₦airaland Forum

Even in the midst of the Coronavirus outbreak, you should always lookout for the best ways to increase your chances of a great career. You can be on the lookout for opportunities to volunteer, aside from your regular job. Now that a lot of companies and businesses are operating on a remote basis, you may have a lot of time on your hands and one way you can ensure that you stay updated in your career is by having a mentor to guide you.

At Lingo Africa, we have some clients who have been able to navigate their careers with the help of a mentor. Now, when we talking about having a mentor, it is important to understand that your mentor does not have to be someone like Aliko Dangote. We have realized that a lot of young career professionals usually think that their mentor has to be someone who is globally known – this is untrue.

You only need someone who is smart and who has achieved some certain things that you hope to achieve. You can set your achievable goals based on where you currently are in life, this will help you understand the kind of mentor you need to help you get to your next level. Then you can focus on a new set of goals. Now, how do you select a mentor from the plethora of smart, hardworking altruistic people out there?

Doing this has become easier than before with the arrival of a professional social media platform like LinkedIn. As the Coronavirus pandemic keeps spreading in various communities, you can even use the free time you have to study the online footprint of professionals in your industry, who you identify as potential mentors and reach out to them.

Now doing this might be a little tricky. Don’t forget that these people are strangers. Do you just send a message and say, hey! I would like you to be my mentor? Absolutely not!

Get to know the person first – More people are now online than ever before. Study what they post and when they post to understand their schedule. The stuff they talk about will also give you an insight into their personality and you can decide if this person is worth being a mentor, because not everyone has that capacity.

Relate with them often – You can start by commenting on their posts and express interest to know more about what they are talking about. This is the easiest way to engage, rather than sending a million messages to their inbox. Show appreciation for their work and content first on the timeline and when you express interest to know more, they will have no choice but to notice you. For instance, you have an interest in Human Resources and a potential mentor is always posting about HR best practices, you can engage with him/her and ask relevant questions and they will give you answers.

Help out – Many people still do not understand that in order to get attention from someone you believe can mentor you, you must add some value to them first. This is very important! Think of a skill you have that you can easily perform and your potential mentor needs, offer to help the person. This will establish a link between you two and make you a resourceful person in their eyes. This way, when you need help, they will be willing to help you, either with valuable information or even a link-up.

Whatever you do, do not take these tips for granted. They have worked for several of our clients. Go out and find yourself a mentor today!

Source - https://lingoafrica.com/mentor-your-way-to-the-top-of-your-career-tips-to-remember/

Lingo Africa

In all our dealings with our clients over the last three years, we have understood that it is quite easy to wake up in the morning and reach out for our handheld device and scroll through our favorite social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram and get lost for the next 20 minutes to an hour, just enjoying the content, without really thinking about productivity or the work we have for that day, especially now that a lot of people are working from home!

In fact, one of our clients had a challenge last year and she wanted help. Her habit of browsing through social media platforms at all hours of the day, even at the office, had put her into some trouble with her supervisor and the company’s human resources department. We helped her conquer that habit and increase her productivity, so, she does not pay attention to social media while at work.

Now, the essence of this article is to ensure that we help you conquer that habit as well, so, it does not disturb your productivity. Yes, social media platforms are great for learning new things and keeping in touch with the rest of the world, but what happens when you have work to do or you have a course to attend online?

You may find yourself spending hours just browsing timelines and gaining nothing while leaving the most important things undone – like finishing a task at work or writing your own book or going to the gym! These are some of the tasks that increase your productivity, unlike watching TV shows the whole day!

I am sure you know Elon Musk, the chief executive officer of Tesla, Neuralink, and SpaceX? He is one of the most focused people on the planet and he never allows anything that will not contribute to his productivity to distract him. He sums it all up in the following quote;

“Focus on signal over noise. Don’t waste time on stuff that doesn’t actually make things better.”

What you are doing right now propel you to the next level you are hoping for? What if you want to apply for a scholarship? Are you watching a TV show instead of researching how to write your statement of purpose? Please understand that for you to move from one point to the next in your life – whether in academics or career or personal, you need to take the right actions to increase your productivity.

Our advice? Always begin your day doing what is most important to you. Twitter and Instagram and TikTok can wait, especially when you have a goal that you want to achieve within a certain period. Thinking about how you can improve and make things better should always be on top of your mind, this will help you take advantage of the time you have on a daily basis to push your dream.

No one can do this for you – no one.

Source - https://lingoafrica.com/productivity-hack-motivation-to-get-carcking-on-your-goals/

Lingo Africa.

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Virtual Networking is very important in this time of the Coronavirus crisis because almost everyone is at home, with less to do and more people are now online. If you are still in the process of job hunting or you are interested in changing industries as a result of fallout from the Coronavirus situation, then, you should look at the possibilities of virtual networking.

