From what I have experienced job hunting is a daunting
process for everyone. What beats me is when someone has the guts to say “Get me
a job”. I never know how to react or how to honestly tell the person to grow up
or man up. I can’t get over another friend who said the same impossible line to
me and when I explained how unconnected I am he uttered vigorous expletives.
I just jogged my mind to June 2011 when nothing was going my way;
I kept calm and made a plan. There were a few factors that had me in the
doldrums (a) the agency I was with was being liquidated (b) finances were a
mess (c) I needed food, shelter, tuition and to get by. At times I would just wake
up and send about 50 applications and C.Vs to companies all over Gauteng and
there would be nothing.
I decided to write this piece to give you an idea of stunts I’ve
pulled to get a job. I don’t believe in this spending 24hrs on the internet
looking for a job, I did it for about two months and I saw it fail me. I had been looking for a job from March of
the same year and nothing was popping until May. Needless to say, I became
devastated and something had to happen. Sadly in the case of growing up, I had
to be the catalyst.
About 400 (Fact: I counted) applications later I got an
interview with an Advertising Agency in Fourways in Joburg – about 70km from my
apartment in Hatfield. I didn’t know how I was going to do that, because I had
a lease in Pretoria and if I got the job I would possibly have to source rent, deposit
and all other nonsense fees to move into an apartment which could be about
+/-R15000 for a new apartment in Jozi. Someone had to do it.
My interview was at 09h30 on a cold Tuesday morning. With my
directions downloaded from Google and CV I made way to Joburg, I was not much
of a fan of the city but at this point I didn’t have choice. Something had to
happen. I drove out of Pretoria at 07h15
after praying for a good hour. I had had such an intense conversation with God
I don’t think he had a choice but to come with me to this one and not even send
an angel, I needed the big Boss. That morning, India Arie even sound like a
gospel artist. Through all of these I didn’t know my fate lied on the N1 just
by the Old Johannesburg road, my throat still dries up every time I pass there.
It was peak traffic
and everything was at a standstill. 08h30. with an hour left and still on the
same spot, my palms were sweating and I felt what felt like tears roll down my
face, I was devastated. Firstly, I did not know my way around Johannesburg,
secondly, I was only on R80 petrol budget for this trip (Please don’t ask me
why I hadn’t switched off the engine in traffic). Lastly, I was really hungry and shaky.
I didn’t want to call my mother or sister to share this
frustration because I knew they wouldn’t believe I was genuinely ahead of time,
women! Still want to know why I don’t have one? I had stopped keeping my eyes
on the clock as every second of splintered time was now equivalent to what
seemed like thirty heartbeats. At 09h00 I called the agency to explain my
situation and informed the lady across the line that I would be there as soon
as I could. My biggest fear at this point was to commit to time because of the unbelievable
sea of cars that lay before me with engines off.
“Mr Mohale please be here by 11h00 because that is the only
time I can make for you, I have other interviews to attend do.” She admonished
from the other side of the line. I could not even explain further because my
airtime had started reminding me of my broke state. I said my Okays and Goodbyes
as fast as I could to avoid any embarrassments. I wouldn’t want her to think I
hung up on her.
I snailed through the traffic and with the radio off because
it seemed to make time go faster as Azania of Metro FM kept on mentioning time
that morning. You’d swear she was sent from hell. I don’t know if she was just
playing short songs only or my situation had made every ten minutes seem like a
minute. At 10h10 I was still in Midrand and the traffic was not getting any
better. At this point I was an emotional wreck and made a decision not to go.
Making the second call to cry about traffic would seem like a
lie and I couldn’t afford to lose the little sanity and integrity I had left
for myself. This moment was important to me; I did not care about the interview
and for a second had forgotten how broke I was. Thanks to the stress the hunger
was also gone. I just wanted to gather myself and go back to bed. I got over
everything: life, job hunting and everything that had to be done. In the midst
of all these as I was looking for the nearest off ramp to make a turn back to
my place; the petrol light went on. I didn’t
care, I got over that too and made a decision to drive the bloody car to where
it would stop and I would make plan from there.
