The Nation Newspaper

Category: Jobs

  • Job hunting: Tie & dye to the rescue

    Job hunting: Tie & dye to the rescue

    Dyeing  has become a big business, providing jobs for many. Experts say it has the capacity to reduce pressure on the labour market, writes AKINOLA AJIBADE

     

    For job seekers, opportunities abound in the tie and dye industry. The industry is very large and accommodative of new entrants. It doesn’t require certification just the skill which can be acquired on the job. Aside the production of the materials — kampala, batik, and adire — there is a need for marketers and, may be exporters, of the finished products which enjoy patronage in Nigeria and beyond.

    Adire, batik and kampala can be used for many things. However, they are mainly used in making clothes. They are also used as bedsheets, curtains and finishings for homes and offices for aesthetics. Given their variety of uses these days, both within and outside the country, the demand for the materials has increased with supply taking the back seat because that end of the chain is occupied mainly by ageing workforce begging for new hands.

    Against this backdrop, the industry will welcome anyone who desire to come in as their are many windows of opportunity. Aside job creation, experts believe the industry can boost foreign exchange earnings if properly harnessed.

    Although many have ventured into the trade in recent times, to earn a living and reduce the pressure on the labour market, the industry still needs more hands. Graduates, school leavers and even those without formal education can find their niches in the industry.

    Experts said despite the limitless opportunities it offers for job seekers, the jobs cut across social strata. There’s something for every one, no matter his/her qualification. Anyone venturing into the trade can become an employer of labour in no time. They advised the unemployed laying siege to offices for white collar jobs to take a chance with the trade. they assured that any new entrant would not regret it.

    According to them, it is a good means livelihood which provides substantial income daily. Moreover, both skilled and unskilled workers can create jobs. The jobs are not only in the tie and dye sector; textile manufacturers, dealers in clothing materials, producers of dyes and marketers benefit, from the industry.

    What does it take to become a tie and dye expert? According to industry experts, the art of making Adire or Kampala is simple and flexible once people adhere to certain rules guiding it which they can’t espouse on the pages newspaper.

    One of them, the Managing Director, Tye and Dye Limited, Mr Tayo Adebayo, said the market is expanding by the day. He said his National Certificate of Education (NCE) certificate could not fetch him a good job, hence, his decision to go into the production of adire and batik.

    He said he has overcome the initial challenge of getting customers, adding that people from diverse backgrounds come to his Ibadan office to give him jobs.

    He said: “The proceeds from the job are modest, but I have helped in training more than 100 people in the past five years. Some of my students are university and polytechnic graduates, who embraced the art to create jobs for themselves. While some of them have opened their own shops, others are working from their homes to meet customers’orders. By and large, they have got a means of livelihood which I think will prevent them from depending on relations or parents for survival.”

    He said the art of making adire is simple, arguing that people who want to venture into the business must have a knack for colours, be observant with a higher level of concentration. He said if the colours are not properly mixed, it would affect the production.

    Adebayo said adire first emerged in Abeokuta, a town noted for cotton production, weaving and indigo-dyeing in the 19th century.

    He said adire oniko is believed to be the oldest adire method, stating that Yoruba and other West Africans taken to the US as slaves were said to have been familiar with the design.

    On how to make designs, he said: “Areas of the fabric are tightly tied with thread (originally raffia, later cotton) to produce simple decorative designs. Several methods have traditionally been use. One of them is called Bullseye. The centre of the fabric is found and then the whole piece is twisted and tied, or the fabric is pleated with or without folding into segments and tied; then the fabric is dyed. The technique is quick, easy, and inexpensive to produce. It is so ubiquitous dyers call the design ‘Tom, Dick and Harry.’”

    A more complicated version involving diagonal pleating is called sahada (possibly from al sahada, Arabic for “testimony.” This certainly would be an attractive choice to make into a muslim-style tunic,“ he added.

    Also, the Managing Director, SJ Tours Limited, Mrs Abiola Ogunbiyi, said adire, batik, among other materials, are well sold at tourist centres. She said such tourists buy such materials at higher price because of their unique nature. She said clothes of various sizes and designs are objects of attractions in tourist centres.

