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Acing an Interview

Many job seekers fail to secure positions due to many factors, a common one being poor performances at job interviews.  Invitations to attend interviews in the first place are rare, so job seekers especially entry position candidates cannot afford to waste opportunities. An athlete is as good as his preparation and strategies, same goes for interviewees.  Below are some ways to ensure that interviewees ace their interviews.

 

Preparations

While your resume will get you in the door, your performance at the interview will keep you in the building. Preparation for interviews can be both mental and physical. Job seekers get worked up to the point that they feel they’re prepping for major surgery or headed to court to face a judge. Instead of seeing an interview as a daunting task, interviewees should consider interviews as a simple conversation between two people. Then there’s the physical aspect to preparation, knowledge as they say is power and a key to success and gathering knowledge will require research. Researching the company and what they actually do should be a given but learning a bit more about potential interviewers will go a long way to making the interview a lot easier. It is imperative that you appear confident and knowledgeable, dressing professionally and paying attention to personal hygiene will go a long way to portray confidence.

 

Appear Confident

A negative mindset will kill faster than a germ – Dr. Tony Jiminez. A negative mindset will pilfer into a demeanor and a good interviewer will be able to sense that.  Going into an interview with a positive mindset will costs nothing, a negative mindset however can cost the entire interview.  Appear confident, even if you aren’t, it is perfectly normal to be nervous before an interview, it is important to make sure your nerves aren’t visible.  Suppress your fears and don’t appear timid to your future employer, give a firm handshake, make eye contact and convey good manners at your interview. Appearing confident is a lot easier when you know what it is that you’re talking about, meaning you are more confident when you are prepared.

 

Turn negatives into positives – Sell it to me, don’t say it to me

Think of an interview as a sales pitch, with yourself as the commodity. You are trying to get your interviewer to choose you over the rest of the other interviews they have lined up. It is important to prepare answers to negative questions that might arise. This will keep you from getting caught off-guard if they are eventually asked.  Think about qualities that can be potentially negative and a way to put a positive spin on them, do not try to seem evasive of these question as this will quickly raise a red flag to your employer.  Always answer question about your perceived weaknesses with honesty and self-awareness, discuss situations where those seemingly negative qualities have served you well during your job.  Refocus the emphasis of the conversation to the qualities that you know to be important to the functioning of the company with which you are interviewing, if you’ve learned from your research that the company regularly requires its employees to take the lead on group projects, you can discuss your leadership qualities and situations you’ve put these trait to use.

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Mum!!! Go to Work.

Motherhood confers upon women the responsibility of raising a child, years after foregoing a budding career to raise kids and tend to the home; many women yearn to get back to work. This could be for a plethora of reasons ranging from financial reasons to having a sense of fulfillment. Reentering the corporate world after a long leave of absence for whatever reason can be difficult, it is harder for workers who have taken the time out to take care of their children as most that have tried would attest to, returning back to work after a very long hiatus will certainly prove tasking, factoring in that jobs in today markets are at a premium now and that skillset required for certain jobs have changed over the past few years even if the job description remain the same, simply put it’s an uphill climb, studies have also shown[1] that stay at home mothers are half as likely to get requests for interviews or call backs for job postings.

Hiring managers or recruiters do not openly state this but gaps in resumes come as raised red flags for two major theoretical reasons: skill deterioration (as earlier noted) and the advancements in technology and method of operations have changed drastically.  Recruiters fear that stay-at-home parents have either let their skillset atrophy from lack of constant use or do not have the right exposure to the right modern tools which are integral to their potential job functions.  The onus now lies with the applicant to show that their concerns are unfounded and can be tackled proactively.

The first hurdle to overcome is providing sufficient proof on paper that the skillset necessary to effectuate the job requirements have been improved upon even during the period of hiatus – no matter how long. An excellent way this can be conveyed is by filling resumes with as many professional qualifications and seminars attended as possible. This portrays an effort to remain abreast of the current practices in the industry and would prove that the skills detailed on the resume have modern twists to them.  The internet has become one of humanities greatest tools with virtually all information available at an unbelievable convenience; and as the saying goes, the right kind of information is power.  Platforms like discussion forums like Reddit, CIPD, Labour Law talk and Law.com hold a wealth of information for anyone looking to get back to a career can easily take advantage of. Another feature the internet possesses is the ability to attend online courses from anywhere on the planet, the upside to having these classes on a resume are incalculable as they will also demonstrate an enthusiasm to return to the industry as well as other intangibles that recruiters are on a look out for.

Being a stay-home mother also helps to acquire new skills like creative problem solving, people skills ability to multi-task and time management skills that can help beef up a resume. The goal is to accentuate the positives of the hiatus.

Ever evolving facets of business like legal/ compliance, human resources practices and innovations in the financial and technology space could serve as an opportunity for improvement. Attending courses and obtaining new certifications help with being conversant and knowledgeable about new practices in these fields.  Post-graduate degrees are an excellent way to get back into industry after a long hiatus.  Companies are always on the lookout for a rare mix of experience and knowledge of new practices.

