The Nation Newspaper

Category: Jobs

  • A letter to the Entrepreneur

    A letter to the Entrepreneur

    A lot of questions usually comes to my mind each time I find myself in the midst of entrepreneurs; Why are some entrepreneurs extraordinary and why are some just ordinary? Why do some entrepreneurs have visible results to show for their efforts and some have nothing to show? Why are some entrepreneurs rich while some are poor? Why do some entrepreneurs become global players even though they started locally while others who started at a similar time with similar resources remain local champions? Why are some brands built to last while some fizzle out after a while? Why some entrepreneurs are able to attract huge foreign investments while some struggle to attract small local investments despite their technical/operational expertise? What happened to brands like Okin Biscuits? What happened to Awe soap? What happened to brands like 2 minutes noodles? Where did they miss it? Why did these brands fizzle out?  I mentioned these brands because they were hot in demand while I was growing up but all of a sudden they just disappeared into thin air for reasons I do not know.

     

    Having observed winning and lasting entrepreneurs for a while, I found out that they have some similar traits in common, the first being their ability conceive a great vision and see it come to fruition regardless of their current circumstance. The greatest asset any entrepreneur could have is the ability to dream beyond his current realities. Vision is the ability to see things they way it could be and not necessarily the way it is at present. Few years ago, what we had was VHS but someone conceived the idea of CD players, someone conceived the idea of LCD Screens and monitors rather than the old big screens that we used to have, Someone thought we could have wireless microphones rather than the wired ones that was available then which doesn’t give the person using it mobility. Every other day I get to meet with different kind of entrepreneurs. Some have a great vision and you can see it in the way they run their organizations, unfortunately some don’t and it is also evident in the way they conduct their businesses. I have seen entrepreneurs who have no vision at all; they aren’t driven, they have no sense of direction. For these sets of entrepreneurs, all they want to do is to make money and just survive. If your only reason for being in business is to make money then you have no business being in business. I have seen entrepreneurs who cannot tell you the exact problem that their organization is

    attract huge foreign investments while some struggle to attract small local investments despite their technical/operational expertise? What happened to brands like Okin Biscuits? What happened to Awe soap? What happened to brands like 2 minutes noodles? Where did they miss it? Why did these brands fizzle out?  I mentioned these brands because they were hot in demand while I was growing up but all of a sudden they just disappeared into thin air for reasons I do not know.

    Having observed winning and lasting entrepreneurs for a while, I found out that they have some similar traits in common, the first being their ability conceive a great vision and see it come to fruition regardless of their current circumstance. The greatest asset any entrepreneur could have is the ability to dream beyond his current realities. Vision is the ability to see things they way it could be and not necessarily the way it is at present. Few years ago, what we had was VHS but someone conceived the idea of CD players, someone conceived the idea of LCD Screens and monitors rather than the old big screens that we used to have, Someone thought we could have wireevery entrepreneur needs money to stay in business but the money to be made shouldn’t be the principal driving force (of course money is needed to pay bills and stay in business) rather it should be the problem to be solved and the good to be done. The bad thing about not having a vision as an entrepreneur is that you are not likely to build a great organization and you are also not likely to assemble a great team (as any potential team member would usually ask where your organization is heading). I see a lot of people who come into entrepreneurship simple because they want to survive, it is true that the Nigerian terrain is harsh as there is no form of social security and you just have to survive but let me ask you, how long do you intend to just survive? When would you start thinking of building a great organization? It’s great that you are making some cash here and there butif you are not careful about building a sustainable organization and you put all your energy on survival you would never build something great.

    In a tough environment like Nigeria where most young people spend bulk of their energy on trying to figure out what they will eat and how they will pay their bills, if you are not careful and vision driven you would get caught in what I call the survival web – a zone where all you think and care about is how to pay your bills. You need to ask yourself some critical questions; what is your vision as an entrepreneur? What problems are you solving that qualify you to be called an entrepreneur? Where will your business be in five years? The way you currently run your business, will it survive in China if you run it that same way? Can it survive in Paris if you run it that same way? Can it survive in Silicon Valley with the way it is currently run? Can your business attract some of the brightest young talents? With the way you are running your business will you still be in business in the next five years? Would you patronize your own business if you aren’t the owner? With the current group of people you are hanging out with as an entrepreneur, can you develop the capacity to solve bigger problems? Would these set of people enable you to attract the right resources? These are questions you need to attend toif you are going to expand your influence as an entrepreneur.

