships as a waste of time or a drudgery you participate in to satisfy your institution. A good internship is worth more than a semester of classroom work. And get a mentor. If a graduate identifies a mentor in his field and deliberately pursues his guidance and coaching, he would be far better off than those lazily resting on their school certificates and walking about believing that the world owes them a living. The world owes you nothing!