It has already been established that mothers seeking to return to work after an extended period of time outside a career are half as likely to be invited for interviews or getting call backs as any other demographic, other studies show that 85% percent of jobs landed are through connections and professional networks[2].  Job applicants, especially women who have taken a career break, need to use their networks – on LinkedIn or through word of mouth – and find references to vouch for their capabilities at their target company.  Reaching out to a former employer is also important; the rapport previously established will prove invaluable to a job search.

The silver lining to a stay-at-home, career-wise, is the freedom to pursue personal interests and passions which could lead to a career change.  Investing in a personal business involving interests has the added advantage of personal gratification and satisfaction.  The demand for services provided by SMEs are being reported to be on the increase.  With online marketing through social media platforms; and Fintech offerings, exposure for these businesses are at an all-time high. The world is vastly becoming a global village, with customer base numbers sky rocketing and distance being eliminated as hindrances for interactions with potential customers.  Social media has done a tremendous lot to improve the ease of doing businesses for SMEs, making them a viable choice if contemplating a career change.

Returning to work could be a trying task.  The job market, social prejudices, changing technologies, new applications and stiff competition could be repelling but a tenacious and determined mindset will be key to returning to work.

Olamide .T. Akinnagbe-Gbenga

 

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Questions you need to ask yourself before quitting your job.

 

Changing a job is a decision that must not be taken lightly, a job in hand is worth 200 in the Nigerian job market. However, if you still desire to change your job, there’s a couple of questions you need to ask yourself apart from the location and obviously the pay. Here, I would discuss important questions you would wish you asked yourself before embarking on the job or career change.

 

Why do I need to quit my Job?

For most employees, in Nigeria at least, a job change goes hand in hand with the degree of a pay rise. There’s are more reasons why you could leave you would want to leave your job, boredom, lack of a challenge, subpar benefits, lack of appreciation, or a rift with one of your superiors at work. Once you have identified the reason, the next thing to do is to figure out if said problems could be resolved as soon as possible. If yes, then you might realize that you might not need to leave your current job. In any case remember to try to find the serenity to accept the things you cannot change and try to find the courage to change the things that you can.

 

What kind of Job do I want?

Before quitting your present job, you should have your next job waiting in line. So before even considering quitting your current job, you have to know what you want from your next job, better pay? better hours? A job description that suits your skillset and talents? A different job with a different boss and different challenges, or just a job that makes use of your passion. Whatever it may be, it’s best that you be as realistic with yourself as possible.  When you figure this out, then you can go about in search for the next job, apply for as many jobs as a possible but as a professional, it is best to create a schedule and remain strategic with your job search, let your desires for your next job guide your  search.

 

Do I need to better my skillset for the new Job?

Upgrading your skillset should be a goal you embark on yearly, your skillset is your greatest asset and you have to invest your time into upgrading it at regular intervals. Now that you’ve decided what job you want, you could theorize what the typical job description for that job could be. You could then conduct an honest self-audit and evaluate your present skillset vs. those on the job description. The results will show what you need to improve and the skills you need to acquire for the new job.

 

BY OLAMIDE AKINNAGBE-GBENGA

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Keys to job Satisfaction

 

A common misconception in today’s job market is the equation of job satisfaction to remuneration and anyone that has worked with the stereotypical boss from hell will tell you that is so not true, in fact, most of those employees will tell you they’d gladly take less to work at a job where they are respected and at a role that they love.

So, what exactly is Job Satisfaction and how can you thrive to get it. It is simply put as contentment with and in your job.  Several studies have been conducted in delving into job satisfaction especially amongst government employees in Nigeria and it’ll come as no surprise that an alarming number of these employees report that they are not satisfied with the jobs that they have mainly because they are not provided with the amenities and tools to be able to adequately execute their roles, but that is a discussion for another day.

Lots of factors key into job satisfaction most of which are within your control, with effort you can either find a job that gives you the satisfaction you desire or learn to derive satisfaction from the one you currently have, some of this factors are discussed below.

 

Engagement

Engagement requires hard work, dedication and focus to whatever activity you are conducting, and it comes as no surprise that jobs that utilize your complete skillset are usually the most engaging and take up 100% of your focus and attention.  A reason you might not be fully engaged at your work is that you do not feel like you are utilizing your full skillset. People are more engaged in jobs that require use of their talents and skills and the truth is, your talents can be utilized in any job you find yourself doing. Yes, you might be better suited for some jobs than others, but fully engaging in your work and finding ways to add your talents to your job description will positively impact your perception of the job and improve your contentment with the job. It also impacts your colleagues.

