The Nation Newspaper

Category: Jobs

  • Institute opens new route to stock broking

    Institute opens new route to stock broking

    A window of opportunity has been opened for unemployed graduates and others who want to be brokers. The Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS) has charted a new path to its professional qualifications, which offers hopes of employment and self-generated income. Taofik Salako reports.

     

     

    The unemployment rate in Nigeria is rising. Although unemployment statistics differ from source to source, there is unanimity on the trend – it’s been rising. Unemployment estimates range from government’s official rate of about 24 per cent to World Bank’s estimate of more than 50 per cent to private sector estimate of about 70 per cent.

    With a growing population, increased tertiary enrolment has kept the unemployment rate on the rise. The hope of the teeming army of unemployed youths lies in attaining a professional qualification, which opens windows for the creative ones to earn self-generated income or enhance the chances of securing employment.

    Against this backdrop, the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS), the statutory body that regulates stockbroking and investment practice – the hub of the capital market – has introduced a new professional qualification scheme that would enable undergraduates and those who aspire to work in the financial services industry to obtain initial qualification and proceed to qualify as chartered stockbrokers.

    With the CIS Professional Diploma in Securities and Investment, anyone with a minimum entry requirement of five ‘O’ Level credit passes, including English and Mathematics, or a non-finance graduate can undertake the professional diploma as a preliminary stage to the CIS professional examination. Upon successful completion of the professional diploma, candidates can proceed to the final stage of the CIS professional examination.

    President, Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers, Mr Ariyo Olushekun, said the introduction of the new qualification scheme was in response to the yearnings of several non-finance professionals and undergraduates who are desirous of obtaining qualification as chartered brokers or certified investment and finance professionals.

    According to him, the new professional diploma will serve as a foundation for anyone wishing to start or continue his career within the financial services industry. It has been designed to provide participants with an overview of all key areas of securities and investment.

    He pointed out that undergraduates can start and even complete the CIS professional examination before graduating, contrary to the previous provision that set first degree and equivalent qualifications as minimum entry requirement into the CIS professional examination.

    “With this new programme, an important gateway has been created to meet the demand of a teeming population of Nigerians who have been itching for an alternative entry route into the CIS professional qualification scheme,” Olushekun said.

    He added that the basic qualification provides attractive terminal value for employees working in financial services industry and would further enhance the professionalism in the industry.

    Besides the immense opportunity implied by the ability to proceed for qualification as chartered stockbroker, holders of the CIS Professional Diploma can serve as back office staff in the securities and investment industry.

    The Registrar and Chief Executive, Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS), Mr Adedeji Ajadi, said the professional diploma gives holders a unique advantage with prospective employers as the qualification carries the emblem of the CIS and the institute’s reputation and record of accomplishment.

    According to him, the diploma opens the doors of opportunity to all those who aspire to work in the financial services industry, irrespective of their background and previous work experience. In addition, it provides a basic qualification with an attractive terminal value for employees working in, or aspiring to work in, the financial services industry.

    Ajadi said the diploma has been designed to gives graduates of non-finance disciplines who are not well grounded in finance and accounting an opportunity to build a solid foundation before proceeding to the professional qualification scheme.

    With a minimum entry requirement of five O’ level credit passes, including English Language and Mathematics in either of West African Senior Certificate Examination (WASCE), General Certificate of Education (GCE), Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE), National Examination Council (NECO) and their equivalents, the new programme has opened the doors of opportunity to millions of Nigerians to create their own markets.

     

  • What employers are looking for (I)

    You probably have attended some interviews without an offer of employment coming out of your efforts and emotional investment in the position. In the past you may have experienced this frustrating and sinking feeling that you did not do well in this or that interview.

    You may also have noticed the uncertainty in the faces of your interviewers, their failure to warm – up to you as the interview progresses and their eagerness to shoo you out of the interview room, barely disguised by patronizing courtesies.

    You then ask yourself, what went wrong? Many things could be wrong for failure of candidates to convert interviews to job offer. This week, we will consider one of the issues you may have pondered about: What do this people want?

    All organisations, whether for profit or otherwise, is about combining men, money and materials to achieve the organisational goals and objectives. This assertion holds for commercial companies, non-profit organisations and civil service.

    The key to optimisation of performance is the human capital. A wrong decision of a high level member of management can cost the organisation a lot of money. At the lower level, an unproductive employee is some investment – in terms of cost of recruitment as well as in terms of salary and emoluments. So a recruitment error (an individual recruited but found to be unsuitable) at the end of the day is a drain, and usually a drag on the system.

    The foregoing explains why employer goes to great lengths to ensure that they offer employment to a square peg in a square hole. They are usually very clear on specification of potential employees they want. (It is not unusual for them not to get exactly what they want.)

    Today, we will dwell on the kind of employees employers desire and prefer. But before we go on, need to point these out:

     

    (i) what we will discuss is more or less general, the attributes desired by most (if not all) employers. But the priority and point of emphasis differ from industry to industry, from company to company, and from position to position.

    Also work circumstances and context has their own influence on the desired qualities: is it a new position? Have there been changes in technology and skills needed for the job?

     

    (ii) It is obvious that the requirements for executive positions will differ significantly from that of entry / low-level positions. We will elaborate on additional/specific requirement for senior positions.

     

    (iii) What we will say today may not apply to very junior positions: labourers artisans, factory workers and shop floor employees.

     

    The following qualities are desired by most

    employees

     

    Basic competence

    A candidate must indicate he knows how to do the job for which he is to be employed. A driver must show competence for his primary duty (get a vehicle moving, maneuvering in the traffic, finding his way to different locations, etc) even if he can do other things as well- ironing, operating lawn –mower, baking bread etc.

    You must show at least a theoretical level of competence, if you don’t have the experience. A candidate applying for an engineering job is expected to show competence in engineering basics, at least. A sense of competence gives you confidence and given the employ the basis for comparison and performance appraisal. Nothing should be taken to mean an engineer cannot be engaged in anything aside engineering or that a biologist should look for work only in establishments that concern itself with biology.

     

    Communication skills

    Employers desire employees with good communication skills. Success in most jobs requires writing, verbal and non-verbal communications abilities. Can you easily understand instructions, and pass on instructions to others. Will you be able to communication with your supervisor as well as your subordinates? How good are your writing skills?

    It must be realised that though communicating well has some element of talent, it can indeed be learnsist.

     

    Inter-personal skills

    A one- man island organisation is probably not in existent, especially when organisation must at least relate to others outside. Interpersonal skills are required to establish, build and maintain relationships that last. You are expected to do this within your unit, across departments and with your customers and suppliers. This skill is becoming more important as organisations realise that more than ever before that every employer must have the skills to interact with the customer.

     

     

    Adaptability

    Change happens daily, and is often resisted, even though it is better than what we have now. Change management is an important skill in this age of information and rapid technological changes. Will you be able to adapt to changes that may be required and vastly different from you previous experience? For example if a technical position requires some salesmanship, the question then is whether the candidate realizes the full implication of and accept dealing with customers.

