The Nation Newspaper

Tag: job

  • Osinbajo, right man for the job

    SIR: I first met Professor Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, in January, 1971, when I entered secondary school. Although he was just two years ahead of me, he was already highly regarded by both students and the teaching staff on account of the fact that he was a diligent and dignified student. He also possessed the prestige that came from being known nationally as a first-rate and accomplished school debating champion in the early 1970s. I lost touch with him, from 1975, for a long time, but did not fail to hear of his reputation as a brilliant and perceptive jurist on the Faculty of Law of the University of Lagos, where he was similarly highly respected and liked by his colleagues and students.

    I restored my links with him when he emerged as the attorney-general, and therefore my boss in the Lagos State Ministry of Justice, in Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s reforming administration in 1999. It was in this position that I came to observe him closely as a man, lawyer, and public servant. I quickly discovered that he is a profound and distinguished lawyer. As an advocate, I doubt that he has few, if any, peers at the Bar today. It is also my opinion that he was the most reform-minded attorney-general in Nigeria’s history. With the able support of another able and resourceful public servant and profound and distinguished lawyer, our then solicitor-general, Fola Arthur-Worrey, and drawing from the earlier pioneering work of Justice S.O. Ilori, a former chief judge of Lagos, and one of the most brilliant legal minds, he revolutionised practice and procedure in the Lagos High Court (their reforms became a model); he considerably expanded legal aid, bringing legal services within the reach of many indigent citizens; raised the conditions of service of the Lagos judiciary to a level unparalleled elsewhere; renovated, built, and equipped courts with modern gadgetry [bringing them into the modern age] all across the state; incorporated alternative dispute resolution into the administration of justice in Lagos, etc.

    However, some have criticized his nomination on the ground that he was never a state governor and is a political neophyte. I find this rather amusing, as I know of few people who possess his knowledge or understanding of our constitutional history, political evolution, contemporary political issues, or, most importantly, of the great issues on which the future of this country turns.

    I, therefore, believe that his input into Nigerian public life is likely to be in the tradition of past politico-legal greats such as FRA Williams, Bode Thomas, Adeyemi Lawson, Udo Udoma, Wenike Briggs, Justice Dan Ibekwe, etc. His entry into public life is, like those of the aforementioned greats of yesteryears, a boon to the life of this nation, for it brings once more to the art of politics and public service the benefit of a profound intellect which is a rich seam of ideas and initiatives. The contributions of great legal minds to public service has a long and distinguished history as the great careers of Cardinal Wolsey, Thomas More, Nottingham, Hardwicke, Eldon, and Haldane in the UK; the great New Deal lawyer, Benjamin V. Cohen, in the USA; and Norman Manley, in the West Indies, illustrate. What this nation needs, particularly at this time, is less of the narrowness, partisanship, and meaness that has characterized our politics for far too long, and more in the way of ideas and independent critical thinking. In this light, therefore, I have never quite understood the argument that a full-time committment to politics and the holding of the office of a state governor should be prerequisites for holding high political office. But then, I have never found, in all my years, that criticism is ever hindered by ignorance.

    • Akin Ajose-Adeogun,

    Lagos

  • Improve your job performance’

    Lagos State Universal Education Board (SUBEB), has called on Shomolu local government education authority (LGEA) workers to improve job performance and work effectively for the progress of basi education in their area.

    The board made the plea at a retreat with the title: ‘improving job efficiency for effective job performance’ for Shomolu LGEA Education Secretary and Heads of sections held in Lekki, Lagos on Thursday last week.

    SUBEB, Chairman, Mrs Khadijat Gbolahan Daodu in her address, said the retreat is a rare opportunity which participants must utilise.

    She said LGEA workers should expect certain adjustment in their modus operandi and should therefore gird their loins.

    In a chat with The Nation, Mrs Dawodu was optimistic participant will be effective after the retreat.

    “There will be a lot of changes at the Shomolu LGEA and we expect participants to internalise everything they have being told and use it in their day to day activities in such a way that make them become effective in their various sections,” she said.

    SUBEB head of planning, research and statistics, Mrs Abosede Omobolanle Adelaja, told participants that every worker has a role to play in the council and therefore the concept of division of labour should be adopted.

    Adelaja tasked participants to create new concepts for improved efficiency, not to do away with other sections’ activity but see same as a collective responsibility for the overall growth of the LGEA.

