₦airaland Forum

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Good evening

Good evening

Herbert Spencer once said; The main aim of education is not knowledge but action.

Everything you have learned up till this point has a purpose. Have you put it all to use?

Most of us are so obsessed with getting this or that certification. We want to have as many degrees as possible.

We want to attend every available webinar and engage every online course.

But, what about putting all that knowledge to use?

The antidote to unemployment is not more certifications or online courses. Instead of acquiring more certifications, what have we done with the ones we already have?

What problems have we solved? How many people have we influenced positively with the knowledge we already have?

Through Lingo Africa, many professionals out there have now understood that there is no need to get involved in every webinar or online class.

If you must learn something new, let there be a plan for when you make use of the knowledge gained from the learning platform.

If there is no such plan, then why embark on that particular learning process in the first place?

It is strange to find some young people studying courses that they do not even like or understand.

The fourth industrial revolution has placed more emphasis on making use of knowledge, not just merely gaining knowledge for the sake of it.

Source - Omono Okonkwo (Lingo Africa).

Sharing knowledge and insights regarding the industry you work in, using social media, is a great career growth strategy.

The only challenge is how long can you keep doing it, even when you aren't getting any acknowledgements?

Are you a consistent person or are you the type to give up soon after you begin?

Some professionals prefer to use LinkedIn to create and share industry content.

This is because LinkedIn has a large number of professionals across various industries, who are on the lookout for talents in their field.

If you're in search of better work opportunities or a new set of acquaintances, LinkedIn is your best bet.

Creating relevant industry-related content is how you get their attention.

Consistency is how you keep their attention and keep your name on top of their minds, so they can recommend you for work opportunities.

Source - Omono Okonkwo (Lingo Africa).

Good afternoon

We read a lot about how having critical thinking skills are important to every industry and workplace.

This is true. Critical thinking has been highlighted as one of the highly relevant skills from now until 2040.

But, what are the everyday ways to develop this skill?

1. Ask questions. Keep your curious side alive. It helps you gain more insight than those who choose not to. Don't worry about looking stupid. If you need answers, ask questions!

2. Do the unusual. Say for instance, your interest is finance, you will improve your critical thinking skills if you read books and interact with people working outside finance. This applies even in your leisure activities - like watching sci-fi movies, instead of your preferred RomComs.

3. Be aware of your biases and stay open to adjusting them - This is easier to do when one is self aware. If you do not know yourself, how do you know what your biases are? When you communicate with others, do you hold on fast to your pre-conceived beliefs? Doing so will prevent you from developing critical thinking skills. Always stay open to active listening and making adjustments, when presented with undisputable facts.

Source - Omono Okonkwo (Lingo Africa).

anochuko01:
You are right but Social Media doesnt show the true reflection of who people are.
While i might freely insult someone on nairaland, I would never do that to a person physically under whatever circumstance. So recruiters shouldnt always make judgement from social media posts, but they rather observe over time or question people about their questionable posts.

I need to also talk about how people on LinkedIn have almost all turned to robots, fake people acting all nice just to appear acceptable to recruiters and companies.

Well, you may be right. However, if you wouldn't insult someone in real life, why do it on social media in the first place? Recruiters do not have all year to observe your account. They have limited time. Keep the online insults at bay and properly engage people at all times, even when you disagree with them.

Good luck!

In this age of social media, more people are active online and unfortunately, a lot of professionals are using their social media wrongly.

Unlike 20 years ago, more hiring managers are using digital footprints to determine whether a potential employer is worth employing.

So, what does your social media say about you and your abilities?

Contrary to what people think, it is not just LinkedIn that hiring managers pay attention to when looking to hire new employees. They check everything.

What are you posting? What comments are you leaving? Even when people try to insult or degrade you online, how do you react?

All these are your digital footprints. Be careful out there.

Source - Omono Okonkwo (Lingo Africa).

You are likely to get job offers based on recommendation, than through online applications.

The workplace has evolved. Meritocracy is still practiced, but it's mostly done now based on someone's recommendation.

While applying for jobs through job boards, meet and add value to as many people as you can.

Your network will determine how many work or business opportunities you receive. Please, understand that having access to opportunities has nothing to do with having the best talent.

There are so many people out there that wake up everyday to lots of opportunities because of the people they surround themselves with.

Who are your friends and acquaintances? What value are you adding to those around you? What groups and associations do you belong to?

All these will determine the kind of network you have.

Source - Omono Okonkwo (Lingo Africa).

When approaching any professional you think can recommend you for a work opportunity, whether face-to-face or virtually, you should try not to use your life challenges as a reason why they should help you.

It's off-putting.

Begging for a job, using your sick parent, inability to pay children's school fees or your rent are not good enough reasons for anyone to employ you.

The workplace survives on symbiotic relationships. What can you do? What can the organization or company offer you for your services?

Think about what you can do and present those skills to whoever you are talking to about a possible work opportunity.

Begging only robs you of the chance to be taken seriously by anyone.

Source - Omono Okonkwo (Lingo Africa).