     

    Willingliness to learn

    Rapid changes in technology and an extensive availability of information make obsolescence commonplace occurrences. Skills, process, equipments, knowledge become outdated soon after they are acquired. Thus successful organization requires employee are ready, willing and able to learn in this environment of constant change and organised chaos. Do you realise that learning on-going and never ending? Is the candidate organised and predisposed to learning?

     

    Initiative and

    independence

    The direction of human resource management is to empower each of every employee. But for the employee to successfully use his empowerment, the employer needs to be assured that the employee can take on-the -spot decisions with infrequent errors. Employers require a work force that can take on tasks and projects and get them done without having to tell them what to do every step of the way. Ability to work on your own is important in the work- place, more so in certain positions such as consultancy.

     

    Cooperation and

    Collaboration

    In spite of the need to be independent, the fact is that significant part of work- place assignments takes place within teams. At any rate, in a number of situations, our output represents the in-put for others down the lines. The best teams are those that respect and use the talents of all their players. Employees require the skills to understand themselves and their strength within the team as well as those of other team players, in order to enhance performance through effective use of each team member. In short, employer desire employees that can work on their own, and also able to achieve within teams.

     

    Motivation

    What is driving you towards achievement of your goals and excellence, and where is this force coming from? How much enthusiasm can you put to your job? Highly motivated employee don’t need to be pushed to do them work, and to do it well. Motivation shows as eagerness to progress, gain promotion, doing something productive instead of just sitting down, etc. Employers desire candidates with a high level of self-motivation and inner strength to do well.

     

    Bye for now. We will continue next week.

  • Putting more energy behind your job hunting

     

    My job hunt is stuck in the mud. I know I need to fix it, but I’m feeling overwhelmed and I’ve got no energy left. I’ve tried everything, and nothing seems to work.” Does this sound like you or what you feel now?

     

    The simple truth is:

    Hunting for a job can be tiring, demoralising, and frustrating. Often, people who have internalised their inability to find work as a sign of personal failure. Confidence and self-image suffer. Not to mention the economic embarrassment As that happens, it becomes increasingly difficult to present the optimistic, energetic “can do” persona that employers seek.

    We all hear the longer you are out of work, the harder it is to get work. One of the reasons for this is employers are looking for you, Mr/Ms. Jobhunter not to be jaded, tired, and “down.” And, they fear that the longer you are out of work, the more likely it is you won’t have the vim and vigor they seek.

    How can you put more energy to your flagging job hunting campaign?

    There are things you can do to energize your job hunt. Below are my suggestions. This list is hardly exhaustive, but it’s a good start:

     

    Remember getting a job is a job

    Treat it with the same sense of professionalism that you would bring to any employment. Show up on time every day. And, at the end of the day don’t feel guilty about packing the work up, and transitioning to “personal” or “family” mode. As with any job, it’s i mportant to maintain a healthy work/life balance.

     

    Recognise and confront your self-imposed roadblocks

    Are you frozen in place by a fear of possible future failure? Many people have experienced so much rejection that they are afraid to have any more piled on. Such feelings are real, and they need to be acknowledged.

    Sometimes inaction can be a psychological defense mechanism. It’s important, however, to understand that inaction is a certain road to the status quo. Try to move forward every day – even if you only do one or two small “baby step” things that can help to build up your self-confidence.

     

    Break out of your isolation

    Figure out who are the members of your support system – your family, friends, other job hunters you meet at networking groups, members of your church or synagogue and so on. Talk to them on a regular basis. Tell them what you’ve been up to, what seems to be working, and what seems to be frustrating you. Make them part of your team. Ask for their feedback and advice. Help them to help you by creating a context of “us” instead of “me.” And of course: seek a good job hunting coach who can understand and relate to you, and provide both guidance and the occasional “kick in the pants” when it’s called for.

     

    Balance your job hunting activities

    You can’t be everywhere, all the time. Strive to create a balance over the course of a week or two in a cycle. If you think of your search for work as a job hunt, then imagine each tool or tactic as one arrow in your quiver. You need a variety of arrows including: informational interviewing; attending professional meetings and seminars; social networking utilising LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter; writing your blog, and so on.

    However, important online activity has become, remember that social networks are but the means to the end of building personal relationships. Nurture your relationships both in the real and virtual worlds.

     

    Stay focused and uses your time wisely

    People who work out of their homes often say that one of the biggest challenges they face is managing their time. It’s easy to be distracted by kids, pets, housework, TV, internet, computer games, and so much else! Organise your day and week in advance. Create an hourly schedule and stick to it by setting alarms on your computer calendar or wherever they will best be seen and heard.

     

    Practice, practice, and practice some more

    Rehearse your elevator speech out loud and prepare answers to interview questions that you can anticipate. For example, don’t allow yourself to be flummoxed by opening queries like, ”Tell me about yourself.” Did you know Larry Bird, one of the greatest basketball players of all time, shot 1,000 baskets EVERY DAY! He was great because he understood the need for constant repetition and skill building.

     

    Maintain your mental and physical health

    Eat healthy. Exercise at least three times each week. If it’s been a while since you exercised with any regularity, start slow and gradually build yourself back up. Get those endorphins flowing and you will look better, have more energy, and feel better about yourself.

  • Empowering youths for job prospects

    Empowering youths for job prospects

    The labour market is getting more and more competitive. But the Graduate Internship Scheme (GIS) instituted by the Federal Ministry of Finance is expected to prepare Nigerian graduates between ages 18 and 40 for their dream jobs by matching them with fitting employers for mentoring, COLLINS NWEZE writes.

     

    Four million fresh graduates are ex-pected to join the employment market yearly. This will translate to additional 40 million unemployed youths in a decade, worsening the alarming rate of joblessness in the country.

    At 23.9 per cent, Nigeria’s unemployment rate seems to be alarming. Unemployment, particularly among youths is assuming a frightening dimension that constitutes an affront to the government’s development efforts.

    However, it has been discovered that even when the jobs are available, getting the right person to fill a vacant position sometimes becomes a mirage for most employers. This is attributable to the declining level of education and of skills among graduates.

    Nontheless, the Graduate Internship Scheme (GIS) is expected to train graduates on skills needed in work environment to bridge the knowledge gap between prospective employee and employer.

    Confirming this development, Project Director GIS, Peter Papka, said during the training of over 150 graduates in Lagos on skills needed in work environments that there is need for the graduates to enhance their skills to enable them secure their dream jobs.

    He said young graduates need to be trained and mentored in established firms to make it easier for them to secure the right jobs. The GIS, he explained, was established by the Federal Ministry of Finance as part of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P), and is expected to prepare young job seekers between 18 and 40 years, for the work environment before they are employed.

    He said the youth need to learn about work ethics, team work, courage, communication skills, among others, to prepare them for the challenges ahead.

