In a fast city like Port Moresby, you have to keep up or be pushed out of the line.
It is indeed a struggle securing a job – any job, as long as it puts food on the table.
Year after year, institutions pour more fresh graduates into the pool of job seekers and the demand increases with the desperation to be the eligible one.
But what happens if you don’t succeed for a job in your field? You either settle for a job outside your field of expertise, you start up your own business or you give up altogether.
A young man from Kerowagi, Chimbu Province, has taken the responsibility on himself, to assist job seekers.
Lazarus Towa was lucky to have had a job opening even before he graduated. But he identified the need when his friends who graduated with him in 2015 began job searching.
After assisting his friends, Towa took to helping other job seekers in the country, which he has been doing for at least two years now.
He created a public Facebook page Current Job Vacancies Repost with LT in December 10, 2014 with the intention to post vacancies.
However, his service has extended to editing CV’s and cover letters and emailing to respective organisations.
To date with more than 25,700 members, Towa’s service has benefited people with various work experiences, based throughout the country from different fields.
“Basically, my hard drive can run the country,” he said, to give an idea of who he has helped.
Testament
Loop PNG spoke to Jeffrey Nehi – currently a project manager with Callan Services National Unit – Christian Blind Mission (CMB) New Zealand.
Nehi had graduated from the University of PNG in 2010 and went to work with a mining company for a while before resigning for personal reasons.
After almost a year, he took up employment again, but was “not paid according to his qualification,” he said.
“I decided to humble myself and seek help from Lazarus to update my CV. He gave critics on some part and highlighted other parts I had to work on.
“After two days of applying online, I got a call for the phone interview, five days after, I was shortlisted and got the job where I now have a house and vehicle,” a greatly satisfied Nehi said.
“His free service is valuable to the unemployed, especially for youths, where there’s not enough government support,” Nehi added.
Towa says there should be more than 50 who are now successfully in the workforce.
“Some return to thank and update me. Others don’t. I had a difficult childhood so helping others who are struggling and seeing them succeed is satisfaction enough for me,” he said.
Two main issues he has identified is that people, even university graduates, lack the basic CV and letter writing skills and don’t know the simple technical skills like creating an email address and sending one with attachments.
Towa has managed to establish good relationship with some companies and has become the trusted bridge between the job seekers and organisations.
He aims to register a humanitarian company with IPA in the near future and establish resource centres, beginning with Port Moresby, to provide the platform for the unemployed.
“I know there are donor agencies who are ready to donate but need people to prove that what they spend is really utilised for its intended purpose. So we will eventually get there.”
A big recognition to his service was being considered a nominee for the Digicel Men of Honour Awards 2017.