Why Job Hunting Should Never Be That Serious

Speaking of a thousand ways to run mad, job hunting should be added to the list. That thing can make you scratch the head of a person seated next to you in a matatu thinking it's yours. It can make clicking become a natural way of communicating with nature.

I one day boarded a matatu to Westlands, Nairobi, for work. I sat next to a lady who looked almost my age, if I were to judge by appearance. She immediately asked whether I knew where a certain building in Westlands was located. Unfortunately, I didn't. She looked genuinely unsettled.

She was operating her phone. And as always, eyes have no curtains. Sometimes, as much as I intend to mind my own business, they betray me. I could see she was chatting with ChatGPT, preparing for what looked like a job interview, judging by the questions she was asking and the responses she was receiving. She also had an A4 envelope with her.

Girl looked so tense I could almost feel it. She seemed to have a lot on her mind and feared that something might go wrong. Or everything.

She went ahead and asked the conductor about the location of the building, pleading with him to drop her there. As soon as we left the CBD, she started expressing her worries to me that he might forget to stop. She constantly shifted her eyes between the conductor, the road outside and her phone.

I assured her that it was the same stage where I would alight. At least she relaxed a little. I genuinely hoped everything would go well for her.

It reminded me of my own job-hunting journey.

One day, I will publish a book about the whole experience. Many will laugh, and they won't be doing me any wrong because I equally laugh at myself sometimes too. Those who have never job hunted would never understand. They simply can't relate.

There was this interview I was invited for in Nairobi CBD. A physical one.

I remember waking up at dawn to prepare. I honestly don't remember why I was that serious, but after sending what felt like a million job applications, I was hoping to secure that one.

But being a girl who has never really mastered the art of keeping time to perfection,  I left home barely one and a half hours before the scheduled interview.

Travelling along Thika Road, traffic was much heavier than I had expected.

I was angry at the vehicles causing traffic, our driver, the conductor, the actual matatu... and time itself for moving too fast.

Several times, I was tempted to alight and run, imagining I would arrive faster. I could have taken an online boda, but I didn't have money.

That's exactly why I was looking for a job.

After making peace with the fact that there was absolutely nothing I could do to save myself, I relaxed...and even fell asleep.

Two hours later, we finally arrived in CBD.

By the time I reached the interview venue, I was already almost an hour late. At that point, I had surrendered.

I held onto one simple belief: "Yakudumu itadumu."If it was meant for me, I would get it.

I walked in and found two other interviewees. Surprisingly, they had arrived on time but were still waiting to be interviewed.

I smiled and quietly took a seat.

My friend...Job hunting is a dirty game. The interviews dragged on for hours, followed by practical assessments where candidates were expected to perform part of the actual work.

Darkness had already fallen by the time I left. I was exhausted.

And honestly...Something about that interview didn't sit right with me. I promised myself that one day I would either build my own business or create my own company.

Weeks later...They called. I had gotten the job. Ironically, I resigned after working just one day.

Apart from the fact that the amount of labour that employees were giving out was nowhere near proportional to the monthly salary, and because it's never that serious to work under extreme pressure, that's a story for another day.

All the pressure I had subjected myself to in an effort to secure that opportunity suddenly felt unnecessary.

Life is funny. One job will drain every ounce of hope in you.

Another will come when you least expect it, without half the struggle. There are countless testimonies of that.

Sometimes you'll pressure yourself, spend sleepless nights preparing, skip meals, take an Uber just to arrive first, almost knock down everyone standing in your way...yet deep down, the company already has someone on its register.

You're simply being called in for formality.

My point is simple. Yakudumu itadumu. If it's truly yours, it will come fully wrapped for you...and it will last.

It doesn't have to be that serious.

Come on. Yes, it's job hunting. But breathe. Allow yourself some sleep. Travel without unnecessary pressure. Give ChatGPT a break. Watch a movie the previous night. Don't lose your mind.

Life has a funny way of turning around when we least expect it.

Sometimes the opportunities we desperately chase slip away.

Other times, the ones we never expected become our biggest breakthroughs.

Job hunt. Apply. Prepare. Show up. But don't lose yourself in the process.

I mean. Job hunt...but don't lose weight.