    Papka said Nigeria needs skilled workforce to stimulate the economy into achieving the Federal Government’s vision on economic growth and transformation.

    Papka, who is also a Director of SURE-P, Abuja, said aside creating jobs by the government and the private sector, the workforce has to be ready both physically and mentally to ensure that they seize the job opportunities when they come.

    He said the Federal Government has discovered the level of unpreparedness among jobless youths and, therefore, has begun discussions with banks, International Oil Companies (IOCs), telecoms operators and other leading private sector businesses on the need to mentor young graduates under the GIS scheme on skills and also offer them jobs on completion of their internship programmes.

    He added that the initiative will galvanise the economy through sustained growth and development. Also, subsequent meetings will be held with Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs), which have capacity to cater for over 40 per cent of Nigeria’s job need.

    Aremu Olaniran, also from the Federal Ministry of Finance explained that the GIS seeks to provide graduates with quality temporary work experience to make them stronger candidates for job openings in the labour market.

    Such experience, he said, would also boost their chances of becoming self-employed. “The scheme will improve job placement opportunities for graduates by providing them with the opportunity to acquire professional skills, training, and work experience through a one-year internship placement,” he said.

    He explained that though the GIS is a short-term measure, it has high prospects for job creation, improve the welfare of youths and achieves the inclusive growth objective of Federal Government’s transformation agenda.

    He said during the period of internship, the Federal Government will be responsible for paying a monthly stipend to the graduate interns while the participating institutions/firms will be expected to provide adequate opportunities for training and mentoring them.

    The GIS is targeting up to 50,000 graduate interns yearly while the Project Implementation Unit (PIU) is domiciled in the Federal Ministry of Finance, which is responsible for its administration and management.

    “The GIS, which started in 2012 to create opportunity for graduates to be attached to organisations, where they can work for a year and enjoy a monthly stipend of N18,000 enhances the interns’employability. The project has commenced registration of such firms and over 83,000 beneficiaries have been registered. This is beyond the threshold of 50,000 allotted for the scheme in any given year. Deployment of such beneficiaries has commenced,” he said.

    He regretted that the level of buy-in from the firms is below expectation as against the advantages that will accrue to such firms. “They get to enjoy free labour at government’s expense as government will pay the monthly stipends of the interns, they get to select the best interns to join their workforce and they get a cost-free opportunity to render their Corporate Social Responsibility. The project is also planning other incentives, such as tax rebates for companies registered with the project,” he said.

    The Director, After School Graduate Development (ASGD), Funmi Adeyemi, one of the facilitators, said the interns are being trained to support and add value to the organisations where they work. She advised them to build self confidence and develop the needed skills that will enable them to secure the right jobs when the opportunities arise.

    GIS Communication Adviser, Mrs Mary Ikoku, said companies searching for the right employees to fill vacant positions always ask for about five years’experience but many of the graduates do not have such experiences because they never worked before. He, however, said by training these interns, they are able to get the required experience to confidently secure their dream jobs in the market.

    She said the GIS remains a sub-component of SURE-P, targeted at delivering employment opportunities for Nigeria’s teeming unemployed graduates. Participants, she said, must be Nigerian graduates that have finished their National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) or obtained their certificate of exemption. She regretted that some graduates are not employable, and that the training will sharpen their skills.

    The GIS project is expected to improve job placement options by providing opportunity for interns to acquire professional skills and get work experience through a one-year internship placement. There is also high prospect of being retained after the completion of Internship as well as opportunity to prove their ability to add value to the organisation.

    However, for a firm to get the opportunity to have GIS interns, it must be registered with Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and other relevant professional bodies as applicable. The firms in question must also provide evidence of Value Added Tax Registration and Tax Clearance Certificate. They must also be prepared to provide a mentoring plan for each intern for a period of one year.

    Such firms must also prove that they are economically viable and engage in legitimate businesses by providing other relevant documents.

    Papka explained that all applications are done online, adding that prospective interns are posted to companies using automated matching process. She said such firms are categorised based on locality, field of expertise and number of vacancies.

    “Interns are categorised based on locality, field of study. Interns are auto-matched to already verified firms/organisations primarily based on their locality and field of study. Matching is done on a first come first served basis. Notification is sent by email to both interns and firms/organisations,” he said.

    Aside the GIS initiative, there is also cheery news coming from the SMEs’ subsector. It is not only the engine room for economic growth, but also contributes a minimum of 80 per cent of jobs created in the country.

    Director, Enterprise Development Centre (EDC), Pan African University, Peter Bankole, said if a country wants to develop, it must churn out graduates from different institutions of higher learning, and that the government must take SMEs’ support seriously. He said the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) survey conducted last year showed that the SMEs’ sector would continue to play dominant role in job creation in the economy.

    Bankole, who spoke during just-concluded SMEs’ Toolkit Global Partner conference in Lagos organised by EDC, IBM and International Finance Corporation (IFC), said the challenge remains that majority of SMEs are micro, but the government is trying to move as many as possible from micro to small because that will create multiplier effects for the economy and create more jobs.

    The IFC, Nigeria Country Manager, Solomon Quaynor, said SMEs remain the engine of growth for the economy, adding that they are the largest employer of labour. He said when the SMEs’ businesses are run well, then they will have the capacity to employ more people.

    Despite these initiatives, some analysts feel that the government has not done much to create jobs. “The government has not really faced the challenge of unemployment headlong and I foresee a whole generation going through life without opportunities and hopes to succeed,” Moses Adike, human resource personnel based in Lagos, said.

    He said although the government and private sector have embarked on empowerment programmes, not many graduates are covered and some others who, want to start their own businesses, may not secure the needed funds.

    According to him, the rate of unemployment in the country has wide range implication for social stability and the dignity of humans. This, he said, has to be addressed by both private and public sectors of the economy.

     

     

  • Local content push for job prospects

    Local content push for job prospects

    The local content policy is all about domestication of technologies and skills. The policy, according to information communication technology (ICT) experts, will open job opportunities for the unemployed, writes AKINOLA AJIBADE

     

    For the unemployed, all hope is not lost.The local content policy introduced to drive the information communication technology (ICT) sector unlocked some activities hitherto not done in the country. The Ministry of Communication and Technology initiated the idea to encourage patronage of locally-produced ICT products.

    The policy promotes domestication of technology, using indigenous capacities and resources. Subsumed in the policy is employment generation. In fact, the initiative is expected to lead to the development of skills in the country.

    Before now, critical components, such as hardware/software production,were farmed out to expatriates believed to have higher level of competence. The arrival of local producers, such as Omatek, Zinox and Vedan, did not change the situation because they all import and assemble ICTs’ facilities.

    But with the growing advocacy for adoption of local content by stakeholders’activities done by expatriates are being handled by Nigerians and this is creating employment. Stakeholders say the essence of local content is that globally it comes with substantial job prospects, if well-implemented. They said Nigeria has a huge market, adding that it would not be long before people start creating jobs in the ICT industry locally. They said lower, semi and highly skilled people would get jobs in the industry soon.

