Hip hip hip! Hurai!!!!!....... Xfire is back!!!!
Phew! After nairaland has been saturated with ebolarized threads lately @last there is something positive one can now look up to.
God bless you sir. I thought you initially abandoned this thread to focus on Jhub

ACHIEVING THE DREAM CAREER: MY STORY, MY LESSONS
BY
XFIRE
(XFIRE IS THE USERNAME OF THE AUTHOR ON NAIRALAND)
I will be sharing my experience and lessons on achieving the dream career of my choice amidst challenges. I will also share various ways you can enhance yourself and improve your skills. In the course of my write-up, I will touch on job hunting, good CV writing skills, aptitude test writing, interview skills, certifications, presentation skills, career progression, personal fulfillment and investment. I will also say a little about scholarship opportunities (both undergraduate and postgraduate) and job scams.

This is NOT a textbook theory on achieving a great career. Thus, don't expect text book approaches to career issues. The thread doesn't answer all career questions. It focuses on my peculiar experience and lessons learnt, including my modest career achievements, mistakes and obstacles. I will also refer to other people's experiences in many cases.

I'm still an ambitious young man, who is looking forward to achieving more in life and progressing in my career. I am not perfect. I just wanna share this so that we can all learn. I hope my story inspires many. This is because I know that true life stories inspire far more than motivational write-ups. I am not a blogger and I am not here to promote any blog. Other people with varied experiences can also contribute.

It promises to be interesting, detailed and elaborate.

I also promise to update this thread at least once a week in 2014. I can't promise to do more for now.

I wish us all a fulfilled career and personal life in 2014.


Let me give you a little background about myself…………………………

I graduated in one of the public universities in Nigeria. I am one of the unlucky few that narrowly missed first class. I was a nerd back then in school all in the name of finishing with a first. I sometimes still feel I was deliberately denied a first class degree in my engineering department. I was so enraged that I didn't attend my convocation, even though I was in school when it held. I still hold a little grudge against my alma mater till date.

I served in a secondary school. I never really had any engineering experience, even during my internship because I didn't know anybody that could help. By the time I was through with NYSC, I was close to 27 years. Many will say that I had virtually passed the age of getting a good job, especially in these days where 21-24 years old first class/2.1 graduates are countless. There is apparently nothing special about a 27 years old 2.1 graduate like me! Besides, I was living in the far North while all the juicy jobs seemed to be located in Lagos.

But despite these limitations and more, I have worked with 3 top organizations in Nigeria within 2 and the half years of completing my service. I job hunted for about 5 months before getting my first major job. I started with unarguably the biggest FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) company in Nigeria. I later moved over to one of the biggest government parastatals in Nigeria. Now I am working with one of the topmost International Oil Companies (IOC's) in Nigeria and currently one of the top 30 companies in Forbes Global 2000 companies. And I have only a BSc with no connection. Lucky right? Sure, elements of luck combined with lots of hard work. 

During the course of my active job searching period, I applied for 6 organizations (4 oil and 2 FMCG coys). I never had the opportunity of applying for banking/financial jobs because I had passed the age requirement. And I wasn't ready to falsify my age - that can be easily detected anyway. All 6 are multi-national companies (MNC) except the government parastatal. I got offers from 4 out of the 6. But I reached the final recruitment stages in all 6 coys. One of my modest achievement of note is that I never failed any job aptitude or skills test. I shall reveal the secrets in due time.

The race to my career path started in my undergraduate days. I will recount the story, with lessons learnt.

I'm back. Let me start from the very beginning, my undergraduate days……….

UNDERGRADUATE DAYS

I decided to go for engineering because I had a flair for mathematics and other core technical subjects. I wanted to work as a foremost engineer in a foremost engineering firm. That was my childhood dream.


LESSON 1: Identify what you love and have a flair for. You will most likely succeed at what you love doing most. I have a number of friends who have changed career paths (engineering to financial, financial to academic research, medicine to IT, etc) in order to follow their heart desires. And believe me, they are not doing badly at all! I know people who never wanted a paid white collar job. They always wanted to be entrepreneurs. And upon graduation, they started off on their own and they are doing very well. A well known example is Bill Gates who dropped out of school to start Microsoft. Today, he is one of the most influential successful entrepreneur in the world. I heard Seun Osewa's story is also similar. That is why it is funny to me when people, especially young entrepreneurs condemn paid 9-5 jobs. Money isn't everything. First of all, identify what you have a passion for. I desired to be an engineer in a top engineering company. My dream was never to start off as an entrepreneur. Some desire to be musicians, motivators, writers, doctors, entrepreneurs, etc. Focus on your dream. While it is very possible to succeed at what you don't desire, it is easier to succeed at what you love.

I continue......

I started off in school with a target to graduate with a first class. I wanted to distinguish myself. I knew I had the capacity to do so. I worked so hard to the extent that it affected my social life a little then. I was a top student in my department and even in my faculty. I led in a number of courses, and I was well known for my academic performance. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to graduate with a first class due to a few minor issues. And I learnt from those 'minor' issues. In order to be the best, never take little things for granted, cos it may be those 'little things' that will distinguish you from the crowd. This brings me to my 2nd lesson:

LESSON 2: Always aim to distinguish yourself in your dream career as early as you can. The earlier you start distinguishing yourself and making your mark, the better and easier for you to achieve your career dream. That is why it appears easier for first class graduates to get jobs. In many cases, the foundation of your future career begins in your undergraduate days (whether polytechnic or university). In the higher institution, you will realize whether you truly love the course you are studying or not. I had a senior engineering student who realized he preferred the financial/investment sector. While we were in still school, he started reading financial books, following the stock market, FOREX, and other financial data; and started attending financial seminars. Though he graduated with a 2.1 in engineering, he is today an investment expert in a financial institution and he is currently pursuing his MBA. He realized his dream on time, and started work hard towards it during his undergraduate days. I worked hard in my undergraduate days and it has rubbed off even till now. It is better to fail in your pursuit of your dream, than not to purse your dream at all. This is because you will learn and be better equipped for the next challenge.

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One major mistake I made was that I allowed my personal/social life to suffer as a result of my ambition to get a first class. Though I was lucky to have kept in contact with the good ones, it affected my social life adversely. I will elaborate on that later in the thread. I had poor presentation skills and I was very shy. I am gradually recovering. While I was in school, I enjoyed two major scholarships. Fortunately, I had friends with similar ambitions. It was my friends that informed me and later helped me drop my hardcopy applications for both scholarships. The annual scholarship awards provided some needed fund. I bought my first laptop which helped me greatly. It also sustained me during my agonizing 5 months of joblessness. I was able to apply and travel for job tests/interviews from money I saved as a result of the scholarships. There were moments I also had to sleep over in friend's places when I travel for job hunting. A friend of mine also gave me materials for a particular job skills test I wrote. Indirectly, my friends have played their active role in assisting me to achieve my dream career. This leads to lesson #3 and #4:

LESSON 3: Always try maintain social contact and network as you pursue your career ambitions. Never ignore the power of networking. Your social contacts may help you in little ways that may have significant impacts in your career and life. I am ever grateful to my friends. Social networking also helps in job hunting. My close relative (who incidentally is an engineer with a third class degree) got his first major financial breakthrough through a friend of his. Today, he is a successful contractor who relies on the various relationship he built as far back as his undergraduate days.

@All,I gave you all my word and the return of xfire gave me all the motivation I needed to work on giving you all that we lost sooner than I expected (lolz) please bear with the quality of spacing and all though I tried real hard by editing and adjusting the view to make it as appealing as it was,using my phone to post but if you guys are not owk with the quality(spacing and all) then please let me know so I can stop and post from the system(not sure the view will be any different though) and that might not be soon as I don't have a modem and sort of chucked up at the moment,will post everything as soon as you guys give me the go ahead to......this thread must not and cannot die!...@xfire,sir please let me know what you think too...@Horlawoomey,the show is on!

xfire: Hello all,

Sorry that I have been on an extended break after the unfortunate attack on Nairaland.

I will first all like to thank all those that have asked after me one way or the other since the attack on Nairaland. It's quite surprising that I still receive lots of private enquiries despite my prolonged inactivity on Nairaland. Some I have responded to, others I am still yet to respond. Kindly begin to post your enquiries here (except if it is very confidential) instead of sending me a pm. I always give more attention to enquires posted here and attend to them more promptly.

I will also like to say a big kudos to those that have saved or stored my write-ups (nabsprada, McWhillion, chimexcomm, bigdreams, etc). I find it really impressive.

I will continue to drop a few tips and write-ups from time to time, but maybe not as frequently as I used to because of increased engagements. But I assure that I will respond to all enquiries as much and as best as possible. I am using this opportunity to call on darellrivers to return to the thread.


Wow, nabsprada. This is wonderful. I and other thread followers will be very glad if you post all of it as promised.

... You are welcome back sir, may your days be long.

nabsprada: @All,I gave you all my word and the return of xfire gave me all the motivation I needed to work on giving you all that we lost sooner than I expected (lolz) please bear with the quality of spacing and all though I tried real hard by editing and adjusting the view to make it as appealing as it was,using my phone to post but if you guys are not owk with the quality(spacing and all) then please let me know so I can stop and post from the system(not sure the view will be any different though) and that might not be soon as I don't have a modem and sort of chucked up at the moment,will post everything as soon as you guys give me the go ahead to......this thread must not and cannot die!...@xfire,sir please let me know what you think too...@Horlawoomey,the show is on!

Go on,sis.You re doing a real brilliant job....

Welcome back sir xfire!

Continua @ nabsprada

Yupee! How about if this makes frontpage again so more people can learn too.

@xfire... I just finished reading your write up. Kudos to you for a job well done. I have to say that it was educative and informative. Thanks for sharing your experience...

kaka22: @xfire... I just finished reading your write up. Kudos to you for a job well done. I have to say that it was educative and informative. Thanks for sharing your experience...

