Why Charlie Agoro Is Being Driven Crazy (part I + II)

This article is in part inspired by my experiences taking part in the recruitment of people for vacant positions in a company in Lagos. Looking at many of the CVs that were submitted, I realised that there was something of a knowledge gap on the part of many applicants - and I thought that I might help to close that gap by writing this. If it helps at least one person to get the job they've been chasing, then that's good enough for me. Otherwise, enjoy.

Alex: Jerry! How are you doing? I haven't seen either you or David for a while now.

Jerry (in an apologetic tone): Sorry, o, no time these days to meet up. The bank is doing an infrastructure rollout and they are killing me with work. I hear David is abroad for a while chasing one deal or other. What of you? How are you keeping?

Alex: I'm well o. Guess who I ran into the other day!

Jerry: Who?

Alex: Charlie Agoro! He's now a big man - he is a manager in the Human Resources department of NDTech.

Jerry: NDTech? The big computer company? He has really landed on his feet o!

Alex: But he wasn't too happy. He was bitterly complaining about the quality of applicants that he routinely had to deal with when recruiting for positions in his company.

Jerry: Really? What did he say?

Alex: He said that his very first complaint was that when he advertised for positions, he would get flooded with emails in response,

Jerry: So what's wrong with that? You advertise for positions - you get responses.

Alex: Ah-ah! Let me finish now. He says that the e-mail he gets have no information on which position the applicant is applying for. His words, "My company advertises many positions. How the hell am I supposed to know which position the applicant is responding to if there is no information about this in the email? And if I don't know, how can I know how to process their application?" So it would make his life so much easier if applicants stated clearly which position they were applying for in their e-mails.

Jerry: I see. But that's a small thing to get upset about surely?

Alex: Hohoho. My friend, Charlie was just getting warmed up! He was even more annoyed about how applicants sent their CVs with their e-mails, but never bothered to explain how they were suitable for the job.

Jerry: But that's the whole point of the CV. If he wanted to find that out, he should have looked at what was in the CV.

Alex: Well, the way he described it, it isn't as easy as you make it sound. He was telling me of an instance where his company were looking for an accounts assistant. In the advertisement, they stated that they wanted somebody who had a good head for figures. Of course they got plenty of CVs which did the usual thing of listing academic and work experience. However, this meant that he had to open every single CV and trawl through it for the parts that were relevant to the advertised position before he could decide whether the applicant was suitable or not. "And", he said "that is a very tedious, frustrating and irritating task".

However, there was one smart applicant amongst the lot. In her email, she mentioned specific sections in her CV which showed that she had worked in a position where she had to do a lot of ledger account maintenance, and as a result, she had become very good at checking figures.

This meant that all Charlie had to do to make a judgement was to go to those sections in the CV that she had pointed out. It made life so much easier for him, and she ended up getting shortlisted for the interview. Charlie said "I wish all other applicants would similarly state in their e-mails how the skills and experience listed in their CV showed that they had the attributes that we were looking for in the advertised position".

Jerry: Hm, I see his point now. So really, what he's just saying is that the CVs of most applicants are all right, it's just that the applicants need to pay more attention to the e-mail that they send along with the CV.

(Alex bursts into laughter.)

Alex: You know what's funny? That's what I said - that the CVs of most applicants were all right. That just set Charlie off on a long rant!

Jerry (confused): How?

Alex: He said that I obviously hadn't seen many CVs sent by job applicants recently. Then he said "Imagine that you had to read a book where there were no paragraphs and everything was just one loooooong solid block of text. How easy would you find it?"

I said it would be difficult. "Then how can you tell me that CVs of most applicants are all right", he shouted "when they just merge the sections of their CV without putting white space to help me determine which section is which? Sometimes after reading ten of those CVs, I feel like a man who has drunk 90% proof ogogoro! It's even worse when the contents are not properly tabulated so that dates of work or academic experience meander all over the page".

Jerry: I don't quite get what Charlie means by meandering dates.

(Alex brings out a sheet of paper from a bag he is carrying, and sketches something out.)

Alex: See, this is what Charlie is complaining about:

June 2003 - date: Supervisor at Ogoni Bakery
October 2002 - May 2003: Office Manager at Maxwell's Chambers
November 2000 - October 2002: Assistant Manager at J and O Sons. Ltd.

Whereas this is what he would like (he sketches some more):

June 2003 - date: Supervisor at Ogoni Bakery
October 2002 - May 2003: Office Manager at Maxwell's Chambers
November 2000 - October 2002: Assistant Manager at J and O Sons. Ltd.

Notice how the employment positions are now vertically aligned?

Jerry: I see your point now. Not only would the CV would definitely be a lot easier to read if the sections and the section headers were separated from each other by white space, but it is a lot easier to read when the dates and other labels are well tabulated.