    They said jobs would be available for researchers, software developers, programmers, marketers, technicians, welders and iron benders, among others.

    The Managing Director, Teledon Group, Mr Emmanuel Ekuwem, said the local content initiative revolves round five major areas namely the hardware, software, physical infrastructure, technology integration and expertise. Ekuwem said there were immense job’opportunities in the five areas, urging Nigerians to explore them for growth. He said the areas are of critical importance to global ICT industry, adding that nothing can be done successfully without them.

    He said Internet Service Providers (ISPs), Global System for Mobile (GSM), communication operators and Code Division Mobile (CDMA), among others, would provide skilled and unskilled labour through the local content policy.

    “There are thousands of welders in Aba, Owerri, Enugu, Ogbomoso and other places in Nigeria who can weld steel well. Why should telecoms companies or ISPs import readymade towers or masts from Europe and the United States when we have welders who can do the jobs perfectly at lower cost? With local content policy gaining prominence, we should be expecting huge employment prospects soon. Many welders and their auxiliaries like suppliers of iron, and steel would experience a boom in business activities. In the long run, directly or indirectly, jobs would be created for the teeming population,” he said.

    He said many people would get jobs as a result of technology integration soon, arguing that the policy creates room for people to combine different technologies together to achieve the desired objectives.

    Ekuwem said there are Nigerians who can develop good software, stressing that they would get more jobs to do it when the local content policy is fully implemented.

    “Since the likes of Nigerian Computer Society(NCS), and the Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON) are firmly on ground, it would not be long to see more Nigerians venturing into software development to maxmise the gains of local content. It would be amasing to know that there are huge prospects in software creation locally,” he added.

    According to him, the market of producers of barb wires would increase, as a result of the execution of local content policy.

    “Why should we import barb wires to fence the sites? Why should we import portakabin for generators installed at the sites? he asked rhetorically.

    He said these things can be done locally, stressing that people would leverage on local policy to produce them in large quantities and further create jobs. He advised Nigerians to go for skills acquisition in ICT, arguing that this is the only way they could reap from the implementations of the policy.

    The Chairman, Zinox Technologies, Mr Stan Leo Eke, said the introduction of local content policy would create jobs for people, arguing that the unemployed would get jobs when more telecom plants are sited in the country.

    Speaking during a stakeholder’s forum in Lagos, Eke said the industry will use the Nigeria Content Advocacy Initiative (NiCADI) to drive local content initiative and further bring more Nigerians into employment nets. NiCADI is an advocacy project that promotes local usage of ICT facilities, competence, among others.

    Eke said Veda Computers and Omatek, among others, have provided jobs in the country, adding that more people would be employed as new plants roll out operations. He said Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) operating abroad would be invited to produce semi and final ICT products at cheaper rates in Nigeria. He said when this happens, more opportunities would be provided for job seekers in the country.

    He said: “Backward integration is the trend all over the world. There is a flipside in the production of ICT facilities globally. The level of activities among the producers, suppliers, and sellers is inter-changing. We are trying to ensure that OEMs get a space to operate in Nigeria. By this, products that are hitherto shipped into the country would be produced locally. The development will provide jobs, increase productivity, and grow the economy.“

    He said an appreciable level of competence is required from Nigerians, who want to get jobs through the local content concept. He said research and development cuts across every facet of production of ICT‘s accessories, adding that the area would need more workers.

    Eke said people in ICT are in futuristic business than their colleagues in banking and the oil and gas industry, observing that the prospect is brighter for as many Nigerians that are ready to earn a living in the sector.

    The President, Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ATCON), Mr Lanre Ajayi, agrees. Ajayi said the local content policy comes with a lot of benefits for the operators and the economy in particular. According to him, the benefits include creation of a viable market for operators, increase in capacity, transfer of skills, among others.

    Lanre said the job’ potential are numerous, noting that people will get employed irrespective the ICT skill they have when local content policy is introduced in the country.

    He said the bulk of the software used in Nigeria are imported from Europe and the United States, adding that many would leverage on the local content policy to develop their own websites for growth.

     

  • Getting your dream job: Techniques, strategies

    Welcome to another Monday and another series in our self-made avowal to empower individuals to get their dream job in the shortest possible time. The inspiration came from Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and feedback from numerous readers of The Nation.

    You’ve got that great résumé in hand and you are rearing to get on and be on your mother of all searches: to find a job! But wait, it takes much more than having just a résumé and bristling energy to have a successful job search. You need a search game plan.

    The job hunter or career changer can find job hunting to be a frustrating experience. Fact is, it’s a job finding a job! There are no set of rules for job hunting; no magic formulas or solutions. However, by utilising all the options available to us, we can make the job search more efficient and be successful in the shortest possible time.

    A successful job search starts with thorough preparation and planning. This is true whether you are beginning your career, seeking re-employment or considering a more satisfying occupation. First assess your characteristics; take a good look at who you are and what you have done.

    This will require time and effort, but the time you invest will be worthwhile. Self-assessment can help you to decide on a realistic job objective. The information you discover will also be helpful when writing your resume, completing job applications and preparing for job interviews.

    In exploring career options the questions are:

     

    Do I want to remain in that field?

    • Would the strengths I have serve in a related field of work?

    • Would I consider returning to school to learn new job skills which are in demand?

    • As a recent college graduate, could I translate my strengths into a career?

    • Is self-employment a possibility?

    • In answering these questions, carefully consider personal circumstances, your lifestyle, health, family circumstances and financial needs. Keep these factors in mind when making career plans.

    • Considering everything you know about yourself, try to think of some career possibilities that you could do well arid would enjoy.

     

    Organisation is key

    Staying organised in the hunt is imperative. It is extremely important to be organised. Maintain a notebook with contact sheets for recording names and information relative to your efforts. Keep copies of all job leads or ads that you respond to. Maintain a calendar or weekly plan of action for your job hunt and record and review the number of contacts made each week.

    As stated earlier, it is job looking a job! If you are experiencing a career transition, staying in the routine of a job hunt is difficult. Remember, you are marketing yourself daily. Begin each day with the attitude that you are “open for business.’ Follow the plan you established for yourself and keep with it until you’ve reached your goal. Don’t unwittingly extend your job search time by limiting the techniques you use. There are several techniques and strategies for effective job fishing. We shall proceed to look at them.

     

    Networking

    Networking is a key process in job seeking, job keeping, and position advancement, in the future it will be necessary to give greater attention to this process as competition for good jobs becomes keener and advancement opportunities become fewer. More and more, individuals must learn to develop and use networks of contacts if they are to best achieve their goals and career potential.

    Networking in a nutshell, is nothing more than asking the people you already know to help you find out about the job market and meet the people who are actually doing the hiring.

    The hard facts “Informal contacts account for almost 75 per cent of all successful job searches. Agencies find about nine per cent of new jobs for professional and technical people, and ads yield another 10 per cent or so.