    She said: “The tourism industry is growing well. New hotels are springing up daily. Many centres have been upgraded to meet the international standards. Tourists from different climes are visiting the country for one thing or the other to explore the beauty of Africa. Through this, they discover unique things about the cluture, and dressing of Africans. Hardly can you get hotels in Nigeria without seeing well designed adire, or batik sold at a higher price. All these have multiplier effects on the economy.”

    She said the demand for adire, kampala is growing in certain parts of the country where people use them for parties. Mrs Ogunbiyi said people who have an eye for arts love the textures and designs on adire among other materials in Nigeria, stressing that some buy and export the materials.

    She urged job seekers toexplore the window of opportunities opened in the industry to create jobs for themselves, arguing that they can start with small capital.

    “There is a lot of value chain in the industry. One is production of adire and other materials which I believe tourists like so much. This means an expanded market which translates to more job opportunities,” she added.

    A dealer in Adire in Osogbo, Osun State, Mr Jacob Adeniyi, said the annual Osun Osogbo Festival is usually attended by tourists from different parts of the world. Adeniyi said the demand for the materials is high during and after the festival, advising people to use the opportunity for growth.

    “We are talking of huge unemployment rates in Nigeria. The universities are producing over 100,000 graduates every year. They have tickets (certificates) in their hands, but there are no jobs. Where would the jobs come from. It is high time graduates faced the reality and think of what they can do for themselves. To the best of knowledge, there are enormous opportunities in the production of adire among other materials that come with unique designs,” he said.

  • Six questions to ask before you change your career

    So, if you are feeling stuck and starting to dread going to work every day, a career change would seem to be the answer. You can also get a career change through employment agencies. You can dream of doing something better or more important and probably making more money too. But are things really that much better on the other side of the hill?

    You need to ask yourself some crucial questions, answer them truthfully, and only then do a self evaluation of where you are now and what you can improve with a career change. So, is it time for a change?

    These are the six key questions you should be asking yourself:

     

    Why do I want to change careers?

     

    Try to be very clear about why you want to leave your present job so that you are able to avoid whatever is the root of your discomfort in a future job. The most common reasons people quote are that they:

    • Feel bored and frustrated, from being in the same job too long;

    • Have lost interest in the work and its importance;

    • Feel undervalued or not important to the organisation;

    • Believe they are being underpaid for the work they do;

    • Dislike changes made after reorganisation and restructuring;

    • Are making no progress, lack any future prospects;

    • Feel as if they are in ‘dead men’s shoes’;

    • Don’t get on with their colleagues or managers;

    • Simply need a new challenge or fresh start.

     

    Do I really want to change my career?

     

    Is it really your career that you want to change or is it something else associated with your job? Your boss for instance? What would improve your day to day satisfaction with your work? If it isn’t your career as such, but just something to do with your job then a career change may not be the answer, when what you need is to continue your career, but with some changed conditions.

    Perhaps you could satisfy your desire for career change by:

    • Changing to another job in the same sector but with a different employer;

    • Moving from the private to the public sector where the career remains but the principles/values may be different;

    • Negotiating with your employer for a fairer salary package;

    • Applying career management principles to seek some agreed changes with your present employer.

    The notion of career change throws up all sorts of ideas about doing something completely different so what does your ideal role look like? Are you able to describe it in terms of the level of responsibility you want; the amount of influence; strategic input; work structure; internal/ external contact; reward and recognition; status; pace and pressure that make for a satisfying and challenging job role?

    What about location, permanent or contract; work / life balance. How do family, school or spouse career issues affect you? What organisational culture suits you best?

    When you’ve defined your ideal role with as many dimensions as possible, you’ll always have something to compare new opportunities against. This type of benchmarking helps you avoid the rushed and possibly regrettable later decision being made.

    So, you can only decide on your career options when you’ve thought about:

    • Exactly what you want;

    • What you really enjoy doing;

    • What you’re good at and want to continue doing;

    • What’s important to you;

    • And how all this affects those close to you.

    • To give you my personal example:

    What transferable skills do I have?