And by finish I hope you are not referring to the above post that stopped@ lesson 3? Cos that is just a tip of the iceberg...@Bakare19 and Olarewajub does that mean the font size is owkk? Cos if it is,then I'll post everything today God willing. @all please stay put cos we are so getting xfire's work back...

nabsprada: @All,I gave you all my word and the return of xfire gave me all the motivation I needed to work on giving you all that we lost sooner than I expected (lolz) please bear with the quality of spacing and all though I tried real hard by editing and adjusting the view to make it as appealing as it was,using my phone to post but if you guys are not owk with the quality(spacing and all) then please let me know so I can stop and post from the system(not sure the view will be any different though) and that might not be soon as I don't have a modem and sort of chucked up at the moment,will post everything as soon as you guys give me the go ahead to......this thread must not and cannot die!...@xfire,sir please let me know what you think too...@Horlawoomey,the show is on!

Anxiously waiting for your next post. This is exactly what I need now in my life ,am a fresh graduate of economics, been job hunting for over two months now,already considering going for a masters degree.....can't stay jobless for so long

LESSON 4: Iron sharpeneth iron. Build contacts with people with similar dreams and ambitions. Most of my friends and mentors were also top students like me who inspired me and challenged me to do more. Many of them are currently pursuing their PhD on scholarship, while others are working in top companies all around the globe. I met a lot of them in final recruitment stages. Surround yourself with people that will encourage and motivate you. Never surround yourself with pessimists. Maybe one of the reasons I didn't make a first class was that I shared the same apartment in my final year with a coursemate of mine who was a pessimist and an underachiever. He was always complaining about one lecturer or one course or the other. He was simply overwhelmed, and unfortunately, I subconsciously allowed his negative attitude into my mind. I became overwhelmed and it affected my reading concentration. As expected, my CGPA dropped. Good enough, I got over it. Today, that friend of mine is still without a job.

LESSON 5: Basic writing skills, good communication skills and computer literacy are 3 fundamental elements of employability. When it is said that many Nigerian graduates are unemployable, they simply mean they lack simple communication skills most of the time. They simply cannot speak, write or express themselves comprehensibly enough. It's unfortunate but this is true in some cases. In addition, it is simply unacceptable to be a computer illiterate in this information age. Many job vacancies are posted online and most information are electronic in nature. I have a friend (from the same village) who studied accounting. He is young and sharp but he could hardly speak or write English without grammatical errors due to poor primary and secondary education. He went for various interviews during his NYSC days but was not successful in any. I had to encourage him to start reading books and writing. I also advised him to get a good part-time English teacher, if possible. Guess what? He got one. Today, he is gainfully employed in a bank. If you are poor in communication, start working on it now! The secret is practice. Practice, practice, practice! There is no alternative. Communication skill is quite important in oral interview stage, and I will elaborate on that when I get there. You don't have to be an orator like Barack Obama, or Martin Luther King Jr. But you need to be able to comprehend others, and be able to express yourself in a formal setting. My communication skills was not as good as it is now. I developed it with constant practice and discipline. As a matter of fact, I am not a gifted orator. I am still improving on my presentation skills. Till date, I still practice ahead of time before I make formal presentations in meetings, except if it is impromptu. Presentation skill is also important for career progression. Good presentation skills gives a positive impression about your intellectual and leadership ability (even if it is just an impression!).
That is why I feel pity for many job seekers who can hardly write properly but will keep using shorthand. Posting and commenting clearly on forums like Nairaland is one of the ways of improving your writing skills.

LESSON 6: Always stay positive and self-motivated. Negativity kills mental drive. Positivity keeps you going in tough times. When you are positive, you can be focused. You can think of solutions. You can be creative. You can develop yourself. By the time I was through with service, I was jobless. For the first one and half month, no job tests/interviews seem to be coming my way. None of my older siblings had a job at that time. The situation at home was tough financially. My parents were always complaining about the harsh economic reality of Nigeria, which is quite true. Same with some of my siblings and relatives. During that period, I saw many childhood friends and church members who had been jobless for months, and in some cases, years. That's quite common in the North where I grew up. But despite my fears, I was positive. I convinced my parents to get me another laptop, because the one I had got damaged. With that laptop, I read a lot of e-materials on CV, cover letter writing, interview formats (tray exercises, case studies, group/team discussion, presentation, behavourial interviews, group interviews, technical interviews, etc), foreign scholarship opportunities, business models, corporate culture, etc. All the information later helped me in my first break from the labour market.
I can also remember that I almost got sacked in my first job due to a careless oversight, a grave mistake that cost the company millions of Naira. That is probably the lowest point in my career. The only consideration that saved me was that I was less than a year in the job. The story went round the whole organization, and I felt thoroughly embarrassed and depressed. But I got over it and decided to make a mark for myself in the job. By the time I wanted to resign almost 2 years after, they were pleading with me not to leave.
Yes, I know the employment situation is precarious, or that your new business failed, or that you had a 2.2, third class or even lower credit (HND), or that you read a 'non-marketable' course, or that you have been at home for more than a year, or that you are growing older. Stay positive. You have absolutely nothing to gain being negative.

LESSON 7: It is not always the best that gets the best jobs, or become the most successful. Many atimes, it is that person with the most information. Information gathering is very key in job hunting, and even business start-up. Always be on top of your game. Never, never allow job adverts, scholarship adverts, business initiatives (like YouWIN) etc that aligns with your goal, pass you by. Be informed. Ask the relevant people, read the relevant threads on Nairaland, visit job forums, read and learn about the business you wanna start up, ask senior colleagues or professionals in the field, join professional bodies, etc. Get as much as information as you can possibly get. My laptop was very useful in that aspect, as I stored many e-information available. I always had such relevant information in my fingertips.
When I was an undergraduate, I never missed any undergraduate scholarship advert. I always asked around and thankfully, I got the right information. I knew about scholarship programmes of Shell, Chevron, Total, Addax, PanOcean, Mobil, non-oil related scholarships, etc. At the end of the day, I won two. It will surprise you that many of my colleagues who were quite brilliant didn't enjoy any scholarship, simply because they didn't know about them! Same goes for job hunting. I don't work in an IOC necessarily because I am the best. But it will surprise you that many of the first class graduates in my set are still working in smaller companies, just because they didn't apply for the bigger jobs. Today, a former course mate of mine (who is first class graduate) calls me regularly asking me to keep him informed whenever there are job openings or opportunities. He simply failed to apply for major job openings when I was applying.
Same principle of information gathering applies for aptitude/skills tests, job interviews, career advancement and investment. I will elaborate on them in due course

……………………......................................

I applied for the PTDF overseas scholarship scheme while I was still serving. The online application was tedious, time-wasting and not user-friendly. I applied anyway. I prepared so hard and I was so confident I would pass the test when the time comes. Alas, when the shortlist was released, my name was nowhere to be found. It dawned on me - I was not shortlisted! I decided to send a mail to PTDF asking them to explain why I was shortlisted. They responded that my scanned documents were not clear. I was unhappy because they could have easily asked me to resend them instead of screening me out. I felt really disappointed but could do nothing. But I was even lucky they replied. That was my 'first baptism of fire'. I learnt a valuable lesson from that experience:


LESSON 8: Always ensure all your documents are clear, easily readable and up-to date. Make it easy for your potential employer to comprehend your documents. Never give room for your potential employer to screen you out. This may sound obvious but may have been denied jobs because of this. Clarity is the number 1 rule in job hunting / business start-up. Ensure all your documents ( CV's, certificates, statements, cover letters, ID cards, etc) are clear and presentable. Your documents speak volumes about you. It talks about you when you are not there. It tells a great deal about your organizational skills, professionalism, meticulousness and your seriousness. Make sure your scanned and photocopied documents are very clear - spend money where it matters. There are many job applicants in Nigeria, and sometimes employers use flimsy excuses to screen people out. Do not give them the chance to screen you out!
I have seen and reviewed many fanciful, over-designed and colourful CV's ; full of words but lacking in clarity and focus. I will talk more about CV writing later but I must say now that the #1 characteristic of a good CV is presentability and clarity. Most employers want to a have glance at your CV and comprehend it in few minutes. No employer has all the time in the world reading through every line, except your CV is interesting. Make your CV easily readable . You do not want to stress your potential employers. Same with your other documents. It may involve spending quality time to review your CV, cover letter and other documents.

In addition, always ensure you meet the recruiter's requirement on document format. e.g. don't submit in PDF format if they asked for only MS Word format. Don't submit a 25 kb document if they asked for 15 kb document, etc. Follow instructions strictly!
I also remember I was not shortlisted for the first undergraduate scholarship test I applied probably because I wrote a very long and unnecessary letter on why I deserve the award.

I am not a highly organized person naturally. But after the PTDF experience, I ensured all my documents were clear, presentable and current. As a result, I was always shortlisted for subsequent jobs I applied for.
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I move on to my 2nd 'baptism of fire'. Like I earlier said, during my service I also applied for an International Oil company that usually conducts recruitment day ( many will know the company). Luckily, I was shortlisted for the test. I didn't prepare for the aptitude test but I wrote it and passed anyway (which I later found out to be shl format). As matter of fact, I was amongst the first set of people to be called for the recruitment day.
For those that don't know, recruitment day is a day dedicated by some organizations to test and interview applicants in various ways - some of the formats may include impromptu or planned presentation, tray exercises, business case studies, one-on-one interview, oral session with panel of interviewers, group / teamwork exercises, tests, games, etc. The purpose is to test you for various skills to verify if applicants meet their competency requirements. It is like having many interview stages all packed in one day. It usually takes the full day.
I was still serving and was about passing out when they called. I had just about a week to prepare. And I didn't have enough materials to prepare. My laptop was faulty and I didn't have much access to my e-materials. Besides, I served in the far North while the location of the interview is Lagos. I was required to make a formal technical presentation as part of the interview sessions. Naturally, I would have used my final year project but my final year project was a complete write off (though I managed to get an A cheesy). I had to start searching frantically for a technical topic to present. At the end of the day, I didn't prepare well enough. I also had to take a night bus to Lagos for the interview, which means I was physically stressed. I failed the interview and I was sent a regret mail few weeks after completing my service. It was a tough time at home financially, and I really needed a job to support myself and family. I was devastated, though I knew it would take miracle for me to be selected. I felt hopeless because that was the only job I was hoping for.
But I learnt a lot of lessons from that failure. And sincerely, that failure pushed to me to greater heights. Lemme talk about one of the lessons:
I didn't prepare much for the aptitude test but I passed well. I also didn't make adequate preparation for the recruitment day, but I failed woefully. This leads me to a valuable lesson.