    “When you know you are accountable to a job, you must be up and doing. Make people work with you know they have a role to play. I don’t want you to see other departments taking over your responsibility but see it as a collective responsibility towards growth. This program will be a new dawn.  Our expectation in the end is that there will be improved teaching and learning in all the schools in your area.” she said.

    Mrs Adelaja stressed that Lagos State cannot admit laziness, adding that planning increases efficiency, gives the right direction, motivates personnel and helps in identifying gaps in an organisation.

    A participants and Director of Education, Quality Assurance section in Shomolu LGEA, Mrs Abayomi Obadimeji Olubunmi said the retreat is an eye opener which gives insight into job description and functions of the LGEA.

    A participant, head of School Support Services, Shomolu LGEA, Mr Akinyemi Bola Johnson said: “This is a very lovable program, long expected and we thought something like this should come up regularly not to Shomolu LGEA alone, but other LGEAs in Lagos State. For an officer to be effective, you need to train him, you don’t give what you don’t have.”

  • FG, UNIDO skill training survey ready January

    To make graduates in Nigeria employable after school, the Federal Government and United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO ) have commenced a  national survey to be completed in January, 2015.

    This was disclosed by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Olusegun Aganga while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the inaugural meeting of the Presidential Jobs Board headed by Vice President Namadi Sambo.

    He said that there was nothing on ground over the years to make graduates coming out from the universities relevant to the economy.

    According to him, the survey will be used by training institutions including Industrial Training Fund (ITF) towards training people to work immediately.

    “Given where I seat in government, everywhere I go, there is jobs, many jobs but the level of unemployment is high and the gap between jobs and unemployment is skills. So that is a critical factor and that is why there is a pillar dedicated to that.

    “And that is why for the first time in this country we have begun a national job surveys of skills gap for the country. So that by sectors we will know what the gap is and  know what it is required to fill that gap. We are not just looking at the existing gaps today, we are looking at where the investments are going to, we are looking at the next five to ten years.

    “For instance a lot of investments are going to automobile,  we have automobile engineers, how many will we need in the next five to ten years. A lot of investments is going to sugar, do we have the skills to do that, how many will we need in the next three, five, ten years. About N16 billion is going to petrochemicals, fertilizer, and methanol, we will need skilled players.

    “A lot of investments is going to metals, iron ore and all that. Most of these positions at the moment in this country are not filled and if they are filled they are filled by foreigners. We do not have anything to ensure that our graduates coming our from the universities are very relevant to the economy today.

    “So for the first time in this country we have embarked on that national survey  with UNIDO and that survey will be ready in January. That survey will be used by training institutions like Industrial Training a Fund (ITF) to ensure people are trained. But not just train but train to work immediately,” Aganga said

    He noted that similar method is being used in Brazil to train two million people and 90 per cent of them gets jobs within three months.

    “So this is a fundamental part of the job of this board for example. It will be used by the ITF alone, it will be used by ministry of education because we want to start looking at our syllabus in secondary school, to polytechnics, to our universities. For instance when we started automobile industry, we had to work with the Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC) to make sure our universities have the right curriculum for our automotive engineers and today four universities have now started doing that. So this is training for the future,” he added

    Continuing, he said: “So it will be used by the private sector also because of the gap we have in the country job creation initiative it is important that the private sector also key into it. So we will be encouraging the private sector to set up skills training institutions, let them compete with government, let the employers employ the best that way you will get the best.”

    “So there is guidelines set up to make sure that the private sector is able to key in. So for me I am excited about what is about to happen and that report will be ready by the end of January 2015.” He stated

    He said that the meeting discussed how to fulfill President Goodluck Jonathan’s aspiration to create 3 million jobs annually.

    He said: “It is the first time the private and public sector will be made to seat in a board to create jobs. The inaugural meeting was well attended by the private and public sector.”

    “We identified a lot of quick wins and how we will implement them. How we will realize these goals within the shortest possible time.”

    “So today’s meeting was about having the right governance structure in place, we have sustainability in the whole programme, that there is no reversal in policy, and that the secretariat is properly staffed with the private and public sector.”

    “The sectoral leaders that are here are now submitting all major projects where there can be significant job creation and the sectors of course include ICT, housing, micro and medium enterprises, housing infrastructure and professional skills and of course the urgency to deliver as quickly as possible.”

