Can someone please enlighten me. I find it difficult to communicate a satisfactory answer when it comes to answering the "what are your strength/weakness" question. It simply unsettles me. How do I answer, without giving the impression that I am trying to impress or being dishonest

The road to eventual success is often punctuated with momentary failures. Keep it coming, rationalmind!

Following

Me sef don park join.

Before I talk about the next interview experience, I'll have to share everything that happened prior to the interview as I feel it's equally as important.

Not everything that looks like GNLD is truly GNLD. Davide470 can confirm this. Yeah, I read your diary

When Tbliz posted his thread sometime in August, a twitter post of a random guy no one knows, people questioned his thread. They said it was GNLD. "Which multinational uses @gmail.com" they asked him.

Like several others, I sent in my CV. The pain of joblessness was greater than sending my CV to GNLD agents. Assuming they don't have the CV already.

Few weeks later, after I had forgotten I applied, a mail came in. It wasn't a test invite, it was a mail asking for my certificates.

How can I send my certificates to one anonymous Gmail account I asked myself. I took the risk and sent it. It was the best decision I've ever made.

Few weeks afterwards, I got a test invite. Turns out the company is the third largest telecoms equipment manufacturing company in the world. Just behind Ericsson and our friends from China, Huawei.

I went for the test alongside 40 other candidates and 14 of us were shortlisted for the interview.

Lesson: Do not discard every questionable job ad as gnld. You just may be wrong.

The interview experience and lessons learnt will come in the next post.

@ OP! Just check the number of people veiwing this topic right now and you will realize your life poupose! I guess its training and development!

dearpreye:


This is indeed inspiring. Passion is very important; we should endeavour to demonstrate to our prospective employers that we're very passionate about the job we've applied for. These lessons are very apt.

Thank you. Information is wealth. Thank you.

Thank you boss. Been following you a lot and I see your entrepreneurial spirit. Hoping to learn from you as the days go by

rationalmind:


Thank you boss. Been following you a lot and I see your entrepreneurial spirit. Hoping to learn from you as the days go by

Thanks for the lessons, once again. I can assure you scores are making and taking vital notes from your incredible lessons.

I'm willing to test my entrepreneurial skills .

Wonderful thread. Op ama pm u and others..pls u guys should respond 2 my pm's..i really need 2 tap frm ur knowledge. Tnx in advance

Oluwapresley:
I think this pIace is nice, dont u? cooI environment with someone teIIing life experiences?

U mind if I buy u a drink and we relax and I teII u about my 50 worst interview questions?

It is indeed a nice place, learned a lot already.
I don't mnd at all, I am sure I am gonna learn from that too

OK lemme bookmark dis.. thanks OP for sharing

rationalmind:
BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT LIES, IT MAY RUIN EVERY GOOD THING YOUVE SAID DURING THE INTERVIEW

I picked myself up after the airtel disappointment, downloaded numerous videos on how to overcome fear and how to build confidence.

So when I got KPMG assessment centre invite, confidence was the least of my worries. I was well prepared, digested my course to a satisfactory level and was already looking forward to working with them cos I knew I was destroying the interview which of course I did.

The interview started in no time and everything was fine, I answered all questions extremely well until one tall, slim dark guy asked this question I'll never forget.

So rationalmind, how come you're having all C's in your neco result? He asked

I responded by saying it's even miraculous I passed the neco as it was waec I really prepared for and just wrote neco for the sake of writing since I was sure I'll pass waec.

When the result came out, as I had predicted, my waec result was very fine but unfortunately, I had a D7 in chemistry and that rendered my waec result useless. Since then, I've been forced to use my neco result.

How many A's did you have in your waec? he asked.

I could have told the truth but I lied, I told him I had two A's when I had none. All I had were B's. I felt since I had given them my neco result and the result satisfies their requirement, it doesn't matter.

The interview ended in no time, I thanked them and left.

The following day, I got a call from them. "Rationalmind, you told us you have a waec result with two A's yesterday" the caller at the other end said.

Yes, I answered.

Can you please send a scanned copy of the result to us now?

I paused and said I wasn't at home but will do that once I get home. I needed time to plan my next line of action.

I sent my waec result like that and explained it was a mix up bla bla bla

The result was a regret mail

Passion is tested and trusted weapon

I recently got an internship with an organisation and the first question I was asked during the interview was " tell me about your course" I was taken of guard but managed to say something meaningful though not satisfactory but once the interviewer pop a question about career aspiration I feel like I was unleashed because passion is at work.

If possible I will bookmark this thread.

Our so - called failures serve us well when they teach us invaluable information. They're frequently better teachers than our successes.

This is interesting

rationalmind:


Thanks boss. Quite an age? How have you been?