     

     

  • “How Job Show built my career”

    My desire has always been to  move from grass to grace. On completion of my National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme in 2010/2011 batch B in Enugu, I moved to Benin City in Edo State capital to start work with one architectural firm as a Project Architect. The salary was neither attractive nor good enough for me compared to the work I was doing there. I never allowed this to weigh me down or discourage me from the profession I love so much and passionate about because I have never

    consider money as number one in everything I do. I worked with this architectural firm for two and half years to acquire experience to sell myself to another bigger firm. How the Job show through Mr Bimbola Adewole did the magic and moved me up from the ….bottom to the top of my carrier is worthy of commendation. On Monday 20th January, 2014, a friend of mine, Tokunbo, who is based in Lagos listened to the Radio Version of The Jobshow on Top Radio, he heard that anybody who studied architecture should forward their Curriculum Vitae (CV) to cv@jobshow.com. I sent my CV to the email address without knowing anybody. On Saturday, 25th January, 2014, at exactly 9am(five days after I had sent my CV), I received a phone call, it was a strange number, I was reluctant

    to answer the call because I was distressed due to what I was passing

    through. Suddenly, something told me to answer the call, this time, the phone rang the second time, Lo and behold! it was Mr Abimbola Adewole from the Jobshow with a deep male voice “am I speaking with Mr Sina Akomolede?” he said and I replied yes you are , he continued “ I have your CV with me right now, I have reviewed it and you are to come for job interview on

    Monday, 27th January, 2014″ I told him I was based in Benin, it was there

    he asked how I got to know about The Jobshow, I told him through a friend.

    On Sunday 26th January 2014, I travelled to Lagos from Benin to attend the

    interview. On Monday 27th January, I called Mr Abimbola Adewole that I was

    in Lagos; he then gave me his office address and asked that I should come.

    I arrived at his office some minutes before the appointed time and when he

    came, he took me to my prospective boss, Arc. Tunde Oladoja who did

    thorough job interview for me and asked me to show him the jobs I have done

    in the past. After the interview, Arc. Tunde Oladoja, my boss, congratulated me and told me to start work the following week. I resumed work at the firm on Monday, 3rd February, 2014 and I am still working there till date by God’s Grace. Those who bring sunshine to the life of others cannot keep it to

    themselves. I must appreciate Mr Abimbola Adewole for the transformation of my life, he has been adding value to the lives of Nigerian Youths and God

    Almighty will add value to his life.

    I never believe before now that it was possible to get job in this country

    without knowing one “Big man” somewhere. I have never met Mr ABimbola before. He never collected a dime from me

    before and after securing employment, this is really good of him.

    I want to use this medium to also appreciate the person I’ll refer to as my

    angel, my friend Tokunbo, who listened toThe Jobshow Programme and deem it

    fit to send the email address which I forwarded my CV to, that information

    changed my life. God bless you Mr Tokunbo.

     

    Shina Akomolade

    08067343333

  • Did anybody go to jail? NIS recruitment: Job, Money or Death!

    I remember sharing a bottle of drink with two of my South African friends in Randburg.  I knew the self-acclaimed largest economy in Africa would come to the table for mockery. Dr. Reuben smiled and made a joke about my country-that if he needs to choose a country in the second world, he would request to come as a Nigerian. Very unpleasant statement for me, but had to put up a cool face. He said Nigerians are human beings like any other Americans, Europeans or Asians, but they act like animals. Anything goes and no question is asked in your country, Bimboo. For example, he asked if anybody went to jail after the tragedy that happened in 2014.

    I promised myself to revisit this shameless process that took innocent souls,  refresh our minds about it and wake up authority, in case they are still sleeping like my new baby boy, Temidun.

    Saturday, the 15th march 2014 was a black Saturday for families whose loved ones set out to take part in the Nigerian immigration Aptitude test but never returned home… Killed in the stampede that ensued.

    Most of the applicants were told to arrive the venue as early as 7am but the test was supposedly originally stated for 3pm.

    Some lucky job seekers are alive to tell the story. According to our listeners, authorities of National Hospital, Abuja, confirmed seven persons among 67,000 Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) job applicants in the FCT dead.

    The applicants had converged at the National stadium, Abuja, one of the venues for the test to fill 5000 vacancies in NIS and many were said to have arrived at the centre before 6a.m.

    The service had fixed the test nationwide for 7000 available jobs. However, a Stampede ensued at the FCT  centre about 7a.m, when the screening of candidates was to start for the test scheduled for 4p.m.

    Mr. Tayo Hassstrup, the spokesman for the hospital, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that seven, five women and two men were brought in dead and that the bodies had been deposited at the mortuary.

    The hospital received some casualties from the stampede from the ongoing Immigration recruitment at the National Stadium.

    He said the hospital was stabilizing those brought in unconscious from the stampede, while other casualties had been taken to other hospitals, including Asokoro General Hospital.