    “There will be a follow up meeting within the next three weeks where all these key decisions will be made and communicated to Nigerians.” He said

    Speaking at the briefing, Tony Elumelu said that job creation is both important to the government and the private sector.

    “That is why we are all committed to it and that is why as the Minister of Trade and Investment has said, we are having another meeting in two or three weeks time. We will not be sacrificing or devoting this more time to a project that we did not believe in.”

    “We believe in dignity of labour. We think that Nigerians deserve to be employed and we are happy that we are working with the Federal Government led by the president, the vice president, the minister of trade and investment and his team, making sure that this comes through. We believe that we will deliver on this and Nigerians will be happy for it at the end of the day,” Elumelu said

  • ‘Give automatic job to the needy’

    ‘Give automatic job to the needy’

    Worried by the pitiable plight of the physically-challenged persons in the society, especially in terms of unemployment, a philanthropist and President of Kilbra Islamic Propagation Centre (KIPC), Arigidi-Akoko, Alhaji Ibrahim Abdulkadir Kilani has advised the state government to give priority attention to the physically-challenged persons in Ondo State.

    He gave the advice in Akure, the Ondo State capital, while presenting some empowerment materials to some people living with disabilities through the Kilbra Islamic Propagation Centre (KIPC), a non-governmental organisation (NGO) that caters for the well-being of the hearing impaired, visually impaired, the dumb and other physically-challenged persons.

    The state government is recruiting 2,000 new teachers to fill existing vacancies. The prospective candidates who applied for the teaching positions are anxiously waiting for the outcome of the exercise.

    He expressed his displeasure over the neglect of such people, particularly in the area of employment after they had graduated from various tertiary institutions.

    According to Kilani, the establishment of special schools for the physically- challenged in Ikare, school for the visually impaired at Owo, deaf and dumb school at Akure and school for the mentally retarded at Okeigbo would be meaningless if they obtain degrees and could not secure gainful employment with their degree certificates.

    “Are we expecting this category of people to become street beggars even when they are well educated?” he queried.

    The Muslim leader appealed to Governor Olusegun Mimiko to evolve emergency employment process for the physically-challenged people in a bid to absorb those that have academic qualifications.

    He also urged President Goodluck Jonathan to sign the bill on condition of service for the persons with disabilities into law.

    Among the dignitaries that attended the event was Prof. Ishaq Amoo of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), who praised the NGO for alleviating the suffering of the less-privileged in the society.

    Amoo urged well-meaning Nigerians to join hands with the government to provide succour for them.

    Present at the event were the Olubaram of Ibaram-Akoko, Oba Segun Atibioke, the Regent of Akungba-Akoko, Princess Omosowon, the Amirah of FOMWAN in the State, Hajia Fausat Aliu, the Secretary, Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs in Akoko Northwest, Alhaji Sule Olaniyi and a host of other dignitaries.

  • From employee to job placement business

    From employee to job placement business

    Graduation is a moment of joy for every student.Nonetheless, the challenge comes when it is time to search for job.The competition in the labour market has produced a new generation of entrepreneurs setting up businesses to help young Nigerians discover their career paths, DANIEL ESSIET writes.

    Chief Executive Job Mag Mrs  Maureen Iyasele, had a successful corporate career in the  oil and gas  sector.  She is a Chemical Engineer.  She was working with Exxon Mobil as a Lead Design Engineer for five years.   Despite her success, she felt empty and unfulfilled until she resigned to set up a Youth Centre in Lagos.

    She  noticed  that when students graduate, they are always faced with the  challenge  of  getting  jobs   when the graduation celebrations are over.

    She observed that graduates and potential employers have long noted the gap between what students learn in school and what companies and institutions are looking for in their new employ. She was determined to   assist students have  the ability and confidence to seamlessly cross the gap from the classroom into the workplace.

    For  this reason, she  abandoned her high paying oil and gas job to create Jobmag, a walk-in job centre where job-seekers can walk in from the streets, and at little or no cost, get the help they require to find jobs. Iyasele opened the centre in 2010. So she found job the centre to undertake recruitment and coaching projects.

    At present, over 5,000 young Nigerians have come in contact with Maureen’s organisation.

    The centre helps young people find jobs by training them in skills, such as  computer literacy and social media, providing them with career counseling, and matching them with recruiters and job postings.