Alex: Exactly. But he didn't stop there. He also complained some applicants went completely overboard when using word processing software to create their CVs. It was like their CVs were the equivalent of, you remember that fashion disaster that you, I and David saw walking down the street the other day?

Jerry (smiling): The one who was wearing a bright red pair of trousers, a yellow shirt, a lime green and pink checked jacket, an electric blue tie and a purple pair of shoes topped off with an orange cap?

Alex: That's the one! Charlie said that is exactly how some of those CVs are. One font for the heading, one font for the name, one font for the address, one font for the profile, and all the fonts in different sizes and weights! The poor man said that he needed to have paracetamol and ibuprofen nearby after reading some of those CVs.

Jerry (laughing): So what would he prefer, then?

Alex: He went all philosophical when I asked him, and said "there is beauty in simplicity". He said that one font family - something serious like Times New Roman or Verdana - should be enough for any CV. He said that it's all right to increase the size of the font for section headings, or the boldness of the font for words that needed to be highlighted. But he said that whichever fonts were selected, they should serve mainly to direct his eyes to the important parts of the CV and not confuse him over its content.

Jerry: OK, so the format of the CVs that Charlie reads isn't great. But that's surely a case of elevating style over substance?

Alex: Well, according to Charlie, there's even no substance to elevate the style over!

Jerry: Huh?

Alex: He said that what most applicants put in their CVs would never land them a job.

Jerry: Why?

And I'll have to stop here, as this is a bit much already for a single article. I'll publish part II in a few days.

Good Info.

Ka,
Thats a great information you just passed. Its a great job that need rewarding,  [flash=200,200][/flash]

Hi Ka,
thanks for that important piece of information. It will go a long way in helping job applicants. For those who have been sending out their cvs, now they now what went wrong that they were not called up. Once again, thanks Ka, you just saved us the stress of posting our cvs using the wrong format. THANKS.

Hi Ka,
        thanks for that important piece of information. It will go a long way in helping job applicants. For those who have been sending out their cvs, now they now what went wrong that they were not called up. Once again, thanks Ka, you just saved us the stress of posting our cvs using the wrong format. THANKS.

Here's the concluding part of this article published a few days ago.



Jerry: Typically, most applicants put down their name, contact details, date of birth, gender, profile, work experience, academic qualifications, hobbies and references. How irrelevant are any of those items?

Alex: It's not what they put – it's how they put it.

Charlie says that when he looks at a CV, what he is expecting it to do is to sell its owner. He's expecting it to convince him that the applicant is absolutely passionate about working for him, that the applicant is definitely the best person for the position and that he would be crazy to think of hiring anyone else.

And that's the problem with many of the CVs he looks at. They may state all the things you mention – but does that necessarily convince him that he should employ them?

Jerry: I still don't get you. If an applicant puts in his profile that he is hardworking, ambitious, a quick learner and self-motivated, why should any employer not want to employ him?

Alex: But this is the thing! It is not enough to state these things – the applicant should provide convincing evidence that this he has those qualities in the rest of his CV. For example, if he says he is hardworking, he should give an example elsewhere in his CV where he has demonstrated this. As Charlie says, "why should I believe that an applicant is the best thing since bottled kunu if there is no corroborating evidence of this in his CV?"

Jerry: OK, I give you that – but how can an employer fail to be convinced of someone's suitability for a position when his CV shows that he has a first class, or that he has worked in a similar position?

Alex: It's funny – this is another point I put to Charlie, and it made him even madder than before! He said that time after time, he sees applicants who expect the whole world to fall down before them just because they have a first class degree. Having a first class may be evidence that the applicant is academically gifted and prepared to work hard - but in the end, when he sees a CV that says that an applicant got a first class degree, all he can be certain of is that the applicant is capable of getting a first class degree. And this does not necessarily mean that the applicant is fitted to working in his company.

Jerry: But what's wrong with employing a hard worker who is academically intelligent?

Alex: Remember what I said earlier? The CV is supposed to convince the employer that the applicant is right for that particular position. What if it's not so important to be academically intelligent and hardworking? What if it's more important that the position requires that you should be creative? Or that you should be good at verbal communication? Or that you should be an analytical thinker? How does your first class degree by itself convince the employer of that? Even if the employer decides that you are hardworking and intelligent, does it follow automatically that you have the skills listed above?

I think Charlie put it best: "The point is that it is not enough to simply say 'I did this course' or 'I worked at that place' on your CV and expect the employer to magically conclude that you are the person he is looking for. You have to first decide what skills the employer is looking for. Then you have to look at your academic and work experience and ask yourself "Which incidents in these experiences demonstrate that I have these skills?" Then you should highlight these incidents in your CV".

Jerry: Did he give an example of what he was talking about?