    Don’t hesitate to talk to friends, acquaintances, and neighbours about your job search in reality, you are asking for advice, not charity. Most of the people you contact will be willing to help you, if only you will tell them how. You probably know more people than you think. The key to making progress is to start asking the right people for the right kind of assistance.

    The ultimate object of your job search is to convince the person who has the power to hire you that you ought to be working for him or her. The one you want to talk to is not necessarily the president of a company; it is rather the one who heads the department that could use your expertise.

    Direct contact with the hiring authority is far and away the most effective job-hunting method. Your strategy and schedule should reflect that fact, and most of your energy should be devoted to direct contact. You may want to explore other methods of contacting potential employers, but that should take up no more than a quarter of your job – hunting time.

    How do you find the hiring authority? If you are lucky, someone you know periodically will tell you whom to see and introduce you. Otherwise, you will have to do some homework. If you cannot find out who heads the department that interests you, call the company and ask the operator.

    Do not assume you can get to the hiring authority through the personnel depart-ment. If at all possible, you will avoid filling out ally personnel forms until you have had a serious interview. The same goes for sending resumes. In general, resumes are better left behind after an interview than sent ahead to generate a meeting.

     

    The informational interview

    The contacts you make during your preliminary informational interviewing will be the core of your network in your job hunt. You will also want to zero in on other contacts within your career area. Your goal is to get referred to the person who has the power to hire you.

     

  • Building hangars, creating jobs

    Building hangars, creating jobs

    There are many benefits in having hangars in a country. Besides reducing the cost of aircraft maintenance, they create jobs. In Ethiopia, the Boeing Maintenance Hangar has created thousands of jobs. Aviation Correspondent KELVIN OSA-OKUNBOR reports.

     

    Maintenance Repair Organisations (MROs) worldwide have facilities where major repairs of aircraft are done. In aviation, aircraft maintenance hangars are potential job creators for aircraft engineers, avionics specialists and other categories of technicians that.

    Anywhere aircraft maintenance hangars are established, thousands of direct and indirect jobs are created. This is why airlines fly to the United States, Turkey, South Africa and Ethiopia, among other countries for regular maintenance and checks on their aircraft.

    Aircraft maintenance hangars are major foreign exchange earners for countries where they exist. For instance, the Boeing maintenance hangar in Ethiopia, continues to generate thousands of jobs.

    There have been calls for the establishment of aircraft maintenance hangars in Nigeria. Airline operators believe that the segment can generate thousands of jobs.

    In 2001, efforts were made by an American firm to establish a national aircraft hangar at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos. The project did not take off because of certain issues.

    For some years, foreign and domestic airlines as well as some industry players have been contemplating establishing an hangar.

    Plans by the German carrier, Lufthansa, to build an hangar in Abuja, which is expected to serve as a major hub for aircraft repairs in West, Central and other parts of Africa is on the drawing board.

    Besides job creation, the establishment of an hangar would reduce the huge cost of aircraft repairs by domestic carriers, which travel to Turkey, Germany, Europe and the United States to fix their aircraft. Such repairs can also be done at the Royal Air Maroc facility in Morocco, South Africa or Ethiopia.

    But there is hope for job seekers amid plans by a domestic carrier, Arik Air, to rebuild its hangar at its headquarters at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

    This multi-billion naira hangar is being packaged in partnership with major aircraft manufacturers, including Bombardier, the Canadian aircraft manufacturer, Boeing and Airbus.

    At a reception for Bombardier President, Mr Pierre Baeudoin,Arik Chairman Ikhide Arumemi, said an agreement had been signed with Lufthansa Technik as major partner.

    Arumemi said Arik would sign an agreement with Lufthansa Technik in Germany for details of how the hangar would be rebuilt.

    He said when completed, the hangar would not only carry out major repairs of Arik aircraft, but also new generation aircraft in the fleet of other domestic airlines.

    He spoke of plans to consolidate the business relationship between the airline and Bombardier to involve other areas of airline operations, not limited to aircraft acquisition.

    Soon, he said, when the number of aircraft type manufactured by Bombardier increases, discussions on maintenance could be explored.

    He said: “We are on the last lap of the agreement. We are in discussion with Lufthansa Technik in Hamburg, Germany. This is to enable us to rebuild our maintenance hangar that will take care of the repairs of our Bombardier aircraft, the company is buying into it, even, Boeing is buying into it.

    “The hangar is going to be rebuilt, and it will take care of major repairs of aircraft, manned by Lufthansa personnel for the repairs of new generation aircraft of all airlines. This will be affordable for everybody.”

    Aircraft manufacturer Embraer also plans to establish an aircraft service maintenance centre at a SkyJet Airlines facility in Kaduna State for executive jets.

    The Regional Sales Director, Mr. Lynton Van Aswegen, Embraer Executives jets for Africa, said the facility is being built on SkyJet premises because of the airline’s capability to take over the burden of aircraft repairs, insurance and crew matters from the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer when the line comes.

    Aswegen said when the facility comes on stream, it will be the first in Africa. It will save operators of private jets in Nigeria the huge cost of flying their aircraft to Europe, America and other far destinations for maintenance.

    The service centre is expected to generate hundreds of jobs for teeming aviation professionals.

    He said: “We are planning to set up a service centre in Nigeria, Kaduna precisely, at the premises of SkyJet Airlines facility. It will help operators run their aircraft more efficiently.

    “This will be important to owners of private jets in Nigeria, because most aircraft manufacturers do not have such facility in the country. This will assist them to run the aircraft more efficiently, by saving them huge costs of maintenance, if they have to ferry the aircraft abroad.

    “This is how the SkyJet Airlines facility will be of tremendous help. It will save cost, as the operators will not need to take their planes outside Nigeria to be fixed. When Embraer appointed SkyJet Airlines, we considered its capacity to manage our aircraft type. This will take the burden of issues involving crew management, insurance and aircraft maintenance off our neck.

    “The executive jet business is booming in Nigeria, and it is still growing. This is why Nigeria has the highest number of private jets flying in Africa. And most of the executive jets are new airplanes with the latest technology.”

    The President, Aviation Roundtable, Captain Dele Ore, and the former Secretary-General of African Airlines Association (AFRAA), Mr Nick Fadugba, have canvassed the establishment of a strong MRO for airlines in Nigeria to generate jobs.

    Ore called on the Federal Government to set up a committee to seek ways of collaborating with the Akwa Ibom maintenance repair and overhaul facility in Uyo to enhance capacity and create jobs.

    Fadugba said the necessity to set up a maintenance hangar in Nigeria was long overdue, adding that the establishment of such a facility will generate jobs for industry professionals.

    According to the former AFRAA secretary, there is need for airlines to pool their resources together, establish maintenance hangar and run it at a profit.

    Fadugba said: “Nigeria is ripe to have an aircraft maintenance hangar. It is long overdue. We can acquire the expertise. The point is, do we have enough aircraft fleet? No, we don’t. All the commercial aircraft are just about 50. Seriously speaking, Nigeria needs a modern international MRO (Maintenance Repair Overhaul), in Lagos.