    Today, the centre operates with a staff close to 30, all of whom Iyasele manages. Mrs  Iyasele has had to come  up to speed on a vast range of topics from website design, blogging, social media, SEO, and accounting.

    According  to her, the  centre,  in her pursuit of offering help to the unemployed, has received about 5, 000 curriculum vitas (CVs) from unemployed Nigerians, successfully helped to upgrade to professional standard.About 1,500 of these CVs and successfully helped about 500 of these candidate secure the jobs of their choice for which they are professionally equipped with corporate institutions and multi-nationals that the  JobMag serves.

    Initially,  it didn’t translatE into profit but as the outfit  grew, she  discovered  ways  to make  money through  recruitment and selection services, workshops and SME support services, to name but a few.  For her, there is no quick fix for getting students prepared for the workforce. As such, the centre   supports a number of activities in order to approach the challenge from several different angles. While youths  are eager to explore opportunities, she  said many are not ready to pay for the training.

    Generally,she  said the  centre provides training focused on building key skills, such as writing a CV and successfully preparing for job interviews.  Once prepared, the youths get the much-needed exposure to employers and employment opportunities.

    She approaches companies prior to gathering their feedback about what skills they felt would be most in demand. The strong interest shown by firms, demonstrate their willingness to support crucial job creation programmes for young people, as well as the centre  capacity to engage the private sector in supporting youth employability initiatives.

    As a result of the training, trainees felt they were better equipped to write a quality CV, and feel more confident in their interviewing skills. The  centre, according  to her, has been working to provide employability programmes  that meet the needs of young people and improve their chances of finding jobs, or starting successful enterprises. Participating youths attend training sessions and clinics and receive specially tailored coaching sessions.

    After completing the process, they acquire skills for employability, entrepreneurship, or service learning activities.

    On the whole, she is working in a very difficult market. It is hard to build a presence when a lot of the target market may want to use her   services, but may not necessarily have the budget. A lot of companies are trying other methods as an alternative to a job enhancement practice.

    The   biggest challenge also is the current level of unemployment. This requires her getting an unprecedented amount of applications for every job which can be hard to manage.  She also has to  deal with a lot of frustrated candidates who may have been out of work for a long time, and who she may not be able to help, which is always upsetting.  She works on helping as many people as she can and try to point those, they can’t in the right direction.

    She    provides customised, individual counseling and group training designed to help young people get jobs.

    Generally, she is working hard to change people’s perception of the recruitment industry through local marketing and networking.

     

  • Yusuf: Eagles job won’t affect El-Kanemi

    Yusuf: Eagles job won’t affect El-Kanemi

    New Super Eagles interim assistant coach, Salisu Yusuf has dismissed fears that his new assignment with the national team will adversely affect his duties at Glo Premier League side, El-Kanemi Warriors but has posited that it would mutually compliment his services to the national team and the club.

    “Combining both jobs is not a big deal, because I have been working with the team for eleven months now and much synergy has been created. My being present or absent is of no great deal because I have already built a team that can do better even in my absence,” he told www.lmc-ng.org.

    Salisu, who has previously worked as a Super Eagles’ assistant coach under Samson Siasia, also spoke about the struggles of his club, El-Kanemi Warriors. He has remained confident that they will beat the drop.

    “I am not under any pressure to beat the drop and in view of our recent performances and results, El-Kanemi is sure to remain in the Premier League come next season,” he said.

    Mfon Udoh’s lone goal in the 50th minute made all the difference for Enyimba’s title aspirations, as they beat the Warriors in Aba, and securing crucial three points for the Elephants that kept them on the heels of Warri Wolves and Kano Pillars.

    The striker tapped in his 18th of the season from 10 yards after some neat work from Nzugbe Anaezemba following Kingsley Sokari’s flick.

  • Keshi set for Ethiopia job

    Keshi set for Ethiopia job

    Immediate past coach of the Super Eagles of Nigeria, Stephen Keshi may not have exaggerated on his claims of having ‘other offers’ outside Nigeria, as SL10.ng can exclusively report that the 52-year old is a subject of interest from the Ethiopia Football Federation.

    The former Nigeria skipper was replaced as the Super Eagles coach on Thursday by the Amaju Pinnick-led Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) executive committee and promptly replaced by Amodu Shuaibu – albeit on an interim capacity.

