Hello,

Before I introduce myself, let me say why I'm creating this thread, with the shortest string of sentences possible.

I am a freelancer/IT Personnel with a private but international company, and I have been scouring the internet for many years in search of "freelance-style" jobs, actually taking up some, and letting go( to my utter dismay), some other ones. I have, with the HR department of the company where I work, organized interviews for employing extra personnel; watched with compassion as people(graduates and non-graduates) scramble for the few jobs that be.

Well, if by the end of this thread( will it have an end? I pray not), I have not been able to help at least 10 people find callings, jobs, or better their chances of getting one, then...(I actually heaved a sigh here, literally).

What should you expect on this thread?
1. I will give you tips on how to spruce up your CVs and application letters to endear you to your interviewers.
2. I will, albeit occasionally, drop links or hints to vacancies I know of, and how best to tackle it.
3. With time too, I can teach a particular topic (how to say "teach handiwork" here?), even though a greater part might be geared towards techie stuff, or not.
4. Some humor, in the midst of my boring talks.
5. Plain honesty (and maybe too forward in this honesty).
6. There will be some "bad belles" in the thread, to try and spoil our fun.

Other than that, I don't think I need to say much - you've listened, with rapt attention to so many seminars already.
About that introduction, forget it! There's not much to it anyway - besides my username, Chimaobi is the only side of my name you mightn't already know.


PS: You can make requests on this thread.

****EDITS****
1. 12/08/14 23:55 | Some of the links to jobs I'd be posting, because I'm a freelancer, will be links to foreign websites. Be yourself!

space booked for future announcements!

Leggooooo

1st Job Listing.

Name: UserScout
Website address: www.userscout.com
Requirements: E-mail (needs to register), honesty, yourself, basic computer knowledge (read, click and fill).
Job description: varies
Incentive: varies (cash, gift cards, coupons, vouchers, etc. - sometimes none!).
Eligibility: Anyone who meets the above requirements.

Okada man,drop me here, I have seen the place I am looking for.

Let me discuss CVs a bit.

Your CV, otherwise called a resumé, is one (if not the most important) of the factors employers consider when interviewing applicants.

Come to think, given that all applicants before you have equal opportunities, would you rather employ someone who took their time to create a beautiful CV, or some other person who merely used tabs and underline with Tahoma font style to create a CV?

I'm not trying to assert that a CV is all there is to getting a job, but I'm saying authoritatively, that a CV developed with thoughts to its aesthetics, could go a long way in warming your name into the hearts of your employers.
That said, here are a few tips to help you spruce up your CV:

1. Divide your CVs into sections
Hey! It's not the Commonwealth essay competitions; you are only trying to introduce yourself to your future employers. You need to be organised. Even if you're submitting a soft copy, you don't expect them to use "Ctrl.F" to find your qualifications, when they need it.

2. We're not as interested in your hobbies as we are in your experience and skills
The essence of employing someone to fill a post is to find someone who can actually perform the duties assigned to that office.
We're not looking for somebody who "enjoys traveling" or "likes to read" (except it's a job for babysitting); we actually want someone who can say to us, I'm proficient in this and that... you get what I'm saying.
A lot of job finders spend their time trying to look for eye-catching hobbies to fill their CVs with. I'm sorry to announce to you! We're not interested in knowing if you like to drink tea or read the Bible or Quran; most of you girls don't list "gossip", and neither do you guys list "football arguments" out in your hobby section, so just tell us what you can do and shikena!, we will employ you if we need your services.

3. Avoid spelling mistakes
Even professors make mistakes; but please don't list your marital status as "single" and begin to list out your "hubbies" for us; when you outline your qualifications and you cannot spell "chronological", don't add it; we'd understand.

4. Three or four hobbies should do
There are cases where we've had people trying to impress us with "transparency", thereby listing out almost all of their daily schedule - punctuality, waking early, reading the Bible, honesty, reading story books, watching Christian movies, evangelism, helpful discussions...
HELLOOOOO! Do you even have values? Please, keep your hobby list simple and short, and include the most important and reasonable ones.
Something like "acquiring extra knowledge, reading during free time and coding" would do.

5. Cut that "objectives and goals" crap out
This applies to a lot of applicants, and as a matter of fact, you; yes, YOU reading this! Can you tell me what your objectives and goals are (as stated in your resumé), without looking? I can't hear you anyway.
Thing is, after getting a job, only few people still follow the objectives - which were actually prepared or copied to please the interviewers - except it actually was a principle they have imbibed.
The point is, instead of "objectives and goals", you could replace it with an "achievements" section, like":
a. Helped Google fix bugs in e-mail program code and...
b. I was very instrumental in the networking of...

I hope I was able to pass this message across.

6. List your skills
Please don't forget to list out, very clearly, the tasks and skills you possess. This is why you're being employed in the first place.
If you have proficiency in any software, please include it. Your "Skills and Expertise" section could look something like:
a. Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite
b. Proficient in AutoCAD 3D
c. Ability to code websites with HTML5 & CSS3 etc.

You can replace the letters with bullets to improve aesthetics.

7. Please limit your referees/references to three, maximum
A lot of people argue about which of the above can be used, but the both are correct; however, referees is mostly British English. It's not clear to me yet if "references" is its American variation, but I can assure you that it is correct.
Even if you think that one spelling is unacceptable, I still assure you that you cannot lose a job because of that reason.
This point doesn't need further explanation.

8. I just have this feeling that I'm forgetting something.
However, if you want free templates, feel free to e-mail me (DON'T DROP YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESSES HERE!) for some. The templates that I will be willing to give out free might not be more than 5 random samples for as much as 20 people, but judging from the fact that most of you are poles apart, it won't matter (or so I think).

UP NEXT >> Tips for writing a good application letter.
Please note that the above views express my own opinions. Feel free to argue, suggest, or contribute.
Okeke Christian Chimaobi.

Thanks for the iinfo okeke... But no everyone has d luxury of fixing things in relevant places as u av written. So does dat mean since av not fix things I shld not av objectives...

No Mr. Temi, it seems you've got me all wrong.

'Fixing things' should only cost you a few hours, and it is not a luxury - if you have access to a PC equipped with Ms Word, you can do that. As for objectives, what I'm saying in essence is, companies will read what skills you possess (if you include it, of course) and employ you accordingly.
No company is hiring someone because you said you have team spirit, you like to work to achieve organization goal, lift the company to greater heights, bla bla bla; they're hiring you because you have a particular skill or experience they need.

I hope I've cleared your doubts.

Thanks