I've been good, just work and only work...welcome to the working class team
You really had a handful job hunting experience out there ...

ksstroud:



Hmmmm... Well some peeps can disagree ooooo
But there's no course of study ever, that doesn't have flexibility of being related to all life dealings....
It is all a matter of preparation and digging deep on what to deliver... Being a graduate, the ideal is you are a potential manager...
I can be a fishery graduate and reflect my knowledge in oil and gas.. A fine artist, relating his course in auditing.. And so on

Be a Philosophy graduate, and somehow, u can cut across all fields.

RationalMind, thanks for sharing dis uncommon knowledge with us. We R indeed gr8ful. My regret is that even if U spend 10yrs in any University No one will teach you this. Thanks for giving us a short-cut from escaping being Turned down. You have a strong spirit, going through this disappointment one after the other? Mehnnnnn I remove cap 4U!!









Godbless you!
Godbless NLand!!
Godbless Nigeria!!!

STRUCTURE YOUR ANSWERS, PREPARE BULLET AND DETAILED RESPONSES

I once read the diary of a joblander. Beau49 I think. She talked about preparing so hard for an interview with stanbic ibtc. It suddenly occurred to me just as she's preparing hard, others are equally preparing hard and interviewers won't take everybody. So it all boils down to who has the best response. In my experience, the detailed one is, the better.

What do I mean?

While I was being interviewed, A question came up. Rationalmind, tell us about your project in school.

I could have said, The tittle of my project is the design and construction of a 5kva voltage regulator. Incorporated in my design were four relays, a microcontroller.........

This was how I answered.

"You'll agree with me that in Nigeria, voltage fluctuation is a very common phenomenon. This voltage fluctuation results in conditions known as over voltage and under voltage. Over voltage occurs when the voltage level goes above the nominal voltage range which is 220-240V and under voltage is the reverse.

These voltage anomalies damage our household appliances and as such, a device that regulates voltage comes as a relief. As a result, I set out to design and construct a 5KVa voltage regulator also known as stabilizer. Incorporated in my design were four relays......" The interviewers obviously were pleased with my response.


You'll agree with me if two applicants were to be asked that question and they had the same project topic, the second will most likely get the job.

Another important thing is to prepare bullet responses. Have at least bullet responses to, why do u want to work for us? Where do you see yourself in five years time? What are your strengths and weaknesses? What do you know about this company?

I had bullet responses to all those before going in and was praying they ask one of them. Luckily, I was asked where I see myself in 5 years time.

By the time I finished, one of the interviewers asked if I wanted to be a governor? I asked him why?

He told me my answer was more of a brilliant manifesto and I should consider politics.

Another told his fellow panelists, "this guy really needs this job" he came very prepared

In my mind, I was like, you guys should thank your stars you only asked one of the questions I was hoping you'll ask. At that point, I knew the battle was won and it wasn't much of a surprise when two weeks later, I got a mail stating

You are one of 7 candidates selected based on your......

And before I end this, yes, I unleashed my passion weapon. Told them my love for telecoms made me volunteer to work in a telecoms firm without pay .

Follow all these hidden lessons especially the ones on passion, detailed and bullet responses and you're close to landing your dream job.

Welldone bro! useful information

Rationalmind being killing me with laughter... I love your spirit, thanks for the info. The telecom story really got be cracking up #passionfire

adeaks:



There is always something about your course that can relate....you only have to think deep and be inventive. You have to first realize that the people who invited you for the interviews were aware of your course before inviting you. If they didn't consider you employable with the course you read, they wouldnt have invited you at all. So by asking you that question they only want to see how far you can reason.

There is a senior colleague in my workplace, who read food and nutrition.(or something related) Now imagine what a food nutritionist is doing in an audit firm.

You can always ask yourself that how did she scale through the interview processes but as an example, if I am in her shoes, I can tell the interviewers that "a food nutritionist is trained to be very meticulous and observant, as a little too much of one ingredient can spoil a whole meal or maybe even render it harmful. These are traits that are also necessary for any auditor. An auditor has to have a good eye for details and also be patient and meticulous when going over the books of clients....."

You just have to link some of your skills to the job. It doesn't have to be the technical skills alone.

superb response!

SweetyZinta:
RationalMind, thanks for sharing dis uncommon knowledge with us. We R indeed gr8ful. My regret is that even if U spend 10yrs in any University No one will teach you this. Thanks for giving us a short-cut from escaping being Turned down. You have a strong spirit, going through this disappointment one after the other? Mehnnnnn I remove cap 4U!!









Godbless you!
Godbless NLand!!
Godbless Nigeria!!!

Thanks miss. God bless you too

It might interest you to know I didn't share all. I failed up to 9 interviews before I started passing. I just highlighted the ones I feel are important.

juddexy2:
Rationalmind being killing me with laughter... I love your spirit, thanks for the info. The telecom story really got be cracking up #passionfire

thanks bro.