     

    You should spend some time to analyse your skills gained through every job, course or leisure activity you have been involved with. These are the transferable skills that are potentially of interest to most employers. With the following list of key skills, try to record examples from your work experience, college or other academic studies and don’t forget to include aspects of your social or home life.

    a) Functional: Analyse your skills which you use to deal with the world around you e.g. people, data, things, ideas.

    b) Personal: Analyse the skills that you use to manage yourself.

    c) Technical: Analyse the skills that you use and develop for aspects of your job. I recommend that you read this section carefully because you will need to be able to write a persuasive career change cover letter to accompany your CV or Resume when you are ready to start applying for new jobs in your chosen career.

    d) For improving all areas of your life, you may need to think about your own Personal Development needs as well.

     

    How do I want to use my existing skills?

     

    You may not need to go for a complete career change where you do something different. Because most other roles or jobs overlap in their skills requirements, you can almost certainly use the knowledge, skills and capabilities that you already have. Network with other people to find out if there are opportunities in your own line of work: personal contacts, past colleagues, customers or suppliers or members of a professional group you belong to. Nowadays, networking is a skill in itself and one of the most productive ways to find a new career or job.

    If you decide to go ahead with a career change, please make sure you go for something that you really are interested in, otherwise the same scenario will set in again and you will be back where you started from. Learn how to adapt your CV for a career change.

     

    Can I change career at my time of life?

     

    Of course you can!

    A career change is possible at any time of life if you have the desire and motivation to do it. A midlife career change may be just the right thing for you. Now, if you are over 50 and looking for a new job, you may well mistakenly think that everybody is against you or that there are no suitable jobs for older workers like you. I have thrown some light on what older workers, people like you who are over 50, can actually do to help themselves get back to work – even if you took early retirement.

    As you get older, new passions are often ignited and could be the basis for a new career. So, if it is time for a change read my latest article to help you decide how you can transform your dreams.

     

    What do I need to change my career?

     

    There are no secrets to winning a new job, but if you don’t follow an ACTION PLAN that WORKS, you may find it much harder to get the job you want. As a Career Coach and Job Search Expert I have developed a career counselling plan that thousands of men and women just like you have used and it has been proved to work!

    • You need to know what job you actually want;

    • You need to know how to find jobs; including the hidden and unadvertised jobs;

    • You need to know what skills are most in demand;

    • You need a first class CV or Resume;

    • You need customised cover letters;

    • You need to practise your job winning interview answers; and

    • You need to be determined.

     

  • P&G gets External Relations executive for West, Central Africa

    Procter and Gamble Nigeria (P&G) has appointed Mrs Temitope Iluyemi, Head of External Relations for West and Central Africa.

    She held the same post for 22 other countries in the P&G West African cluster before her appointment.

    She assumed office last month. She will oversee all P&G’s external relations disciplines including government relations, brand public relations, corporate communications, consumer relations and regulatory affairs for the 23 countries in West and Central Africa. She is also P&G’s Government Relations Leader for 34 countries across sub-Sahara Africa.

    Mrs Iluyemi, who was born in Lagos, obtained her first degree in Pharmacy from the University of Lagos, Nigeria in 1997. She attained a postgraduate certification in Business Management from Management College of South Africa in 2004.

    She started her career with P&G Nigeria in 1998 as an account executive.

    Some of Mrs Iluyemi’s previous roles include customer, business development manager, supply chain management both in Nigeria and South Africa.

    Mrs Iluyemi is married and has two children. She enjoys travelling, reading and dancing. She is also a member of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) and is involved in various local community projects.

  • ‘Taking bonds is mortgaging for the future’

    ‘Taking bonds is mortgaging for the future’

    It is almost two years since you started managing Ekiti’s finances. How has it been?

    It is very challenging in the sense that the money is not just there and we have a tall ambition to rapidly organise and develop Ekiti to a state that is respected in the Southwest and in Nigeria.

    What are the challenges you are facing?

    One of the key challenges here is the issue of our revenue, just like any other state in Nigeria. Our own is peculiar. Ekiti is landlocked. Ekiti has no industry. Ekiti has a low internally generated revenue (IGR) base. Majority of the people are teachers. They pay only Pay As You Earn (PAYE) and the level of IGR is low. It has one of the least revenue from the Federation Account and the level of poverty, the level of underdevelopment is the same with other parts of the country. You have more issues to combat, such as erosion, flooding, urban renewal, even security. It is more of a headache trying to balance the figures and compared to other states that are bigger and richer, I will say we thank God.

