Sunday 17 / May / 2026
Getting jobs is not easy anymore with so many graduates leaving universities looking for work.
Many of young people are now looking for wisdom and not random words otherwise they lose themselves in the jungle of confusion when they cannot get jobs.
One of them failed three job interviews and he was due to attend the fourth one next week. The last thing he needed from me was another lecture. The kind of lecture he heard so many times during the time he was an undergraduate student in the university. So I thought I should use some practical examples instead of typical academic jargon he is used to. When I thought I was ready for him, I said a few words then stopped. There was something in his face that told him I was about to assume a parental role, worse that the academic one.
This is the problem when we deal with youngsters these days. We are just too authoritative at a point that their minds shut off. By the time they graduate, they have been through more than two decades of instructions. They don’t need to go two more decades of the same thing each time they turn up for advice from an elder. So, I started to navigate my words carefully and away from the conflict zone. I told him that they are not looking for clever words during his interview presentation. He must use “regular” words. He started to show interest because his face suddenly face lit up. He raised his hand and asked “why?”.
I told him that he would not be interviewed by robots but human beings. He needs to make a “human connection.” He needed to speak sincerely and every word that would come out from his mouth should make an impression in their minds. I also explained that the level of intelligence the job interviewers look for was the “everyday” language that comes from his heart. Moreover, they are looking on how he could relate to the real world because if he landed the job, he would need to deal with the real world of employment.
It took me only a few minutes to do that. He wanted to hear more but I told him that was all he needed to hear from me. The rest was up to him as long as he put both hands on his heart while he was presenting. When he raised his eyebrows, I added quickly and with a smile, “not literally, of course.” For the first time since he was with me that afternoon, he smiled. He left a happier person than when he entered the room. Three weeks later, he sent me a casual message saying he got the job. I am not sure exactly how he responded to the presentation but for me it was not just a “job done” but an important lesson learned.
I learned that youngsters must be treated as equal when they reach a certain stage, especially when they are armed with a degree. They just need a mentor to guide them on the right path. Not another lecture. In that, without them knowing at the time, they will take that experience with them years later to become mentors themselves to another youngster. It is a way of paying back a compliment. It will also be our way of passing the legacy forward without really being obtrusive to them.
