Welcome to the new year 2015!
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 fulfilment 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 inmy 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.
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.
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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.
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Performance entails a lot of things in the workplace depending on the organization, job role and expectation, and the people (boss, subordinates and colleagues).
Many organizations have different ways of appraising their staffs - some use grade system; some use KPI's (target setting); while others use ranking system. I won't bore you about the details but lemme list a few factors that affect performance:
1) People: From experience, managing people especially your boss, is the most important factor. You need to understand the expectation of your boss, and try to make his job a lot easier. Also, you need to have the ability to influence without authority to achieve results, especially when dealing with peers.
2) Visibility: Be visible. This is where communication skills and creativity come to play. Make your impact felt. Let senior colleagues and managers notice you. Perception matters a lot.
3) Key Performance Indicators (KPI) - commonly known as targets. Many organizations set periodic KPI's for their employees depending on job role. Ability to meet and exceed your KPI's influences your career growth.
4) Quality of work output - You can easily distinguish yourself from your peers based on the quality of work. As we often say 'the reward for good work is more work' i.e. added responsibility
5) Initiative - the ability to show initiative is also important. The ability to give an extra push inorder to get work done is key.
Other silent factors that sometimes influence performance are nepotism, eye service, ethnicity and favouritism. This can not be totally eradicated in the Nigerian setting, but people progress beyond those obstacles.
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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. Eventhough 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. This leads me to lesson #5.
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.
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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. This leads to lesson #6
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.
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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.
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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. This will lead me to another lesson:
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 coursemate 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
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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.
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Now back to my story....
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...
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 coursemate 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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I move on to art of CV writing. I will be updating gradually only when I am free. So be patient. It may take while... smiley
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.
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I will continue from where I stopped....(art of CV writing)
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:
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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 ChemicalTechnology (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
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
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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.
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Let me continue from where I stopped......(art of CV writing)
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
T-Cann has already written about content of CV. I will just like to go a little more detailed. 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) PERSONAL PROFILE / CAREER OBJECTIVES: This will be discussed later in the thread
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(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
To be continued........
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(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.....
To be continued............
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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.
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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.
To be continued.................
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I have earlier written about career objectives. Lemme 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 teamworking 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.
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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. Others with experience can add theirs.
Interview 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.
Interview 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.
Interview 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.
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 eventhough 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.
. 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 eventhough 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.
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