Are you a recent graduate?

Do you have 1 – 3 years working experience?

Are you a student in your final year?

In 2011, I got job offers from three notable organizations at the same time. Yes you read it right, three job offers at the same time!

I was elated but confused because I wasn’t sure which one to accept. All of them were related to my various career aspirations.

How did I get three job offers when others could barely get an invitation for an aptitude test not to talk of an interview? My friends couldn’t fathom how I was able to achieve it. My very close girlfriend kept telling me all about their musings but I could only laugh and wonder why they wouldn’t just ask.

Today I will be sharing with you what I did and what I didn’t do.

To start with, I was very positive I would start my career with a notable multinational. The power of optimism! I remember during my National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) how I will lie on my bed upon returning from my place of primary assignment; a secondary school in Bayelsa State,Nigeria where I taught Mathematics and imagining myself seated in a board meeting with high ranking executives and discussing important issues and how to solve problems. This particular image remained in my memory throughout my service year and I refused to let go even when my friends called me a dreamer.

Twelve months after NYSC, I was yet to land my dream job.Meanwhile, a good number of people I met during my youth service had taken one survival job or the other just to keep body and soul together. They even advised me to do so pending when I will get my ‘dream job’ which they didn’t believe I would get without “connection”. I didn’t want to be distracted with jobs that were not in line with my career goals so I ignored them. Till this day, some of them are still in that survival job as it tied them down and wouldn’t give them time to pursue their dream.

So what did I do? I cannot recall the number of job applications I submitted or even the number of aptitude tests I took. Giving up was not an option because the board meeting imagery was very vivid in my imagination. It is worthy of note to tell you I was always on the lookout for job postings from multinationals. I had made up my mind to start big and start right and I believed with my whole heart that it will happen.

During my NYSC, I saved over 90% of my earnings and lived on a very tight budget because I knew I would need the money to achieve my goals.Just to mention, the last time my dad gave me money was in my final year during my undergraduate studies. I was on my own financially in the pursuit of my dream so my savings came in very handy during my numerous travels all over Nigeria to take aptitude tests and attend job interviews.

When it seemed all my efforts were not yielding any fruit, I decided to keep myself occupied with a personal goal. I love languages and had fallen in love with French language. I enrolled in Alliance Francaise to learn the language of love while I kept the job applications going and attending interviews when required. I registered for DELF B1 and I passed!

Just about the time I passed my DEFL B1, the results of the endless applications started rolling in. I remember the day I received a call from KPMG to come for my medicals. I was so excited; I rushed into the room to inform my sister-in-law in Lagos. Just some minutes after the celebration, I decided to check my email only to find a message from PricewaterhouseCoopers(PwC) that they had been trying to reach me for over a month as every other successful candidates had already collected their offer letters. The following day, an uncle who is a Lecturer in the university where I had my undergraduate studies informed me that I was successful after my interview so I should come and pick up my appointment letter as a Graduate Lecturer. Yes three different job offers within 48 hours from reputable organizations.

I couldn’t describe my emotions; at last my dream came true.Other people were worried they had no jobs but my own worry was to make a choice out of three. What a life!

So you see, dreams come true. So what are the key points from my story?

Visualize your future. Have an image of what you want to be and where you want to be and never let go. If your imaginations don’t scare you, then you are being mediocre. Have an impossibility is nothing mindset.

Be positive. Do not listen to naysayers. Surround yourself with optimism and keep it flaming even in the midst of setbacks. The 12 months delay was a blessing as I learnt French Language and obtained an internationally recognized certificate.

Prepare for the future. Start now to learn how to save for the rainy days. Those savings will come in handy when you are in dire need. Instead of being a parasite to others and having an entitlement mentality, you can always fall back on your savings. I used my savings for all the logistics involved in achieving my career goals and also paid for my language lessons.

Be proactive and lookout for opportunities in organizations of interest. Stop wasting your time on non-value adding posts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and the others. Create a LinkedIn profile; use your data to search for jobs online.Register your email with job sites so you get daily update on job openings.Follow companies on social media. Read about those companies and join their conversations. Create a profile on the company website and submit your resume.

Apply apply apply. Apply some more, keep applying to various job openings. Customize your resume to highlight the skills required. Please do not lie about you qualifications or skills. They will surely come back to bite you. If you get a rejection mail,brush it off and focus on the next application.

Be prepared. In addition to submitting an application with a well written resume,you need to be prepared for the next step. Download various aptitude test formats and practice. Read how to excel in interviews. Ask a friend to help you conduct a mock interview. There are dozens of interview questions and answers that can be found online with just a simple Google search. Use your phone wisely instead of getting involved in meaningless internet verbal wars.

Distract yourself positively. You need to set goals in all areas of your life, not just in your career. While waiting for the career goal to come to pass, move to the next goal. Look through your personal goals, learn a skill; swimming, foreign language, fashion and designing, sports. Whatever is your passion, go for it. It is not time-wasting. It is personal development which can even be monetized in the future. Do not be idle.

Be patient. Patience is a virtue in all aspects of your life especially when you have big dreams. Endeavor to play your part very well and trust the process. It will surely come. Keep the hope alive.

So this is how I started my career.

If you need help in any area of your life, feel free to hit me up. I’m all shades of optimism so you definitely need me on the ride.

Today choose to be great and dream big!

Op, which of them did you accept and are you a chartered accountant?

ambscorp:
Op, which of them did you accept and are you a chartered accountant?

I accepted KPMG offer and I'm not a chartered accountant