    While, in Lagos, the thousand of job seekers invited to take an aptitude test by NIS have took control of all access roads to the National Stadium, Lagos. They started chanting anti-government songs and not ready to go home, after all, they have no jobs. So what is the need to return home!

    NAN recalls that in 2008, no fewer than 20 people died in various states of the federation during a similar exercise conducted by the ministry of interior for Nigeria Prisons Service, Nigeria Immigration Service and customs Service.

     

    My questions are simple friends! Is it true people paid 1000 naira to apply to die? How much was made from this test? And where is the money? Can we have the list of the applicants that finally got these jobs? I need answers before I visit my friends soon in Randburg this January.

  • My GIFT not degree and My POTENTIAL not credentials made me!

    My GIFT not degree and My POTENTIAL not credentials made me!

    I am a gentleman from the ancient city of Benin, Edo state.My activities involves studying, business and leadership trainings, sales training, bible class teachings, etc. I am happily married with two lovely kids.

    When I was much younger, I quickly learned that unless I plan to run my system, I will be nobody, stuck in the job title of “somebody”. And I also recognised that it will cost me a lot. Amongst which patience is key. I told myself, “don’t kid yourself, there’s no overnight success anywhere. It takes at least 10 years to be an overnight success. You can never amount to anything in life or appreciate what it is to be somebody, unless you start off as a nobody. Besides, I knew I wasn’t to expect to get at 29 what everyone ahead of me got at 59.

    and motivate and admonish them to stop sorting lecturers’ money for extra scores. And that 2:1 or 1st class is not a guarantee for success in future. I didn’t know some girls who frolicked with some lecturers went to tell them what I was preaching. Lol. That gave me about 5 carry overs and landed me 3rd class. This is the honest truth. A couple of friends got angry with me and charged me to stop all the nonsense opinion I hold and that there is time for everything. And that whether I like it or not, I will certainly need the certificate with good grades in future. While they pitied me, I laughed at them. Till date, I never went back to ask for my statement or certificate.

    From there I launched into Laundry & Dry cleaning in Akwa Ibom. Whilst doing that, the stock market was gallant, so I invested severally in the NSE market. By 2006, I moved back to Edo state my home town to manage a small family business. That I grew and made some extra bucks I ploughed into stocks.

    By 2007, I registered my first company, (SART Assets and Investment Ltd.) with a partner. It was a stock sub-brokerage firm and fund management. That grew with my investment as the asset base, until the stock crisis intensified. I restrategized and veered into micro-financing of small scale traders. This also was growing until I was cut-short by my partner who defrauded me of about #7M as at October 2009. And I lost over 1.5M in stock market. Late 2009 was a grave season for me. I sold all my physical properties to pay off enraged clients and got help also from the family business I earlier grew. I returned back to square one with poverty, failure and pains staring me at the face as I became bankrupt. Since then, I never set my eyes on my partner. I was married, expecting a child and was bankrupt.

    WHAT HAPPENED THENCE; WHAT DID YOU DO?

    Off course Hard work and Head work.

    I understood something’s, a unique-life’s principle. i.e “things turn out best for those who make the best of the way things turn out”. “You can get it if you really want, but you must try and try”.

    I used to make a statement in my business / leadership meetings around 2005 that, take all the millions from me, give me two years, and I will become a millionaire again. This statement erupted from an understanding that money is not physical. It has a spirit. It can be attracted and possessed.

    After months of meditation on what to do next, with poverty staring me in the face, I remembered a truth in Proverbs 18:16 I use to teach during meetings – “the gift of a man make room for him and bring him before kings…” Notice the “gift” not degree. The “potential” not credentials. The natural “endowment” not V.C. conferment of Bsc. When I was growing as a kid, my parents thought I was to be an engineer, as I was constructing all manner of things. From a standing fan to toy cars, to Helicopters, all powered by motor. I also constructed a toaster oven which worked for about 2 minutes and burnt. My father out of understanding was to take me to a technical college. But my mum out of love refused. As she thought the no-do-well children attend such schools. She insisted I attend a regular secondary school and proceed to a university. That I did and came out as an Accountant.

    At this juncture, I remembered and traced back my gifts, my potentials, and my natural endowment. Today I’m a fabricator of yam Pounding machine and other food processing machines. Proceed to profile in email.

    But in that dilemma of 2009, I came to Lagos and knowing what I was cut out for, I realised that I needed to learn selling skills in order to succeed in this venture. So I first went into sales of home appliances and electronics with Grand Products, Somotex Nig. Ltd., etc. Why?

    • I needed to raise cash from sales commissions.
    • I needed to understand practical sales processes
    • I needed to understand the buy-ology of Lagosians.