    “MRO must be where the business is, which is Lagos. Abuja is great, but MRO must be where the business is, and that is Lagos, because not only will you do line maintenance (daily servicing of the aircraft), you can also do checks – light and heavy repairs on the aircraft.

    “One airline may not be able to build a hangar, or none of them has the fleet size to justify the investment.”

    The Chief Executive Officer of Belujane Konzults, Mr Chris Aligbe, canvassed the setting up of a maintenance facility for aircraft repairs in the country.

    He said such a facility would reduce operating costs for domestic carriers that fly their planes overseas for major repairs.

    If the facility is established here, it would create jobs for the industry’s professionals, he said.

    Aligbe, a former spokesman of the liquidated Nigeria Airways Limited, said to make the project viable, the facilitators must adopt measures to sustain patronage for the project.

    He said: “A maintenance facility in Nigeria is long overdue. The government should facilitate the establishment of such a project, and ensure that the airlines have enough aircraft in their fleet to ensure that it is profitable.

    “If there are not enough aircraft to sustain the maintenance, repair and overhaul facility, it could be a failure. Above all, there must be competence in fleet and aircraft type to make it work.

    “One sure way of achieving this is the entrenchment of standardisation of fleet and line management to boost the competence of such a facility.”

    He affirmed that without standardisation of aircraft type, the industry could have problems with growth and development, as major aircraft repair facilities are driven by the development of competences in aircraft types.

    Aligbe said: “Most of the airlines in Nigeria do not have commonality of aircraft type to drive maintenance and repair overhaul facilities.”

     

  • Creative song writers, creative jobs

    Creative song writers, creative jobs

    Creating good music is not easy. It entails a lot of hardwork. And brain work. It is the lot of songwriters to write such music where the musician is not so talented. DANIEL ESSIET writes.

     

    Record companies depend on the huge earnings from albums that ride high on the charts for a year or more. These albums contain hit songs. But albums can seldom sustain that kind of momentum without a stream of hit singles, which get the airplay that stimulates sales. Songs that will rule the air waves for months are composed with what seems like a binding appeal. Such is the power of a hit song.

    But not everyone has the talent to write hit songs. Few singers have the knack for writing half an album’s worth of sure-fire hits (records that are sure to sell). Many artistes don’t write their own songs. They rely on songwriters and lyricists for new and original songs. Because of this, good songwriters make good incomes, as they have several artistes on their payroll. Sidelined for years by performers who composed their own songs, writers are now among the industry’s most valuable players. Right now, the craft of songwriting is bigger than ever because the stakes are higher.

    Increasingly, hits are coming from songwriters and the demand for them its high, with the rise of pop divas, such as Whitney Houston, who sold nine million copies of one of her hit albums. But the singer doesn’t write her own songs. She relies on songwriters.

    Speaking after a presentation on song writing at the Christian Song Writers Conference in Lagos, Grammy award winner for songwriting and writer of songs recorded by Don Moen, Ron Kenoly, Alvin Slaughter and others, David Baroni told The Nation that there is high demand for good song writers.

    The industry, he said, needs new songs to sustain its growth. A national number one song can earn its author more than N5 million in one year. Individuals who are tal-ented in expressing themselves with words, he said, can develop careers writing words to songs. Baroni is successful because he enjoys putting words together. He works every day at trying to improve his writing.

    As a celebrated Christian song writer, Baroni is fascinated with putting words together and seeing how a collection of words can produce a profound effect on people. He is meticulous with every word and every chord that he uses. He wants every song he writes to be a potential hit. While playing an instrument is not a requirement, Baroni said it is an asset. For him, the most important thing is having an ear for harmonies and the basic knowledge of chords.

    While talent is a wonderful thing, which some musicians have, he said what separates the wheat from the chaff is what the artistes do after the inspiration is over.

    By digging in, doing the work, and following through, Baroni said one would get a much better shot at the kind of songwriting successful people all dream about.

    Industry wide, songwriters compose music, write lyrics, or both. Those who write both lyrics and melody make a lot of money if they sell their songs. The songwriter also receives royalties each time the song is performed. They also receive a negotiated fee if the song is synchronised in a movie or TV show. If the song is printed, the writer receives a percentage of that as well. Songwriting guilds track this information and pay songwriters who are members of their guild.

    Individual songwriters approach the business of writing in many different ways. Some schedule daily time to write alone or with a co-writer. Others wait until inspiration strikes and then they write until that song is finished. Most are comfortable writing both words and melody, but some may only compose music or write the lyrics. International music publishers provide a writing room for staff songwriters, where most writers keep regimented schedules and booking co-writing appointments.

    Other writers, particularly those with home recording studios or music rooms, will begin work on an idea and continue until they have completed the song, or reached total exhaustion. Often, they will lay down tracks or record work in process.

    According to him, there are some writers who learnt how to write and became successful. There are also others who just knew that they were songwriters and wrote songs.

    Chief Executive, Fountain of Praise, Wale Adenuga, has written some of the well- loved praise and worship songs.

    He is an exceptional mentor. He is organised, efficient, creative and a genius when it comes to songwriting. Adenuga is a performing songwriter. He creates and performs his own music. He has worked as a solo act and a leader of a group. He is one of the few good song writers that have worked in the music industry for more than 10 years.

    Addressing a workshop, Adenuga said songs are written for the people and that when he is writing a song, he imagines performing it. As with anything, Adenuga said experience and practice make one’s skills more proficient.

    He said anyone who is in the songwriting industry must have excellent communication skills. According to him, the basic, real-life emotions people express in their everyday relationships are the building blocks of songs that tap into the lives of listeners. Song titles and ideas are in the air, adding that it is the job of the songwriter to catch these fleeting thoughts as they fly by. He said plenty of songwritings go on in moving vehicles. When a bolt of inspiration strikes, he said many writers break out cassette tape recorders or tiny digital recorders to catch the spark. He is never without his phone or a mini-cassette recorder.

    Besides, Adenuga said he is constantly open and receptive to the nonstop flow of ideas.

    Adenuga writes with verse, chorus, verse, bridge and chorus. Sometimes the structure of the song changes according to inspiration.

    He also has specific tempos in mind to suit certain songs. He said songwriters have to be well-versed in a wide variety of musical styles, in addition to their own area of specialisation. He said it is an important capability for them to develop if they are desirious of tapping into the wide range of employment opportunities and projects.

    Virtually all songwriters started out by playing one or more musical instruments and they may have even joined a band or orchestra at some point in their lives. They often continue to do so while engaged in their songwriting career. Many employment opportunities typically require applicants to have a bachelors degree, either in music composition or a related field.

    Adenuga created the workshop series with the goal of educating people in the craft and business of songwriting. The participants explored the techniques and inspirations for writing good song and the process of breaking into the music business and getting songs recorded.

