O’level Results Combination as a Snag to Dream Job
Jarus
A young lady contacted me on LinkedIn yesterday.
Her request: “I recently qualified as a Chartered Accountant and I really want to start my career in that field but it really has not been easy. I don’t know if you can assist with any recommendations”
She had read some of our posts here and decided to connect on LinkedIn.
Not that I have a job to give, but I couldn’t ignore someone that proactive, someone trying to penetrate the hidden job market. I have said several times that as much as three-quarters of job openings are not advertised and are by informal recommendations – the hidden job market. And like I wrote in my book, Road to VI, networking aids the prepared.
I asked her series of questions. She works in a small outsourcing firm at the moment. I asked her to send her CV to me, which she did immediately and I glanced through it.
She studied a good course (Accounting), she had a good 2:1 from a top university in the North (although she is from the East), she finished in top 2% of her class, her CV is well-written (devoid of the off-putting errors you find in many graduates’ CVs), she was active in top student organisations which suggests she will have decent communication, team and social skills etc.
Such a good CV. She graduated about 6 years ago.
This CV will get anyone invited for test by PwC, KPMG, EY and Deloitte, was the first thought that came to my mind from my 2-minute glance of the CV. And she must be informed enough to know these firms, if she could think of what she did to find and connect with me.
I closed the email and returned to the chat with her on LinkedIn.
Trying to diagnose what her issue is, I asked, “How old are you?”, knowing that age is the 2nd most important thing (after grade – 2:1 – which she has) in getting jobs in these firms. She is close to 30 now, but I can see she graduated and finished her NYSC years back.
“But why didn’t you apply to PwC, KPMG, EY and Deloitte after your NYSC when you were still under-26?”, I continued.
“I did. They all required one sitting for O’ level results. And I have two sittings. So I keep getting regret mails”
I felt bad. That is the first place I recommend to young graduates in our field to apply to. She met their 2 critical criteria – age and grade – but the hurdle is some WAEC result from secondary school.
Quite sad. When she was writing WAEC probably over 10 years ago, she never knew it would count when she is finding job.
She comes across as a brilliant person to me but here is one little issue from her teenage years proving an hurdle to her achieving her dream job.
Please let’s try and mentor our younger ones in matters like this. It could be something as far back as WAEC result that will make a difference in their job search.
Well, even beyond job search. If a certain Senator from Osun state knew that his sitting for only 1 paper (and failing it) in 1981 WAEC would be a court issue threatening his political career 38 years later, he would have easily re-sat it the year after.
Never take anything for granted.
For the lady, I see her as a PwC, KPMG, Deloitte or EY material, but that little issue means she needs to look elsewhere. Unfortunately, most other comparable decent firms -eg investment institutions – that absorb graduates of our field, also get turned off with combined o’level results.
I think she will pull through. She only needs to get decent experience in the place she is currently “managing” and making a move as an experienced hire.
But as it has been, combined results will always be a major snag for decent jobs in our field at entry level stages. If you have a younger one that is still in the university and is combining results, it is not too late to have them write private SSCE (GCE) to have a single, better result for use in this situation in the future.