    However, SL10.ng have exclusively gathered from sources inside the Ethiopia Football Federation (EFF) that the EFF have shortlisted Keshi, as well as two other coaches to replace the under-fire Mariano Barreto, who’s currently handling the Ethiopian men’s national football team.

    The Walya Ibex of Ethiopia are bottom of group B, in the qualifiers for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations with three points from four games – their first and only win coming on Wednesday in a  hard fought 3-2 win over Mali in Bamako. And with qualification looking very unlikely, the EFF have shortlisted three candidates that could replace the 57-year old Barreto, with Stephen Keshi being the prime candidate.

    The Ethiopia Football Federation are yet to make any official statement to this effect, but SL10.ng understands that the executive committee led by Juneidi Basha will meet within the next two weeks to decide Barreto’s fate, and possibly the appointment of Keshi.

    “The executive committee will meet within the next two weeks because Barreto will be fired, and Keshi is likely to be appointed. Two other coaches have also been shortlisted but many of the executive committee members believe Keshi is the right man,” a source informed SL10.ng.

    Barreto, an Indian-born Portuguese coach replaced Bishaw Sewnet in April 2014 and was tasked with leading the Walya Ibex to next year’s Africa Cup of Nations but with Ethiopia all but out of the qualifying race, Keshi looks set to become the next coach of the Ethiopian team.

    Meanwhile, the Stephen Keshi camp has refused to deny or confirm the interest. Emmanual Ado, Keshi’s agent told SL10.ng that they would not be confirming or denying anything at the moment.

  • Getting that dream job

    Getting that dream job

    Do graduates have prospect of getting jobs in the face of rising unemployment? Panellists at a Job Fair held at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) last Tuesday believe graduates can get their dream jobs if their curriculum vitae reflect their competence and character. WALE AJETUNMOBI reports.

    Students are unhappy with the admission process of universities and other higher institutions which they claimed has robbed them of studying their choice courses.

    The students said the problem could lead to a career crisis for many youths.

    Many students have been studying courses they did not pick because of the schools’ space constraints.

    Arutu Yinka, a 200-level student of the Department of English Languge at the  Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile-Ife, said: “I opted for Law, but was given English. At first, I wanted to reject the admission but after spending three years at home, I had to take what was available and the available now seems to be my calling.”

    He said it was advisable for institutions to give students options rather than denying them admission. “It is now left to the student to determine whether he or she will develop interest in it or wait for another year to write JAMB,” he added.

    Another student, Bello Mustapha of the Department of Local Government and Developmental Studies at The Polytechnic, Ibadan, Oyo State, said: “ I did well in my UTME and the test conducted by the school. I scored 29, and the cut-off mark for Marketing was 25, which ordinarily qualified me for the merit list. But I was given Local Government and Departmental Studies, all the same.”

    Bello said he was disappointed when the admission list came out as he could not find his name on his choice department’s lists. “I didn’t know what to do at first because I love and wanted to study Marketing as a profession,” he said.

    Olowookere Damilare, a 300-level student of the Department of Zoology, OAU, said: “My score couldn’t meet up with the admission requirements of Pharmacy, my first choice. I had to grab Zoology with both hands because thousands of people are outside seeking admission to universities.”

    Olowookere urged students to desist from forcing themselves to study certain courses that could jeopardise their future career plans.ow can graduates get their dream jobs in the face of rising unemployment?  It is simple, say employers and job experts.

    According to them, all they need to do is to ensure that their curriculum vitae (CV) reflect their competence and character.

    They proferred these tips at the Graduate Employment and Job Fair organised by Smiles Consulting in collaboration with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), National Directorate of Employment and National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria. For four hours, job seekers, corps members and students listened as they learned how they can get their dream jobs.

    The event with the theme: You’re hired, was held in the Multipurpose Hall A of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) last Tuesday.

    It featured a panel of discussiants, comprising the chairman of Brilla FM, Larry Izamoje, General Manager (Africa/Middle East), Lucozade Ribena Suntory, Mr Chidi Okoro and Managing Director of L’OREAL Africa Central, Mr Idorenyen Enang. The discussions were moderated by Smiles Consulting director Harry Nnoli.

    Nnoli, who is also an author, said the objective of the event was to enhance graduates employability, noting that the programme would boost the morale of the unemployed and underemployed to develop and position themselves for opportunities in the job market.