    This I did for 2 years and finally settled on my personal brand (Donfalus Yam pounder). I stopped selling for those brands in December 2012 and fully engage in the fabrication of my product, which happens to be the best among competitive equals in this country.

    It has not been easy and it’s never an easy task to set out on this entrepreneurial journey. We must understand some basic truths.

    • All life demands struggle. Those who have everything given to them become lazy, selfish and insensitive to the real values of life. The very striving and hard work we so constantly avoid is the major building block in the person we have become today.

    Elizabeth Kubler-Ross once said, “The most beautiful people I have ever known are those who have known trials, have known struggles, have known loss, and have found their way out of the depths”.

    Thank you and keep your passion going.

     

  • Reinforcing your CV with a persuasive cover letter

    Beyond packaging a great curriculum vitae (CV), you also need the reinforcement of a persuasive cover or application letter to boost your chances of being invited for a job interview. A cover letter, variedly called letter of application, letter of introduction, transmittal letter and broadcast letter is a letter that no wise job-seeker should send his or her CV without.

    A cover letter is an important job search tool. Its purpose is to attract attention to you and prove your suitability for a job. The cover letter is also where you state why you are interested in the job or the company. Findings show that only few employers seriously consider a CV that is not accompanied by a cover letter; thus, a dynamically persuasive cover letter needs to be part of your job-search strategy.

     

    ICT-induced competition

    It is a known fact that the world is now a global village occasioned by the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) explosion. The implication of the ICT explosion is that there is now increased competition in business, job-search, etc., as more awareness is created. Also, as opposed to what obtained in those days in Nigeria when jobs were waiting for applicants, applicants now go through a rigorous process to get jobs.

    The import of this is that the era of packaging a chronological CV or writing a passive and informative cover or application letter is gone and you now need the creativity of persuasive communication to write your letter and stand out from the crowd. Even business people need to write a persuasive proposal to stand out and win business.

    I deployed this skill to write proposals to MTN and Union Bank in 2011 and the corporate communications managers then were so impressed that they called and commended me.

     

    Persuasion

    If we now need persuasive communication in job search and business transactions, what then is persuasion? Persuasion can be variedly defined. At one level of definition, it is conceived as the process by which a communicator tries to influence the attitudes, values, belief system or action of his or her listener(s) or audience.

    Simply put, it is about convincing people. It is noteworthy that the beginning of successful persuasion is to build trust and credibility so that you can be accorded attention by your audience or recipient(s). That is, you need to quickly include information about them to show you have knowledge of their operations.

    As an applicant, for example, you need to quickly show some knowledge about the company you are applying to by including something like, “It is impressive that since you started operation in Nigeria on 15th May, 1990….”; “It is commendable that you made a profit after tax of N- million in your last financial year….”, etc.

    Another thing you do in persuasion is to concentrate on issues that are important to your audience. For instance, focus on how you will contribute to the productivity and profitability of the organisation not on benefits you hope to get upon employment.

    Note: We will X-ray components of a persuasive cover letter later in this discourse.

     

    Benefits

    A cover letter is so important because a CV is useless to an employer if he or she does not know the kind of job you are seeking, especially if you do not have a (combined chronological) functional CV that shows the kind of job you like in the objective section. A persuasive cover letter tells the prospective employer the type of position you are seeking and how you are qualified for that position.

    It highlights the aspects of your experience that are most useful to the prospective employer, and you can earn points for knowing what those aspects are. There is no disputing the fact that prospective employers receive a lot of CVs, especially when they advertise a (vacant) position. These employers are also very busy.

    Often the person screening CVs skims through each for just a few seconds. Your cover letter can draw attention to the skills, talents and experience the prospective employer is looking for. Your letter can explain things that your CV cannot. If you have large gaps in your employment history or you are re-entering the job market or changing the focus of your career, a cover letter can explain these circumstances in a positive way.

     

    Comparison of function

    A cover letter can serve the same function as the Objective part of your CV, and expatiate on it. Some applicants are reluctant to “limit” themselves by putting an Objective in their CV. It is better for a job-seeker to target the type of job being specifically looked for and  you may be open to more than one option. As I said during the CV discourse, you can have different CVs targeting different jobs.

     

    You can simply have your CV on the computer and just adapt it to fit the requirements of each job you are applying for. Note that your CV is not a record of your life history that is already fixed, so you can adapt it (CV) as you like. A cover letter is a little window into your personality. A well-composed cover letter can suggest to a prospective employer that you are just the right type of dynamic person the company is looking for.

     

    Cover letter contents

    A typical cover letter contains address(es), salutation, etc.

     

    Addresses: You will write two addresses. That is, your personal address and that of the recipient.

