Timi, a first class graduate of Banking and Finance found luck
in his quest for employment when he got a call for an
interview.
And this conversation ensued:
Company: Hello, Mr. Timi please?
Timi: Hello, who are you?
Company: I am calling from Bellsz Inc.
Timi: yes what’s the problem?
Company: please be informed that you have been shortlisted
for an interview at our head office by 10am tomorrow…
Timi: (cuts in) yes! I made it!
Company: Hello Mr Timi…
Timi: Yes, thank you bye!
The following day, Timi went for the interview, missed his way
and eventually got to the venue at 10:27am.
He spotted on a black pair of shoes with a brown striped
trouser and a brown belt to match; a striped orange-coloured
shirt on top, a brown-strapped wrist-watch and oh! I almost
forgot,Timi couldn’t shave because he had no plans to go out
the previous day save the call he received late; by which time
the barber shop had closed.
“Timi Audu”, the receptionist beckoned on him and directed
him through a door into the room where the interviewers sat at
a table with an empty chair opposite them.
Timi went in,exchanged pleasantries and took his seat. After
making himself comfortable, a series of questions followed, to
which he gave vapid responses. Timi avoided any eye contact
– showing he lacked confidence. And when one of the
interviewers asked what the time was by his watch, alas! he
had put on a dead watch.
Timi was also asked (with his permission of course) to bring
out his wallet, the interviewers went through it and returned it
to him.
Finally, they passed on a document to Timi and asked him to
append his signature; Timi did without a second thought.
Finally, the interviewers asked for his e-mail address to
ensure he gets feedback from them and Timi dropped the
bomb: dontimosky4life@yahoo.com
Bellsz Inc. later contacted Timi via e-mail as promised. The
mail read thus:
Dear Timi,
We are sorry you do not fit into our organizational portfolio at
the moment. Indeed you have a good certificate; however, you
were impolite when you first received our call inviting you for
the interview, you ended the call without asking for the
address or any other detail as regards the interview.
On the day of the interview, we expected you to be seated at
least 15-30 minutes before the scheduled time but you came
in 27 minutes after. You were rather unprofessionally dressed
with your belt and shoe having unmatched colours and
patterns.
All these gave the impression we would make a bad hiring
choice if we selected you as the qualified candidate for the
open role. Our organisation can’t afford having its corporate
image smeared by a careless representative and your
performance in the interview showed that you would project
our brand in bad light to our clients and the public.
Quick advice: offering yourself a seat during an interview
shows you lack manners and etiquette; this you confidently
displayed while we were still forming a first impression of you
in our minds.
Your answers to most of the questions asked during the
interview were ambiguous and curt, this showed you lacked
listening and communication skills and perhaps your
preparation for the interview was very poor.
Bellsz inc. is a proud brand that stays true to its promises and
we look out for candidates who’d successfully relay our core
message to our clients and customers; either through their
roles, words or body language but your obvious lack of eye-
contact showed you have a low self-esteem, making us
question your ability to represent our brand in the best way
possible.
Although, we won’t fail to commend you for acquiring a good
degree, your lack of business-sense and professionalism
(unkempt hair, lateness to the interview, disorganised wallet,
cutesy email address) proved you unfit for a financial role that
you interviewed for.
And lastly, the document you signed tells us you can sell off
our company without knowing it. As opposed to what was
hinted in your CV, you lack attention to detail because you
didn’t read the document but you signed immediately.
Please note that the education of life goes beyond your
certificate. We regret to inform you that your job search with
us ends here.
we hope this feedback helps you in your next interview.
Yours faithfully,
Olufemi Bellos
for: Bellsz Inc.
SILLY, BUT DRAWN FROM EXPERIENCES OF INTERVIEWERS
AND INTERVIEWEES ALIKE!!

Timi spent his life reading books without touching the other side of the university(flexing). He passed through university without allowing the university to pass through him....too bad.
This is why u see 2-2 and thirdy doing better in practicals, living life or relating with pple the better way and even teach or give u tutorials where u see firstclass lacking the methodology to pass the messge across to their fellows who are in need of help b4 they write test or exams. I don learn frm temi exprience....anyway. Op thank u!

