There is no musing that most job seekers are all out to land a job almost immediately when they sort out for one. Out of desperation, they apply to even roles they are not qualified for.

We will be breaking this discussion into categories; Entry level to Professional to give you a clear understanding of what you need to land that job you've hoped for.

Entry level

If you are just finishing NYSC, or still within 2 years of your career, you are in this category. You must ensure before clicking on the send button, to sell your ability to learn and thrive in the role you are applying for.

If you've led a group while in school, it's a pointer that you should be an active listener. If you started a business in school, it might mean you are a Sales engine. These are detours HR managers look out for.

You have gone to school to study Geography, Political Science, Sociology but how many of those roles are available in the job market?

Our advise is that school leavers, corp members should position themselves for roles which are not directly related to the course studied in school. Examples are Procurement Associate, Business Development Executive, Digital Marketer etc.

You should be able to convince your potential employer that while in school, you handled specific tasks related to procurements such as head of committee for Food and Drinks where you were always in contact with vendors. If you are apt at talking to organizations to sponsor your programs as a student, you should try at Business Development roles.

You will be valued for this little you have done and coupled with your ability to learn and re-learn -- a job awaits you.

There are few job boards in Nigeria specifically for entry-level positions but one that stands out is careersome.com. You can also join the Telegram group to get daily job adverts.

Mid-level

For Mid-level professionals, you should be able to explain on your CV and cover letter the results you have achieved in your previous roles and how you can come in to a company to ensure targets are met.

The company is bringing you in to achieve specific milestones and your ability to meet these targets will also reflect on your pay via bonuses and profit sharing.

Mid-level professional should always look beyond just the net pay, but in accessing a company, you should enquire if the company trains staff, give bonuses regularly, work culture etc.

From our research, 60% of vacancies advertised on job websites are targeted towards mid-level professionals. One of ways way to apply for mid-level roles is through job boards such as , where hundreds of offers are advertised daily.

The catch here is that while you are still in the entry-level bracket, ensure you know what you want and quickly go for it. When you are done learning the core skills needed to thrive, you become sought after by bigger companies.

Professional

When a company is looking to put processes and systems in place, it looks out to hire professionals.

A professional must be able to supervise and ensure goals of the team are met. At this stage, you are expected to have, if not all, most of the skills and experience needed to make things happen.

For instance, if you are brought in as the CTO, you must have both the technical knowledge and the ability to drive the team to generate results.

As a professional, you should never joke with networking sessions. It is very very important because your company at this point expect you to bring in deals too.

You should be posses vital soft skills such as interpersonal skills, communication, leadership, negotiation etc which you must have been developing right from your entry-level positions.

We want feedback on this post. Drop your message here, a member of our team will reply you.
https://bit*ly/2WSvmL9

Watch out for tomorrow's post.

Preparing for an interview?

Read:

Regardless of the industry you should always dress well for an interview because it portrays respect for the recruitment process and the interviewer(s).

Show up on time, if you can’t get there on time send an email or use a phone call. recently I was traveling for a training in Germany and my flight was canceled and rescheduled , I made sure I sent my trainer an email to let him know I will be late the first day.

Take your CV with you always

Show how your education,internships, experiences have shaped you for the role.

Research the company and practice answering questions that relates to adding value to the company.

Body language- look at the interviewer(s) in the eye when speaking to them, use head nods and hand gestures to agree and explain points. More important be relaxed!

Turn off your mobile phone , don’t give your interviewer(s) the opinion that your device controls you.

Ask the interviewer questions.

Don’t speak ill about anybody, your current employer or company, the world is small and information spreads easily.

Lastly be genuine in the interview and make sure you’re able to connect your energy, passion and hope in bringing joy to the role and company.
Give them the impression you’re the best candidate they will invest in!

Culled from Jo Adoga LinkedIn Post