    What reforms have you carried out?

    As a responsive government, the first reform you have to do is to make sure there is transparency and accountability in government. We have had to ensure that the little fund that we have is judiciously spent and that has to do with ensuring credibility in the contract process. The contract value is commensurate with the amount you are going to pay and you are not paying for services not delivered and then again you need to look inward. One of the major focuses of the governor is governance; improving governance, improving accountability, improving processes in the system and in finance, especially. Part of our own concern in that area is trying to ensure that the payment and revenue generation processes are improved upon. One of the first steps we took was to make sure we set up an integrative payroll application system, where our payroll is now fully computerised with biometric applications. That has enabled us to know those that are working for us. We have concluded the phase one of that activity and we are moving to phase two. By and large, it has been successful. Today, Ekiti is the only state that does direct payment. So, many states have started the integrated human resources application system but they still make payments through their ministries. They just use this system to generate salaries, but in the case of Ekiti, we pay all our workers online, real time.

    One other reform we have had to carry out is in the area of revenue generation. We have started what we call e-revenue, electronic revenue system, whereby all payments into the coffers of the government are done through the bank and we have signed off consultants, who are handling this for us. That has helped us. The average IGR when we came on board was N121 million. At a time, it moved to about N600 million. For the reform of the tax system in the country, we are on average of about N400 million now. We are also working more with development partners and the capital market to develop our infrastructure.

    Have you encountered any problem working with civil servants in carrying out these reforms?

    I won’t call it problem, per se. There have been issues that came up when some of these reforms came on board, particularly the bifurcation of the finance and account departments. Most issues when better handled, the civil servants are very sincere, but if these reforms come on board and they are not well-articulated, there is bound to be resistance. You cannot rule out pockets of dissents or self-interests, but when the overwhelming facts are there, then there is no problem that our people will just let go.

    An average Nigerian politician is known for cutting corners. Being a chartered accountant, trained to ensure no one cuts corner, have you had any problem with the governor in terms of managing finances?

    The post of the Commissioner for Finance is not a post where you want to please everybody, not even yourself. You want to please the situation; you want to please the fact. So, even when the issue affects your wife, your children or your brother, you have to face the facts. If somebody close to me brings a transaction and I don’t believe in it, I will tell him ‘this can’t fly’. Most times the governor passes transactions to the Ministry of Finance for review. I hold court with my people here and advise Mr. Governor objectively.

    To a large extent, like begets like. The governor’s values and orientation are well-known in the country. The governor is highly transparent. He listens. It does not take him time to agree once you have your facts and figures. If you are presenting anything to him, you have to get your facts right. By and large, I have been guided by my professional calling in performing my task as commissioner.

    Why is the state taking bonds?

    Bond is a form of financing for long-term at a cheaper cost. This is better than financing through the banks, which has an interest rate of between 20 and 23 per cent in Nigeria today. If you go to the bond, you might be getting a rate of about 15 per cent. Normally, it should be lower than this but the peculiar situation of Nigeria has made it difficult. Borrowing from bond is like building a house today and paying over time. There is a benefit. The benefit is that you will have the house and pay the same amount over 10 years, instead of continuing to pay rent. It is about being creative financially. Do we need new roads now? Do we need to bring investors to Ekiti State? If we need to do all these, what does it take? Do we need to bring back Ikogosi Warm Spring? Do we need to bring back Burnt Brick Factory? So, if the funding that required to bring all these things back is let’s say N10 million and we can only pay N1 million every year, that means we will not be able to bring back Ikogosi until the next 10 years. We will not be able to bring the Burnt Brick Factory back until the next 10 years. But knowing fully that if you do all those things and you can plough your savings back to repay, other investors will come to Ekiti State. I think the decision to take is let’s do it now and that is what we have done by taking bonds.

    Does that not amount to mortgaging the future of the state?

