Best Practices of Job Applications

Best Practices of Job Applications

Many people apply for jobs but almost half do not even make it to the shortlisting stage. The main cause of this is the minor but critical errors of omission and commission we make as we apply for jobs.

A training offered to the ACK St. Peter’s Cathedral youth by Mr David Ruga on Sunday, 8^th August 2021. Thirty-five (35) youth members attended.

Discover the Opportunities

Most job opportunities can be found in newspapers. You must make it a habit to read newspapers if you’re looking for opportunities. It doesn’t have to be a physical newspaper; you can subscribe to electronic versions available online.

When you find suitable job adverts, look for the minimum requirements as spelt out. Most employers look for the minimum requirement. Apply only if you meet them.

Preparation – Curriculum Vitae

Update your CV to the date of the job application. Ensure that everything is in order and that all the information is correct. Make sure the CV is appealing. Consider the following;

1. Always capture your personal details. Your name, phone number, date of birth, age, and marital status should be captured well. Used approved/universal marital status. Your email address should bear your names – not numbers and letters that do not describe a person.  Nowadays systems have been configured to treat messages from such emails as spam, and hence reject them.
2. Academics – start with the highest to the lowest level of education. List all, ensuring you don’t leave any unexplained gaps between the listed levels – e.g gaps between the end of your primary education and the beginning of secondary education. Explain such gaps if they exist.
3. Professional qualifications – list them. If you are a member of a professional body, indicate the membership number and your membership status. Indicate that you are in good standing in the body (if indeed you are). Indicate whether you pay your subscriptions – if they apply to that body. However, you should only include bodies where you are a confirmed member. Otherwise, the employer may write to them and discover that you are not a member.
4. Work experience – start with recent going backwards. Include industrial attachment because you acquired experience when you went through it. List the duties and responsibilities you performed, starting with and focusing on the most critical ones. Employers check your work experience to know whether you have the know-how for the job.
5. Hobbies and interests – list them. They help employers to know what you do when you are not working.
6. References – have at least three. Ensure they are all reachable. Also ensure they are people who know you well so that if they are called by the employer, they can readily answer questions about you.

A CV is a marketing tool. You must ensure it is good and appealing. Ensure it markets you well to your potential employers. It is also a living document – update it every time something changes.

Applying

You have identified a job advert you qualify for and have ensured that your CV is ready and up-to-date. Now is the time to apply. First of all, ensure you meet the minimum requirements. However, any extra/additional qualifications will give you a competitive advantage.

Secondly, ensure you attach your documents as follows;

1. Academics – attach your academic certificates; KCPE, KCSE, degree, diploma etc. Remember that a result slip is not the same as the certificate. Include a certificate. Go back to your primary or high school and get your certificate if you’ve not done so already.
2. Professional – attach your professional certificates. They may include KASNEB, CPA, CCNA or any other applicable to your field. Also, include a membership certificate if you belong to a professional body.
3. Testimonials – any other courses that you may have done even if they are not related to your career field. Any letters of recommendation you may have received from organizations, recognition certificates and awards also fall here.

Thirdly, ensure you attach other documents required by the employer as expressed through the requirements list as follows;

• Must be a Kenyan citizen – here, attach your national identity card. If your names do not match, obtain and attach a sworn affidavit confirming that both names refer to you.
• Must be compliant with chapter six of the constitution – this is about integrity. Therefore, submit documents that show that you are a citizen of good standing. They include good conduct, KRA tax compliance certificate (not PIN certificate), CRB clearance, and HELB clearance (whether you have/had a HELB loan or not).

Arrangement

Now that you have all the required documents, the next question is, what comes first? Arrange your documents in the following order;

1. Cover letter
2. CV, with ID attached to it
3. Birth certificate (attach affidavit if applicable)
4. Academic documents from highest to lowest
5. Professional documents
6. Testimonials

Delivering Your Application

Consider the following;

1. Counter-check to ensure you have attached everything required. You do this by preparing a checklist using the job advert then going through your application, checking everything present and adding anything missing. Ensure your cover letter does not have any grammatical or typographical errors.
2. Note the application deadline. Most employers require that the application be received on or before a certain date. That means that if you intend to send it via poster, you must consider the time it will take before it reaches the addressee. Send it earlier.

