Applying for Latest Jobs in Kenya? Improve Your Chances by Following Instructions

How following instructions helps when applying for latest jobs in Kenya

By Selipha Kihagi

A job advert makes it clear on how to apply for the position advertised. But somehow you don’t feel the need to read the instructions through. Somehow you skim through and copy the email address provided and send in your CV. Your greatest concern at the time is applying for latest jobs in Kenya and not following instructions. After all, recruiters will judge your suitability for the role based on your CV, right?

Well, that’s where you make your number one misstep in the job search process. That’s where your chances of getting the job start taking a downward curve. And that’s where your chance for the interview starts to slip away. Maybe you are now thinking this is not you. Maybe you are always following instructions and wondering why I am being obvious in this post. Maybe you want to move away and find something more useful, but wait.

This other culprit could be you.

You probably read through every qualification and every responsibility. You read about the company in question and the experience needed. You read the how to apply section and decided you are qualified to send in your application. A well thought out process it would seem. But when it comes to the actual application, somehow you decide to be unique and creative. In your thinking you were trying to stand out from other applicants, but in reality you ended up not following instructions.

It happens. You decide to be creative in the email subject, only to forget that the given subject was an instruction. You decide not to include your previous salary, only to ignore the instructions insisted that you do. Following instructions is the one rule in any job search that can increase your interview chances in a heartbeat. Below is a breakdown on the importance of following instructions when applying for latest jobs in Kenya.

Why Following Instructions is Important 

You may be wondering why some recruiters and employers insist on things like, “use the job title as your email subject” or “Include your previous salary in your application” or “do not send in any certificates at this point” or “only send in your CV and Cover Letter”.  The following is why these instructions are important and why you should follow each one.

1. Not following instructions means your application is rejected

A common instruction that most candidates assume or disregard when applying for latest jobs in Kenya is the one of not sending certificates. Why shouldn’t I send in a copy of my certificates? You wonder. Then you decide it would be better to send them alongside your CV and Cover Letter.

If you do this, not only will the recruiter receiving your application be annoyed, but your application will be rejected. No chance to look at your CV, nothing! You will only be lucky if a recruiter is desperate to fill a position and there are no other applicants at the time. And the frequency of this happening is not in your favour.

2. Not following instructions means your application is not received

Ever sent in an application to a job you are 90% sure you were qualified for but did not hear back about an interview? Sometimes it is not that recruiters and employers already have a candidate to hire (like most candidates believe). Sometimes it is also not that you were not qualified for the position. No. Sometimes the reason is as simple as recruiters did not receive your application. You probably used the right email address, but somehow your email subject was different.

Remember that when recruiters are faced with hundreds or thousands of applications in their email they do not go through each email. You wouldn’t either. They will use an online tool that searches through the database and selects applications based on the search term. If you followed instructions to the tee, then your application will be among the selected few. The opposite is true if you did not follow instructions.

3. Not following instructions might get you blacklisted

You know how you go to a restaurant and if they give you bad service you get annoyed and probably decide to never return. The same is true when you are applying for latest jobs in Kenya and you do not follow instructions. While a recruiter may be willing to consider every job application objectively, not following instructions puts you in the wrong side of recruiters. A simple thing as not including your salary details, using the right channel to apply or sending scanned documents could push recruiters and employers over the edge.

And the bigger problem, if you stick out in a recruiter’s mind as the candidate who did not follow a simple instruction, then that could get you in their black list. And this could come to affect your job chances much later. You could get the interview, yes, but the recruiter will already have a preconceived notion of the kind of person you are. And this will not do well for your first impression.

The End Game

Sometimes wanting to be the best candidate and to stand out from others could lead you to not following instructions. So, as you apply for latest jobs in Kenya, remember to follow all the instructions given. Include salary details if asked, don’t send in your certifications if not asked to, use the email subject given and apply in the way you are told to. Only then can your application be received, read and considered.

Always remember that when you do not follow instructions, your application becomes invalid and employers are not obligated to consider you for a position.

Got any queries on job applications? Leave a comment below.

8 Comments

  1. Am learning a lot. Keep improving us to be part of winning team.
    Selipa Kihagi , I (we) thank God for you.
    Live long to see the fruits of your hands and brains.

  2. Am learning a lot. Keep improving us to be part of winning team.
    Selipa Kihagi
    With thank God for you.
    Live long to see the fruits of your hands and brains.

  3. This are very good insights. My question is, when they say include your salary details, is this supposed to be specifically on the email subject or on your CV under salary details? Thanks.

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