     

    Salutation: Here, guard against the error that may manifest as a result of jumping into conclusion about the recipient’s sex based on the name. Try to confirm the sex of whoever you are asked to direct your letter to in the advert, especially if you are only given the designation. However, experts suggest that in the event of not being able to confirm the sex, or get the real name of the recipient, use Dear Sir/Madam. If it is a female real name that is involved and you are not sure of the marital status, use Dear Ms. You can also use Dear Madam for the unknown female recipient.

    You will also include the heading or title, introduction, body containing paragraphs as well as the conclusion. We will continue with this discourse next week.

     

    PS: For those making inquiries about our Public Speaking, Business Presentation and Professional Writing Skills programme, please visit the website indicated here for details.

     

    GOKE ILESANMI, Managing Consultant/CEO of Gokmar Communication Consulting, is an International Platinum Columnist, Professional Public Speaker/MC, Communication Specialist, Motivational Speaker and Career Management Coach. He is also a Book Reviewer, Biographer and Editorial Consultant.

     

    Tel: 08055068773; 08187499425

    Email: gokeiles2010@gmail.com

    Website: www.gokeilesanmi.com

  • Jobless? Tie & dye to the rescue

    Jobless? Tie & dye to the rescue

    Vast opportunities abound for the unemployed in the tie and dye industry, which is gradually becoming a big business, providing jobs for many, writes Muyiwa Lucas.

    Sam Oguntade, an artisan, took an early interest in cloth weaving. His interest in the trade was stimulated in his early days as a primary school pupil, when doing Art lessons, his teacher would practice the process of tie and dye on “Teru” – a local fabric.

    • Some of Adire cloths
    • Some of Adire cloths

    While the tie and dye industry has experienced its ups and downs in the past, the sector is back on the upswing. The reason for this is not far-fetched. With several Nigerians unemployed, the battle for survival has become more intense; hence, Nigerians are now looking inwards. For instance, due to the Africa Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA), an initiative of the American government for African countries to export products to the United States, young Nigerians are now taking advantage of this. Tie and dye materials is benefiting from this, boosting the industry in the process.

    Indeed, the tie and dye 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, which are materials that are in vogue – 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 bed sheets, curtains and finishing 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 desires to come in as there 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 everyone, 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 of 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, although certain rules guiding the process has to be adhered to.

    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.

    And he has not regretted his decision as people from diverse backgrounds come to his Ibadan office to give him jobs.

    “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, Adebayo explained, is simple, but the prospective entrepreneur must have an eye for colours, and be observant with a higher level of concentration. Improper mixture of colours would affect the production quality.

    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 used. 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 that 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 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 culture, 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 to explore the window of opportunities opened in the industry to create jobs for themselves, adding 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 my knowledge, there are enormous opportunities in the production of adire, among other materials that come with unique designs,” he said.

     

  • ‘With The Job Show getting a job is as simple as ABC’

    ‘With The Job Show getting a job is as simple as ABC’

    These days, jobs are hard to come by no doubt. But once you can pull the right strings, especially if you get a godfather or some highly influential person or VIP to recommend you, getting a job becomes so simple!

    That’s what it seems with Ms. Oyeniyi Mercy Oluwatosin. A graduate of Mass Communication from Ajayi Crowther University, she came across The Job Show through her aunty who made contact with the crew after listening to the show on Fresh FM 105.9 Ibadan.

    She spoke with the crew and submitted her niece’s CV to them to see the possibility of getting her a job using their platform.

    She tells her story:

    “Sincerely, unemployment has been a major demoralising factor for fresh graduates in the country, myself inclusive. The situation has been so pitiable that many consulting organisations are springing up in almost every corner of the country with the sole aim of profiting from the desperate search of job seekers for the scarce jobs. “Those who do not charge you before you get the job, insist on collecting reasonable portions of your salary when you eventually get the job.

    “In the light of this fact, many job seekers have become so discouraged that they are seeing huge impossibilities in the area of securing a job. This is exactly the way I perceive The Job Show when I first heard of them and I must sincerely say they proved me wrong.

    The Job Show proved to be completely different from every other organisation helping people get jobs.

    “So, a few days after my aunt informed me of submitting my CV to the crew, I got a call from Mr. Oderinu Adedayo asking me to go and submit an application and my resume at the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).

    “I did as directed and began the wait for the possibility of getting a job with this organisation where I just applied. To my surprise, I got another call from the same Mr Dayo asking me to go apply again for the position of Personal Assistant at Komolafe Motors, Ibadan. Again, I did as he directed.