    He said: “All we are out to do is to challenge and inspire you to take necessary actions. Until you take actions, you will remain in the state of inertia.”

    During the panel session, Okoro, former Managing Director of GlaxoSmithKline, noted that the nation was in deficit in terms of job provision, but said the job seekers themselves made the situation worse with their incoherence in application writing and arrangement of their Curriculum Vitae (CV).

    He said good certificates could bring graduates to the door, stressing that the key that would open it was their attributes and character.

    “A job seeker has to have a combination of humility, competence, resilience and integrity,” he said.

    Whenever there is vacancy in any firm, Izamoje said, the company is looking for an employee that will add values to its vision and not someone that will drain the company’s fortunes without adding values.

    He inspired the youth with how he established Brilla FM from his meagre salary at the defunct Concord, urging the participants not to be a millipede in a country that has great potential.

    He said: “Hire yourself if they don’t hire you. Make your passion your ?????. Locate your passion and be persistent in it. You must plan your goal, practicalise and prioritise it. After the whole effort, relax and play to refresh your enthusiasm towards achieving your goal.”

    To Enang, a good CV is not an assurance for employment. He believes the integrity and character content of graduates should be their CV. “Discipline and focus are the values that can help employed youths to keep their job,” he added.

    UNILAG Acting Dean of Students’ Affairs, Prof Rebecca Soremekun, who stood in for the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Rahaman Bello, said graduates must take up the gauntlet and leave their state of inertia. Rather than perfecting their CVs to get undeserved jobs, she urged the participants to show good character and add values to the vision of the companies they may find themselves.

    She also urged them to utilise social media for business and employment networking, rather than using the medium to socialise.

    Representative of the Director-General of the NYSC, Mrs Rachael Idaewo, said the event was a golden opportunity for students and graduates to change their lives for the good. While noting that the labour was rough highly competitive, she said NYSC would continue to expose the serving youths to programmes that would make them entrepreneur and gainfully employed.

    The event also featured question and answer session, where the participants bore their minds on issues that set limitation for employment in the country.

  • How to apply for a job

    A job application (referred to as cover letter by Americans) is the first impression a potential employer gets of you, and it can make or break your chances. As you only get one chance to make a positive first impression, then you need to be careful and do your levl best to do everything right.

    Something to honest confession:  Following these guidelines perfectly won’t guarantee that all your application will get you somewhere as some manager look for some pretty strange things.

     

    Application form

    Some jobs require an application form and some don’t. When there is an application form (sometimes called  application blank), it asks for the information the employer most wants to know, like work experience. Most information required is already on the Resume.

    Nevertheless, it is important thing is to include all the relevant information. The reason employers take this route is to provide a standard format for assessing applicants. Don’t leave a field blank unless it’s optional or you don’t have any relevant information to include.

    Another important thing to do right is how you format the information in each field. If you format things like your phone number or your name (I have seen it) incorrectly, an employer is likely to assume you have poor communication skills. This means proper capitalisation in text, proper grouping in phone numbers and proper layout of things like addresses.

     

    Cover letter

    Sometimes entry level positions wouldn’t require a cover letter but all higher level and professional jobs do. Your cover letter should be tailored to the specifically to the job you’re applying for and, when possible, addressed directly to the hiring manager or the person-with-the-power-to-hire.

    A cover letter should be brief, generally one page and never more than two, and professionally written. You should clearly state why you think you would be most suited to the position and the organisation.

    It’s crucial that your spelling and grammar are correct. One spelling error could remove you from consideration instantly. Read over your cover letter at least once, probably twice, before it goes off to an employer.Better still, get somebody to look it over for you.

     

    Résumé

    Your résumé is the core of your application and thus the most important. It’s always a good idea to tailor your résumé to the job somewhat and you absolutely must format it correctly. (You’ve probably noticed a theme.) It should be separated into sections that deal with the things employers look for, like work experience and education.

    Be sure to keep all your points brief. Say the most important things firstHiring managers have a large volume of applications to review and only have a few minutes to look at each one. Typos, grammatical errors are a no, no, no.

    If you feel needs to be expanded on you can do so in your cover letter but only if it’s particularly relevant.

     

    Email application

    Even though email is usually regarded as quite casual, an email application is not. You generally don’t need a separate cover/application letter, the email body can serve that purpose. All the same rules apply to the email that apply to a conventional cover letter. The subject line should always contain the position you’re applying for.

