Employers, have mercy!
Mar 31, 2009
EDITOR—I wish to register my dismay at the current trend of employers insisting that job-seekers present copies of certified transcripts and certificates.
EDITOR—I wish to register my dismay at the current trend of employers insisting that job-seekers present copies of certified transcripts and certificates.
What is certain is that most job seekers are unemployed and are just living from hand to mouth. It is ironical that so many potential would-be employees are not shortlisted just because they are poor! Consider a case of an unemployed Makerere graduate who lives in Pader.
A job advertisement runs in the press and the closing date is only one week. For this person to travel to Kampala to have his six copies of transcript and certificates certified, it costs not less than sh60,000 on travel. It takes Makerere not less than seven days to have transcripts certified. Sometimes it is much longer!
This graduate spends an additional sh20,000 for the certified documents. Given that he has to travel back to Kampala to collect the documents, he has to spend another sh60,000!
This is too much for the unemployed fellow! My appeal to employers is to be sympathetic with job seekers and ask for photocopies when applying and only present certified documents or originals at the time of the interview.
Secondly, Makerere should employ more honest staff in the transcript office. The education system in Uganda is skewed in favour of the rich!
Denis Okello
denisokello@gmail.com
What is certain is that most job seekers are unemployed and are just living from hand to mouth. It is ironical that so many potential would-be employees are not shortlisted just because they are poor! Consider a case of an unemployed Makerere graduate who lives in Pader.
A job advertisement runs in the press and the closing date is only one week. For this person to travel to Kampala to have his six copies of transcript and certificates certified, it costs not less than sh60,000 on travel. It takes Makerere not less than seven days to have transcripts certified. Sometimes it is much longer!
This graduate spends an additional sh20,000 for the certified documents. Given that he has to travel back to Kampala to collect the documents, he has to spend another sh60,000!
This is too much for the unemployed fellow! My appeal to employers is to be sympathetic with job seekers and ask for photocopies when applying and only present certified documents or originals at the time of the interview.
Secondly, Makerere should employ more honest staff in the transcript office. The education system in Uganda is skewed in favour of the rich!
Denis Okello
denisokello@gmail.com