    If we delay the Burnt Brick, there are 300 people that will be denied employment in the next 10 years. Some of them would have even died. The company will expand and make money beyond what we are seeing today. I don’t know how that amounts to mortgaging the future of the state. Then, Ikogosi Warm Spring, which was a forest, will employ people. Income will come and it will attract more investors. Really, taking bonds does not amount to mortgaging the future. We are not mortgaging the future, but mortgaging for the future. We should thank the governor for his foresight. When you say you are mortgaging, are you mortgaging for value? That is the question we need to answer. You can’t run Ekiti State without borrowing because the money is not just there. We are not borrowing to acquire vehicles; we are not borrowing to pay salaries. To those who say taking bonds amount to mortgaging the future of the state, I want to challenge them to a debate on the benefits of bond financing. Most of the major projects done in this state in the past were through borrowing. Ero Dam was built with a loan. Egbe Dam also. We are still repaying. If these projects had not been done, how would the people have coped? It is long-term loan. If those dams have not been built with World Bank loan, are we going to have Ero Dam or Egbe Dam? Ilorin-Offa-Ado Road was built with a World Bank loan by the Federal Government. If they didn’t build it, how would it have happened? The only thing you need to look at when you are borrowing is, can you carry it? Do you have the capacity? What is the purpose of the loan? And that happens even at individual to community, corporate and state levels.

    What do you think of the current internal and external borrowings of federal and state governments? Some think we are piling up debts again.

    I think we have a mismatch in the sense that some of the borrowings that are taking place, are being used for things we do not really require; borrowing for recurrent expenditures and white elephant projects and borrowing without using it to stimulate the local economy. If you borrow and use it to stimulate the local economy, fine. There is nothing wrong with borrowing. It must just be purpose-driven. It must be used to achieve the purpose it was acquired, make sure you get result and make sure it stimulates the economy such that it can create jobs. But, if you borrow and it is financing manufacturing in other countries, then there is a big issue on our hands. When we borrow from another country and the borrowing is tied to buy our products, employ our engineers, bring our people into your country, even if you borrow $10 billion and it is used for factories in other countries, then it is a challenge. We go to China to borrow today. We go to America to borrow. These are the same countries keeping our reserves. They keep our reserves at 2-3 per cent, they give us loan at 5-7 per cent. Obviously, they are recycling our reserves.

    How can we stimulate the economy?

    What we have done in Ekiti and which, I expect a reasonable country to do, is to tell some of these multinationals, ‘I am going to patronise you but whatever I am going to buy from you must be assembled in Nigeria’. We can do it. This country can stop the importation of rice. If we don’t eat foreign rice, there is nothing that will happen. If we don’t eat anything foreign, nothing will happen. But, the challenge we have in this country today is the taste of everybody, myself inclusive. You can’ run your economy by opening your doors for every Tom, Dick and Harry to just dump things here. We buy imported tooth picks in this country. We buy imported tissue papers. All the garments, all the ankara, none is manufactured in this country. Why can’t we examine our brains and wake up. We are the biggest economy in Africa and the moment you tell these people ‘if the factory is not here I am not buying’, they will relocate here. They start exporting from here, but most of our leaders here are not focused. My governor pays social security to the elderly here to stimulate the economy. These people don’t buy foreign stuffs. They buy from the local market. They buy from farmers. They buy pepper, gari and so on from the local markets.

    We need to spend our money on the local economy. Some of our leaders put their money abroad and the money is working abroad. It becomes easier for that economy to have money to borrow us at higher rate. They now insist we must employ their engineers, buy equipment from their country, which their engineers must operate. We are the loser. The economy of Nigeria is not such that should take anybody one year to build, with the right quality leadership, with the right direction. The foreign contractors we bring here, what do they do that our people can’t? This country can work.

    Let’s look at the accounting profession in Nigeria, there seems to be some bad eggs…

    For every profession, there are bad eggs. It is normal in every profession. These are isolated cases that should not be allowed to dent the real professionals with character.

    How can we stop corruption?