Alex: Yes, he did. There was this position that was open at NDTech a while ago for a hardware engineer. The advertisement stated that the company was looking for someone who was analytical, good at solving problems, a good communicator and very familiar which computer terminology. Of course, he was deluged and unimpressed by the usual emails with CVs stating that the applicant had gone to this prestigious university or worked in that blue-chip organisation.

However, there was a CV from this applicant that stood out for him. Under the section on his academic experience, he talked about a project that he did configuring a computer to act as a server. He went into detail about this project, using technical expressions to explain what he was doing. That tied in with one of the company's requirements – that the applicant should be familiar with computer terminology.

Then in describing the project, he talked about one or two problems that he faced during the server configuration. He talked about how he diagnosed what the causes of the problems were, how he researched a solution to these problems, what alternative solutions he came up with and how he chose and implemented the eventual solution. Again, this description showcased two skills that the company was looking for – analytical and problem solving skills. And he repeatedly did this in other areas of his CV.

So the point is that his CV wasn't just some dry fact sheet with a list of dates and events. It was richly filled with stories and incidents – incidents that were a living testament as to how suitable the applicant was for the position. It didn't send Charlie to sleep – instead, it made him say "I want this man!"

Jerry: Wow! That's interesting. Is that all Charlie had to say, then?

Alex: No, that wasn't all. You know how sometimes you see a girl wearing a beautiful white satin dress and it looks all perfect,

Jerry: Yes,

Alex: , but then, you notice a black ugly stain right in the middle of the dress, visible to everyone. How would that make you feel?

Jerry: Actually, I would feel very irritated that the beauty of the dress was being spoiled by the stain. In fact, I would probably be more annoyed than if the dress was ugly and had the stain.

Alex: Ah, good. So you can imagine how someone like Charlie was feeling when he brought this up. I swear, I could practically see the steam coming from his nostrils and ears! Honestly, at one point I thought I should call the messenger to get a bucket of cold water,

Jerry (raising his hands): Hold on, hold on! What do satin dresses have to do with job applications?

Alex: Oh, sorry – I should have explained. Charlie was referring to the way many applicants don't check an otherwise flawless CV for little mistakes that end up spoiling it.

Jerry: Mistakes like what?

Alex: Come on, you know! Mistakes like grammatical errors, non-sequential dates, wrong names, cut-and-paste errors, that sort of thing.

Jerry: Ah-ah, you come on! Those are very small errors.

Alex: It's lucky for you that you're not saying that in front of Charlie. Actually, it's lucky for both of you – because Charlie would probably self-explode and kill both of you. He says that for him, attention to detail is absolutely crucial in any CV he is looking for!

Imagine – your CV is supposed to be your supreme advertisement. This is the document in which you say all the good things you can possibly think of about yourself. Now if you are careless with that, why should you be any more careful with something that has nothing to do with you? And why should he employ someone who will do a sloppy job?

But it's not only that. Sometimes, these minor mistakes show that you are not that good when it comes to written communication. And we are living in an age where communication is vital to the efficient functioning of any company. Imagine if the company told someone to order 10,000 printed circuit boards, and instead he ordered 100,000! Do you think the company would accept his explanation of "Oh, it's just an extra zero"?

So I'm actually with Charlie on this one too. I believe that attention to detail is vitally important - all applicants should check their CVs for any miskate, no matter how minor.

Jerry: Phew! So that's that, then. Man, that must have been a long tirade by Charlie o!

Alex: And he delivered it with the volume knob turned all the way up to ten, too! I know that as Nigerians, we traditionally raise our voices when talking – but sometimes, I think Charlie was raised on an airport runway and he had to learn to raise his voice to be heard above the planes taking off.

Jerry (laughing): Come on, you're just exaggerating! (In a more sombre tone) But I was thinking, sure it would help if applicants could structure their CVs better, but does it really matter if there aren't many jobs out there for them, or if they truly don't have the skills that the companies need?

Alex: Well, this is the thing. Applicants need to be made aware that companies are looking for skills beyond the academic knowledge that you gain in university. Oh sure, there will always be professions requiring specialist knowledge – for example, you would expect that a doctor should have gone to medical school. But really, for many positions, employers would be happy to get a candidate who had the right soft skills like many of the ones I've spoken of earlier.

Jerry: You mean being good at communicating verbally and in writing, doing research, analysing and solving problems, being creative and holding presentations?

Alex: Yeah. There's also the need to have the right attitude – being flexible, hardworking, able and willing to learn new things, disciplined, for example.

Jerry: Hm. I guess that just like any market, when applicants realise that employers are looking for people with these skills in addition to their vocational skills, they'll undertake to develop themselves to get these skills. And even if they don't find a job, they are useful skills to have if they want to set up their own businesses.

