mba emeka: @flexxyonline

I couldve have responded to you in greater detail but I would be casting my 'pearls to swine'. Infact placing you as one is an insult to swine. Thank heavens Rhino.5dm has responded to you.

@all I never said that foreign degrees weren't respected or that 'no form' of meritocracy is involved in recruitment processes. I only stated unequivocally that the 'magomago' was rife and is slowly effacing the merit part especially at entry level. I don't know what @flexxyonline is on about 'talking about a defeatist attitude. Heck, I could even be working for Chevron now.

Concerning the recruitment process please don't make me laugh. In the previous PE recruitment prior to the 2012 one only 8 people got to the interview stage. Because they were so few they exchanged contacts with themselves and promised to inform the others should any of them be called. None of them were. Even though some left the UK and US to attend the interview. About last years own, LOL ( I have to LOL in between) they short-listed people for the initial Dragnet test and responded quite abrubtly in selecting those that were to partake in the skilltest phase. There was a veeeeeerrrrrrrryyyyyy long wait before folks were invited for the interview stage and do you know why? Its because the questions leaked. Apparently one big man gave the questions to his olodo son who in turn brought it to people that could solve it for him. One thing led to another and so most people had it and did so well that Chevron didn't knwo what to do. I know a boy whose dad just retired from there ( a Geophysicist) that also got a job via the 'earth scientist' option. By the same man-know-man parole. Keep your defeatist/ guilty conscience talk to yourself.

mba emeka: @flexxyonline

I couldve have responded to you in greater detail but I would be casting my 'pearls to swine'. Infact placing you as one is an insult to swine. Thank heavens Rhino.5dm has responded to you.

@all I never said that foreign degrees weren't respected or that 'no form' of meritocracy is involved in recruitment processes. I only stated unequivocally that the 'magomago' was rife and is slowly effacing the merit part especially at entry level. I don't know what @flexxyonline is on about 'talking about a defeatist attitude. Heck, I could even be working for Chevron now.

Concerning the recruitment process please don't make me laugh. In the previous PE recruitment prior to the 2012 one only 8 people got to the interview stage. Because they were so few they exchanged contacts with themselves and promised to inform the others should any of them be called. None of them were. Even though some left the UK and US to attend the interview. About last years own, LOL ( I have to LOL in between) they short-listed people for the initial Dragnet test and responded quite abrubtly in selecting those that were to partake in the skilltest phase. There was a veeeeeerrrrrrrryyyyyy long wait before folks were invited for the interview stage and do you know why? Its because the questions leaked. Apparently one big man gave the questions to his olodo son who in turn brought it to people that could solve it for him. One thing led to another and so most people had it and did so well that Chevron didn't knwo what to do. I know a boy whose dad just retired from there ( a Geophysicist) that also got a job via the 'earth scientist' option. By the same man-know-man parole. Keep your defeatist/ guilty conscience talk to yourself.

coogar: i don't believe emperoh.....
you want to tell me you didn't rub the palms of your interviewer before you got your current job? you didn't take him to obeledu-ugada for a weekend trip?

Yes boss!! I rubbed no palm, gave them no virgins from Obeledu neither did i share our special, fresh palmy!!

Emperoh: Why do KPMG, PwC, Accenture etc handle staffing for clients? Work to get an opportunity for an interview, go in and prove your mettle!

!

mba emeka: @flexyonline

I can also tell you about the best student ever in Unilag's engineering faculty (that didn't transfer from the HND o) that wrote Chevrons test and didn't make it yet a 2'1 person from his dept got the job through recruitment malfeasance. Just like BA friend he too is qualified and a brillian chap but he knows he couldn't have got that job deviod of internal/external help.

Me list names for you? I'm not that petty besides if they stumble on the story on NL they'd know where it emanated from because a part of my moniker does give me away. If you think I'm lying that's really your business. Some others don't think that, atleast Jarus could vouch for my SHELL account and Rhino.5dn can for my Exxon one. Maybe you got a job with Chevron in 2009 or so without any help but that doesn't in anyway negate my story.

Emperoh:


Yes boss!! I rubbed no palm, gave them no virgins from Obeledu neither did i share our special, fresh palmy!!

mba emeka: Emperoh might be saying the truth but KPMG and PWC pay like 120-140 thousandper month for graduate trainee and they employ quite a handful year- in- year out. The sad thing is that a lot of their staff quit after a year or two for better paying jobs. Those jobs are only good when you're up the cadre.

Note: I passed both tests for the two companies and was even offered a place by one. Since I was looking for oil and gas experience (as an engineer) I declined.

dayokanu:

Are you trying to tell me that you work in Muri Okunola now? Emperoh, You gave me money to drop your resume with HR. Better confess now or I would show everyone my Bank statement where you deposited

This man!! please where is Muri Okunola? Oh, PwC head office. . . . .
Please can you post the statement? Maybe, just maybe we might prove your real worth!

cheleku: Nice piece. But you got your message a bit muddled up. I don't quite get where stand on foreign degrees. You seem to discourage it at one point, and yet encourage it at some other point. On a lighter note, do you still have the funny accent? If you do, quickly discard of it. It may be the reason why you had to search for a job for so long.

salt 1: Just to lift the mood of those that find all these depressing: I've changed job four times without knowing anybody. I think where the nepotism thing is more noticed is with government agencies.
If you manage to find your way into international NGOs, you will see that experience and integrity (not necessarily paper qualifications) will keep opening more doors for you.

