Kenyan Man Loses 6-Figure Job After Replying With "Sema" When Boss Called Him

• Kenyan Mark-B shared his experience of losing a well-paying job opportunity due to poor phone etiquette, highlighting the impact of unprofessional communication
• Career and law expert Martin Obarimo told TUKO.co.ke that it is essential to maintain professionalism during phone calls, mainly when dealing with potential employers and unknown callers
• The incident raised questions about employer expectations and the balance between candidate etiquette and company communication practices

A Kenyan has narrated how he lost a six-figure job he had been interviewed for over what he described as poor phone etiquette.

Cost of poor phone etiquette

Identified as Mark-B, the man said he had passed the interview stage of the job and had already been shown the office he would report to once the onboarding process was complete.

According to Mark-B, his would-be boss called him, and he replied with "sema," Swahili for 'say?" a signature response he liked.

Read also

AI tool telling jobseekers what to say during online interview causes discussion

"They said they would reach out once they finalised the transition process. Days went by, and I assumed it was a hoax. I later received a call and answered with my signature word 'sema.' I froze when the person on the line said, 'that is very unprofessional of you,' in a disappointed tone, and she hung up. It was my boss-to-be in the communication department. She never called me back and never replied to my numerous texts," he narrated.

Mark-B explained that the experience taught him that bad habits are costly and can ruin one's career or business prospects.

"I had not signed any contract and this was many years ago, after this I went into business and that's what I've been doing, I learnt that people have different temperaments and this world can be cruel. Lastly is that God always has better plans for us though I can not quite place a finger on what I was saved from," he explained.

Read also

Booking.com sounds alarm on AI-enabled travel scams

Career and law expert Martin Obarimo weighed in, stating that a phone is like an office for employed individuals and job seekers.

He insisted that everyone needs to answer phone calls with etiquette, especially when the caller is a stranger.

Crucial role of phone etiquette in career success

He criticised the employer for denying someone a job because they answered a call with "sema."

Obarimo advised bosses contacting prospective employees to use text messages to introduce themselves before calling.

"I've talked about this several times. If a person is called, it is always very important that they respond in a professional way because a phone is actually an office, regardless of the situation. There are also instances where a person is given a phone by the office to use for communication. That person must pick up the call, regardless of the time, if the phone is provided by the office. However, if the phone is not given to you by the office, you are not obligated to pick up outside working hours unless your work involves emergencies where you may be required anytime.

Read also

KNUST student chooses Senegalese passport over PhD from his school: "There's nothing better in GH"

A job seeker is like a person selling eggs in the market—you have to guard your eggs all the time. Be very polite to anyone calling you because you never know who it might be. At the same time, bosses should recognize that phone calls are not official unless a person has been engaged. They should send a message, email, or WhatsApp first. But calling a prospective employee is unprofessional. Further, it is also very wrong for a person to have a loud ringtone in this modern world when entering people's offices because it interrupts others. Professional and educated people put their phones on vibration. Additionally, having inappropriate skiza tunes is very bad. People should just have a normal ringtone," Obarimo told TUKO.co.ke.

Man who lost job gets better one shortly after

YEN.com.gh reported that a man lost his job and started thinking of how to survive without a steady source of income.

Read also

Photographer discovers after wedding that his camera didn't record anything, lands in trouble

However, a few days after he was sacked, he got another job offer, which he said was better than the one he had lost.

The man said the new job he got came with a bigger pay as well as personal accommodation.

Source: TUKO.co.ke