    “On the 18th November, 2015 exactly ten days after I made the first contact with The Job Show, I went to attend an interview with the National Broadcasting Commission. After my interview with the NBC, I called Mr. Dayo to inform him that I had just interviewed with the NBC when he asked me if I had received a text message from Komolafe Motors inviting me for an interview or aptitude test. I told him I was going to check my phone for such correspondence. True to his word, I had already been invited. I went straight to Komolafe Motors as the interview was the same day and I went in for the second interview in two days, courtesy of The Job Show.

    “After my interview with Komolafe Motors, I was informed that I had been given the job as Personal Assistant to the CEO of the company. I was immediately mandated to resume duties on the 15th of December, 2015. To say, I was delighted is an understatement.

    “One thing I must mention also is the fact that it is the belief in many quarters that Ibadan is a very dry ground in terms of employment for job seekers. Because of this, a lot of job seekers already ran away from Ibadan in search of greener pastures in other cities. To say that an organisation can now expose a job seeker to two different job opportunities/interviews in two days in the same supposedly dry Ibadan, should beat anybody’s imagination.

    “It was indeed a surprise for me that one could have that number of employment opportunities in Ibadan within such a short time. Well, I kept faith because I was not being charged a dime.

    “I must say, the most amazing part of this arrangement as I have mentioned earlier, is that I never had any physical encounter with The Job Show crew until after my interview and consequently my employment. I did not pay a dime before, or after getting the job opportunity. It was indeed completely free and I did not have to undergo any form of stress or inconvenience before getting this job.

    “All that was required of me by The Job Show crew was that I share my testimony on their media channels so that all other Job seekers could feel encouraged to try and get jobs through The Job Show. This to me was not any serious thing as this was just an act of gratitude to the people who assisted me in getting a job I could have labored really hard to get. I promptly shared my testimony and I am looking forward to resuming my job.

    “One motivation I got from the whole process culminating in my employment is that if The Job Show being a new entrant into the Ibadan employment market is doing so well in the area of getting jobs for people, I’m certain they will soon have enough opportunities in Ibadan to even begin connecting people with top-level executive jobs. In the light of that, I am sure I and any job-seeker friend or colleague of mine can rely on The Job Show crew for future opportunities in higher positions. They have shown enough potential to lead the charge towards combating unemployment within and outside Ibadan.

    “In the light of the above, I want to sincerely advise job seekers in and around Ibadan and indeed Nigeria at large, to always listen to The Job Show on Fresh 105.9 FM Ibadan and as well get copies of their Job Show newspaper in every Monday edition of The Nation. It is indeed employment with neither stress nor financial strain.

    “I’m grateful to The Job Show crew for this chance to get this first job even as a fresh graduate while I will continually work relate with them to even create bigger opportunities in future for myself and every job seeker around me.

    “God bless The Job Show crew and continually empower them to ceaselessly do the good job they have started. Nigerian graduates are definitely better off in their care in the face of the uncertainty and financial risk presently beclouding job-getting in Nigeria.”

     

    Oyeniyi Mercy O.

    07033686843

     

  • This generation is in trouble

    This generation is in trouble

    Money is a very powerful thing, it builds empires and breaks down kingdoms, it allows for dreams to come true and it takes others away, it makes some people happy and others completely miserable. Today the pursuit of money is almost directly linked to the pursuit of happiness, many will argue that money = happiness.

    However, this is inherently problematic as this mindset leads many people to stray down a path that doesn’t best suit them. When people choose their careers, they are sometimes blinded by money and so choose to follow the paper trail. Although money is great and can buy us all the things that will temporarily make us happy, no amount of money can buy time. Time is our most valuable asset and it is something, that while on this earth, we should spend most wisely. You shouldn’t feel like you’re mindlessly wasting your life away

    This generation is particularly in trouble because jobs are scarce and many of us will be stuck doing jobs we hate just because we need money. Although this may be the right move for our careers now, this shouldn’t be something we do for the rest of our lives. it is best we search for something we are passionate about. Here are the 10 reasons why you should follow your passion and not the money.

    Working for money may seem like good enough motivation for one to keep at their career

    Every morning Monday through Friday you go to work 9 to 5 sitting their punching away the hours stressing about the work at hand. This is not a way to enjoy your life. Working for 8 hours a day 5 times a week at something that makes you miserable is not the way you live life to the fullest.

    Many people who choose careers that don’t make them happy will tell you that they would all do it differently if they had the chance. You only have one life, so don’t waste it working somewhere you hate just because of the money.

    You’re more passionate about the work you are doing

    There is nothing worse than having to wake up every morning during the week to mindlessly go do work you don’t even care about. However, this is never really an issue when you are passionate about the work you do. If you are not forced to work somewhere because of monetary constraint, you truly enjoy what you do and you never really work a day in your life.