I still think that job opportunities should be driven by the private sector. Government should create enabling environments (roads, light and security) so that brains like the ops can use their training to create jobs

saxywale:
I once used man know man to secure an interview and job at dfid (making market work for......). I was to be posted to kano and that was when the bombing was intense. I chose life over money. abi dfid nor be international NGO?

Emperoh: I can't remember how many tests i wrote.
Some i flunked some i passed. basically 50-50

Most times i prefer interviews where i must have made a situational analysis of the position,
have ready made work plans and a 'what to do' plan for the role ready. . . . . . that was i did Heirs; an interview that lasted for, wait for it; 2 hours 13 minutes.

Post M.Sc, i have wrote only two tests. Passe one (PwC) failed one.

coogar: Foreign Degree & The Nigerian Reality

.....

Finally in Nigeria, the euphoria of being back to a place I call home started to wear off after a month. As a man on a mission, I started moving round the country armed with my CV and a strong faith in Nigeria. I thought my newly acquired British accent and my UK certificates would make a difference. Well, my certificate has not made any difference and my “fake” accent only made most interviewers unfriendly. The only difference I have noticed is that the soles of my shoes have started wearing off due to trekking and my London clothes have started “fading”.

I have attended many interviews, passed all of them and asked to “be ready to resume in two weeks”. Well, it is gone past one year now, and I have finally given up on this country. One thing though is clear, people such as Reuben Abati and Doyin Okupe might disagree (who cares?), but about 90 per cent of jobs in Nigeria go to cronies of either those in government or those working in places where such vacancies exist. Merit has been thrown to the dogs and that is why you find all manner of unintelligent people working in sensitive positions all over the country.


........

by John Chikadibie Okafor.

Rhino.5dm:


Say what you know, please! What's there is these companies that a brilliant secondary school student can't handle properly? Lemme say this and repeat it again and again, there is nothing scary or big about working in Exxon Mobil or other oil coy. Just a routine, boring and unchallenging task from January to December. Stop making it look as if a 3rd class Nigerian graduate can't handle the task excellently.

Wetin be big work for hourly checking and recording the pressure of an in-line process line or sending mails directing field technicians the next date of routine preventing maintenance? My 2 years old son can do that within 30 minutes of telling him what to do. Abeg fashi that side.

Not that some people can't get recruited base on merit and all that. But what I hate is lying and denial or trying to start bragging with "yeah, I'm now working with shell, cos I'm the best" when in real na pady pady runs carry you go there. The MNC is turning into family business, where members of family rotate recruitment slots among their siblings.

Lemme call some names to buttress my point. Do you know that Demiji Isiaka, Dotun Isiaka and Razak Isiaka are thesame family members working in EXXON MOBIL?, May be na dem sabi book pass wey 3 people and their 4 in-laws will be working in EXXON MOBIL . . . Don't come here to tell me about Exxon Mobil, a place I know like the tip of my dicck. That place is like a family reunion, where members of thesame family work in different department.

kabaka1:

Good pointS

x-fire:


I will keep saying this: IT IS BLATANT FALSEHOOD that 90% of jobs in Nigeria is on man-know-man basis. It is callous to say so just because of his unfortunate experience.
I am a witness. I have seen hundreds of people get jobs on merit in both private and public organizations. I'm not ruling out getting a job through networking in Nigeria. I'm only saying it is highly exaggerated.
Jobs are few in Nigeria. Thus, only the very best and favoured get to have employment in Nigeria. I was once involved in a major recruitment involving thousands of applicants and they finally took only six of us. We never knew anybody. But it will be very difficult to convince the remaining thousands of unsuccessful candidates that we never knew anybody in the organization.
I'm not against any other info in the write-up (didn't bother reading everything)

x-fire:


I will keep saying this: IT IS BLATANT FALSEHOOD that 90% of jobs in Nigeria is on man-know-man basis. It is callous to say so just because of his unfortunate experience.
I am a witness. I have seen hundreds of people get jobs on merit in both private and public organizations. I'm not ruling out getting a job through networking in Nigeria. I'm only saying it is highly exaggerated.
Jobs are few in Nigeria. Thus, only the very best and favoured get to have employment in Nigeria. I was once involved in a major recruitment involving thousands of applicants and they finally took only six of us. We never knew anybody. But it will be very difficult to convince the remaining thousands of unsuccessful candidates that we never knew anybody in the organization.
I'm not against any other info in the write-up (didn't bother reading everything)

dayokanu:

I agree especially when its Multi nationals

But with Govt I think its reverse

bankylan: If you are not from one of the top B-Schools, coming to Nigeria with your foreign degree will not automatically give you a good job....the likes of LBS,Cranfield,Insead, HARVARD, Hass, Hec, Stanford, ROTMAN,Ivey with impressive work experience can give you a good job.

But I am not sure of the likes of London South Bank, Southampton, e.t.c.

x-fire:

I will keep saying this: IT IS BLATANT FALSEHOOD that 90% of jobs in Nigeria is on man-know-man basis. It is callous to say so just because of his unfortunate experience.

I am a witness. I have seen hundreds of people get jobs on merit in both private and public organizations. I'm not ruling out getting a job through networking in Nigeria. I'm only saying it is highly exaggerated.

Jobs are few in Nigeria. Thus, only the very best and favoured get to have employment in Nigeria. I was once involved in a major recruitment involving thousands of applicants and they finally took only six of us. We never knew anybody. But it will be very difficult to convince the remaining thousands of unsuccessful candidates that we never knew anybody in the organization. I'm not against any other info in the write-up (didn't bother reading everything)