SweetyZinta:
RationalMind, thanks for sharing dis uncommon knowledge with us. We R indeed gr8ful. My regret is that even if U spend 10yrs in any University No one will teach you this. Thanks for giving us a short-cut from escaping being Turned down. You have a strong spirit, going through this disappointment one after the other? Mehnnnnn I remove cap 4U!!









Godbless you!
Godbless NLand!!
Godbless Nigeria!!!

Commendable, your submission!!!
Rationalmind is indeed great, but even his own is small compared to what great dudes had faced before landing their oyel money job big gig.... But Rationalmind is the current master now, for spitting out this...
.
.
If you hear trolls from KPMG, pwc, Sahara, addax, transocean, schlumberger, unisell, NBC, nb, banks and many more.... You go laugh tire....
.
.
How I wish you are at elegushi Now....

ksstroud:


Commendable, your submission!!!
Rationalmind is indeed great, but even his own is small compared to what great dudes had faced before landing their oyel money job big gig.... But Rationalmind is the current master now, for spitting out this...
.
.
If you hear trolls from KPMG, pwc, Sahara, addax, transocean, schlumberger, unisell, NBC, nb, banks and many more.... You go laugh tire....
.
.
How I wish you are at elegushi Now....

thanks bro for following till the end. How's the beach party going? Distance prevented some of us from making it.

thanks very much...it's really an eye opener to those undergraduate.

Smeeky:

I've been good, just work and only work...welcome to the working class team
You really had a handful job hunting experience out there ...

What you have up there is just the summary. I could go on.

Glad you've gotten a job. Congrats

rationalmind:
STRUCTURE YOUR ANSWERS, PREPARE BULLET AND DETAILED RESPONSES

I once read the diary of a joblander. Beau I think. She talked about preparing so hard for an interview with stanbic ibtc. It suddenly occurred to me just as she's preparing hard, others are equally preparing hard and interviewers won't take everybody. So it all boils down to who has the best response. In my experience, the detailed one is, the better.

What do I mean?

While I was being interviewed. A question came up. Rationalmind, tell us about your project in school.

I could have said, The tittle of my project is the design and construction of a 5kva voltage regulator. Incorporated in my design were four relays, a microcontroller.........

This was how I answered.

"You'll agree with me that in Nigeria, voltage fluctuation is a very common phenomenon. This voltage fluctuation results in conditions known as over voltage and under voltage. Over voltage occurs when the voltage level goes above the nominal voltage range which is 220-240V and under voltage is the reverse.

These voltage anomalies damage our household appliances and as such, a device that regulates voltage comes as a relief. As a result, I set out to design and construction a 5KVa voltage regulator also known as stabilizer. Incorporated in my design were four relays......" The interviewers obviously were pleased with my response.


You'll agree with me if two applicants were to be asked that question and they had the same project topic, the second will most likely get the job.

Another important thing is to prepare bullet responses. Have at least bullet responses to, why do u want to work for us? Where do you see yourself in five years time? What are your strengths and weaknesses? What do you know about this company?

I had bullet responses to all those before going in and was praying they ask one of them. Luckily, I was asked where I see myself in 5 years time.

By the time I finished, one of the interviewers asked if I wanted to be a governor? I asked him why?

He told me my answer was more of a brilliant manifesto and I should consider politics.

Another told his fellow panelists, "this guy really needs this job" he came very prepared

In my mind, I was like, you guys should thank your stars you only asked one of the questions I was hoping you'll ask. At that point, I knew the battle was won and it wasn't much of a surprise when two weeks later, I got a mail stating

You are one of 7 candidates selected based on your......

And before I end this, yes, I unleashed my passion weapon. Told them my love for telecoms made me volunteer to work in a telecoms firm without pay .

Follow all these hidden lessons especially the ones on passion, detailed and bullet responses and you're close to landing your dream job.

Thanks for yet another vital lesson: not leaving anything to chance. Many of us can't really say anything truly convincing and compelling about our undergraduate project, especially where it's being quite a number of years since we graduated. Indeed getting a job entails much more than intelligence; it also involves adequate preparation, being able to explain our life's dreams to our employers, sincerity, and some necessary interview techniques.

In a world where there are an unending number of candidates adequately certificated and qualified for very limited job spaces, it's obvious some other hidden skills must be brought to bear.

I had a similar experience where I narrated my entire life dreams. I got the job......


Anyway, rationalmind, this is YOUR thread. We're following....keenly too.

rationalmind:


thanks bro for following till the end. How's the beach party going? Distance prevented some of us from making it.

You are the man...hope to read from you soon.
BTW, my regards to Mrsrationalmind
.
.
Regards

best christmas gift ever!! more grease to ur elbow Mr rationalmind

rationalmind:


Thanks miss. God bless you too

It might interest you to know I didn't share all. I failed up to 9 interviews before I started passing. I just highlighted the ones I feel are important.

Thanks for this thread rationalmind. You did a great thing sharing your wealth of experience.