Youths and the dilemma of past experiences [Archives:2008/1214/Opinion]

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December 8 2008

Dr. Suad Al-Sabaa
Like other graduates from the various universities, he celebrated on the graduation ceremony of his batch, wore jasmine and the graduation uniform.

He also enjoyed a youthful parade before his classmates and teachers, plus other guests attending the ceremony. His family members are very happy since their relative completed the university education and obtained a bachelor's degree qualifying him for a prospective job.

That graduate should have felt very happy on his graduation day and being prepared for shouldering the practical responsibility. His family members took deep breaths with the hope that the graduate will compensate them for what they suffered while bearing expenses of his education.

After graduation, it is time for him to invest his reading capacities by following any job vacancies posted on newspapers. What matters for him is begin his career and prepare a good resume for getting a job. Thinking about his past and future, he didn't know what to put in his resume.

It was profitable for that graduate to place all his certificates from the first grade at primary school up to the final university education year in his own file. His file would be filled with certificates. But “Will employers accept him as an eligible candidate for any posted job vacancy? He makes sharp glances at posted job vacancies to identify the most important requirements and any required past experience for getting the job.

“Real dilemma”

Having a deep breath, he says, “It is a real dilemma.” How can he demonstrate previous experience while in fact he is just a fresh graduate? At this point, the graduate begins his journey in search for deliverance to the dilemma related with required past experience.

Most of the youths get disappointed, and therefore stop thinking about applying for any posted job vacancies requiring previous experience even if they are talented and hard-working students.

Some of the graduates resort to dishonest means to get documents showing they have previous experiences as required by any posted job vacancies. Others expend hard efforts to pay bribes and get nepotism brokers, who may help them get jobs while the third group of graduates conduct surveys on already salaried employees in any institution they are applying for a job in and then pay a large sum of money in exchange for getting jobs.

Those, who take the bribes, assume their role to prepare documents, minutes and legal justifications for their client to be accepted for the determined job. The way these procedures take place is impossible to be breached by those claiming to fight corruption and nepotism.

Employers contribute to corruption

Had employers but learned how much they contribute to frustrating the youth when they set unreal requirements for any posted job vacancies, they would not have done so. Had they understood that they force youths to bring false certificates of previous experience, thereby making them corrupt as of the first step in their career and allowing corrupt individuals to make money at the expense of youth's future and the future of production and community development, they would have set no requirements to be met by job applicants.

In a posted job vacancies, I read that an employer is seeking a young boy to work in his car-maintenance workshop, and the requirements he listed include that the applicant should have previous relevant experience and be fluent in English (speaking and writing). I wondered whether the applicant will work in Washington or in Sana'a. I turned to cast doubt that such vacancies are posted only to avoid being accountable for violating the equal opportunity principle before the government.

We usually find those who already got the jobs don't meet any of the requirements listed in the vacancy announcement. They only have strong nepotism connections or money, and in our country, by money you can do whatever you want.

Source: Al-Tagheer.com
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