I know I am at fault.

I am guilty.

I have been preaching about communication but I disappeared without leaving a note.

There is no excuse for my actions for the past four weeks. I left without saying a word, so you have every right to be angry. I can't make up for the lost time but I will ensure that I don't ruin our future together. Please forgive me for disappearing.

I want to tell you about what happened when I was away. Hold on for a second! It is not an excuse for my disappearance. I just need to start from somewhere.

Over the past month, I have had so many experiences and I believe I have to share some with you. My national service as a teaching and research assistant in the Department of English at the University of Cape Coast was gradually coming to an end in September. I knew I had to start applying for jobs.

I put together my curriculum vitae and wrote application letters. I told some friends about my job search and asked if they could help me identify schools that needed English language teachers. Thankfully, two of them suggested some schools and asked that I send them my curriculum vitae and application letters so they could submit these documents on my behalf since I was far from these schools.

After some time, I received positive responses from some of the schools and we scheduled dates for job interviews. On the last day of September, I attended two interviews and I received a job offer from each school. I asked for some time to think about the offers. I finally accepted one. I needed to relocate to a new region to begin life.

For the past month, I have been navigating this new life and environment. I must say that I have learnt a lot but there is more to learn.

One key lesson I have learnt is how to communicate effectively either in a written or verbal form.

During the interview sessions, I realised that recruiters paid particular attention to my curriculum vitae, application letter and how I spoke.

Lesson 1: Invest time in writing your documents to reflect who you are and what you are capable of doing.

How your CV appears says a lot about your personality. A disorganized CV full of mistakes and multiple font styles and sizes communicates that you are not organized and do not pay attention to details. Spend time formatting your documents and proofreading them to get rid of mistakes and errors. Give it to others to review because most often, we fail to spot some errors in our documents. Remember to sell yourself. Your words should make you irresistible.

Lesson 2: Never write something you have not done or achieved in your CV or application letter.

When you are asked questions and your answers do not correspond to what you have written in your CV, you are considered a liar. Recruiters intentionally ask you questions based on what you have provided in your CV or application letter, so be honest. In as much as you are advised to sell yourself, know that you can't sell what you do not have. A lie can never be hidden forever.

Lesson 3: Asking questions does not mean you are ignorant.

Anytime you do not understand something you are required to respond to, make sure you ask for further clarification. For any communication to be effective, both parties should have a clear understanding of what is being discussed. Be critical. Before you speak, understand what is being asked of you. This will prevent you from humiliating yourself.

I hope these lessons give you direction as you pursue your personal, professional and academic goals.

I believe you have forgiven me. I regret leaving you.

I am back. I am not going anywhere without giving you prior notice.