    You can relate more to the work and come up with better ideas

    Being forced to do work is one of the most draining experiences. While there are times at every job where you may feel the work may be draining and dull, you have to realize that not every day is going to be an enjoyable one. There are highs and lows, but when you are passionate about the work you you look past the dull days. Your creative process is also different. You are more inclined to come up with creative ideas when you like what you do.

    Work doesn’t feel like it’s forced upon you

    When you value money over your overall health and your passion, you will find yourself in an endless cycle of misery. Work no longer becomes a career or a journey, but more of a  taxing nuisance on your mind and body that has to get done.

    Every day that you go to work with this mindset you begin to hate your job more and more. While many people feel that they must work hard to retire and have money to enjoy themselves, what’s the point of enjoying yourself in your later years when you spent your life being miserable?

    No matter how much money you make, nothing will help you overcome the feeling of doing something you hate

    Many accountants come into corporate America, put in reckless hours during the week and make a great paycheck on pay day. Many of them have all this money piled up, but they never really get to enjoy the fruits of their labor because their labor takes up most of their lives.

    Many of them hate their jobs because they aren’t really passionate about what they do. Is there a worse feeling than doing something you hate? Eventually this hatred will cause stress and in the long run, it will have lasting effects on your health.

    You are more inclined to work later hours

    When you work somewhere that you are passionate about, putting in later hours isn’t as much of a burden as it is when you don’t like what you are doing. To you, putting in the extra hours doesn’t hurt as much because you don’t feel like you are forced to do it, which makes the experience that much more enjoyable.

    Every industry has a busy season and without a doubt there will come a time when you will need to put in the extra hours. Will it be easier for you to work longer on something you can relate to or something you can’t stand doing?

    You are willing to go above and beyond the call of duty

    Certain obligations at your work will require you to go above and beyond the call of duty. In certain times during the busy seasons, you may be asked to do certain tasks that are not part of your everyday schedule. It is much easier for you to put in the extra work if it’s something you actually care about. Because you are passionate about your job, you will be willing to put in the extra effort to go beyond what is required of you.

    No obstacle will stop you from achieving success

    When you really enjoy what you do, nothing will stop you from getting your work done. Because you are passionate about what you do, you feel unstoppable and nothing can obstruct you from achieving greatness. Your passion ignites your work, and like a rocket, it accelerates you past road blocks that may come about. Any obstacle that comes your way is accepted and fought off with a creative solution.

    Our working careers will consume most of our lives, so we might as well do something we enjoy

    You will spend a majority of your life working and there is no other way around this fac,t unless you are born into a wealthy family or marry rich. For the rest of us who weren’t fortunate enough, we will be spending a good portion of our lives working in order to make ends meet.

    There is no way around this, so we might as well accept the cards we are dealt. Many people go about this the wrong way because they feel like work is something they have to do rather then something they can enjoy. Once you realize that your career should be something you enjoy, then you will lead a more happy and fulfilling life.

    You will get more fulfillment when you finally make it.

    There are few feelings better than achieving a level of success you set out for yourself. Nothing like crossing off your bucket list of goals you set out for yourself to achieve. When you finally reach the pinnacle, it is that much more enjoyable knowing you got there doing something you love. Remember work doesn’t have to be something that you hate doing, stay true to yourself and always do what makes you happy.

     

  • A letter to the entrepreneur

    A letter to the entrepreneur

    A lot of questions usually comes to my mind each time I find myself in the midst of entrepreneurs; Why are some entrepreneurs extraordinary and why are some just ordinary? Why do some entrepreneurs have visible results to show for their efforts and some have nothing to show? Why are some entrepreneurs rich while some are poor? Why do some entrepreneurs become global players even though they started locally while others who started at a similar time with similar resources remain local champions? Why are some brands built to last while some fizzle out after a while? Why some entrepreneurs are able to attract huge foreign investments while some struggle to attract small local investments despite their technical/operational expertise? What happened to brands like Okin Biscuits? What happened to Awe soap? What happened to brands like two minutes noodles? Where did they miss it? Why did these brands fizzle out?  I mentioned these brands because they were hot in demand while I was growing up but all of a sudden they just disappeared into thin air for reasons I do not know.

    Having observed winning and lasting entrepreneurs for a while, I found out that they have some similar traits in common, the first being their ability conceive a great vision and see it come to fruition regardless of their current circumstance. The greatest asset any entrepreneur could have is the ability to dream beyond his current realities. Vision is the ability to see things they way it could be and not necessarily the way it is at present.