    Corruption, to me, is a thing of the mind of the individual, the community and the country. Over time, if you allow it to grow, it will continue to damage the system. It is more of our societal values and orientation. We need to look back at the days of Omoluabi as we call it in the West. An Omoluabi is somebody who will do the right thing at the right time whether people are there or not. Corruption can destroy a country. When people know that if you don’t work and you make money and the society will worship you, they tend to tilt towards fraudulent means of acquiring wealth. The law should be strict about that. That is why I like what the CBN governor is doing about electronic payment. It helps reduce corruption. I hope it succeeds. What value do you get from making too much money? There are too many poor people around you. We need to get our values right. People just acquire wealth that they don’t need. Being corrupt as a country is what has led us to where we are today. The moment you can remove corruption things will move well. We should all think about the country and what values are we adding to the country. The level of corruption in Nigeria is more driven by misplacement of priorities.

  • It’s the artisans’ world

    It’s the artisans’ world

    Despite the global economic downturn, there is still need for skilled workers. Since their specialised skill is their selling point, they remain relevant in any economy, whether challenged or not. Their services are always required because they have what it takes to deliver the goods. Whether in the construction, manufacturing or finance sector, the skilled worker’s place is assured as long as he is up and doing.

    Who is a skilled worker? He is a peson with the requisite skill to do the job for which he is employed. He may not necessarily be a graduate but can be a technician with training on a particular skill.

    Paul Joseph is a machine operator, who started working with a manufacturing company as a machine attendant. He advanced to become a foreman, and today, he’s a hands-on boss. He has no degree, but his career path has proved rewarding.

    Daily, there are thousands of man factory production lines, making a wide range of products – from soap to apparel, paper and associated products. The workers include factory attendants, engineering assistants, maintenance/housekeepers, production artists, receptionists, bar men, waiters, sales order processor and store keepers, among others.

    In these jobs, not much of education is required. The strategy is to select a field that offers the best long-term prospects and acquire the requisite training. Lagos provides a lot of opportunities for these workers to establish small scale industries.

    The chemical industry, for instance, is a big employer of skilled workers. Goods produced in the industry account for over six per cent of the total value of goods manufactured in the country. The diversity of products is reflected in the establishments in the industry. They include plastic materials, agricultural chemicals, and drugs.

    The industry manufactures adhesives, explosives, fireworks, inks, and other products. Some of the by-products serve as raw materials for the manufacturing of other products. Manufacturers of paints and allied products employ a lot of workers.

    The President, Association of Micro Enterprises of Nigeria (AMEN), Prince Saviour Iche, is into cosmetics production. He said manufacturers employ across the board. They hire purchasing, logistics and production men.

    Iche has helpers, labourers and material movers, among others working for him. The organisation, he said, has been able to employ a number of jobless youths.

    The Chief Executive, Exploits Entrepreneurial and Crafts Academy, Mrs Temitope Adeoti, said there is high demand for skilled workers. According to her, the economy supports a progressive and growth-oriented industry that offers opportunities for skilled workers in self- employment to develop themselves.

    One thing about the economy, she said, is its appeal for skilled trades, adding that, opportunities abound for people to learn and make progress in their careers and seek self-employment.

    The President, Success Attitude Development Centre, Dr Sunny Ojeagbase, told The Nation that more people are needed to take up skilled jobs. He said many had been steered away from vocational trades either by their teachers or parents, adding that trades remain one of the most difficult jobs to fill by employers. In the past, parents would not allow their kids into a skilled trade because of the belief that it’s not lucrative. But unknown to them, skilled trades have become different. Ojeagbase said the value of trades must be promoted at various levels. The government and industry, he said, need to work together to produce workers that the economy needs, such as machine operators, electricians and pipe fitters.

    He said shortage of skilled trades’ workers is fuelling wage inflation for some professions, thereby hampering companies’ability to be profitable.

    He urged the government to develop a growth plan as a way of managing labour requirements.

    With the emphasis on degrees that can only fetch white-collar jobs, few people are left in skilled trades.

    In such a market, Ojeagbase said skilled workers have an advantage to get available positions.

  • Top seven job hunting tips to getting your dream career

    Looking for work is no tea-party. And to be honest, it is not funny. Seeking for employment will surely require a lot of your time energy and resources. Moreover, it could be very overwhelming physically emotionally and sychologically. Thus job hunting tips are really, important to those who are in serious need of employment. Here are some of the top strategies employment seekers could try.