LESSON 9: Always identify your weaknesses that may serve as a stumbling block early enough and start working on them. Don't wait till your weaknesses grow to be a big stumbling block. The earlier you start working on your areas of weaknesses that may be an obstacle to you, the better. I was always been good writing exams and tests. And I can pass exams and tests without preparing much for them. But I never developed my social and people skills. I was a mediocre communicator and I never really worked on it on time. It was so evident when I went for the interview.
Do a SWOT analysis of yourself (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats). Identify skills you need to develop for your goal, and start working on them early. It may be analytical skills (for test writing), communication skills, social skills, presentation skills, corporate knowledge, technical skills, etc. The earlier you start working on those weaknesses, the easier it is to overcome them. You can't possibly deal with all your weaknesses. Prioritize and deal with the ones that are most detrimental, or can be a stumbling block.

I see many graduates today who struggling to get jobs simply because they didn't deal with their weak areas on time. Some with very high CGPA's can't scale through aptitude tests simply because they lack analytical skills/ cognitive ability and didn't tackle it on time. Some keep failing interviews because of poor communication/ interview skills. I have a friend who has had his business proposals rejected several times by prospective investors simply because he has poor technical writing skills.
Weaknesses may not only be in skills but in situations - age, grade or class of degree, financial capacity, poor training, etc. Identify your weaknesses or threats and deal with them as soon as possible.

I adopt that in all my job roles. My current job requires advanced technical writing skills, coordination skills and advanced technical understanding. I knew I was good in coordination skills because my previous job required lots of coordination. But I had a big gap in technical knowledge. Very early in my new job, I invested quality time trying to close the gap. In addition to attending company sponsored trainings and listening attentively, I sacrificed quality time daily to study technical / engineering materials and visit production sites to learn. Many of my colleagues didn't do that. Today, most of my colleagues that we resumed together cannot compare themselves with me knowledge-wise. In addition, my boss relies more on me on technical-related assignments. I have been able to create a good first impression. And first impression matters a lot ( even if it is just an impression!)

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Before I move on to the art of CV writing, I feel compelled to add a lesson. This is exclusively for students and undergraduates, but it is important I add this to my lessons.
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LESSON 10: Take your final year project (FYP) seriously. It offers a great opportunity to develop yourself. FYP offers you the opportunity to improve your technical writing skills, presentation skills, critical thinking skills, problem solving skills, teamwork, computer skills and people skills. It gives you the opportunity to broaden your horizon and learn new things like softwares, new equipment, laboratory techniques, etc. In addition, it can be very relevant when pursuing postgraduate studies (especially when seeking admission abroad) and when securing a job. Utilize the opportunity your final year project offers you to learn as much as you can. I have seen many cases in which final year projects opened doors for people. Some of my former coursemates presented their FYP in technical conferences, while others published theirs in technical journals. Two of my colleagues secured jobs immediately from their presentation in an nationl conference (though none of them took the offers as they got better opportunities). Those whose CV's were published in journals have it as a key achievement on their CV and this has helped them scale through interviews. Don't just be contented with copy and paste / Wikipedia like I did embarassed. Some even pay others to do it for them. It served as a disadvantage when I went for my first interview as I earlier mentioned. Many interviewers will ask you about your project work especially if you have no graduate with no experience. Do something you will be proud. I will give 2 specific instances (out of many others) where individuals have benefitted from their project work.
My former project supervisor used to tell me of how one of her former project student (a female) got a well paying job in an international NGO. Her project involves extensive practical work, data gathering and the use of SPSS (a statistics software). She had to learn SPSS and use it to interpret laboratory data. Her project was one of the best in her set. During her service period, there was an opening in that NGO requiring a scientist with experience in data gathering, analysis and software. She applied (as an engineer) showcasing her accomplishment on her CV. She was called and interviewed. Her interviewers were quite impressed her project work and she got the job!

A former course mate of mine (also missed first class narrowly) also devoted lots of energy and time on his project. He did a project in a specialization he was passionate about. After NYSC, he applied directly for PhD in that specialization in an American University. He contacted an American professor from that department, informing him of his desire to go for research work in the department. He needed a recommendation from the professor to enhance his chance. The professor asked for his statement of result and final year project report. The Prof was so impressed with his project work that he gave a good recommendation. Today, he is pursuing his PhD on full scholarship in that school. He will be a PhD holder this year or next.
Even if your project doesn't fetch you a job or scholarship, it is an opportunity to learn many skills and develop yourself. You will also have a sense of accomplishment. Retrospectively, I still wish I did a better project work.

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PRE-NYSC AND NYSC DAYS
After my graduation I was sad and depressed because I didn't graduate with a first class. I never imagined my life without a first class. It haunted me for long, and to be sincere, it took me more than a year to fully recover from it. I feared for the job market because I felt I was disadvantaged age-wise, especially with my 'pure-water' 2-1 degree. I stayed at home for 6 months after graduation before I was mobilized for service. During that period, I whiled away time by teaching in a secondary school. I also began subscribing for job email alerts, and started reading online job websites and the famous Guardian newspaper. Even though I wasn't eligible to apply, I started studying the pattern of job vacancies. I was always interested in the companies that were recruiting and their requirements. I wrote my first amateur CV upon graduation. I have since refined my CV writing skills. Thank God I don't have to write personal CVs again, at least not anytime soon. I will only review people's CV's from time to time. I will talk a bit about good CV writing later in the thread.
I taught in a public secondary school during my NYSC days. This gave me ample time to socialize and also prepare for the labour market. Many of my colleagues 'worked' their service to Lagos where they served in big organizations I could only dream of. But I made use of the only resource I had - TIME. I started reading about how to how to write good CVs and prepare for interviews. I also started putting in my applications 6 months to the end of my service year. I applied for the PTDF overseas scholarship. I learnt about various job sites during this period. One surprising fact is that I observed that many of my fellow 'corpers' had little or no information about job hunting, CV writing, interview skills and presentation. A lot of corp members could not write a simple CV. Many had little or no computer knowledge. Many had very poor writing skills. With my basic CV writing art, I had to help many of the corps members to write their CV's especially those about to pass out. In many cases, I followed them to the cyber cafe to create emails for them and make online applications for them (then the internet was accessible as it is today). I still know many graduates today that cannot write and speak properly. Many of them are still without job or are currently underemployed. And I doubt if they can improve their employment status if they don't make themselves employable.

Like I earlier wrote, I started submitting job applications towards the end of my service year. An well-known international oil company that usually conducts recruitment days was the first coy that called me for a test. I went through their recruitment process but was not successful in the end. I received a regret mail. I also applied for PTDF overseas scholarship scheme during my NYSC, prepared so hard for it but was never shortlisted. Those were the 2 'baptisms of fire' I received in the labour market. I will share lessons I learnt from the two rejections soon. But lemme talk about job hunting before doing so.



JOB HUNTING DURING NYSC AND NYSC DAYS
Most of the jobs I applied for were via online applications. Though, they were times I tried networking by distributing my CV's to people that I thought could help, especially senior civil servants. There are other means of job-hunting, and I will briefly discuss all the ways of job-hunting I know:

1. Online advertisement /applications / job forums
This is the most common way of sourcing for jobs. There are various job sites which you can freely subscribe to, and you will be getting daily job alerts on email. I subscribed to many. One still sends me alerts till date because I have unsubscribed to all except one. Some job websites (though I never used them), like offer special paid services for CV review, cover letter writing and job SMS alert. A friend of a friend, who had a 2.2 got his job via SMS alert. Also visit various career /job forums, like the one in Nairaland. You will get lots of updates and information from informants in those forums. You will also get test and interview tips from fellow job seekers in such forum. I must confess one of those forums (NHJ) helped me a lot. As a job seeker, the internet has to be your constant partner. Many will insist that almost all online applications are not based on merit, and that you need to know someone to help 'push the button'. While some may not be entirely merit-driven, my experience and observation has shown that many are real, and are actually merit-driven. I know countless number of job seekers that got their job via this method. As a matter of fact, more than 60% of the people I know got their jobs through online applications. For a job seeker who doesn't have 'connections', I believe (s)he should focus more on improving his competency, rather than whining about how 'unconnected' s(he) is.

2. Company Websites
Visit career pages of organizations' websites. This was a practice I never adopted which I wished I did. There are organizations that accept unsolicited application. And I know a few friends that have benefited from this. Companies like Total, Schlumberger and KPMG accept unsolicited applications (I don't know if all of them still do. You might need to check). Four of friends got employed by Schlumberger immediately after service, because they started the recruitment process after submitting applications online during their NYSC programme. Another person got a Total PG scholarship in France, after submitting an online unsolicited job application! He submitted an unsolicited application in Total career site, like every other person. The invited candidates were called for a test and those that passed were interviewed. The successful candidates were offered PG scholarship in IFP, without any option of job afterwards. KPMG receives application all-year round. So it quite important you visit career pages of organizations, even foreign organizations. Submit unsolicited applications. You also learn about organizations and the qualities they look for.

3. Networking and recommendation
Networking is another common way of getting jobs, most especially in some government ministries and agencies. Even some private organizations still recruit based on 'man-know-man'. Many will say this is one of the bane of the Nigerian society. I agree, but I won't focus on the negative aspect of networking . I will focus on the positive aspect. Networking is globally accepted way of sourcing for job. Instead of whining and grumbling about the not knowing people, why not utilize the few people around you? Never underestimate the power of networking. It will surprise you how much the people around you can help. Distribute your CV to all the people that you think can help. Never feel discouraged even if nothing is coming your way after networking. Let it be a culture. I am sure we all know people that have gotten jobs via networking.
Even in the workplace, networking is one power way of achieving career progression. In my experience at the workplace, I have seen seemingly insurmountable obstacles destroyed by the power of a single phone call, or a simple friendly disposition. Some people call it 'office politics'. But there is nothing wrong in 'office politics' in itself, as long as it is not sacrificed for merit. From my experience, managing people (be it customers, colleagues, bosses, clients, partners, subordinates, etc) is the most challenging part of my career. You need to learn to properly manage people to achieve remarkable results and grow career-wise.
Another way of getting a job is by recommendation. This is most common for professionals with specialized skills, or highly experienced professional. It is also common for service-oriented professionals such as web designers, civil engineers, architects, consultants, etc. Some people also get recommended based on their integrity. I will 3 examples of recommendations. I have heard of a case in which a graduating student was recommended to top institutions by their well heard professors. A friend of mine (with a 2.2 in a social science course) got employed as an admin staff by one of the biggest Nigerian companies dealing with machineries. He wrote no test, neither did he attend any interview. He got the job entirely by recommendation, because he handled a similar but lower job with a high level of integrity and transparency. The close relative of mine who is finished with a third class in engineering, also gets contracts based on the quality of jobs he had handled in the past. I can go on and on, but I will stop here.