My friend, Mpeo, called to find out how the interview went
and I didn’t even know what to say to her. I didn’t have an answer but I knew I
needed petrol money because I was not going to make it to my place. I asked her
to EFT a R100 into my account and I couldn’t even commit to any reimbursements
because I didn’t know when I’d be able to pay it back. All I knew is I needed it. Fortunately my
guardian angel helped. I made it to the garage and did that R80 petrol thing again;
I needed to keep the R20 as my ad hoc saving. LOL
My dad had never been to middle school or varsity, but his
respect for time and how he’d emphasise time to be invested no matter what
always play in my mind. I had a day which pretty much was going to be a waste.
When you hit rock bottom in life you calculate everything (a) the soap I used
to bath (b) electricity I used to iron (c) petrol and time itself. I needed to
find a way to recover all of these valuables; I had to claim my return on
investment. LOL
I had sent hundreds of applications across the country and at
this point I wanted to make my day count. Something had to happen. I had sent
my CV to Vega School of Visual Communication for a post I had seen on
bizcommunity and the day prior to this was the closing day for applications for
that post. I made a decision again; drove to Vega with the aim of finding out
about my application. I had to be my own hero at this point. He-man. All-man. A
real beer – drinking, red – meat eating tough guy.
I was not worried about the embarrassment of getting there
and being told to wait for a call or email. Even that too would make me better.
It would be feedback and closure to a chapter. I got to Vega. The reception
area was an upmarket setting with the receptionist working from a Mac. She was
a young lady who looked at me sharply and it made me somewhat feel
uncomfortable. It made me worry and I almost thought she could see how hungry I
was. The place did not look like a tertiary institution at all, more like an
advertising agency.
I did not have an appointment, did not know who to ask for
and to make matters worse - didn’t know if they received my CV. All that mattered
to me is I knew what I wanted, I needed a job. I asked the receptionist about
the particular position I saw on Bizcommunity and wanted to find out if they
had placed someone. Fortunately she knew about it but did not know if there was
someone already. The thought of going back to my place with nothing churned my
empty stomach. I confidently demanded to see the Human Resources Manager or
whoever that is responsible for the particular division. A part of me hoped she’d
say I would have to make an appointment, but the hungry part of me was
determined to get into that office and tell whoever there was how hungry I was
and needed a job.
She got up and went off to one of the offices where I heard
her tell whoever that was in there about me. The door was half open so I could
even hear man’s voice responding to her as she told him about this hungry lost
soul. When she got back asking me to wait for the principal, I felt like I was
anchored on the seat. The Principal title took me back to Lesotho High School;
where the principal was someone you didn’t really want to see often. We either
saw him (a) at assembly, (b) when you were going to get some ass whipping or (c)
when you had to run away from him.
At this point I was not really sure what this place is about,
I just knew it was a fancy school that had something to do with advertising,
branding or photography. My heart was racing as my fingers maneuvered through
my phone’s keypad trying to Google and see what the hell was happening here. I
do not have a photographic memory, therefore I didn’t grasp much as my study
methods include writing and rephrasing into my own words. You can imagine the
turmoil I was going through. What had I done to myself?
Hardly five minutes later, there was a tall man walking
towards me in the foyer. He could be the principle, I thought. He walked
towards me with a contrived smile as he reached out his arm to shake my hand. I
looked good, that much I know but I was really hungry. This was my moment to
shine and I didn’t want to mess it up. I got up and shook his hand then he
ushered me to his office. He asked if I would like to have something to drink
and I mumbled coffee carefully because at this point my mind was about to force
out the word ‘food’ out of my mouth. Ironically he didn’t even ask what I said
and just asked the secretary to send coffee. But I still think I wasn’t audible
enough.
His office was rather small for a principal’s office. I sat
adjacent to him on his couches trying as hard as I can to be culture conscious
and look him straight into the eye when he spoke to me. He was a kind person,
seemed like a father, not meek but really kind. The minute he gave me the floor
I fought for my hunger, I made use of the time he gave me. I felt strength
coming out of me, sparks became fireworks, a nuclear explosion, and a
supernova. I sold my brand.
At the end of the discussion he promised to call me, which
was not bad. I left his office and was able to call my mom, I had feedback this
time. An hour later I was called for an interview and I got the job and started
a week later. Unfortunately I left the institution nine months later.
Now my friends, no one will get you a job. Please do
something and get off the internet. Make a decision. Get your sales pitch ready
and sell yourselves positively....fUn & ClAsS