Nice one op,still astudent but very handy.Tanks

thanks op

The fact remains; what you dont know, you cant know till you learn it or you are taught..I learnt from this; it shows the power of polishing every aspect of one's life#very important# even the wallet!! I really feel this should be in front page..so other people can learn too, no knowledge is waste you know. @Okoya Nice write up + BIG ups..

caseless:
This is why u see 2-2 and thirdy doing better in practicals, living life or relating with pple the better way and even teach or give u tutorials where u see firstclass lacking the methodology to pass the messge across to their fellows who are in need of help b4 they write test or exams.

I don't AGREE with this. This is prejudicial. Behavioural patterns vary amongst individuals - one stick cannot be a perfect index. Some study in school, play at home, hostel or what have you. Some appear unserious in school but 'jack' like crazy at home. It's what suits you that matters in school.

I don't subscribe to this stereotype as I have seen 1st class students teach (they gain social skills via interaction and improve on technical skills via retention of data) and 2.2/3rd class students who zero-off social life to move up the ladder to no avail. Moreover if you don't know the concepts, no methodology would enable you IMPART knowledge on end-users.

However, it must be noted that there's a reason why it's said you should let school go through you, don't just go to school. The 'culture' of a school has influences on one's social behavior but undergraduates and graduates MUST know that technical skills is thing, relationship and practical skills are another. It's your responsibility to incorporate these as you finish school or seek jobs. It's the more reason the certificate reads you are of "good character bla bla bla" - even though the institution may not have a particular course for this, you're expected to know these.

Mustay:

I don't AGREE with this. This is prejudicial. Behavioural patterns vary amongst individuals - one stick cannot be a perfectm index.quote

do u think i'm stereotyping? If u school in nigeria where students cram to pass exams, then it wont be hard for u to take it as a fact and not stereotype. Thou, this point u made got me thinking if u are in this milieu.

Mustay: Some study in school, play at home, hostel or what have you. Some appear unserious in school but 'jack' like crazy at home. It's what suits you that matters in school.

I don't subscribe to this stereotype as I have seen 1st class students teach (they gain social skills via interaction and improve on technical skills via retention of data) and 2.2/3rd class students who zero-off social life to move up the ladder to no avail.

again, if u think it is a sterotype like u highlighted here, then u are not taking temi as a case-study. If u think u have seen 1st class with all these skills u mentioned, then, here is temi, a 1stclass student who lacks the basic skill to sail through in an interview. I consider ur point a stereotype too.

Mustay: Moreover if you don't know the concepts, no methodology would enable you IMPART knowledge on end-users.

again, u are getting it all wrong here. I have seen students who struggled to make 1.5 in their first year here in nigeria, they are now 2-1 and 2-2 students in ghana, malaysia , uk etc. U'l make this grade except u are not d serious type over there. Have u had the exprience where a lecturer takes a particular course throughout the semester and more than 80% of the class dont have any sense of understanding the direction the course is taking and , u still have to organise tutorials for somebody to come and put u thru b4 u know 'wassup' with the course? Geol405(hydrogeology) comes to mind here....more thanks to 'methodology' in this case.

Mustay: However, it must be noted that there's a reason why it's said you should let school go through you, don't just go to school. The 'culture' of a school has influences on one's social behavior but undergraduates and graduates MUST know that technical skills is thing, relationship and practical skills are another. It's your responsibility to incorporate these as you finish school or seek jobs. It's the more reason the certificate reads you are of "good character bla bla bla" - even though the institution may not have a particular course for this, you're expected to know these.

u mean having all these is what they mean by 'dont pass through university without letting university pass thru u'? U must have missed out on ur first year orientation programme. If u had attended and listened to veterans/expert speak, u wld have known what that statement means. And if the certificate they issue in my school reads 'awarded degree both in character and learnining', then , we should apportion some blame to temi for not having the two....cos both 'character' and 'learning' are two inseperable variables.

We have a problem and it must be tackled. We lack the basic things in our system....face this.

Hmmmm. I would rather not get into an unnecessary argument. I believe you've responded based on your understanding of my objection. There's nothing new in ^^^ however I still observe how tge ONE STICK measurement is apt once again.

For emphasis, Temi does what a lot of graduates do irrespective of the grade.