subject: How to Find a Great Job in Tanzania! Guide for Tanzania Job Seekers [print this page] How to Find a Great Job in Tanzania! Guide for Tanzania Job Seekers
Finding a good job in Tanzania takes time, preparation and a lot of work! Below are some important tips on what to do, and what not to do, to increase your chances of finding a great job that fits your experience, interests and skills.
Your first objective when job seeking is to identify jobs that you are interested in and for which you are adequately qualified. Once you have identified these job vacancies, your next objective is to create an application package that will get noticed and lead to an interview.
COMMON JOB APPLICATION MISTAKES
Your job application is a communication, and how well and effectively you "sell" yourself is what will set you apart and get you noticed. The reality is that there are far more educated and qualified applicants than there are good jobs in Tanzania. This means that employers often receive dozens, if not hundreds, of applications for every available job. They are busy people, and it would be impossible for them to thoroughly review each application they receive. Instead, employers scan applications quickly to separate the good candidates from the bad. Either your application goes directly to the trash bin, set aside for possible consideration, or it goes into the "strong candidate" pile for a thorough review and probable interview. Avoid making these common mistakes, and you greatly increase your chances of your CV landing in the "strong candidate" pile.
Blast Applications
The single most often made mistake by Tanzania job seekers is to send out the same cover letter and CV to dozens of different jobs. There are many professional employment agencies in Tanzania. Ask them and they would agree that successful job seekers focus their job search efforts on jobs for which they are genuinely interested in and adequately qualified for. Most importantly, they put time and effort into their application materials and submit customized cover letters and CVs specific to each job they apply. If you take your job search seriously and avoid making the common job application mistakes noted below, you will greatly increase your chances of finding a great job.
Avoid Spelling Mistakes
Sounds simple right? But it is truly amazing how many Tanzanian job seekers submit cover letters and CVs with easily avoidable spelling mistakes. Because all computers have spell-check, one spelling mistake is too many and only a fool doesn't carefully use spell check before submitting an application. Spelling mistakes communicate the following to the employer:
Unprofessional, not serious about this job
Lazy, didn't bother using spell check
Poor attention to detail
Under-Qualified Applicants
Most jobs state minimum qualifications and they are there for a reason. Do not waste your time applying for a job for which you do not at least come close to meeting these minimum requirements. You would only be wasting your time.
Let's say the job description says "5 years related experience", but you only have 4 years. Should you apply? If you at least meet all the other requirements and exceed some of them, then go ahead and apply. But if you don't come close, don't waste your time. Instead, focus your job search efforts on jobs for which you are truly qualified for. Applying for a job for which you are not qualified communicates the following:
Didn't bother to read the job description
Can't follow simple instructions
No attention to detail.
Failure to Follow Application Instructions
Most job descriptions provide instructions on exactly how and when to apply. Some want a handwritten cover letter, some want email applications only, some want copies of certificates included, and still others do not want you to send copies of certificates. It is your responsibility to read the job description and application instructions carefully. If you fail to follow the application instructions, it is unlikely you will be called in for an interview, even if you are the most qualified person for the position. What do you think you are communicating when you fail to follow clear and simple instructions?
If they can't follow the simple application instructions, how could they possibly do this job well.
No attention to detail, not the right person for our team.
Unprofessional
And remember to submit complete applications, with everything requested. Another common mistake people make is to submit most of what is requested, but not everything. Why not wait, get the full application together, and submit it all at once?
Poor English Skills
Many Tanzania jobs are advertised in English and expect cover letters and CVs in English. This can be a serious challenge for many Tanzanians with limited English skills. It is hard enough to create a great CV and write a powerful cover letter in your native language. It's a lot harder to do the same in a foreign language. So what can you do if your English skills are limited?
First, create your CV and write your cover letter in your native language, whatever that may be. Follow all the tips below to draft your cover letter, but do it the language that you are most comfortable writing in.
Only after you have everything just the way you want it in your native language should you translate it to English. If your English skills are not strong, then seek out a friend, teacher or family member with good English skills to help you with the translation. Only you can write your cover letter because only you understand your strengths and care enough to put in the time and work necessary to write a great CV and cover letter. So write it yourself, write in your native language, and then seek assistance getting what you have written translated to English.
THE COVER LETTER & SELLING YOURSELF
It is always an advantage if you know someone at the company to which you are applying. They can provide you insight about the job, the type of person they are looking for, and if you are lucky they can forward your application to the person doing the hiring with their recommendation. There is nothing more effective than having a recommendation from a respected employee of the company you are applying to.
But what do you do if you do not know anyone working at the company? This is where your cover letter and CV come in. They are the only thing you have to differentiate yourself from a large pool of applicants, and sometimes there are hundreds of other applicants. The cover letter, or in many cases the simple email that accompanies your CV, will often decide whether the employer even looks at your CV or not.