Alex: And that's actually a good thing for Nigeria as a whole!

Wow, nicely said, in a way that will stick. You, my friend is a very funny guy. Keep up the good work!

thaks very much, the info abt arranging ones cv is vital because is the lst point of contact

Ka, that was a good one.

Wow, quite revealing

However, there was a CV from this applicant that stood out for him. Under the section on his academic experience, he talked about a project that he did configuring a computer to act as a server. He went into detail about this project, using technical expressions to explain what he was doing. That tied in with one of the company's requirements – that the applicant should be familiar with computer terminology.

Then in describing the project, he talked about one or two problems that he faced during the server configuration. He talked about how he diagnosed what the causes of the problems were, how he researched a solution to these problems, what alternative solutions he came up with and how he chose and implemented the eventual solution. Again, this description showcased two skills that the company was looking for – analytical and problem solving skills. And he repeatedly did this in other areas of his CV.

So the point is that his CV wasn't just some dry fact sheet with a list of dates and events. It was richly filled with stories and incidents

Do this and probably have your CV thrown out for being too long! Why do you think many employers ask for a 2-page CV? Nice article, but i think it falls down a bit on this point. . .

Texazzpete,

There are no rules on the length of a CV - I've sent out 4 page CV which have got me jobs in the past.

It's all down to what's in the CV. If the 4 page CV is a rambling, pointless, incoherent mess, I'd expect any interviewer to bin it. On the other hand, if it's a compelling, interesting and logically sequential story, I'd invite the applicant in.

Very interesting and eyes opening.

Very good article!!! Most of the tips about CVs I knew already however the part that you need to have back up information of experience and skills was new and writing a four-page CV. I guess we often forget that we need to stand out, be unique in everything that we are doing. This is helpfull for people like me that are job hunting. Besides,  my CV needs a new look a professional one. 

texazzpete:

However, there was a CV from this applicant that stood out for him. Under the section on his academic experience, he talked about a project that he did configuring a computer to act as a server. He went into detail about this project, using technical expressions to explain what he was doing. That tied in with one of the company's requirements – that the applicant should be familiar with computer terminology.

Then in describing the project, he talked about one or two problems that he faced during the server configuration. He talked about how he diagnosed what the causes of the problems were, how he researched a solution to these problems, what alternative solutions he came up with and how he chose and implemented the eventual solution. Again, this description showcased two skills that the company was looking for – analytical and problem solving skills. And he repeatedly did this in other areas of his CV.

So the point is that his CV wasn't just some dry fact sheet with a list of dates and events. It was richly filled with stories and incidents

Do this and probably have your CV thrown out for being too long! Why do you think many employers ask for a 2-page CV? Nice article, but i think it falls down a bit on this point. . .

You don't need to have a four page CV. Just write about your experiences in a cover letter to the company, and why you are perfect for the job. This means you are going to have to personalize every cover letter that you send to every employer that you are applying to - But job hunting is a full time job so, it's worth the effort.

Texa has a point there,

I honestly disagree with that aspect of the story. IT guys can't afford to try that, they'd end up with 10 page CVs

nice one.

i have been writing cv but it's like cv's do not matter any more what do you think?

Yup, I totally agree with texazzpete. I would pitch my tent and say that a CV that spends as much time and space on just one section stands the risk of getting on the reviewers nerve, considering that s/he likely has thousand of CV's to review.

I would say your CV should give as brief a summary of all these finer points/qualities as possible. You have to sell your self in as little words as possible, even if the whole CV translates to 5 pages. The interview stage is where you get to go into detailed specifics.

Nice piece Ka. No doubt it will give food for thought to whoever sees this and takes a cue from it.

my cv is eight pages.unless a recruiter asks for a specific size, that's what i present.it worked wonders for me in 2005, when i was on an interview binge.i've revised it though.got a summary in the front of my skills, years and places worked.

remember, recruiters have a job to do as well.if a recruiter is the type that gets pissed at a long professional cv, chances are the culture in the company is not the type of culture a professional wants to work in.

just my opinion,

Good of you I like that Keep it up.
PLS ANY INFO ABOUT AERO CONTRACTORS TRAINEE ENGINEER URGENTS PLS?

dat was a great job you did there kudos

Nice Post.

Hi every one,
This is Mr Advisor live and direct! Boy! am I amazed at the quality that you guys are displaying here!
Ka, from my heart, I think you deserve at a meal at Tantalizers for this beautiful piece!
Personally, I recently started studying about cv's -why many don't get the jobs and how best to present them.I think I agree with you on a lot of points.
How ever, on the issue of long CV's,  Don't you think that Charlie Agoro is rather an exception in the nigerian context? Don't you think that many nigerian Human resource managers are on the impatient side?
I will love to make a personal contribution to this topic.
Ciao!

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