    Know yourself

    Begin with an honest analysis of what your real strengths are. Who are you? Your interests, skills, aptitudes, likes/dislikes, etc Then know which of your skills are transferable. This means you need to be definite about what you can offer the marketplace and how you are going to carry it out. That is being customer-centric. Reality- it is not what the job can give you, but you have to offer the employer.

    Determine what you want

    You cannot go anywhere with your employment search if you don’t know exactly what you want. Believe it or not, most people have already spent some years working for a company before they ask themselves if they have the right career fit. That could be frustrating.

    Take time to list your key skills, experience level and relevant qualifications. Also identify the salary and benefits you wish to have and the career development opportunities you might be looking forward too. On the opposite side of your list include the name of companies you wish to work for, the actual opportunities available at the moment and the future trends for these opportunities.

    Get some career guideance

    First and most given advice to fresh graduates, it could also be helpful to those who have been employed but seeking for a new job. In fact, interview preparation assistance, resume writing and career advice may be useful/necessary. Local cities and counties provide career placement services as well. Professional career advisor can help you figure out exactly what you want to do and guide you on maximising your resources and qualifications.

    Review and update your resume

    The main purpose of your resume is to market you to prospect employers as you find a new job. And so it must highlight your qualifications, achievements and compatibility with the job that you are applying for. If your resume only includes a summary of your accomplishments up to the date of its creation, ensure to include a short explanation of how each of them was achieved. While you can always compose resume it is still best to do it under the guidance of a professional.

    Approach companies

    If there are companies that you really want to work for, contact them directly. Though most job seekers do not want to do this, employers usually prefer job seekers who apply this way. Search for their respective career websites and register your interest for specific employment opportunities they might have.

    Prepare for interviews

    This may be the last but definitely not the least in importance among the job hunting tips. In fact there can be a better advice on job interview than this. Do your research on the company, the industry, the people involved, etc. Doing this can help you feel calm and focused on the interview day.

    As you have already practised with a coach or a friend, you are able to think in advance great answers to commonly asked questions.

     

  • Catch fun, get a job

    Catch fun, get a job

    Here is good news for job seekers. They can make a living in tourism. What is more, the work is easy and not too capital intensive. All they need is the drive to push things as tour operators, writes AKINOLA AJIBADE.

    Tourism has been with us for a long time, but we have not been able to tap its enormous potentials. Gradually, it is dawning on Nigerians that through tourism a lot of jobs can be created. You name it; there are jobs in tourism hot spots, such as beaches, waterfalls, hills, mountains cattle ranches, monuments and hotels.

    The tourism industry, according to experts, is worth over N100 billion. Statistic shows the industry employs many unskilled workers, who work in hotels and allied sector. There is a window of opportunities for job creation in tour packaging, under which a travel agent organises a tour, transportation, food and lodging at an inclusive price for those interested in visiting tourist centres. The organiser gets a bus and takes people to tourists’ beaches, museums, cinemas, art galleries and historical sites, among other places.

    Tour packaging has the capacity to create jobs for people in the tourism value chains. Experts believe that tour packaging can create about a million jobs, depending on the volume of traffic at tourists centres across the country. Each tour organiser can create five or six jobs, they said, such as driving, tour guiding/coaching.

    Managing Director of SJ Tours Limited Mrs Abiola Ogunbiyi said a tour organiser can create jobs for four or more individuals. She said Lagos alone could have more than 2,000 operators packaging tours, adding that each would get events to package.

    She divided tour packaging into special interest tours, adventure tours, city or regional tours, group tours and fully escorted tours. Special-interest tours are designed around a particular interest area which could include arts, food and wine, sports, cultural or agricultural; adventure tours allow tourists to participate in areas of interest for the duration of the tour. Examples include diving, rock or mountain climbing, horse riding, skiing or cycling.

    City/regional tours last for a day or less. Usually, the tours follow a fixed itinerary, visiting areas of interest.

    Group tours also follow a fixed and pre-arranged itinerary, and require a certain number of travellers. The tours require getting a 56-seater bus to accommodate more travellers. The fully-escorted tours are for solo tourists.

    Often times, the tours are somewhat educational because the travellers are exposed to local, historical and cultural knowledge by their guide.

    Mrs Ogunbiyi said each tour determines the number of jobs that would be created.

