I've read through a number of posts welcoming our colleagues
and friends who recently passed out into the job market. Many have followed
this up with a reminder that there isn't such a thing as "The Nigerian
Dream." Once you're done with service and no longer have the guaranty of
the (paltry) N19,800, nothing is certain: not the job, an income, savings for
marriage, rent, etc. Nothing!
Many have been told to lower their
expectations and not to dream of great jobs because many before them dreamt
such dreams which never found a visa out of "Dreamtopia." Many have
been told to forget their grades, great CVs and promises from friends and
acquaintances of certain employment after POP.
Now, whilst I agree with the
spirit behind these admonitions, I beg to differ on so many points. This post
is mainly for those seeking paid employment.
- THERE ARE NO JOBS IN NIGERIA
This is one great lie many of us have been told. And many of
us agree because we believe the recession, which has been upon us for quite
some time, has eclipsed whatever was left of the jobs in this country.
Well, wake up, brethren! While we've folded our arms and
wallowed in this falsehood, people have turned offers down, switched jobs and
had pay raises.
A career advisor once said that most available jobs are
never advertised, and I strongly agree. This is not particularly
because the "ogas" want to offer "their people" the roles.
Not at all.
If you are interested in a paid role in any establishment,
take the bold step of applying for it. As they say, finding a job is a
full-time job of its own. So, get recruitment emails from the websites of these
organisations and send out your applications. If you can find their email
addresses, copy a decision maker or two in your email, and see how it goes.
If you can't find any emails, which I doubt, drop physical
applications at their offices.
- TAKE WHATEVER YOU'VE BEEN OFFERED; HALF BREAD IS BETTER THAN PUFF-PUFF
Whilst it is okay to have modest expectations when applying
for entry level roles, never lower your expectations to levels that make you
come off as cheap, unambitious and willing to settle for anything. Funny
enough, this may be a turn off for serious recruiters.
Knowledge of one's worth is a great thing, but we must be
careful not to cross the thin line between this consciousness and coming off as
egotistic.
If the puff-puff does not align with long term career goals,
cannot conveniently sort out transportation, accommodation and feeding (unless
someone else has got you covered on these in the interim), and is uninspiring,
you may need to really weigh your options.
- I DON'T HAVE A FIRST CLASS OR A 2:1
My friends, good grades place you on a great pedestal, but
there's grace, too, that places you on a higher pedestal!
Employers put a cap on grades because they believe that this
would enable them find smart (emphasis on smart) people who can withstand the
pressures of the work they do and still deliver stellar results.
My people,when you work in an organization and have dealings
with clients, none of them is interested in your grades. What is foremost on
their minds is how well you can offer smart solutions to their problems.
So, when you think the grades don't look too good, place
emphasis on other things you've done that stand you out! Have you held
leadership roles, received any awards, attended conferences or been involved in
some other endeavour that "smart people" engage in? Put them all in
your CV. I have had the privilege of knowing people this has worked for.
- FORGET YOUR GRADES
Please if you have the good grades, by all means leverage
them to your advantage. They will open doors for you! Don't forget them when
you're applying.
But when you get invited for an interview, leave them at the
door, unless your interviewers bring them up. Focus on your people skills,
suitability for the role and other life experiences. The key is, endeavor to be
interesting and a great conversationist (but biko avoid talking too much).
My interviews have all averaged 45 minutes, and this time
was never spent discussing grades. Placing your emphasis on your grades during
an interview would suggest that this is all you have going for you.
- FORGET YOUR GREAT CV
Never believe this lie. Dress your CV up how you want it to
be regarded. Tailor it to suit the role and your industry, and place emphasis
on your strengths.
If you've sent CVs out without responses, ask your friends
who have been invited for tests or interviews what they did differently.
Avoid typos and disorganisation. It is ironic when you state
that a skill you possess is "Attention to Detail" when your CV looks
tacky.
- ABEG, BIKO, MBOK LEARN HOW TO SEND EMAILS
These days, especially when you apply via email, unless
specifically asked to, you do not send cover/application letters. You need to
learn how to send cover emails.
DO NOT ATTACH CVs TO BLANK EMAILS. Endeavour to write the
subject of the email appropriately, begin with a proper salutation and have a
proper complimentary close.
Do not include any addresses in the body of your emails.
Please delete default signatures on your phone which read "Sent
from my iPhone," "Sent from my BlackBerry 10," etc. You can
replace them with a proper signature, such as:
Best regards,
Ade-Musa Chukwuma
- BE PATIENT AND PRACTICE TESTS
Recruitment processes may take anywhere between a few weeks
to a couple of months. Be patient, and pray. Generally, it is best to start
applying for a job a few months before you are actually ready to commence a new
role. For serving corps members, this should be a few months before POP, so
that you reduce the possibility of spending even a day after service without a
job to the barest minimum.
Many organisations administer aptitude tests which may be
GMAT, LSAT or nondescript. Before and, especially, when you get an invite,
confirm which tests these organisations administer. Download practice apps from
your app store or download practice tests from the web, and do the needful -
practice!
Ask around, someone you may know may work or know someone
else who works in that organisation. Ask them for any avoidable pitfalls. You
may also find other people's experiences online.
- THEY MUST HAVE FORGOTTEN THAT YOU EVEN APPLIED OR WROTE A TEST
THERE
If you've sent out applications or you've written a test or
even had an interview and haven't received any acknowledgement or feedback,
simply send a respectful reminder. The delay may be due to many reasons. For
example, due to the volume of emails they receive, they may have inadvertently
glossed over your application. To avoid this, try to send your applications
during business hours. Each time I've done this, responses (not automated) have
returned within an hour or two.
Again, they may not have gotten back to you due to
administrative issues, and would most likely not mail you an explanation unless
you ask. A pretty simple mail reminding them of your application, test or
interview, and asking "Abeg wetin dey shele?" (of course not in these
words) should do the trick.
Generally, you should send reminders after a reasonable
period of silence, say, two weeks in all other cases or a few days after a
timeframe within which you were told to expect feedback, and maybe a week after
sending an application.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, I'll state that you should never leave
anything to chance. Promises of certain jobs by friends, family and other
associates, although followed through with actual offers sometimes, should
never be depended on solely. If the promises come through whilst you have
another offer, no harm, no foul. Better this than waiting for months and,
sometimes, years for these promises to materialise.
ABOUT ENDURANCE OKPA AGBOR
THE
ASSERTION “OLD AGE OF METHUSELAH HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE WISDOM OF SOLOMON’’
HAS ITS VALIDITY IN ENDURANCE. A YOUNG AND PROMISING LAWYER, WITH KEEN INTEREST
IN CORPORATE/COMMERCIAL AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION PRACTICES
HE IS
A FIRST CLASS GRADUATE OF LAW FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF CALABAR. HIS CURRENTLY
UNDERGOING HIS NYSC AS AN ASSOCIATE AT AELEX LEGAL PRACTITIONERS AND ALSO AN
IN-HOUSE COUNSEL AT DELTAAFRIK ENGINEERING LTD-WORLEY PARSONS NIGERIA.
CONTACT: AGBORENDURANCE@GMAIL.COM