    Akinbode Kehinde Olumide fondly known as Kenny Kore, a former lead singer of the multiple awards winning gospel group. Infinity, is a gifted and versatile songwriter. He believes in bridging the extremities between art and spirit. With a memorable voice that speaks loud, Kore’s musical compositions canvas an array of real-life emotions. He has written numerous hit songs.

    His album entitled: Eledumare gained massive airplay in most radio stations. No matter what genre of music, he said the songwriter is important. Kore said good music is identified by a good lyrical content. He lamented, however, that artistes want to make fast money and by so doing, they don’t attach importance to their lyrics.

    Kore said music artists need to break out of that captivity and shatter the ceiling of complexity.

    To become a strong songwriter, he said one must be able to think creatively to come up with strong lyrics, and also play a musical instrument well enough to perform in front of an audience. Kore said the musical content should preach the good news and encourage Nigerians to be responsible, respectful and love themselves. He said a good story or lyrics must actually say something. Kore said a song writer has to write lyrics that would bring imagery to the listener and a hook to it. He said songwriting is an art. Like all art, he said songs require a healthy dose of inspiration which is nearly impossible to predict or control. He said the spark that results in the creation of a song is a gift, but the rest of the process is nothing more or less human work. By following through in a variety of different ways, he said one stands a much better chance of achieving the goal of getting one’s songs out and hopefully generating some income.

    Kore advised song writers to be original and never rest on their oars, until they succeed. He said there are opportunities for songwriters to write music for radio and television commercials. To achieve this, he said they must be skilled in all styles, be strong arrangers, and be able to compose well for a very short form. He said songwriters may be trained and educated people who have chosen to enter the specific profession. He said they are hired by music publishers, record companies, producers, and other production or recording groups.

    He said they may work in recording studios to aid would-be performers in writing their own songs; as freelance songwriters, writing songs for television or movies; or commercial jingle writers.

    Songwriters work in a wide variety of settings, ranging from religious organisations to orchestras, chamber music groups, opera companies, theater groups and ballet. They can also find careers writing for musicians and singers who perform in entertainment spots. Further employment opportunities can emanate in radio and television.

    According to Kore, writers may work on their own or under a part-time contract with various companies, securing single-song agreements either under a ‘work-for-hire’ contract or a songwriter agreement. Songwriters, according to him, have countless outlets for their music. Talent and creativity is a must and songwriters have to be able to write in a wide variety of styles, very often on a deadline.

    Salaries are extremely variable in this field, as someone who freelancing will often make much less than those who works exclusively for a record label. Some songwriters go through the training and rigour of schooling. They often have to attain a bachelor’s degree.

    Songwriters usually begin their career by getting a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism, Communication, or virtually any music related field. Most of them can play various instruments and have excellent understanding of how to read music. They are educated in a variety of musical styles and have an ear for what is used to make up different styles. Once a songwriter has made connections and gained experience in the field, they can often be picked up by a particular artist or record company to write exclusively for them or their label. Songwriters usually start off by freelancing, but once they become popular, they can get picked up by a record label to write for them.

  • Politics in the work-place: Are you an owl or a fox?

    To be effective and to survive, managers require leadership competencies which include envisioning, mental energy and stamina, a sense of purpose, ability to continue learning, ability to handle organisational politics, understanding and managing teams, facilitative in approach, being intuitive, change management, communication, stress management, balancing ambition and integrity, etc.

    Countless hours of training, books upon books, academic and non-academic papers and vital units of business education curriculum have been devoted to one of the above competencies/skills or the other.

    However, little has been written about organisational politics, either because many find the subject distasteful or perhaps because it is deemed to be worthy of study. Neither is it found in the syllabus of any management programme of MBA course that I have come across. What a waste! It is possible that more people’s careers flounder on the rocks of organisational politics than for many other reasons. Yet it is an area of great interest to practising managers. An exceedingly high proportion of the extra-curricular questions (i.e. those asked in the bar at the end of the day) in most out-of-site training programmes centre on this thorny area.

    Whether we want to admit it or not, the stark reality is that there is heavy, sometimes dangerous politicks, is going on in our establishments and corporations. While it may not be surprising to find it in government institutions and corporations, the academia is not left out. Even the so-called blue chip companies are not left out, including the local subsidiaries of trans-national corporations. In our environment, the basis of the politicking is a little more complex and the instrument of practice can be scary. Organisation politics here is complicated by unbridled nepotism, ethnicity and corruption. It is not unusual for promotions, appointments and postings to be done on one or more of the above considerations rather than merit and competence. And the instrument ranges from the absurd to the macabre-juju, assault, arson and, even, assassination!

     

    So, how can politics be defined and, more importantly, how can it be survived?

    If company politics can be described as ‘the way we do things around here’, then surely it can also be described as ‘the way that we do things to people around here’. It is sad truism that whatever people gather to tackle a task, there will be tension, rivalries, jealousies, hidden agendas and plain old-fashion mischief. Not only do people want to achieve the task their own way, they also want the way that the task is approached to reflect glory in certain specific directions and to help the careers of specific individuals or groups. It may not be pleasant, but, whether your place of work is a merchant bank or a monastery, it is unavoidable. Indeed, there is evidence to show that the more senior and better educated the participants, the more prevalent and unpleasant will be the politics. At Marks & Spencer’s Head Office in London in the 70s, a number of highly qualified, talented individuals played fast and furious political games. The reasons? The awesome organisation in its retail stores did not extend to Head Office, where many senior professionals were somewhat under-employed. As the saying goes, ‘the devil makes work for idle hands’, and the spare hours were filled with all sorts of intrigue.

    The concept of political animals is a popular one, and the University of Birmingham has conducted intriguing studies on the nature of these beasts in organisations. Researchers identified two axes behaviour:

     

    • That of being ‘well-read’ in what was going on politically within the organisation: having an interest in the different factions’ power camps and power plays. The degree to which one was well-read could be high or low

    • That of having an interest in self and the promotion of one’s own aims versus that of having a prime interest in the fortunes and welfare of the organisation.

    With these axes in mind, it then became possible to identify four discrete orientations and to label each with the name of the animal most representative.

     

    Orientation 1: Here the individual was politically well-read and had a high interest in the fortunes of the organisation rather than self. This individual they labelled the Wise Owl. Owls are both liked and respected; furthermore, they are seldom hunted and usually survive. There is one downside, however: they do not often get to the head of the forest.

     

    Orientation 2: In this box the individual was well-read and took an active interest in the politics; moreover, the individual promoted him – or herself actively within the organisation. Here we have the Crafty Fox. The fox is not always popular, for it hunts and it can create mayhem, but usually it is a survivor. Occasionally, it oversteps the mark and is hunted down, but even fox hunt in the area of southern England where I live are anything to go by, I’m glad to say!)

     

    Orientation 3: In the first of the lower boxes is found the person who is politically ill-read, but who on the other hand has a high degree of self-interest.