     

    Addressing the Hiring Manager

    In cases where you know the name of the hiring manager, you need to address them properly. The rule of thumb is to start as formal as possible and get more casual when they indicate it’s appropriate. Obviously, if all you know is a first name then it’s appropriate to use it but if you know a surname then that’s what you should use to start with.

    The only exception is when you have no indication of what the appropriate salutation would be, like if they have a unisex first name such as Alex.

    If you’re applying to me, you should start by addressing me as Mr. Oyeniran and later, once I’ve demonstrated that I’m a fairly casual employer you could start addressing me as Steve or Steven if you’d like. Truth is the last part hardly apply in this part of the world.

     

    Application method

    Most job postings include how you should apply and all list at least one piece of contact information. When there’s an application method listed, that’s how you need to apply.

    Otherwise you could be eliminated without your application even being read. If there’s only contact information, then the method is at your discretion, just be sure to do it properly.

    Hopefully you found this helpful and will make your job search easier.

  • How to apply for a job

    A job application (referred to as cover letter by Americans) is the first impression a potential employer gets of you, and it can make or break your chances. As you only get one chance to make a positive first impression, then you need to be careful and do your levl best to do everything right.

    Something to honest confession:  Following these guidelines perfectly won’t guarantee that all your application will get you somewhere as some manager look for some pretty strange things.

     

    Application form

    Some jobs require an application form and some don’t. When there is an application form (sometimes called  application blank), it asks for the information the employer most wants to know, like work experience. Most information required is already on the Resume.

    Nevertheless, it is important thing is to include all the relevant information. The reason employers take this route is to provide a standard format for assessing applicants. Don’t leave a field blank unless it’s optional or you don’t have any relevant information to include.

    Another important thing to do right is how you format the information in each field. If you format things like your phone number or your name (I have seen it) incorrectly, an employer is likely to assume you have poor communication skills. This means proper capitalisation in text, proper grouping in phone numbers and proper layout of things like addresses.

     

    Cover letter

    Sometimes entry level positions wouldn’t require a cover letter but all higher level and professional jobs do. Your cover letter should be tailored to the specifically to the job you’re applying for and, when possible, addressed directly to the hiring manager or the person-with-the-power-to-hire.

    A cover letter should be brief, generally one page and never more than two, and professionally written. You should clearly state why you think you would be most suited to the position and the organisation.

    It’s crucial that your spelling and grammar are correct. One spelling error could remove you from consideration instantly. Read over your cover letter at least once, probably twice, before it goes off to an employer.Better still, get somebody to look it over for you.

     

    Résumé

    Your résumé is the core of your application and thus the most important. It’s always a good idea to tailor your résumé to the job somewhat and you absolutely must format it correctly. (You’ve probably noticed a theme.) It should be separated into sections that deal with the things employers look for, like work experience and education.

    Be sure to keep all your points brief. Say the most important things firstHiring managers have a large volume of applications to review and only have a few minutes to look at each one. Typos, grammatical errors are a no, no, no.

    If you feel needs to be expanded on you can do so in your cover letter but only if it’s particularly relevant.

     

    Email application

    Even though email is usually regarded as quite casual, an email application is not. You generally don’t need a separate cover/application letter, the email body can serve that purpose. All the same rules apply to the email that apply to a conventional cover letter. The subject line should always contain the position you’re applying for.

     

    Addressing the Hiring Manager

    In cases where you know the name of the hiring manager, you need to address them properly. The rule of thumb is to start as formal as possible and get more casual when they indicate it’s appropriate. Obviously, if all you know is a first name then it’s appropriate to use it but if you know a surname then that’s what you should use to start with.

    The only exception is when you have no indication of what the appropriate salutation would be, like if they have a unisex first name such as Alex.

    If you’re applying to me, you should start by addressing me as Mr. Oyeniran and later, once I’ve demonstrated that I’m a fairly casual employer you could start addressing me as Steve or Steven if you’d like. Truth is the last part hardly apply in this part of the world.

     

    Application method

    Most job postings include how you should apply and all list at least one piece of contact information. When there’s an application method listed, that’s how you need to apply.

    Otherwise you could be eliminated without your application even being read. If there’s only contact information, then the method is at your discretion, just be sure to do it properly.

    Hopefully you found this helpful and will make your job search easier.