4. Job Fair
This is also known as career fair. It is a fair in which employers, recruiters, and schools meet with job seekers. I don't know so much about this but I know a number of people that got recruited via career fair. I guess it is common practice in UK to hold career fairs, and some Nigerian organizations participate in career fairs abroad, especially those looking to recruit intelligent MSc graduates from top UK schools. My first employer usually participates in job fairs abroad. They recruited a number of fresh graduates from top UK schools before I left. Some top UK schools (like Imperial College) usually attract many recruiters, though having an MSc in a top UK is not a guarantee especially in these days of economic crunch.

5. Recruitment from school
While I was still in school, I know many organizations go different Nigerian universities to conduct job tests and interviews for final year student. I'm aware of KPMG, P & G, Dangote, some banks (during the booming Soludo era), NB, etc. Unfortunately, no one came to my school when I was in final year. I'm not sure if this is still a common practice. I think it's mainly a publicity stunt - I may be wrong. Besides, I don't know anyone that got recruited through this medium except two persons. And this is because they served in that particular organization. Their other successful colleagues, who couldn't serve in the company were rejected after service because there was no longer any vacant slot.

6. Linkedin
Linkedin is the 'facebook' of professionals in all occupations. You can build your career profile, source for jobs and join different professional networks and group. You can get recommendations from professionals, and also recommend others. You can also get endorsements, and endorse people. You can a 'brand' for yourself in linkedin. It is also an avenue for employers to look for employees that fit their profile. Linkedin is not widely used in Nigeria - maybe because most Nigerian job seekers are ignorant about linkedin or have taken time out to build an attractive career profile. It also appears that Most Nigerian organizations have not adopted it as a way fo sourcing for job, and still prefer the traditional way of advertisement. I never used linkedin, and I have a low profile on linkedin. I have decided to include it here because I know a UK-based Nigerian professional who has attended a few interviews with some recruiters that contacted him on linkedin. Linkedin is particular suited for experienced professionals, or professionals with particular skill set. Notwithstanding, I will encourage all job seekers to open and update their profile on linkedin. There are various sites online that guide job seekers on how to use linkedin for job searching.

7. Hardcopy CV distribution
I am aware that some job seekers distribute hard copies of their CV's to different organizations, especially after an information. Many people have told me about how they went round various companies distributing their CV's. A old friend of mine, who is now self-employed told me of how he went round various financial institutions in VI / Ikoyi / Marina axis in 2012/2013, submitting his CV's. I have never heard of a successful tale. Personally, I do not think it is an effective way of searching for jobs. I think it shows desperation on the part of the job seeker. I encourage anyone who has had a successful tale in this job searching method to share his experience for all to learn.

8. Recruitment Agencies
Recruitment agencies assist various organizations to provide needed manpower. They simply match employers to employees that meet their criteria. In many cases, major organizations patronize recruitment/consulting firms to help conduct test and interviews. A well-known example is the 2010 NNPC recruitment. The NNPC nationwide test was organized and conducted by Philips Consulting. Also, Adexen is another major HR/recruitment company that sources for manpower for various organizations. It also conducts tests and interviews on behalf of organizations. There are quite a number of notable recruitment agencies where you submit your CV online (or register online) freely. You will be included in their database and you will be able to freely apply for openings via their website. In many cases, you may received periodic job alerts on your email box. A few collect a token for registration.



From the few ways of job hunting I have discussed, you can see that searching for job, or starting up a business is a job in itself. It's serious business and if you wanna reach the height of your career, you will keep on aiming for jobs / businesses that will help you reach your goal.

...........................................

Now back to my story....

Let me talk a bit about the experience I had about job scams before I leave job hunting.

Today, there are many scammers that play on the desperation of unemployed graduates. They front as recruitment agencies or organizations, thereby hoodwinking many innocent graduates. Some open fake websites of notable organizations to dupe ignorant job seekers. Some claim to be training consultants and organize ridiculous and non-recognizable training programs to deceive job seekers.
I remember there was a particular 'job opening' during my NYSC by a fictitious company (I have forgotten the name). They were looking for various people from disciplines (IT, financial, social sciences, pure sciences, engineering, etc) with non-specific job descriptions. A lot of us applied, and we wrote an 'online' test. Everybody I knew 'passed'. After my success, they sent me a mail, congratulating me on my success. They stated that I was being considered for a trainee engineering position with a monthly salary of 80k (which was a lot of money to me and other struggling corps members like me then), and that I should come for final screening with a registration fee of N1,500. Immediately I saw the mail, I knew there was something fishy. Why ask me to bring money for a screening? Unfortunately, hundreds of job seekers fell for it and were duped. There are very simple ways of identifying a job scam. You could read them online but I will just identify a few of them:

1. The job always appears non-specific, and they require all shades of professionals.

2. You get the job almost immediately, or after very light screening exercise.

3. You are sometimes asked to provide confidential information, such as your email password, or your bank account number.

4. In many cases, they use very generic emails like yahoo, gmail, etc. This is not to say there are no real jobs that use such email, but most standard organizations have a standard website and unique email account for HR/career/job purposes. I am always careful about jobs that you asked to submit CV's to an individual in a company, especially if such information is not obtainable or verifiable from the company website. I often see a lot of unverifiable broadcasted messages on bbm and whatsapp asking job seekers to submit CV's to an individual in a company e.g. xfire@xyzcompany.com. Well, it never hurts to submit your CV but quickly run away if your money or confidential information is being sought.

5. They can also be full of grammatical errors. This may be because many of the scammers are not well enlightened. Or some are too anxious to make finish the 'deal'.

6. They often tell you the salary even before getting the job. This is to serve as bait and to ignite greed and anxiety on your part. Except for advertised lecturing and government jobs with standardized pay grades (CONTISS, etc), no standard organization will reveal their pay structure before giving you an offer. Standard organizations will negotiate with you only after being selected for the job.

7. The easiest way to detect a scam is that they ask for money. Sometimes the amount they ask for may look insignificant but when you consider the large number of applicants, it becomes significant. No private organization willing to recruit you will ask for money for any purpose - it's definitely a scam if they do.

I am aware that some government agencies such a Nigeria Immigration Service, INEC, military organizations, NCAA, Nigeria Police, etc demand money from applicants. They call it all sort of names such as 'registration fees', 'scratch cards', 'application fees' etc. Personally, I think this is totally unfair on the part of government agencies and it's just pure exploitation! I hope the government is taking drastic measures against it!
There was a time it was all over the news that there is a lot of job racketeering in MDA's (ministries, departments and agencies) - people paying huge amount of money to secure jobs. This is entirely illegal and obtaining jobs like that may not last.

......................................................................................................................................................................

UP NEXT, THE ART OF CV WRITING

nabsprada: And by finish I hope you are not referring to the above post that stopped@ lesson 3? Cos that is just a tip of the iceberg...@Bakare19 and Olarewajub does that mean the font size is owkk? Cos if it is,then I'll post everything today God willing. @all please stay put cos we are so getting xfire's work back...

I was referring to the whole write up. McWhillion sent it to me... Once again, kudos to xfire...

THE ART OF CV WRITING

Introduction
Before I start, I will like to say that there are lots of useful resources online (even on Nairaland) on how to prepare good CV. I will advise you that you should also visit those threads and online resources as you follow along. I have quite a number of e-books on CV writing. During my active days of job searching / CV writing, I read a number of resources on CV writing. I will advise you to do same. But to be sincere, you can't read it all! I focused on a few resources. You learn more about CV writing by reading and practicing! You will sharpen the skill as you write and give it to others to review. I still write CVs but not exactly for employment. I write and update my work profile periodically.

Also, this write-up can't possibly touch every aspect of CV writing. I will try to focus mostly on entry level job seekers or job seekers with little experience. That is why it is extremely important to ask questions so that I and others (like dustydee, T-Cann, Emperoh, bigdreams, etc) can throw more light on areas that are not clear or not covered. This is not a textbook approach and I will try and make it as practicable as possible.

Thirdly, I know there are many professional CV writers out there. You can also find them online. But personally, the best person to write your CV is you! This is because you understand your career objectives, skills, experiences and achievements better than any other person. But you can always give it out for review and critique. And I advise you do so. I have always written my CVs myself.

Lastly, I must not fail to mention that CV's are usually tailored towards the industry / organization you are applying to. I used to have 3 major CV's as a job seeker - one for the general sector, another for general engineering jobs, while the last was for my specific discipline. Sometimes, I further tailored my CV to fit company I was applying to. We will get to that. CV is a live document and should therefore be periodically updated regularly as you grow in your experience.

...........................................................