    The researchers contemptuously label this individual as the Donkey – both stubborn and stupid. The donkey is used as a beast of burden, resents it and is seldom thanked. It never reached the top.

     

    Orientation 4: The final box contains those who are badly read politically, who have no interest in improving their knowledge or skills and yet who continually put the organisation before self, Loyalty, blind loyalty, is the name of the game, and these people are labelled Sheep, unquestioning naive. It is often happens that the sheep end up in the slaughterhouse.

    So, where is the best position to be politically? Having put this question to a wide variety of executives from different countries and cultures, the answer is invariably ‘just to the right of the Fox/Owl divide (i.e. a combination of both, but being slightly more of a Fox). In other words, they were saying that you have to know the political forces at work and have to keep up to date with the trends and development here.

     

     

    In addition, you have to know how to play the game in order to appreciate the games was not worth the sacrifice or one’s own personal integrity and self-respect. So, to survive, the effective leader must be ‘aware’ and must learn to apply this awareness in ethical ways that reinforce the leader’s credibility rather than detract from it. All the essential skills of questioning, listening and above all intuition must be used to the full. Having the antennae out of all times is not being manipulative and does not sacrifice integrity. It is simply being smart.

    Acknowledgement: we have relied heavily on John Maurik, Management Consultant and author, Discovering The Leader in You (McGraw-Hill, 1994) and The Portable Leader (McGraw-Hill, 1997).

     

    Olu Oyeniran is the Managing Partner/CEO, EkiniConsult & Associates, Job Search

    And Career Management Consultants and publishers of www.jobsearchskill.com

    Email: oluoye@jobsearchskill.com, jobsearchskill@yahoo. co.uk

     

  • Politics in the work-place: Are you an owl or a fox?

    To be effective and to survive, managers require leadership competencies

    which include envisioning, mental energy and stamina, a sense of purpose, ability to continue learning, ability to handle organisational politics, understanding and managing teams, facilitative in approach, being intuitive, change management, communication, stress management, balancing ambition and integrity, etc.

    Countless hours of training, books upon books, academic and non-academic papers and vital units of business education curriculum have been devoted to one of the above competencies/skills or the other.

    However, little has been written about organisational politics, either because many find the subject distasteful or perhaps because it is deemed to be worthy of study. Neither is it found in the syllabus of any management programme of MBA course that I have come across. What a waste! It is possible that more people’s careers flounder on the rocks of organisational politics than for many other reasons. Yet it is an area of great interest to practising managers. An exceedingly high proportion of the extra-curricular questions (i.e. those asked in the bar at the end of the day) in most out-of-site training programmes centre on this thorny area.

    Whether we want to admit it or not, the stark reality is that there is heavy, sometimes dangerous politicks, is going on in our establishments and corporations. While it may not be surprising to find it in government institutions and corporations, the academia is not left out. Even the so-called blue chip companies are not left out, including the local subsidiaries of trans-national corporations. In our environment, the basis of the politicking is a little more complex and the instrument of practice can be scary. Organisation politics here is complicated by unbridled nepotism, ethnicity and corruption. It is not unusual for promotions, appointments and postings to be done on one or more of the above considerations rather than merit and competence. And the instrument ranges from the absurd to the macabre-juju, assault, arson and, even, assassination!

     

    So, how can politics be defined and, more importantly, how can it be survived?

    If company politics can be described as ‘the way we do things around here’, then surely it can also be described as ‘the way that we do things to people around here’. It is sad truism that whatever people gather to tackle a task, there will be tension, rivalries, jealousies, hidden agendas and plain old-fashion mischief. Not only do people want to achieve the task their own way, they also want the way that the task is approached to reflect glory in certain specific directions and to help the careers of specific individuals or groups. It may not be pleasant, but, whether your place of work is a merchant bank or a monastery, it is unavoidable. Indeed, there is evidence to show that the more senior and better educated the participants, the more prevalent and unpleasant will be the politics. At Marks & Spencer’s Head Office in London in the 70s, a number of highly qualified, talented individuals played fast and furious political games. The reasons? The awesome organisation in its retail stores did not extend to Head Office, where many senior professionals were somewhat under-employed. As the saying goes, ‘the devil makes work for idle hands’, and the spare hours were filled with all sorts of intrigue.

    The concept of political animals is a popular one, and the University of Birmingham has conducted intriguing studies on the nature of these beasts in organisations. Researchers identified two axes behaviour:

     

    • That of being ‘well-read’ in what was going on politically within the organisation: having an interest in the different factions’ power camps and power plays. The degree to which one was well-read could be high or low

    • That of having an interest in self and the promotion of one’s own aims versus that of having a prime interest in the fortunes and welfare of the organisation.

    With these axes in mind, it then became possible to identify four discrete orientations and to label each with the name of the animal most representative.

     

    Orientation 1: Here the individual was politically well-read and had a high interest in the fortunes of the organisation rather than self. This individual they labelled the Wise Owl. Owls are both liked and respected; furthermore, they are seldom hunted and usually survive. There is one downside, however: they do not often get to the head of the forest.

     

    Orientation 2: In this box the individual was well-read and took an active interest in the politics; moreover, the individual promoted him- or herself actively within the organisation. Here we have the Crafty Fox. The fox is not always popular, for it hunts and it can create mayhem, but usually it is a survivor. Occasionally, it oversteps the mark and is hunted down, but even fox hunt in the area of southern England where I live are anything to go by, I’m glad to say!)

     

    Orientation 3: In the first of the lower boxes is found the person who is politically ill-read, but who on the other hand has a high degree of self-interest.

    The researchers contemptuously label this individual as the Donkey – both stubborn and stupid. The donkey is used as a beast of burden, resents it and is seldom thanked. It never reached the top.

     

    Orientation 4: The final box contains those who are badly read politically, who have no interest in improving their knowledge or skills and yet who continually put the organisation before self, Loyalty, blind loyalty, is the name of the game, and these people are labelled Sheep, unquestioning naive. It is often happens that the sheep end up in the slaughterhouse.

     

    So, where is the best position to be politically? Having put this question to a wide variety of executives from different countries and cultures, the answer is invariably ‘just to the right of the Fox/Owl divide (i.e. a combination of both, but being slightly more of a Fox). In other words, they were saying that you have to know the political forces at work and have to keep up to date with the trends and development here. In addition, you have to know how to play the game in order to appreciate the games was not worth the sacrifice or one’s own personal integrity and self-respect. So, to survive, the effective leader must be ‘aware’ and must learn to apply this awareness in ethical ways that reinforce the leader’s credibility rather than detract from it. All the essential skills of questioning, listening and above all intuition must be used to the full. Having the antennae out of all times is not being manipulative and does not sacrifice integrity. It is simply being smart.

    Acknowledgement: we have relied heavily on John Maurik, Management Consultant and author, Discovering The Leader in You (McGraw-Hill, 1994) and The Portable Leader (McGraw-Hill, 1997).