Do not send someone to deliver the application for you. Do not send a Boda Boda guy. You’ll never be sure whether or not it was delivered. Invest in the job application by delivering it yourself.

Aptitude Test

Once the application goes through and shortlisting is done, the employer may still remain with a big number of applicants. To cut this short, an aptitude test may be issued to reduce the number before a physical interview is conducted. The questions here are very simple but very tricky at the same time. To make it, remember the things you learned in primary and high school and also keep in touch with the current affairs. For instance, how many gold medals did Kenya win in the just concluded Tokyo Olympics? Ladies tend to perform poorly here. Follow current affairs through all available media.

Oral Interview

1. While applying you attached copies of the documents, now carry the originals. Ensure you use a nice folder. Do not carry them in some torn A4 envelope.
2. Arrive earlier than the panellists.
3. Respect and be courteous to everyone you meet in that institution – you do not know who the panellists are.
4. Dressing – be presentable. Shave well. Wear nice shoes. Your clothes should be in cool colours, not very shouting and not colour-clashing. Ladies – do not wear too much jewellery. Wear low-heeled shoes. Have nice hair. Your dress should be below the knees. The perfume you apply should be moderate.
5. Carry a pen and possibly a notebook.
6. Manage your phone. Put it on silent mode.
7. Be humble, greet the panellists, wait until you are asked to sit - do not just enter and sit.
8. Relax, rehearse prior to the interview, and be confident – not overconfident.
9. Try to answer questions, but if you don’t know just say that you’ll research it.
10. Leaving – thank the panellists for the opportunity.

Questions

1. What should you do when the advert says you should be computer literate? If you have studied computer packages in a credible college, attach the documents – if asked.
2. There are certain questions that the panellists ask, how do you answer them?

1. Where do you see yourself in five years? Here, the panellists want to know your ambitions. Do not be over-ambitious. Know the organizational structure beforehand then give an answer in relation to it. For instance, you can pick the next level in the structure and say you want to get there in five years. Show you want to progress but not over-ambitiously.
2. What are your expectations? Know the vision and mission of the organization. Say you expect to grow in line with that.
3. Tell us about yourself? Give your name, age, academics, professional, and social life. Be confined, don’t say too much.
4. What is your expected remuneration? Research about the salary scales then give a figure close to that.

3. Is it possible to submit referees later (after the application)? It is good to just include it earlier.
4. If you are working while in school, how do you include that as experience? If the application requires post-experience, then you can only include experience acquired after campus. However, if it is general, then list even that experience.
5. What happens if multiple professional bodies exist in your field? Just be in one, the one applicable to Kenya.
6. How can I include a side-hustle in my CV? Include it under hobbies.
7. What should I say when the interviewer asks, do you have any question? It is not good to ask. But you can seek clarification if any.
8. Should the cover letter be handwritten or typed? If the advert requires it handwritten, then handwrite it. If not, then always have it typed.
9. Can overqualification disqualify an applicant? No. As long as you have met the minimum requirement, you will be shortlisted.
10. Some employers require experience in a ‘busy working environment, what happens? Just list your experience. As long as it is from a credible organization, it will be considered.
11. Should you apply where you don’t qualify just to test? Do not even waste your time, money, and energy. No employer wastes time looking at applications that do not meet the minimum requirements.

Side note: Do a management course in your field so that you can qualify for management jobs.

12. What leads to re-advertisements? If they specify that those who already applied should not re-apply then it means that the minimum number was not met. However, if the re-advertisement is plain/general, then it means no one met the minimum requirements.
13. Should one have a highly decorated CV, with great language and promises? Be honest and use simple English. Always know the duties and responsibilities of the job you are applying for.
14. A question comes, why did you leave your previous job? This helps panellists to know whether you are a settled person or not. Do not job-hop so much. Just explain. State whether the contract ended or you were terminated. However, summary dismissals are very tricky. Answer the question wisely.

All the best in your career!