I will continue from where I stopped………

Let's start….
1) CV Template
Some people have been asking me to send them CV templates. I now say: The easiest thing about writing a CV is getting a template! cheesy. There are lots of good CV templates or sample CV's online that you can use as a template. The most important considerations are that the templates are clear, presentable, easy-to read and are able to communicate your intentions. You can always edit them to your taste. You can always re-arrange, change or add new subtitles. Personally, I used only one template (Can I even call it a template?) for all the CV's I wrote. It has a very simple, clear and professional outlook with no sophistication. Focus your on attention on the content / arrangement of your CV and not the template / layout. Expend your energy where it matters. Like I earlier said, don't dissipate needless energy in inconsequential issues. Good Templates abound everywhere. I have decided to search online for sites you can get CV templates:

http://blog./download-free-cvresume-templates/
http://career-advice.monster.co.uk/cvs-applications/free-cv-templates/jobs.aspx
http://www.totaljobs.com/careers-advice/cvs-and-applications/which-cv
http://www.dayjob.com/content/blank-cv-template-630.htm

There are so many online You can also search and use the one you are comfortable with. If you want mine, I can send it over but you might just be disappointed how unsophisticated it looks embarassed smiley.
I have seen some poor CV templates without any structure. Some CV's begin with "Curriculum Vitae" as the title. An example of such old format:
____________________________________________

CURRICULUM VITAE
Current address: Career Section, Nairaland
TEL: +234xxxxxxxxxx
E-MAIL: xfire@xyz.com

PERSONAL DATA
Name : Xfire
State of Origin : Abia
Sex: Female
Marital Status : Single
Date of Birth : 19th July 1986
Nationality : Nigeria

OBJECTIVES :
To pursue a professional career in a dynamic and challenging working environment, an environment that will provide individual's development, reverent skill acquisation, realisation of corporation potentials and attainable goals, to be part of value creators through professionalism.
SCHOOLS ATTENDED - YEAR
• Xfire nursery and primary School. (1989-1998)
• Federal Government Girls' College Lagos (1998-2004)
• Xfire Technological Input (XTI) Kano.(2007)
• Xfire University, Kano (2007-2011).

WORKING EXPERIENCE
• National Research Institute for Chemical Technology (NARICT) Zaria, Kaduna State.(SIWES 2010)
• Kaduna Refinery and Petrochemical (A subsidiary of NNPC) (SIWES 2010)
• Government Day Senior Secondary School Gusau, Zamfara State (Chemistry Teacher NYSC 2012 -2013)
• Eurofoam Manufacturing Company, Kaduna.

QUALIFICATIONS
• First School Leaving Certificate (1998)
• Senior Secondary School Certificate (2004)
• Statement of result B.Sc( Hons) Chemistry (2011)
• NNPC Certificate (2010)
• National Youth Service Corps Discharge Certificate ( Feb; 2013)

INDUSTRIAL EXPERIENCE
• Carried out research work on raw materials(iron pyrite, Sphalerite, alum e.t.c) use in producing chemicals and how these chemicals
(benzoic acid, Copper Sulphate e.t.c) used in the laboratory are produced.
• Testing the quality and purity of these chemicals by determining their boiling, melting point and density after production (NARICT)
• Checked the specific gravity, flash point,freezing point, melting point e.t.c. of fuel, LPFO,AGO (Fuels lab), checked the BOD, COD,
Sulphur content of water in water lab (water lab)
• Taught Chemistry during my service year
• Testing the quality of foam produced.

SKILLS
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Resourceful and creative team player
• Abillity to work under operational stress and pressure without supervision
• Innovative change agent and result oriented.
• Endowed with a spirit of organization , dialogue and negotiation.
• Ability to adapt to local context

HOBBIES
Travelling, Reading, meeting people,browsing and making research.

REFEREES
Prof. Matthew Mohammed (Lecturer),
Chemistry Department,
Xfire University, Kano.
080xxxxxxxxx
Profxxxxx@yahoo.com

Sir. Boniface Atahiru
Human Resources Department
FIRS,
Abuja.
080xxxxxxxx
boniface.atahiru@firs.com




That is a poorly written CV. You don't need to add "Curriculum Vitae" as title. It is poorly organized with lots of spelling errors. Every section of the CV needs to be reworked. And it is important I say this at this point:
A CV is NOT an autobiography. It is a marketing tool, meant to sell yourself to prospective employers. It should speak for you when you are not there.
Many CV's I see are mere autobiographies, just relating their educational histories and generalized work experiences, with no focus and direction. Your CV should identify your achievements, skill areas, internship experience, experience (volunteer or paid job), specific job responsibilities, project handled. I will talk more about content
I shall rework the CV and send it over. I will also present samples of good CV's later on.

2) Clarity and organization
I have come across some CV's that are quite too clumsy, some are unnecessarily too sophisticated and while others are too wordy. I wish I could post some online but I can't do that. Your CV needs to clear, concise and presentable.
One of the ways of you can achieve that is to use bullet points to itemize your statements. It is also important that you are consistent with use of font type and size. That is why it may advisable to give your CV to a knowledgeable person to briefly review.
Irrespective of your CV layout, it is important you organize your writings properly. Writing a good CV for the first time takes time and dedication. Be ready to spend to spend that initial quality time to organize your thoughts. Luckily, subsequent updates and changes to your initial CV takes far lesser time and effort.

Let me discuss the content and quality of a good CV before showing samples of good CV.....

3) Content of CV
I will advise that your CV should be arranged in the following chronological order:

(A) HEADING
Your name and your contact details (address, phone number and email).

There are 2 correct ways of writing your name:
LAST NAME, FIRST NAME MIDDLE NAME (with a comma after the last name)
or
FIRST NAME MIDDLE NAME LAST NAME (no comma)
e.g. If your first name is Babatunde; Middle name is Raji; and surname is Fashola; you can write it 2 ways:
Fashola, Babatunde Raji (or Fashola, Babatunde R.)
or
Babatunde Raji Fashola (or Babatunde R. Fashola)

I personally prefer the first one though both are correct.
(You may also decide to capitalize only your surname and leave your first and middle name in Sentence case)

(B) CAREER OBJECTIVES / PERSONAL PROFILE

Like I earlier stated, career objectives / personal profile come after the heading just before your personal details. I have earlier discussed personal details. I have re-lettered the order.

Once again, this is a contentious issue. Opinions are divided on whether to use a career objective or a personal summary/statement/profile or use both, though most opinions tilt towards a personal profile. I started writing my CVs using career objectives, but I later changed to a personal profile statement (maybe due to my experience).

Personally, I still think it depends on personal preference; years of experience; the job hunting method / company consideration; and how the career objective / personal profile statement is worded. e.g. it might be advisable to have a career objective if you are submitting unsolicited application (so that the potential employer know what you want) , or if you are changing career path (so that you can state your reason). On the other hand, it might be easier for an experienced person to use a personal profile when applying for a job with related experience. For instance, I used a personal profile in my last CV because I have had about 2 years of experience.
Both can also be used in a CV. If you prefer to use both, career objective should come before personal profile. A personal profile can also be worded in such a way that it will include an objective towards the end.

For a fresh graduate seeking employment based on an advertised vacancy, I will advise that they use a personal profile if you have actual facts / achievements (not just cliches like 'hardworking' 'self-motivated' 'smart' 'team player' etc) to make your profile statement attractive (academic achievements, certifications, academic or non-academic awards, relevant internship/NYSC experience, leadership positions, curricular activities, etc). If not, stick to career objectives.

But it is important that I say that personal statement or career objective should be flexible i.e. should be tailored towards the company you are applying to. For instance, a recent engineering graduate cannot write "Seeking an entry level engineering position" when he applying as a management trainee in a bank! I had different statements / objectives depending on the company I was applying to


Enough said on that……

Let me now talk first about how to write career objectives before talking about personal profile.....

I have often seen career objectives that look like this (gotten from various sources):

To pursue a professional career in a dynamic and challenging working environment, an environment that will provide individual's development, reverent skill acquisation, realisation of corporation potentials and attainable goals, to be part of value creators through professionalism.
OR
To take a challenging and high performance oriented position in the field of marketing and implement the knowledge and experience gained in this field to develop and manage systems and people that provide quick solutions to complex projects with efficiency and quality.
OR
Looking for an opportunity to utilize my strengths to build my career that would intrinsically help me in achieving greater practical excellence in technical domain, exceptional hardworking nature along with good communication skills to explore the requirements and come up with innovative solutions.
OR
A challenging creative opportunity where I can apply my skills in a dynamic organization with plenty of room for advancement.


The first 3 examples above are poorly written objectives - They are too wordy, and with much words comes grammatical errors. You are likely to make spelling errors and poor grammatical construction when it is unnecessarily verbose. Don't try to impress your potential employers with your use of 'big grammar'. Keep it simple. This is particularly awkward for a recent graduate. Anybody reading through these objectives will probably be lost midway. They are just verbose with no clarity.
The last example, though short, is non-specific. It's just plain generic.

Simple rules for writing a career objective:
1. Keep it succinct, simple and specific. Simplicity aids in making it straight-forward and specific
2. Make it align with other information on your CV. I was reviewing a CV in which the person wanted an IT role as a career objective. But on the same CV under 'work experience' section, the person left an IT job for an administrative job within a very short period. I'm sure there are personal reasons for that. But the career objective doesn't align with her work experience, and the person may not be there to defend his/herself when the CV is being reviewed.
3. Tailor your objective to the role you are seeking or company you are applying to. Like I earlier said, career objectives should be flexible. The rightness or wrongness of an objective often depend on the role being sought and the alignment with other information on the CV.
4. Focus on what you have to offer!

So it is important it is clear, easily understandable, flexible, concise and specific
Examples of good career objectives are (obtained from various sources):

Seeking for an entry-level role in a reputable oil company where I can add value by utilizing my acquired knowledge and skill as a geologist

To apply the knowledge acquired through a bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Communications and two summer internships at a public relations agency to an entry-level position on the marketing or PR team of a major financial institution.

I am seeking a position as an entry position as a software developer where I can work in a challenging environment and gain experience in working as part of a team to research and develop new software products.

I am wishing to obtain an entry level position in an office environment where I can utilize my skills in computing, database management and business intelligence and gain experience of working as part of a team.

I am seeking a customer service position where I can expand on my experience in this field and utilize said experience to increase both customer satisfaction and the company's overall reputation.



I have earlier written about career objectives. Let me write about personal profile...

A personal profile is more suitable for an experienced person, or someone who has tangible achievements. It is usually a short introduction about yourself, pointing out key achievements and showing how your profile fits the job you are applying for. A personal profile is not necessary if the information is included in your cover letter.

I will advise most recent graduates to use a career objective because the average graduate who is trying to get his/her first proper job just doesn’t have the necessary range of experience or knowledge to write an impressive personal statement. Or you can decide to leave out career objective/personal profile altogether. I started out with using career objectives, but later changed to personal profiles as I gained more experience and exposure.

