Job Seekers Guide
Job
Seekers Guide
Tips
for Tanzania Job Seekers
The
Tanzania Jobs section of ZoomTanzania.com is
Tanzania’s #1 job portal, with hundreds of job vacancies and thousands of
visits from Tanzania job seekers each day.
But
finding a good job takes time, preparation and a lot of work! Below are
some important tips on what to do, and what not to do, to increase your chances
of finding a great job that fits your experience, interests and skills.
The
tips below are organized into three areas. Read through them all below,
or click the area that you think most applies to you.
Your
job application is a communication, and how well you “sell yourself” makes a
big difference. There are far more job seekers than there are good jobs
in Tanzania. This means that employers often receive dozens, if not
hundreds, of applications for every available job! They are busy people,
and it would be impossible for them to thoroughly review each application they
receive. Instead, employers scan applications quickly to separate the good
candidates from the bad. Only the good candidates get their application
fully reviewed. Either your application goes directly to the trash bin,
set aside for possible consideration, or it goes into the “strong candidate”
pile for a thorough review. Avoid making these common mistakes, and you
will greatly increase your chances of your CV landing in the “strong candidate”
pile.
Mistake
1: Blast Applications
The
most common mistake that we see TZ job seekers make is to send out the same
cover letter to dozens or even hundreds of different jobs, changing only to
reflect the different company and position.
It doesn’t matter if
you apply to 1 job, or to 500 jobs, if your application does not speak directly
to the skills, experience and requirements noted in the position description
for that job, it’s unlikely you will be called for an interview no matter how qualified
and experienced you may be.
To
learn how to target each application to the job being applied for, see the
section below entitled The Cover
Letter & Selling Yourself.
Mistake
2: Spelling Mistakes
Sounds
simple right? It is truly amazing how many cover letters and CVs we see
with spelling mistakes. All computers have spell-check, so even one
spelling mistake is too many. If you use your email to send the cover letter,
that is OK, but be sure spell check is turned on, or write the letter in MS
Word and then paste into your email after its complete and you have performed a
thorough spell check. Spelling mistakes communicate the following to the
employer:
1.
Unprofessional, not
serious about this job
2.
Lazy, didn’t bother
using spell check
3.
Poor attention to
detail
Mistake
3: Under-Qualified Applications
Most
job descriptions state minimum qualifications and they are there for a
reason. Do not waste your time applying for a job for which you do not at
least come close to meeting these minimum requirements.
Let’s
say the job description says “5 years related experience”, but you only have 4
years. Should you apply? If you meet all the other requirements and
exceed some of them, then go ahead and apply. But if you do not come
close, don’t waste your time. Instead, focus your job search efforts on
jobs for which you are truly qualified for. Applying for a job that you
are not qualified for communicates the following:
1.
Didn’t bother to read
the job description
2.
Can’t follow simple
instructions
3.
No attention to
detail
So
what do you do if you have little work experience and are having a hard time
finding entry level positions in your field? Check out our Tips for
Recent Grads and Those With Little Work Experience below.
Mistake
4: Failure to Follow Application Instructions
Most
job descriptions provide instructions on how and when to apply. Some want
a handwritten cover letter, some want email applications only, some want copies
of certificates etc., each job is different. It is your responsibility to
read the application instructions carefully and to follow them. If
you fail to follow the application instructions, you are communicating the following:
1.
Cannot follow simple
instructions, cannot do this job well.
2.
No attention to
detail, not the right person for our team.
3.
Unprofessional
Mistake
5: Poor English Writing Skills
So
far we have discussed mistakes that are very easy to fix, this one is a bit
more challenging. Many job applications in Tanzania are in English, which
can be a challenge for some. It is hard enough to create a
good CV and write a powerful cover letter in your native language. It’s a
lot harder to do the same in a second language. So what can you do if
your English skills are limited?
First, create your CV
and write your cover letter in your native language, whatever that may
be. Follow all the tips below to draft your cover letter, but do it in
the language that you are most comfortable writing in.
Only
after you have everything just the way you want it in your native language
should you translate it to English. If your English skills are not
strong, then seek out a friend, teacher or family member with strong English
skills to help you with the translation. Only you can write your cover
letter, because only you understand your strengths and only you care enough to
put in the time and work necessary to write a great CV and cover letter. So
write it yourself, write in your native language, and then seek assistance
getting what you have written translated to English.
It’s
always best if you know someone at the company to which you are applying that
can forward your CV with their recommendation. But what do you do if you
do not know anyone working at the company? Your cover letter and CV are
the ONLY THING that you have to differentiate yourself from a
large pool of applicants, and sometimes there are hundreds of other
applicants. The cover letter, or in many cases the simple email that
accompanies your CV, will often decide whether the employer even looks at your
CV or not.
Tip
1: Customize Your Cover Letter for Every Job
The
first and single most important thing you should do is read the position
description very carefully. What are the requirements, what past work
experience are they seeking, what personal characteristics do they say are
important? If after reading the position description you feel you are a
good candidate for the job, then do some basic research on the company.
Visit their website, learn more about what they do, their corporate culture,
anything you can find to help you understand more about the company will be
useful in writing your cover letter.
Now
that you fully understand the position description and have done some research
on the company, it’s time to write a custom letter for this position.
What does it mean to customize a cover letter?
Customizing
your application means writing a cover letter that clearly demonstrates you
fully understand the position description, experience requirements, and
personal qualities they are seeking and communicates that you are a great
candidate for the position.
