Understanding Job Descriptions: The Way To Employment
Before
finding a job or making a move to search for vacancies, you should know what
you have to offer the company or establishment.
Many
years ago, I tried to help a lady who was vulnerable on the street. She was a
college first-year student who lost her parents, and with a zeal to complete
her undergraduate programme she depended on random men and commercialized her
body. We came into contact, and she admitted my observations were true and
sought a genuine source of supply.
The
available vacancy I saw was a sales representative (sales girl), and I prepared
her a curriculum vitae and an application letter. She was accepted at a
supermarket where she cleans and arranges the goods. Her salary was enough to
take care of her immediate needs and pay her fees and bills as and when due.
Months
later I visited them for shopping and saw her sitting relaxed and watching
videos on her phone. I scolded her and said, “If all you do is press your phone
and watch videos during your free period or when the workload is less, you will
soon lose your job. “There’s something you can do during such a moment
that will catapult you to a higher level—like becoming the manager.”
She
couldn’t believe she had become a manager in such a big supermarket from a
sales representative on trial. But what I told her is what I told her is what
you need to pay attention to in this article. Among other things, you should
learn if you want to be fully employed, promoted, and valued in your place of
work.
This
article is for everyone, irrespective of your academic qualification—from no
certificate to the highest degree you could ever think of.
We are
so familiar with the statement “no job.” I agree—only if you have done the
right thing and with all things being done right you still don’t find a job.
Don’t forget that even with the “no job” slogan, people are employed on a daily
basis. What did they do?
Before
finding a job or making a move to search for vacancies, you should know what
you have to offer the company or establishment. It is your understanding of
what you can offer in the position you wish to function in that gives you a
clear understanding of your job description. However, a job description is the
description of the responsibilities associated with a given job. Take note of
the word ‘responsibilities.’
Assume
you are applying for a job as a sales representative. What are your
responsibilities? As a lecturer, secretary, teacher, engineer, research
assistant, computer operator, special assistant, head of department, and so on…
What are the responsibilities associated with your job position?
Read: 7 KEYS TO SUCCEED IN YOUR CAREER AND BUSINESS
There
are so many people who are currently searching for jobs without knowing the
responsibilities associated with that position, and when they stand before the
employer, they are clueless—unable to answer necessary questions or express
themselves. Have the best qualifications without the knowledge of the
responsibilities associated with the job, and you will end up unemployed.
After
graduation, try to figure out places you can work based on your qualifications
and academically acquired skills and training. For example, you studied
political science, sociology, public administration, theater arts, human
kinetics, human anatomy, software engineering, and so on. Identify places you
can be hired, find available vacancies and descriptions.
When
you have identified where to work and the job description, here are the basic
documents frequently requested at any establishment for employment:
Curriculum
Vitae (CV): This document is a written summary of a
person’s education, qualifications, and career, including address, contacts,
and publications.
Cover
Letter: A cover letter, or letter of motivation,
is a letter of introduction about yourself and your knowledge of the vacancy
you are applying for.
Application
Letter: This is a document that is prepared to answer
relevant questions by employers. It is used to determine the best candidate to
fill a specific role within the company. A well-written application letter can
give you a job where you are best qualified.
I told
the lady, “Instead of pressing your phone and watching videos, why not walk
around and study the names of all the products in the supermarket, know their
names, brands, and functions, health benefits, and basic ingredients? Have
first-hand information and then know where they are located on the shelves, so
customers don’t need to walk around to look for what they come to buy.”
She
did exactly as I advised. After some months, she became familiar with products
and their information and location. Customers became attracted to her and liked
her, showing them around the supermarket and introducing existing and new
products to them. She began to receive incentives from the establishment and
appreciation gifts from customers.
This
made the establishment raise her pay and plead with her to work full-time to
attract more customers and a steady flow of sales. A few months after she
became the branch manager, she was later promoted to the head office, and a few
years after her graduation, she opened her supermarket.
How
did all this start? A well-written application letter, a structured curriculum
vitae, and an understanding of the job description. I felt that every sales
representative should know what she knew—it worked and is still working not
just for sales representatives, but in any field.