A recent graduate can decide to write a personal profile if he/she has clear and tangible achievements or selling points to make it impressive and interesting e.g. scholarships, awards, relevant internship experience, relevant certification like ICAN, technical presentations, published journals, written and published articles and books, successful blogs, specialized software skills, relevant leadership experiences, professional membership, exceeding a marketing target, etc).

CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD PERSONAL PROFILE

1. It is succinct - straight to the point without being verbose. 4 - 7 line statement is ideal.
2. It avoids vague and generic words like "I am self motivated and I have good team working skills". Be specific
3. It focuses on your achievements, selling points and key strengths
4. The job / sector of your interest is stated
5. Profiles are also flexible, targeting the job you are applying to.

Examples of career profiles that need improvement (obtained from various sources):

I have a clear, logical mind with a practical approach to problem solving and a drive to see things through to completion. I have a great eye for detail. I am eager to learn, I enjoy overcoming challenges, and I have a genuine interest in Business Management.

I am a loyal, talented and caring person who loves making a difference into the lives of young children. I am open-minded, patient and supportive towards other people, especially towards children or those who suffer from disabilities. I have an excellent ability to remain good-humoured and unflappable under pressure. I seek a role as an educational counselor in international non-governmental organization.

I am a hard working, honest individual. I am a good timekeeper, always willing to learn new skills. I am friendly, helpful and polite, have a good sense of humour. I am able to work independently in busy environments and also within a team setting. I am outgoing and tactful, and able to listen effectively when solving problems.

I am a friendly, organised, creative Sociology graduate with strong communication and teamworking skills.

I have always been a loyal and dedicated employee who is determined to work my way up through an organization. I know I can make an immediate and positive impact on your organization by applying the skills, talents, knowledge and experience I have acquired over the years, which will allow me to adapt into your industry while bringing creative and innovative ideas from various backgrounds

Now, to some examples of good personal summaries (obtained from various sources and edited):

An adaptable and responsible graduate seeking an entry-level position in public relations which will utilize the organizational and communication skills developed through my involvement with AA communications and promotional work during vacations. During my degree I successfully combined my studies with work and other commitments showing myself to be self-motivated, organized and capable of working under pressure. I am reliable, trustworthy, hardworking and eager to learn and have a genuine interest in PR.

I am an energetic and ambitious English graduate possessing strong motivational drive to succeed in the newspaper industry. I am an articulate, confident person who relishes challenges and working under pressure. My greatest strengths are my research, communication and writing skills. I have an excellent ability to write good quality content since more than 200 of my articles have been published by leading newspapers and magazines.

Solid background in financial analysis and marketing, with strong emphasis in telecommunications account management. Consistently exceeded sales goals and customer service expectations. Experienced in handling international accounts and in presenting results of consortium operations. Skilled in developing and implementing standardized policies and procedures.

I am a professionally qualified mechanical engineer with 4 years combined experience in the steel and oil refining sectors, and an MSc in production engineering. I have recently achieved COREN accreditation and I am seeking employment that will make best use of my skills in the upstream oil industry. I have developed good planning & technical skills in the course of my work experiences and I am confident working independently or as part of a team. I am flexible regarding working hours as I have run a range of shifts in my earlier jobs.

I am looking for a management trainee position which offers me the opportunity to develop new skills while strengthening those I already possess. My HND in business administration has enabled me to develop good organizational skills, an analytical approach to tasks and the ability to work under pressure. My main strengths are adaptability, dependability and the determination to get a job done as proven by my varied NYSC and internship experiences in retail, banking, marketing and teaching. I try to learn something new from every experience because I believe there is always room for self-improvement.





(C) PERSONAL DETAILS:
This is one contentious issue. Determining the level of personal information to include on your CV depends on your personal judgment, the mode of application and the requirement for the job. You must decide for yourself if such openness is appropriate for you and your situation and the vacancy. I have written CV's that I included my DoB. I have also CV's that I deliberately omitted my DoB. (you will most likely be asked in an interview anyway). If you are young and you think your young age can be a selling point, then include it. Same for marital status (single or married). Some jobs may require only a particular sex. You may need to add your sex. Some jobs may require people from a particular (maybe a civil service job). You will likely need to include both your state of origin and LGA. In general, that the level of personal details supplied in a CV entirely depends on your judgment about the vacancy, so far as you don't lie.
Details you may consider adding are age, sex, marital status, state of origin and LGA. On a general note, I won't advise you to include your state of origin and LGA except you are specifically asked to do so. You don't need to include your nationality (except for expatriate jobs), number of children and religion!

(D) EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATION
Most books will advise that you that you place work experiences before educational background. But for a recent graduate with little or no experience (maybe only NYSC and internship experience) , it is better too place your educational background before experience. There is no hard and fast rule about it anyway. You will need to supply your
• Name of institution (where you obtained you MSc, BSc, WASSCE/ NECO). You don't need to include primary education except if required
by the organization.
• Degree obtained and year you obtained the degree
• Grade obtained: Due to the fact that I had a very good CGPA (despite not graduating with a first class), I always include my CGPA because I think it's a selling point for me. If you missed 2.1 or 1.1 narrowly, then I advise you include your CGPA. if you have a very high CGPA, please do include it e.g. 4.8 /5.0! If you have a low grade (third class or pass), you may decide to omit it so that it won't serve as a disadvantage (you might not be there to defend yourself when you are screened out!). I have seen 2.2 graduate simply write 'Second class (Hons)' on their CV without including the 'lower'. Again, the level of detail you supply for your grades depend on your judgment, so far as you don't lie



I continue………………


I will be talking about the lessons I learnt from my various interviews, both the successful and unsuccessful ones. I have about 12+ lessons to share. I will be sharing them gradually as time permits. This is particularly for recent graduates.

Lesson #1: Don't be too modest, display confidence
The reason you applied for the job is because you believe you are the best for it. It doesn't matter if you are a graduate with no experience. If you believe you are the most fitted for the role, then show it during the interview. Never get intimidated by the credentials of fellow interviewees like you. With my 'ordinary' 2.1 degree, I have been in two interview venues with candidates who had first class with relevant experiences and/or MSc degrees. And in both cases, I was picked ahead of them. This also applies to aptitude tests. Never get intimidated by the crowd. Be concerned with yourself.

Nobody else will market you except yourself. Never underestimate your ability. Be proud of your modest achievement. Many unemployed graduates come to interview sessions with the mindset that the company will be doing them a great favour if they are selected. Even if you have that mindset, don't show it in the interview. In reality, the company should be doing themselves a favour if they employ you, that's if you are good enough for the job. An interviewer wants you to make his job easier by succeeding.

I, alongside a friend of mine, got to the final stage of a recruitment process with a multinational oil company. Thousands of people applied but they ended up picking only two after the whole recruitment exercise! We were both unsuccessful and we both shared our experiences. It was panel interview. He is a gifted communicator and has won many debates in the past. He relayed his experience with me. They asked him a number of questions which he answered well. Then they asked him a final question - 'why are you the best amongst others for this role?'. And he answered with 'I think I am the best because......". Think? The interviewers immediately noted that and told him he shouldn't 'think' he is the best. He should be sure he is the best. Then why did he apply for the job in the first instance? He told me he was only trying to be modest being an 'ordinary' BSc holder with no oil and gas experience. He later got a regret mail. Display confidence during interviews.

Lesson #2: Avoid the regret syndrome
It is not uncommon to make commit blunders during interviews. Having a perfect interview is rare. We all make mistakes atimes. Recent graduates or graduates with little interview experience always think it is an unpardonable sin to make mistakes in interviews. Some lose their balance after being told that they made a mistake. They are full of regrets right there in the assessment center, and it affects their subsequent performance. Don't waste your time regretting during interviews. Never lose your steam. It is never over till it’s over. You can decide to wallow in regrets afterwards but not during the interview.

Maybe except for once, I have never had a perfect interview in which everything went so smoothly. I was once in an interview panel in which I was asked to name 3 of their executive directors. Though the names are quite conspicuous in their website, I didn't know up to 2! I only knew the MD's name. I mentioned the name of an assistant secretary I just met during the interview as one of the directors and the interviewers all laughed mockingly. I still ended up being one of the six that got the job nonetheless. I was once in an interview panel in which the one of the interviewers told me point blank that my answer was wrong, and I accepted right there because he convinced me I was wrong. I still passed the interview despite that. I was once in a one-to-one interview in which the I was not able to answer a technical question. I politely told the interviewer that I didn't know the answer. I still scaled through anyway. Never lose that steam.

Lesson #3: Have basic understanding of corporate organizations
It is not expected that you have indepth understanding of the corporate world but it is expected that you are able to understand basic knowledge of corporate organizations. You should be versatile and be able to talk about basic business issues such as personnel management, work-life balance, leave/vacation, branding, advertisement, finance, profit, investment decision, labour issues, community issues / CSR, workplace safety, etc. This is mostly important if you interview is in form of assessment centers, or in different stages. Many atimes, interviewers test you by asking you scenario based questions in which your knowledge of the corporate world will help you. This is important in business case exercises, in-tray exercises, team work and impromptu presentations. This is why I will advise most corpers (especially non-management graduates) to enroll for NIM during their NYSC period, not necessarily because of the almost irrelevant certificate, but because of the knowledge to be gained.

One of the exercises in my first job interview was a business case exercise. We were given lots of information and data about a fictitious company, including graphs, tables, memoranda, correspondences, etc. which contain a variety of challenges the company face on a daily bases. We were required to study the data in 35-45 minutes after which we were interviewed on the business case. I can't remember most of the questions I was asked but one that readily comes to mind was about work-life balance. I was asked a question about how I will handle a work-life balance scenario. Believe me, I had never heard of the term 'work-life balance' at that time. It was utterly new to me. I was still a corps member then. To keep the story short, my performance in that exercise was very poor. This made me develop interest in the corporate world. I also took my NIM modules seriously.

In my next interview session after NYSC, I was asked to give a 5 minutes impromptu presentation on 'globalization and the corporate world' in front of a panel of 4 interviewers. This time around, I had better understanding of organizations and I was able to give a fairly good presentation. To cut the story short too, my success in that interview enabled me to get my first major job.

^^Great job you are doing.