Every
job is different, even if they have the same job title, the job itself is
different. For example one position description for an accountant may
stress knowledge of Tanzanian tax laws and other “technical” skills, while
another position description for another accountant might stress soft skills
such as
people skills because
you would be working a lot with clients. These are big hints about what
the employer considers MOST IMPORTANT. And if you really
want that job, you will spend the time figuring out what they consider most
important, and tailor your cover letter to stress those same things.
Many
job descriptions have long lists of requirements. Your cover letter does
not need to note your qualifications for each and every requirement. Instead,
you should speak directly to the requirements that seem MOST IMPORTANT to the
employer. And don’t just restate the requirement. Too often we see
cover letters that say things like:
1.
I am fully
trained in MS Office
2.
I have 6 years sales
experience
3.
I am a qualified
manager
The
above are simply re-stating what was in the Position Description. Anybody
can do that, and it doesn’t tell the employer very much. If you want your
cover letter to get noticed, try using real examples that demonstrate your
abilities and experience. For example:
1.
I am well versed in
MS Office applications, and regularly conduct mail merges in Word, create
attractive multi-media presentations in PowerPoint, and manage budgets and
timesheets in Excel.
2.
I have 6 years sales
experience in the computing and ICT industries. I have a strong track
record of exceeding sales targets because I understand the importance of
“listening to the client’s needs” and proposing solutions that meet those needs.
3.
I have managed teams
as large as 8 people, and I take great pride in serving as a mentor and guiding
my team members to excellence.
Tip
2: Personalize Your Application
Communicating
how your personal interests relate to the position is a excellent way to get
your application noticed. For example, let’s consider three different
jobs: a wait-person at a restaurant, a generator mechanic and a sales manager.
Ask
yourself “why do want this job”. Of course you want the job for the
salary, but why do you want that job above other jobs? Start by thinking
about why you decided to pursue employment in that field in the first place.
For
the wait-person job at the restaurant, of course the employer wants someone
that is good with people right? So what is it about you that makes you
well suited for the position. Well, let’s assume that you genuinely like
people, like meeting new people, and that you take great pride in putting a
smile on customers faces by going the extra mile and providing superior
customer service. Communicating things like this in your cover letter is
what will differentiate you from the other applicants. By giving a more
concrete example, you are communicating that not only that you understand the
nature of the job and are a qualified applicant, but that you are personally
interested in the work itself.
For
the generator mechanic, maybe you have always been good at fixing things.
Maybe you fixed your first water pump when you were only 11 years old and you
have been fixing things ever since. So why not say that in your
cover letter?
Maybe you enjoy the challenge of troubleshooting technical problems and
identifying solutions. Whatever it is, something led you to pursue a
career as a mechanic. Remember what that was, and find a way to include
it your cover letter. Employers want to know that their staff are not
only technically qualified for a position, but that they are genuinely interested in,
and take satisfaction from, doing the work.
Even
the sales manager job application can be personalized. Perhaps you are
very good at making people feel comfortable because you are a good listener.
This is very important in sales isn’t it? Listening to a client helps you
understand their needs, and understanding their needs helps you draft a sales
proposal to meet those needs. So if you are a good listener, and have
some skill at not just hearing what people say, but understanding what they
really need, then say that in your cover letter.
Your
first job is often the hardest to get because you have no prior work experience
and many jobs prefer experienced candidates. However, there are some
things you can do to improve your chances.
1.
Seek out entry level jobs
in your field of interest. There may not be many available, so when you
find one put everything you learned above into practice and submit a great
application.
2.
Make sure all your
friends know that you are seeking a job, and ask them to keep an eye out for
open positions at their company that would be a good fit for your skills and
interests.
3.
Seek out volunteer
opportunities in your field of interest. Volunteering is an excellent way
to build your work experience and your professional network at the same time.
4.
Ask for an
internship. Many companies are willing to accept an intern if they think
the intern will bring something of value. So find a company or an
organization that you think could benefit from your skills.
5.
Post your CV on
EverythingDAR.com. Go to Tanzania
Jobs,
scroll down to “Seeking Employment” and select the job category where you want
your CV to appear such as “Sales” or “Engineering”. Then click the blue,
“Post a …” box at the top of the page and complete form.
Here
are some ideas on how to approach a company or organization and offer your
services as a volunteer or intern.
Let’s
say you have a degree in computer science and you want to start a career in web
design and administration. Then find a company that has a bad website and
offer to make it better. Either call the company, or stop by their
office, and ask to speak to the manager. DO NOT tell them their
website is bad. Instead, tell them you are a recent graduate seeking work
experience and you noticed their website could be improved and some of the
things you would do to improve it. Most people will respect that, even if
they do not have time to work with an intern.
Always
approach the person at the company that is a senior manager in your
field. For example, if your degree is in accounting, then call or go and
visit with the Comptroller or the Senior Accountant. Do not take up a lot
of their time. Just come straight out and tell them that you are a recent
graduate and that you are seeking an internship in their accounting department
to gain practical experience.
If
you are a recent grad with very good grades and are very well spoken, another
approach is to contact the HR manager at a company and request an
“informational interview”. Tell them you are a recent graduate that
graduated top of your class, with high honors, or whatever distinguishes you,
and you would like the opportunity to discuss employment opportunities at that
company.
You
may have to make a lot of offers like this before you find an internship, but
at least you are out there getting your CV into the hands of people that have
the power to give you a job.
And
when you do find an internship or a volunteer opportunity, if you work hard and
perform well, then there is a decent chance the internship might to turn into a
job. If you perform well and make a positive impression, your boss
will remember you and seek you out the next time they have an open position, or
recommend you to colleagues who are seeking to fill a position.
START
YOUR JOB SEARCH
POST
BY KIHEDU REWARD
Comments
Post a Comment