 

Respect and Appreciation

Regardless of the job, every human love to feel appreciated, and a survey in 2015 conducted by the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) reported that over half the employees surveyed placed supervisor’s respect as very important to job satisfaction.  Supervisors or manager vocally express their discontent when they are not happy with their subordinates or employees work, it is only right that they express appreciatiation when the reverse is the case. In short, working at a job where you feel underappreciated, undervalued or disrespected will most likely lead to feeling dissatisfied at work.

 

Motivation

Motivation is what gets you up in the morning, and the moment you start dragging your feet trying to get to work in the morning is when you need to conduct a self-audit of  what your drive is at you place of work. If your motivation is just getting to pay day, then do not expect to be much energized at work. I suggest that you find a goal other than the obvious monetary ones that inspire you to want to be better at your job and gives you the motivation to work harder. Set short term and long term goals that are within reach, this gives you something to work for and look forwards to. If you can’t do that, then I suggest that you begin to search for other jobs.

By Olamide .T. Akinnagbe-Gbenga

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Career Planning Tips to help you succeed

Planning your career is not an activity that should be done once -in secondary school or university- and then left as you embark on your career. Rather, it’s an activity that is best done on a regular basis. According to a recent survey, an average worker is expected to shift careers multiple times in a lifetime, so it’s never too late to start planning your career. A successful career usually begins with careful career planning. It is your responsibility to give it the seriousness it deserves. A career plan helps you chronicle both your long and short-term career goals and allows you measure success, career moves, training and choices to make in the bid to attain your planned-out career footprint.  This will ultimately steer you on a path with measurable goals. Here I’ll share some tips to aid your career planning.

 

Self-Audit

Carrying out an evaluation of yourself, interests, and your skills is important to knowing what you first or next career step should be. If you’re on the lookout for a new career, the field you’re most interested should be the deciding factor. If you’re looking to advance yourself in your chosen, your present skillset and how you can improve on that should be the most important thing to you. From these, you can then begin to set career goals for yourself. The goals you set for yourself have to be of the right mix of realism and ambition, do not set goals that you are sure you cannot reach but at the same time remember to push yourself out of your comfort zone. A major component of career planning is setting short-term (in the coming year) and long-term (beyond a year) career and job goals. Once you initiate this process, another component of career planning becomes reviewing and adjusting those goals as your career plans progress or change — and developing new goals once you accomplish your previous goals.

 

Career Plan Research

After identifying the career path that captures your interest, you need to dedicate time to research your career plan. Research jobs related to your career path and plan. You should also look beyond your current job for transferrable skills, some workers get so wrapped up in their job titles that they don’t see any other career possibilities for themselves. Every job requires a certain set of skills, and it’s much better to categorize yourself in terms of these skill sets than be so myopic as to focus just on job titles.

Do not forget to review current job and career trends, having information about career trends is vital to long-term career planning success. Besides knowledge of these trends, the other advantage of conducting this research is the power it gives you to adjust and strengthen your position, your unique selling proposition. A key aspect to job and career success is having a unique set of accomplishments, skills and education that make you better than all others in your career.

 

Execute, Review and Repeat

It is supremely important that you remain consistent in planning and executing your career plans. You should review them, repeat what works and get rid of things that don’t yield results. When planning, ensure your goals are SMART; Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely.

Planning your career with the techniques above will help you clarify career ideas and focus your effort, time and resources on driving your career forward.

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Negotiating a remuneration package with your boss ?

This write-up will focus on new-hires into a company or organization negotiating a pay package with their prospective bosses. Before you even begin salary negotiations with a prospective employer, you need to find out how much the job is worth – and how much your skills and experience are worth to the employer.  Take the time to  research salaries long before you even begin discussing pay.  That way you will be prepared to make your case and land a job offer that’s realistic and reasonable.  Sometime during your interview, your prospective employers will ask what your salary expectations are, employers tend to use this to wean off interviewees that have too high a salary expectation and to find employees that fit their budget for this vacancy.  It is therefore important that you don’t price yourself out of contention for the position, try to find as much as possible about this organization so you can be able to make a well-educated guess, your main goal during this first interview should be getting a call back.

After the string of interviews, you eventually get the call offering you the job. Typically in Nigeria, benefits a company provides are a given and is standard for all employees, so there’s no negotiating there. The salary package however, is up for a bit of negotiation, here are some tips to help that negotiating process.

Let the other side make the first offer

Your goal is to allow the employer to suggest a salary, from this figure you can begin decide if the job is worth you negotiating, it will also give you a sense of how much wiggle room your prospective employers have.

Counter the offer with a researched response.

Your counter-offer should be based on what you know about yourself, the market, and the company. Therefore, it is vital to do some research before the interview so that you know a reasonable salary range for your position.

Be persistent

In many cases, the employer will reject your first request for a higher offer. Don’t let this deter you. Push back gently, justifying your proposed salary. Explain how the company will benefit from the investment.

Be flexible

If the company won’t budge on salary, negotiate other compensation. Ask for things like an extra week of vacation, a private office, or a flexible schedule. (Maybe you can work four ten-hour days instead of driving to the office five days a week!)