Customize Your Cover Letter for Every Job
Sure, it's a lot easier to re-use the same cover letter and CV and submit them to 100 different job vacancies. But will that get you an interview? Probably not, it is much more likely that other candidates who put more time and effort into their application will be selected to interview instead of you. So how do you increase your chances?
The first and single most important thing you should do is read the position description very carefully. What are the requirements, what past work experience are they seeking, what personal characteristics do they say are important. If after reading the position description you feel are a good fit for the job, then do some basic research on the company. Visit their website; learn more about what they do, their corporate culture, anything you can find to help you understand more about the company will be useful in crafting your cover letter.
Now that you fully understand the position description and have done some research on the company, it's time to write the cover letter. Customize the cover letter, and to a lesser degree your CV, for every position to which you apply. What does it mean to customize? Well, it certainly does not mean to lie, or make up qualifications or work experience that is not true.
Customizing your application means crafting a cover letter and CV that demonstrates you fully understand the position description and know a bit about the company. A good cover letter clearly communicates how you are qualified for the position, and why you are the "best person for the job". Every job is different, even if they have the same job title. For example one position description for an accountant may stress knowledge of Tanzanian tax laws and other "technical" skills, while another position description for another accountant might stress people skills because you would be working a lot with clients. These are big hints about what the employer considers most important. And if you really want that job, you will spend the time figuring out what they consider most important, and tailor your cover letter and CV to stress those same things.
Many job descriptions have long lists of requirements. Your cover letter does not need to note your qualifications for each and every requirement. Instead, you should speak directly to the requirements that seem most important to the employer. And don't just restate the requirement. Too often we see cover letters that say things like:
I am fully trained in MS Office, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint,
I have 6 years sales experience,
I am a qualified manager.
The above simply re-stat what was in the Position Description and communicates very little to the potential employer. If you want your cover letter to get noticed, try using real examples that demonstrate your qualifications. For example:
I am well versed in MS Office applications, and have substantial experience conducting mail merges in Word, creating attractive multi-media presentations in PowerPoint, and managing budgets and timesheets in Excel.
I have 6 years sales experience in the computing and ICT industries. I have a strong track record of exceeding sales targets because I understand the importance of "listening to the client's needs" and proposing solutions that meet those needs.
I have managed teams as large as 14 people, and I take great pride in serving as a mentor and guiding my team members to constantly improve their skills.
Personalize Your Application
Too often, job seekers fail to state why they are interested in the job they are applying for. Of course you want to work for a growth oriented company with opportunity for advancement. But everyone says that kind of stuff and the point of your cover letter is to get noticed, isn't it? So give it serious thought. What makes you different from everyone else applying for the job? Qualifications and past work experience are extremely important and should always be the core of your application, but it is often the personal touch that gets you noticed above other candidates with similar qualifications and work experience?
Communicating how your personal interests relate to the position is a great way to get your application noticed. For example, let's consider three different jobs: a wait-person at a restaurant, a generator mechanic and a sales representative.
Think about why you want that job. Of course you want the job for the salary, but why do you want that job above other jobs? Start by thinking about why you decided to pursue employment in that field in the first place.
For the wait-person job at the restaurant, of course the employer wants someone that is good with people right? They don't even have to say that in the position description. Common sense will tell you that no restaurant wants a wait-person that is rude to people and doesn't smile. So what can you say about say that communications how you are well suited for the position. Let's assume that you genuinely like people, enjoy meeting new people, and that you take great pride in putting a smile on customers faces by going the extra mile and providing them excellent customer service. Communicating things like this in your cover letter is what will differentiate you from the other applicants. This communicates that you not only understand the nature of the job and are a qualified applicant, but that you are personally interested in the work itself.
For the generator mechanic, maybe you have always been interested in fixing things. Maybe you fixed your first water pump when you were only 11 years old and you have been fixing things ever since. So why not say that in your cover letter? Maybe you enjoy the challenge of troubleshooting technical problems and identifying solutions. Whatever it is, something led you to pursue a career as a mechanic. Remember what that was, and find a way to include it your cover letter. Employers want to know that their staff are not only technically qualified for a position, but that they are genuinely interested in, and take satisfaction from, doing the work.
Even the sales representative job can involve your personal interests. Perhaps you are very good at making people feel comfortable because you are a good listener. This is very important in sales isn't it? Listening to a client helps you understand their needs, and understanding their needs helps you draft a sales proposal to meet those needs. So if you are a good listener, and have some skill at not just hearing what they say, but understanding what they really need, then say that in your cover letter.
The point here is that you have "learned skills" that you got from school, or from past work experiences. But so does every other qualified applicant for the job. You must communicate these technical skills, but incorporating how your personal characteristics and interests fit the job description will help differentiate your application from your competitors.
Finding a good job in Tanzania can be easier than you think. The economy is growing rapidly, new businesses are opening daily and the demand for educated and qualified professionals is quite high. The trick to landing a great job with a good company is to get noticed. Avoid these common job application mistakes and sell yourself effectively to find a personally and financially rewarding career opportunity in Tanzania.