    She said: “Tour packaging among other concepts has opened a window of employment opportunities for people. Many people can go into tour packaging because of the huge tourism potentials in Nigeria. Considering the over 160 million population, and array of tourists’ sites in the country, there is a huge market for people that venture into tour packaging. I package tours for companies. The tours are meant for local and foreign tourists, and they are rewarding.

    “Recently, I packaged a tour that culminated in visiting places, such as Bar Beach, Eko Atlantic, Museum and Nike Art Gallery. This is not without fees and the participants found it interesting.”

    She said tour packaging provides avenues for drivers, food sellers, tour guides, among others, to earn a living as they do not need a university degree to become a tour guide. She added that a tour guide only needs integrity and knowledge of the areas to educate his clients properly.

    “You do not need certain educational certificates to become a tour guide. What you need is honesty among other attributes to get businesses. A tour guide must have the ability to convince people to buy his ideas. There are many who sit at home at weekends. They are not doing anything. Tour guides can encourage them to visit sites to catch fun.

    “We are talking of social miscreants in the society. They can serve as tour guides, after their orientation must have been changed.”

    According to her, more than 5,000 guides are needed to work for those packaging tours.

    She said tour packaging has a multiplier effect because it provides business for many, stressing that those selling drinks, foods, souvenirs and other mementoes benefit from the business.

    The Commissioner for Tourism and Inter-Governmental Relations in Lagos State, Mr Disun Holloway, said Lagos boasts of huge tourism potentials.

    Speaking at a programme organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Holloway said the population of the state is a boost to tourism because it can provide job opportunities for many.

    In its latest forecast, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) said some 897,500 jobs, representing 1.4 per cent of the country’s total workforce can be generated by tourism.

    The body said the industry contributed about N1,232.2 billion (3.3 per cent) to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) last year, adding that the figure would increase by 10.8 per cent this year. The figure, it said, would increase by 7.0 per cent yearly to hit N2,690.8 billion in 2022.

    “Travel and tourism directly generated 838,500 jobs (1.4 per cent of total employment) last year, and this is forecast to grow by 7.0 per cent in 2012 to 897,500 jobs. The jobs would be created by hotels, travel agents, airlines as well as activities of the restaurant and leisure industries directly supported by tourists and other passenger services (excluding commuter services),” the report said.

    It noted that the country has witnessed a steady growth in its GDP and job creation over the last four years, stressing that the development favoured the tourism sector.

    The Director-General, Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Otunba Segun Runsewe, said the agency is wooing investors in line with the corporation’s forecast.

    He said the investment would help in building tourism and hospitality infrastructure, manpower and drawing global attention to the hospitality, transportation, eco- tourism and sports sectors of the economy.

  • Oby Ezekwesili joins Bharti Airtel board

    Oby Ezekwesili joins Bharti Airtel board

    Former Education Minister  Mrs Obiageli Katryn Ezekwesili has joined the board of Bharti Airtel. In a statement, the company, said she was bringing her wealth of experience to the board.

    Mrs Ezekwesili is a former World Bank Vice President for Africa and a world-renowned expert on economic reforms and economic governance.

    She also served as director of the Harvard-Nigeria Economic Strategy Programme in Boston and Abuja.

    Mrs Ezekwkesili holds a master’s in International Law from the University of Lagos, a master’s in Public Policy and Administration from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. She is also a chartered accountant.

    At the World Bank, Mrs Ezekwesili, according to the statement, was responsible for operations in 48 countries in sub-Saharan Africa and supervised a lending portfolio of over $40 billion.

    The Nation gathered that the change in the Bharti Airtel board affected its subsidiary, Bharti Infratel.

    The change was effected because of the proposed Initial Public Offering (IPO) of Bharti Infratel, which is one of the leading providers of passive telecom infrastructure in India.

    Bharti Infratel deploys, owns and manages telecom towers and communication structures, for various mobile operators across 18 states of India. It is the industry’s pioneer in adopting green energy initiatives across its tower network.

    Bharti Infratel also has a footprint of over 33,000 towers and holds a 42 per cent stake in Indus Towers Limited – a Joint Venture between Bharti Infratel, Vodafone & Idea Cellular.