"This letter is to certify that Mr. Tewodros Alemayehu was employed with this bank from September 1990 to August 1995 as a Junior Credit Analyst. During his tenure, he was responsible for loan portfolio analysis, client risk assessment, and cash flow verification. He performed his duties with diligence and honesty. He left the organization of his own accord to pursue further education. We recommend him for any future position of trust."

"Here," he said. "Type this. But change the details."

She needed proof of her three-month internship at Desta Construction. Mr. Desta, the owner, was a kind man but technologically allergic. He had given her a crumpled sheet of paper with a faded stamp and a signature that looked like a seismograph reading. "Just type it up, Meron," he had said. But every job application portal demanded a professional sample in PDF format.

Meron’s eyes lit up. "This is perfect! The language is so… official. So Ethiopian."

It read:

To Whom It May Concern,

"I can't find a single usable template," Meron groaned. "Everything is for Dubai or India."

The best PDF sample isn't the one you download—it's the one you adapt from the real world around you.

She saved it as Meron_Tekle_Work_Experience.pdf . It wasn't a sample she found. It was a sample she built.

"Still wrestling with that?" Uncle Tewodros slid into the seat across from her, placing a macchiato beside her keyboard. He was visiting from Adama and had insisted on meeting.

Meron stared at her laptop screen until the words blurred. She had spent three hours crafting her CV, but now she was stuck on the final, most frustrating hurdle: the work experience letter.