Book Review: Conquering the Job Hunt

You have to be the proverbial ostrich with your head buried in the sand to claim ignorance of the unemployment challenges confronting Ghana.

Scanty statistics point to increasing jobless graduates in our society.

The 12th September Edition of the Business and Financial Times carried the banner headline, 'Jobs are our greatest worry.' The story quoted Professor Ernest Aryeetey, Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, bemoaning the inadequacy of policy attention to unemployment in Ghana for the past 20 years.

This dire condition has even resulted in the recent formation of the Unemployed Graduates Association of Ghana (UGAG).

While parents and guardians wait and hope for national policies to tackle unemployment, what of the graduates who come out each year? What of the fact that their education does not provide them with the skills to help them market their skills and obtain jobs or become entrepreneurs and create jobs?

It is in answer to these and other pressing worries that Nana K. Oware has written the book titled 'Conquering the Job Hunt'.

In a quite comprehensive treatment of career success and income generation, 'Conquering the Job Hunt' starts off dealing with the excuses and negative mindset which stop some people from getting the jobs they desire while others who are better prepared and equipped grab these scarce jobs.

He deals with how to choose the right career, personal branding and how to put together the powerful and targeted CVs and application letters which will set one apart from other competitors. 'Conquering the Job Hunt' also shows readers how to face interviews.

These are the regular staples of any career book, though. What sets Nana's book apart is how he deals with networking or 'who you know' – which is frequently reported to be the major decider in majority of recruitment cases.

Nana provides very practical tips for meeting important individuals and tops it off with an insightful personal story. Readers without the requisite connections can learn a lot from that particular chapter.

The 12th chapter of the book also deals with two very creative ways of getting employed in companies and organisations which usually say no to new recruitments. These two methods are explained in detail in chapters six and seven.

Chapter six reveals ways to use the universal hiring rule to break into an organisation, while chapter seven deals with the interesting Risk Reversal Strategy.

No economy can employ every young graduate or professional, and the final part of this book deals with working on your own terms. Any book on employment which is worth its salt has to look at self-employment in its various forms so 'Conquering the Job Hunt' has chapters on freelancing, consulting and entrepreneurship.

Because of his marketing background, Nana treats each topic and chapter in practical, implementable ways and demonstrates how one can quickly increase his or her income. From creatively funding your business to growing it and getting new clients, Nana brings his wealth of experience to bear in providing solutions for the problems job-seekers and entrepreneurs face.

While recommending this as a handbook for young graduates, seasoned professionals will also benefit immensely from knowing how to put together the best CVs which will help them get the promotions and new jobs they seek right through to how to position and grow consulting businesses with actionable steps.

Nana K. Oware attempted too much in 'Conquering the Job Hunt?' May be. However, by writing such a comprehensive guide and making it available in some of the major bookshops around, ie [Silverbird Lifestyle bookstores, EPP Book Services, Methodist Bookshop, Kingdom Books and Presby ] he has sought to contribute meaningfully to helping alleviate the crisis which majority of the youth face.

This book is a very practical and worthy read for those seeking jobs, seeking to start their own businesses or even those already employed who seek better opportunities.