Please, continue.

Lesson #4: Master your CV
You don't go into an interview session without mastering your CV and being able to answer questions arising from your CV. At the end of the day, you take full responsibility for whatever is on your CV, whether written or reviewed by you or not. That is why it is important that you are the last reviewer of your CV before going for an interview. It's important to write your CV in such a way that you will be able to speak through it. Think through EVERYTHING on your CV before entering an interview. Anticipate questions that may arise from your CV and be prepared to answer them. It will surprise you to know that many candidates still walk into interview sessions and are unable to satisfactorily answer questions raised from their CV's. A friend of mine once added "Competent in the use of AutoCAD in structural designs" as part of his skills on his CV. He only had basic knowledge of AutoCAD which he learnt years ago, but he wanted a 'rich' CV. He was invited for an interview and the interviewer was quite interested in his AutoCAD skills. By the time the interviewer was questioning him about AutoCAD, it became obvious his knowledge of AutoCAD was not deep. Needless to say that he didn't get the job. He could have easily written "Basic understanding of AutoCAD" on his CV. Sometimes, you may get away with it, but not all the time.

In all my interviews except one, the interviewers went through my submitted CV periodically to see if they had any specific questions arising from my CV. Some do ask, others just take notes. Like I have earlier said, I once had a 'perfect' interview. And almost all the questions were based on my CV, which I answered quite well.

Lesson #5: Start getting familiar with bahavioural questions and how to answer them
Behavioural questions are getting increasingly popular in interviews, especially for corporate organizations. This is because it enables interviewers to test your creativity and problem solving skills. It also allows the interviewee to demonstrate how he/she has displayed a particular skill/ability in the past. It can be mentally tasking and it involves preparation ahead of interview. I was asked behavioural interviews in all the interviews I have participated in except one. In many cases, they ask up to three or more behavioural questions in a session. You can read more about behavioural interviews on the net. Behavioural questions involves asking the candidate to describe a situation where he/she showcased a particular skill or set of skills. Examples of behavioural questions are:

Describe a time when you used your analytical ability to solve a problem.
Tell us a time that you had to adapt to a difficult situation
Tell us about a project you undertook that demanded a lot of initiative.
Tell us about a time when you had to adapt to a wide variety of people by accepting/understanding their perspective.
etc

The secret to answer them is using the STAR pattern - stating the Situation, Task, Action, Result. And always try to keep your answers simple and clear.
• Situation - describe the situation, problem, background or context in which you are taking action
• Task - describe the task you are meant to perform.
• Action - Describe the actual actions you took in confronting the issue at hand and solving the problem
• Result - State the result(s) generated by your actions. Ensure you always have a positive result!

The question can sometimes be tricky. In my very last interview, the interviewer asked me to describe a time when I had to disobey my boss in my previous job!
I gave a scenario in which my boss mandated me to meet or exceed a set production target but achieving it involved compromising the safety and well being of the factory workers. I therefore took steps that prioritized safety over production. The result was that even though I wasn't able to meet the target, there was no safety incident and my boss later understood the reasons behind my actions (positive result). Please note that I have only stated the scenario briefly here. The interviewer was very impressed because safety is taken seriously in the oil and gas industry.
You can read more about behavioural questions and answers online

Lesson #6: Never try to impress your interviewers by delving into technical areas you know little about
This is specifically for new or recent graduate in specialized fields such as engineering, sciences and some social science related courses. Many candidates are quick to try to impress their interviewers with technical areas they don't know much about. Keep your answers simple and straight-forward. In many interview panels, you will have both technical and non-technical (mostly HR) personnel as interviewers. Ensure that you express yourself in a such a way that every interviewer in the panel understands you. That has always been my guiding principle. Remember that no interviewer expects a recent graduate to have in-depth technical understanding, as you will learn on the job. Interviewers are mostly interested in soft skills. Even when you have a good understanding of a technical topic, keep your delivery simple and easy-to-understand.

A friend of mine was once invited for an interview with a major oil company. The interview involved a session with a panel of interviewers (2 engineers and one HR personnel) . He was asked STAR questions (behavioural questions). Instead of him to give simple and easy scenarios, he decided to give examples that involved fairly deep understanding of engineering analysis for a new graduate. The 2 engineers in the panel became interested and started asking him questions surrounding the areas he mentioned. It became obvious from his answers that his 'scenarios' weren't true. Few days later, I was invited for the same interview. I kept my answers simple, clear and non-technical, except when I was asked direct technical questions. The result - He was dropped while I proceeded to the next stage.

Lesson #7: Make a good first impression 
As much as possible, make a good first impression in an interview or assessment center. First impression sometimes matter a lot, and can cover for your errors later in the interview. It can set you apart from the very beginning. Right from the aptitude test stage, put in your best. 
When I applied for my first job, I emerged as one of the top five in the aptitude test (got to know later as they invited people serially according to their performance). That already marked me out (good impression). In my assessment center, there were 3 stages of interview - team exercise, followed by oral presentation and then panel interview. The team exercise involved a group discussion on a scenario involving the challenges an MNC was facing in trying to invest in Nigeria. I participated actively in the team exercise and even provided influence and direction when the team was lost (good impression). It will surprise you that one of the candidates, whom I had developed a rapport with did not participate AT ALL in the group discussions. I even tried to carry him along but he remained silent. Your guess is as good as mine on whether he got the job. Also show energy and enthusiasm during an interview. The interviewers want to see that you are happy about your prospects.

During the oral (impromptu) presentation, I also did very well and spoke confidently (another good impression). That also counted in my favour. But my performance at the interview was average. I didn't really answer some questions well enough and I made a few blunders. Luckily, the interviewers seemed to be impressed with my earlier performance and that helped. One striking thing is that 4 out of 6 of us that finally got the job were amongst the top 5 candidates in the aptitude test. 

Similar experience occurred in my second successful job hunt with an MNC (though I later rejected the offer for another one). Good first impression does not always guarantee success but in many cases, it helps.

First impression also matters even in your career. Your first few appraisals or performance ratings will most likely stick with you all through your career in an organization. As a new employee of an organization, endeavour to put in your best and distinguish yourself early enough. It is not a time to allow negative thoughts from disgruntled employees to sink into your mind. At least, if not for anything, put in your best for your personal development. Work hard, and smart.

Lesson #8: Exhibit or showcase leadership qualities 
Interviewers often try to bserve leadership qualities in candidates. They look out for integrity, ability to take initiative, persuasion skills, decision making, critical thinking skills, influencing without authority, sense of responsibility etc. Always pen down scenarios in which you either lead or played a supportive role in preparation for an interview. In a few cases, I have been asked to mention leadership roles I have held in the past. I have been tested on integrity issues a few times. I was once asked if I can lie to a customer with the consent of my boss. I was also once asked if I can doctor a financial report in favour of my company with the support of the Manager. 

Interviewers may ask scenario based questions to test your leadership skills such as this:

I was once asked (paraphrased) - "An international company has a strong alcohol / drug policy that prohibits the use and influence of alcohol and drugs during working hours, the penalty being instant termination of employment. You are the technical services manager of the company, and one of your most hardworking and performing staff (say Musa) collapsed at work. Musa was taken to the company clinic and he was tested for both alcohol and hard drug. He tested positive to alcohol and this was formally reported to you to take a decision. You later found out that he has just lost his son a few days ago and this might have influenced his use of alcohol. What will you do?" - I leave that for you to answer.

Be prepared for similar questions relating to leaderships. Many organizations have a futuristic and long term focus for their employees and they look for employees with potential to lead the organization to greater heights. Show that you are one of them!

Lesson #9 - Ask reasonable questions 
Don't ask questions that the answers are easily obtainable from their website, bill boards or adverts. Ask questions based on your interests or research or knowledge of the position (if known). You can also questions about the interviewer's experience so far. After an interview session, I was asked if I had questions for the interviewers. And out of nervousness, I asked "what are your core values?". I noticed the interviewers were startled and they all scribbled down some notes. Immediately, I knew I had goofed. This is because the company's 7 core values are quite conspicuous on their website and boards showing the core values were visibly displayed in various locations in the office building. Nobody would have ever missed seeing them. Unfortunately, my answer marked the end of the interview. As you all know, first impression matters, but so does last impression. 

Lesson #10: Prepare for the interview. Preparation boosts confidence.
Yes, I am stating the obvious! Preparing for an interview is hard work. It involves knowledge of the company; recollection of all your achievements; experiences (both in and out of school), your strength and weaknesses; your selling point; information gathering; effective communication, confidence building; dressing; etc. 

It also involves preparation of ready answers for common interview questions. Anticipate unexpected questions and have answers ready for them. Adequate preparation has a way of boosting your confidence. You also need to observe your interviewers and adjust accordingly based on their body language. It enables you to even answer questions that you were unprepared for. Good communication skills cannot be overemphasized. Learn to talk. As an employable graduate, you must learn to be able to give impromptu speeches or presentation on general topics and still express yourself very well.

A lady was relaying her first interview experience with a multinational firm. She told me that they asked her a final question "What makes an effective communication?". She wasn't able to give a good response. Though I have had trainings on communication skills, it is expected that any candidate that is adequately prepared should be able to give a 2-3 minutes talk on 'effective communication'.

Lastly, remember that every interview is an opportunity to learn, whether you emerge successful or not. Learn from your errors and improve on your strengths. It might still be useful sometime in the future.

Cheers................

Bigdreams: ^^Great job you are doing.

Please, continue.

Thanks sir.

I have decided to put down a piece on how I developed my communication skills (speaking and writing):
N.B. I never made a conscious effort to develop my communication skills, though I have improved over time due to exposure and discipline. I therefore write based on my peculiar experience.

1. I hardly use shorthand when writing except when I'm chatting on a social platform with someone familiar. I am personally not against using shorthand to write informally especially if the user has no issues with writing but it will not be helpful for someone who is still learning to communicate properly.

2. I read a lot. I grew up reading newspapers a lot. My dad always bought 2 newspapers daily, so I got used to reading newspapers since my teenage years. One of the best ways to learn and improve your writing skills is by reading newspapers. You will learn lots of new vocabularies and their usage. Each journalist also has his/her own unique writing style. Kudos to Nigerian journalists. I have learnt a lot from them. I also read other enlightening books (but never novels in my case).

