Interviews; Is "K" better than "OK"?

By Arthur Mwenkanya Katabalwa

Dress appropriately

This morning, while heading to work, I was joined in the front seat of the taxi by an anxious looking lad. He looked very smart with a neatly pressed white shirt, shiny black shoes and a very sleek black tie. I thought the poor lad was grieving. That black tie. Surely he was attending a funeral. So I decided to strike up a conversation with him, just to try and calm him down a bit.

With my most somber tone I asked how he was. He told me he was absolutely fine. Confused, I decided to probe a little more. That was when he told me he was going for a job interview! I was mortified! A job interview wearing a black tie? I decided to ask him more about the job interview and maybe thought I could give him a few pointers (and that that tie was a no-no). He told me he was going to Wandegeya to one of the banks there. I decided at this point to tell him about his tie. I gently broke it to him that black ties like the one he was wearing were for funerals, where upon he fished out another maroon tie from his bag!

Which tie?

We need to understand dress codes here in Uganda. It will be frowned upon if one went to a funeral dressed to the nines. In fact, in many cases people wear drab clothing to signify the sorrow. We have some people who have started to spice things up sometimes but more often than not, it’s the drab clothing. But also most importantly we need to know what is appropriate for interviews.

I am a stickler for proper English whether one is sending a text message or email. I don't see the point in writing "K" instead of "OK", "buh" instead of "but". What is the point in that? Where is the saving in one letter? However I have heard of situations where many prospective applicants are submitting applications forms where the language used is colloquial. Some of these application forms I understand are downloaded from the internet. The need to get messages to and fro quickly is killing language.

Preparing for interviews is absolutely crucial. Have your facts right. Research about the company you are wanting to join and seriously saying that you are "enthusiastic", "a go getter (that so winds me up), "able to work without supervision" and many other "blue sky" phrases needs to be erased. But most importantly, know what you are going to wear. A black tie is usually worn for funerals. And likewise ladies, cover up.... a bit (on a serious note).