Perminus Wainaina is the Chief Executive Officer of Corporate Staffing Services, a Human Resource (HR) consultancy firm based in Nairobi.
With over 15 years of recruitment experience, Wainaina has studied the top mistakes that most Kenyan job seekers make when applying for jobs hence missing out on the opportunities.
Not Paying Attention to the Job Description
According to him, most Kenyans don’t take time to understand the needs of the employer. As a result, they least highlight their successes to the employer’s satisfaction.
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Not customizing CV to meet the job description
He noted that many job seekers use the same resume to apply for jobs across various sectors. He insisted that one must have a different cover letter for every job you apply for.
While there may be times that jobseekers can use the same resume to apply to more than one job, it’s best to be sure the resume reflects the specific responsibilities of each job you are applying to.
“Think of a receptionist at Nairobi Hospital and a receptionist at a manufacturing company. At Nairobi Hospital, you will need to be urgent and multitask because it’s an area where you will receive a lot of customers at a time.”
“But look at someone who is working in a manufacturing desk where the much they do is receiving calls. The way a Nairobi Hospital CV should be structured should be different from a manufacturing firm CV because the demands are different,’’ he said.
Applying For Many Jobs at a Time
Given the rate of unemployment in the country, many job seekers rush to apply for any job just to escape joblessness.
While applying for multiple jobs may help sometimes, Wainaina notes that job seekers who apply for multiple jobs at a time do not pay attention to requirements and hence miss out on key details.
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He advised jobseekers to take time to understand the employer’s needs and customize their resume to suit the position.
If you can’t invest time and effort into creating a unique introduction to yourself, why would any employer want to invest in hiring you?
Last Minute Rush
They say that “Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.” Many Kenyan Job seekers have a bad habit of procrastinating job applications and turning in their assignments at the very last minute.
Not being quick to respond can cost you because emails can quickly pile up at the last minute and get buried.
“Waiting to apply at the last minute is a mistake because many recruiters process applications as they come in.’’
“So if the job was advertised on Monday, it is possible for them to have closed on Wednesday because they have reviewed the CVs and have identified the people they want to interview; so why would they wait until Friday?’’ he added.