3. I never shy away from speaking and making contributions openly. A lot of people are just afraid to speak in the public. I used to avoid speaking in public when I was younger. Some are shy; some have a phobia for public speaking while others are afraid of committing grammatical blunders if they speak. It might sound funny but I actually think it is better to speak and get ridiculed for your errors than to keep quiet. You will never learn keeping silent. I know of a particular person that grew to become a middle-level manager in a multinational company despite the fact that his written and spoken English are poor. He was judged solely based on his productivity and visibility (there are always few exceptions).

4. I became better with corporate exposure. My communication skills have improved due to the increased exposure in all the roles I have held. I have earlier worked with 2 big organizations and I am currently working with one of the biggest coys in the world. I have related with outstandingly smart and brilliant individuals, including expatriates. I have interacted with my bosses, colleagues and senior management up to directorship level. I have worked both as individual and as a team member. I have also written various technical reports and made technical presentations to management. The lesson here is look for opportunities that can help give you the required exposure to communicate effectively. I know many people that improved due to the roles they held in places of worship.
In addition, try to interact with people that can help you improve your communication skills.
5. I participated in intellectual debates. This is one of the major factors that moulded me and made me a logical thinker and speaker in my undergraduate days. I used to love arguments back in those days. I engaged in lots of intellectual debates with fellow students ranging from politics to career to religion to academics to philosophy to sports....just name it. We would gather and argue for hours. You will always see me in such groups. I can also remember that we were 16 in number (including squatters) in my hostel room in my first year. We had 2 active law students amongst other intelligent students in the room. We could engage in intellectual arguments and analysis for hours. I really miss those past moments. Like it is said, never allow the university or polytechnic to pass through you only. Also endeavour to pass through the higher institutions.

6. I practice ahead. If you want to learn how to write or speak well, you just need to practice. There is no other alternative. Practice and be humble enough to accept corrections when you make mistakes. When I was learning the art of a good presentation, I always rehearsed alone in my room ahead of a presentation or interview. I will do that over and over again. But because I am now better in presentations, I no longer do that most of the time.

7. I make use of my dictionary frequently. I have the Oxford advanced dictionary with me everywhere I am. I also have dictionaries on my phone. I used to have a notebook where I write new words I learn, but I'm too lazy to do that now. It is not enough to have the dictionary. use them. Learn new words. That's one of the reasons I like Patrick Obahiagbon. Hate him or like him, he always impresses me with his indepth knowledge of English vocabulary.

8. I listened to good speakers. When I was younger, I loved listening to good speakers. They simply captivate me. I was always listening to two of our religious leaders because of their oratory skills and charisma (and not for their spiritual authority. I still enjoy listening to good orators, even at work and I try to learn from their style though I don't copy their style.

9. I keep it simple. I never try to impress when writing or speaking. My most important goal when speaking is to pass the message across from me to the receivers. I make sure that when I make presentations, I repeat major points. When I write, I also try to highlight important points or use bullet points. I am of the belief that the most important factor in communication is passing the message across effectively from sender to receiver.

10. I overcame the fear. The only way you can overcome fear of public speaking is to face it. Simply face it. Think of the end in mind. Focus on the goal. Focus on passing the message across as effectively as possible. That's how I overcome my fear. I still sometimes get nervous but I ignore the feeling. Just do it!

11. I prepare well. I prepare well for presentations and/or interviews. Nothing can boost your confidence like early and adequate preparation. So I always make sure that I prepare well before going for any presentation. I read as many materials as I can about the subject. I also anticipate questions that can be asked and I prepare answers for them. 
I also put in as much effort when I am writing reports or presenting an information to my boss. I take my time to do a good job. I seek relevant information that can further enhance any report or investigation.

12. It requires discipline and patience. I know a lot of people right whose inability to write and speak in English properly stemmed from their poor educational or financial background. Some went to public primary and secondary schools that lacked teachers; some schooled in a rural setting that made it difficult to get the best out of them; some didn't start school on time for financial reasons; some grew up in environment where pidgin and vernaculars were the spoken languages, even in school, etc. A friend told me he never had an English teacher all through his secondary school education. I must say that I'm simply fortunate I didn't grow up under these pitiable conditions. While I was still in the higher institutions, I had lots of colleagues who were very sound in their core academic subjects but could hardly write or express themselves in English properly.

UP NEXT,MANAGING WORK AND LIFE ACTIVITIES...Remember that the experiences being shared are NOT MINE but SIR XFIRE's...

nabsprada:

Hello madam...nice work you're doing.
It's nice reading through the write-ups again, good to know it wasn't lost.

Anyway, I have a tiny inquiry which is actually a big deal to me (who nor know, nor know ).

During a certain recruitment process, there's this part about "chat with HR boss" that comes after the final interviews. Please I'm curious as to what is discussed.
Thanks

MonsieurPete:
Hello madam...nice work you're doing.
It's nice reading through the write-ups again, good to know it wasn't lost.

Anyway, I have a tiny inquiry which is actually a big deal to me (who nor know, nor know ).

During a certain recruitment process, there's this part about "chat with HR boss" that comes after the final interviews. Please I'm curious as to what is discussed.
Thanks

Nabsprada: Nice job
Moderators (Seun, 1forall and co): This thread used to be permanently placed on the front page of career section before the attack as it is quite resourceful and helpful to young and upcoming graduates and undergraduates like myself. Now that the thread is back to life, kindly set it up on the front page.

Pete: I had a friend that went for a chat with the HR. It means that you were successful in your interviews, and it is usually a section in which the top HR guy in the firm will brief you about the offer and why you should accept the offer. Sometimes, medical follows immediately if you accept the offer (like in my friend's case).
Any other knowledgeable person can contribute.

Mixty:
Pete: I had a friend that went for a chat with the HR. It means that you were successful in your interviews, and it is usually a section in which the top HR guy in the firm will brief you about the offer and why you should accept the offer. Sometimes, medical follows immediately if you accept the offer (like in my friend's case).
Any other knowledgeable person can contribute.

Thank you so much..(uuh..donno if you're male or female)

nabsprada: UP NEXT,MANAGING WORK AND LIFE ACTIVITIES...Remember that the experiences being shared are NOT MINE but SIR XFIRE's...

Nice work you re doing,nabsprada!And yeah the font is okay,Just like the original!

Mixty:
Nabsprada: Nice job
Moderators (Seun, 1forall and co): This thread used to be permanently placed on the front page of career section before the attack as it is quite resourceful and helpful to young and upcoming graduates and undergraduates like myself. Now that the thread is back to life, kindly set it up on the front page.

The thread is still on the Career front page.

Mixty:
Nabsprada: Nice job

[quote author=Bakare19]Nice work you re doing,nabsprada!And yeah the font is okay,Just like the original!

Thanks,thanks and thanks...its a pleasure serving this thread.

@MonsieurPete its a good thing Mixty answered your question(as am a fresh graduate,serving come Nov by God's grace and with no experience) and like he said,any knowledgeable person in d house can contribute. Plus xfire has promised to give priority to questions being asked here before the ones on his mail.

MANAGING WORK AND LIFE ACTIVITIES
For many working in corporate organizations, combining work (career) and other life activities can be a daunting challenge. The challenge may vary depending on the organization, job role, your boss, personal lifestyle, location, sex, age, marital status and number of dependants.

The first organization I worked for didn't value work-life balance especially for employees working in the technical units. The employees in the non-technical departments (like HR, HQ, accounting, etc) fared better. Those of us in the technical line work and wear themselves out. There was always a lot of pressing work demands on our desk. A lot of us came to work every day (I mean it, 7 days in a week!) so as to catch up with the work which never finishes. Career progression was achieved by sacrificing time meant to attend to family and other life issues. Promotion was somewhat discretionary. Visibility in workplace meant that you are around every day and almost every time. That was the reality. There was simply nothing like work-life balance in the system. You are always under pressure. You are given targets (KPI's) to achieve. I can remember that there were many times I had to work for up to 13 -15 hours in a day and I will forget to eat, even though there is always free food for every employee in the canteen! The work pressure was simply enormous. And this is a well established multinational company (MNC) in Nigeria! Some MNC's in Nigeria practice same as well. The big audit firms in Nigeria are also notoriously known for demanding a lot from their employees. This is a lesson for every aspiring career-minded individual.

Lesson: There is simply no perfect organisation. Throw that belief out of the window. There are good organizations but no perfect one. Your perception about an organisation depends on many factors which include the bosses you work for, your job role, your initial expectations, contract type (full time vs contract staff), your performance on the job, luck, etc. Learn to manage your expectations. I have seen full time employees who have not been promoted for more than 10 years in MNC's (even in oil companies) while I have seen others who got promotions almost on a yearly basis in the same MNC's. Promotions in MNC's are mostly merit-based and are not statutory like government organizations (Many believe that the term 'merit' is highly subjective and it depends on many factors). Learn to understand the dynamics at play in the work environment.
Also remember that companies never recruit employees because they love them. They recruit employees so that they may add value and contribute to the baseline - profits. Don't be a liability. Endeavour to be effective and add value to any organization you work for. Effectiveness (i.e. adding value) is key. 
Most small to medium size organizations in Nigeria don't believe in the work-life balance philosophy. I won't blame them so much because an entrepreneur is instinctively a capitalist and therefore wants to minimize costs and maximize profits. Such companies are run by one or few individuals and are not driven by clear company guidelines and policies like in big and well established organisations. In such organizations, you are made to work for every penny you earn. You even work beyond what you are paid. And promotion may never come.

But I wasn't ready to live such life forever. I had to carve out a life for myself even in such arduous work environment. There are intermittent moments you have to dedicate so much time to work at the expense of personal concerns. That I have done many times and I will continue to do but work should not substitute for a lifestyle. I love work and I try to be as effective as much as I can be. I am a career-minded person. But I do have a maxim ' I work to live, I don't live to work'.

1forall:

The thread is still on the Career front page.

I meant permanently on the front page as it was before the attack.

McWhillion:
You can send me a pm, I ll send it through your email or you can drop the email here.

pls send it to me too my Email is "tuwayz4u@gmail.com" thank you