MOL.fi’s CV-Netti “Julkaiseaika” Issue Part 2

An attempted rebranding? They should redesign the CV-Netti application first.

So, the other day I was in the local employment office (työkkäri/työvoimatoimisto). While we were talking with a rep. she looked at my online CV which is listed on MOL.fi’s CV-Netti system. She showed us that an alert window had popped up saying that my CV was not published (offline, unsearchable to potential employers). The problem was that I renewed my CV’s “Julkaiseaika” (online publish time) the week before. This is mandatory for everyone looking for a job and receiving unemployment money. If this is not done, you could lose your money for two months. This is something that I cannot afford to have happen to me.

I was angry and I did not understand why this had happened. When I came home, I looked at my CV and sure enough, the fields to list “Julkaiseaika” were blank. So, how did this happen? I figured it out real quick.

Press this button for happies

The morning of the appointment, I updated my CV with a small tidbit of information. When you log into the system, all of the fields are disabled. In order to enable the fields you must find and press a button labeled “muokkaa” (change/edit). For your inconvenience, this button is buried at the bottom of the fourth tab called “Esikatselu ja julkaiseminen” (preview and publish). I need not rant and rave about the lousy UI design so, I will disgress.

The "fourth tab". Note the "muokkaa" button at the bottom right corner.

What I did not know is that when you press “muokkaa”, it will automatically empty the “Julkaiseaika” fields – rendering your CV offline and unsearchable. At the top of the page, the text will switch from “julkaistaan” (online/published) to “ei julkaise” (offline/not published). If you are in a hurry, lacking caffeine or your brain is somewhere else, you will miss this. I have other gripes about MOL.fi’s CV-Netti web app but this one is by far the worst and most serious. By most serious I mean that by changing your CV you render your CV offline and if you don’t notice, technically, you have violated the terms of receiving unemployment security (money). Besides for showing up at your local employment office by the date listed on your asiakaskortti (a card they give you to let you know when you need to check in with them), you must also make yourself available to the job market – which means you have to have your CV published/online on MOL.fi’s system.

Here’s the catch though, if the “Julkaiseaika” fields are empty and you attempt to sign out, a message will appear telling you that your CV will not be online until you fill out the fields. If you are in a hurry and/or don’t read it you will simply click “ok” and the system will sign out.

Let’s just say that I’m happy the rep. I met with was a nice person. I can only imagine the crap storm we would be in if the rep. wasn’t a nice person. The facts were that, at the time of the appointment, I didn’t have an explanation as to why my CV was offline and I would have been screwed out of two months of money.

You could say that I should have checked what I was doing. Maybe you are right. But, truth be told the “Julkaiseaika” fields SHOULD NOT automatically empty if you want to make changes to your CV… this is just BAD UI PROGRAMMING. The end.

MOL.fi is the property and copyright of Työ- ja elinkeinotoimisto – Finnish Ministry of Labor