    Few years ago, what we had was VHS but someone conceived the idea of CD players, someone conceived the idea of LCD Screens and monitors rather than the old big screens that we used to have, Someone thought we could have wireless microphones rather than the wired ones that was available then which doesn’t give the person using it mobility. Every other day I get to meet with different kind of entrepreneurs. Some have a great vision and you can see it in the way they run their organisations, unfortunately some don’t and it is also evident in the way they conduct their businesses. I have seen entrepreneurs who have no vision at all; they aren’t driven, they have no sense of direction. For these sets of entrepreneurs, all they want to do is to make money and just survive. If your only reason for being in business is to make money then you have no business being in business. I have seen entrepreneurs who cannot tell you the exact problem that their organisation is solving, for them they just know that they are in business and provided they can make money then…

    Please don’t get me wrong, every entrepreneur needs money to stay in business but the money to be made shouldn’t be the principal driving force (of course money is needed to pay bills and stay in business) rather it should be the problem to be solved and the good to be done.

    The bad thing about not having a vision as an entrepreneur is that you are not likely to build a great organisation and you are also not likely to assemble a great team (as any potential team member would usually ask where your organisation is heading). I see a lot of people who come into entrepreneurship simple because they want to survive, it is true that the Nigerian terrain is harsh as there is no form of social security and you just have to survive but let me ask you, how long do you intend to just survive? When would you start thinking of building a great organisation? It’s great that you are making some cash here and there but if you are not careful about building a sustainable organisation and you put all your energy on survival you would never build something great.

    In a tough environment like Nigeria where most young people spend bulk of their energy on trying to figure out what they will eat and how they will pay their bills, if you are not careful and vision driven you would get caught in what I call the survival web – a zone where all you think and care about is how to pay your bills.

    You need to ask yourself some critical questions; what is your vision as an entrepreneur? What problems are you solving that qualify you to be called an entrepreneur? Where will your business be in five years? The way you currently run your business, will it survive in China if you run it that same way? Can it survive in Paris if you run it that same way? Can it survive in Silicon Valley with the way it is currently run? Can your business attract some of the brightest young talents? With the way you are running your business will you still be in business in the next five years? Would you patronise your own business if you aren’t the owner? With the current group of people you are hanging out with as an entrepreneur, can you develop the capacity to solve bigger problems? Would these set of people enable you to attract the right resources? These are questions you need to attend to if you are going to expand your influence as an entrepreneur.

     

  • ‘ I got a job in 24hours! ’

    ‘ I got a job in 24hours! ’

    Time and chance they say, waits for no one. Little wonder, a lot of people who appreciate the wisdom behind this simple saying, literally seize time by the forelock.

    This exactly captures Rebecca Eni Ikpi’s experience. A graduate of Surveying and Geoinformatics from The Polytechnic Ibadan, Oyo State, who only recently completed the mandatory National Youth Service, she presently resides in Ibadan, Oyo State.

    On Thursday, 12 November, 2015, to be precise, she tuned into Fresh FM 105.9, Ibadan, Oyo State, and listened to The Job Show programme.

    Fresh from school and ready to join the labour force, she didn’t hesitate to respond to a simple appeal by the radio presenter for prospective job applicants to send in their names for a job opening and that was it!

    She tells her story

    “On Thursday, 12 November 2015, I listened to The Job Show on Fresh FM 105.9 and it was announced at the end of the show that job seekers could call one Mr. Dayo to register their names for possible jobs. Since I was not being asked to pay a kobo for the service, I felt I had nothing to lose by calling the number, so I did. I think this will go down as one of the best decisions I have made in recent times.

    “Just on Friday, 24 hours after I registered my name, I received a text message from Parvenu Ventures Limited, Cocoa House, Ibadan, asking me to come for a job interview and aptitude test the following Monday for the job of Thrift Collector with their organisation.

    “As instructed in the text message, I presented myself for the interview, wrote the aptitude test and I was asked to wait behind. Barely five days after I came in contact with The Job Show on Fresh FM, I got the job with Parvenu Ventures Limited as a thrift collector and I was asked to resume immediately in an organisation that has shown great potential for growth.

    Thanks to The Job Show, I’m now employed within an organisation where I can function effectively and give my best while hoping for growth.

    “The most wonderful aspect of my job story is that I never had to pay a kobo to The Job Show contact person, Mr. Dayo Oderinu before I got this job or to the founder of The Job Show, Mr. Bimbo Adewole. Everything was free of charge even though I have never known him.

    “Therefore, my advice to job seekers in Ibadan is to always listen to The Job Show because if there is any programme on radio that has the potential to solve the unemployment problem of our society, it is The Job Show. And I believe that if The Job Show could get me this job, they can definitely get me even far bigger jobs in future as well as anybody who believes in and trust them. I’m now gainfully employed, thanks to The Job Show!”

     

    Ikpi Rebecca E.

    08146796993

    rebeslyoncalo@gmail.com