Virtual Networking for professionals is best done on LinkedIn. This is due to the fact that LinkedIn is a platform for professionals around the world and there are about 303 million active monthly users, 40 percent of which visit the site on a daily basis. Also, 90 million senior-level influencers and 63 million decision-makers use LinkedIn.

Although LinkedIn has grown quite well over the years, there are still lots of professionals who do not use it – if you are one of these people, now is the time to change it. Get on the platform and register and start connecting with other professionals.

The reason why your registration will do good for your job search is that, there are recruiters present on LinkedIn and although these are uncertain times, some companies are hiring remotely and are conducting remote interviews, so, some professionals can have full-time jobs while in isolation.

Once you are registered on LinkedIn, you should fill out your profile as this will help you to be visible among other professionals, particularly those in the industry you are working or want to work in. Keywords are important here. For instance, if you work in Logistics and this is clearly stated on your profile, the algorithm will list other Logistics professionals to you as possible connections.

Do not just fill your profile and stay silent! You need to post about your career journey and the thoughts and ideas you have about your career. You need to also comment on the posts of others as well as offer advice when needed or focus on something you are really good at, so, you can attract people and become visible on LinkedIn.

Virtual networking on LinkedIn goes beyond just having a great profile, especially if you are job hunting. You should write often and keep your connections warm – for birthdays, career achievements like promotions, finishing a course and the like. They will do the same for you and increase your chances of visibility.

If you see posts where you can offer some great insight, do not pass on it, also, always try to post something relevant at least once a week, so others can engage with you. Some people on LinkedIn, increase their chances of virtual networking with professionals outside their countries when they post insightful comments on popular posts that feature comments from all around the world. This is a great chance to draw attention to yourself.

As you keep applying for jobs, you should never restrict yourself to jobs in only your country – try applying to jobs in other countries as well, as long as you know your area of expertise. LinkedIn also gives you the opportunity to reach out to recruiters and talk to them about hiring you based on your experiences and expertise.

Virtual networking is what you need right now that the world is on lockdown, take advantage of it!

Source - https://lingoafrica.com/virtual-networking-during-covid19-helps-your-job-search/

Lingo Africa.

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As people around the world are forced to make changes to daily life as a result of the Coronavirus outbreak, it is good for us to also focus on becoming better versions of ourselves, so, we can still go for the dreams we have always wanted to achieve. In relating to our clients at Lingo Africa, we have always met people who always want to improve on their capabilities. As more people are self-isolating, this is the chance to improve on skills and personal development.

Lingo Africa, the foremost human capital development platform in Abuja, has reached out to some personal development experts who are also great at outlining ways through which people can improve on their skills without having in-person contact. See what they prescribed;

Reading – This is the best time to read more than you have ever done as you stay home. Our experts believe that if anyone will be more knowledgeable and improve their capacity, they should invest a lot of time reading relevant books within their industry and even in other fields, they are interested in. The best part is you do not have to buy books for this to happen, you can download free apps (audiobooks and eBooks) from Google Play Store or Apple Store and start reading all the books they have to offer. Click this link to see a fantastic list of great audiobook apps you will need during this period.

Online Courses – A lot of professionals are now aware that there are several online courses within their industries and sectors that can help them improve on and further their professional aspirations. A lot of these courses and MOOCs are available across Udemy, Coursera, edX, and many other online academies. As a professional, you should already have your short term and long-term plans which will help you achieve your dreams. Analyze the steps you will need to take to get where you want to be and research on the courses you need to take then you can determine which courses you should take. This is important so that after the pandemic, you can get started on pursuing what you want!

Active Listening – Improve on your active listening skills through following important conversations on the public domain. This will help you do less talking and practice more listening, which will help you get more information that can help you advance your career. A lot of times, many professionals make the mistake of speaking too much and listening too little, so, everyone else tends to be more knowledgeable. As you isolate, practice your listening skills through following trending conversations on social media platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter. It will help you become more informed and you can make better decisions based on real experiences and real conversations.

Connect – Even though the experts recommend social distancing, you should remember that there are no recommendations for keeping away from others. Keep your distance physically but maintain relationships with others through email, phone calls, instant messaging (IM), video conferencing, etc. Check up on others and maintain conversations, so as to build professional relationships as this will help you improve your career in the future. Yes, career advancement is now also related to relationships and keeping in touch with others.

Source - https://lingoafrica.com/improve-on-yourself-while-isolating-due-to-coronavirus/

Lingo Africa.

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The coronavirus outbreak has made some employers ask their staff to work from home. If you are one of those who are currently working from home and have a poor power supply, then, this article is for you. Lingo Africa, the foremost human capital development platform in Abuja, has reached out to a few Nigerian readers who have been able to navigate through this challenge and we will share the tips that have worked for them.

Essien is a software developer, who works for a start-up in Nigeria. He was asked to work from home by his employer as soon as the first coronavirus case was recorded by the NCDC. He told Lingo Africa that he has been able to keep up with deadlines by scheduling his work period to coincide with when the power holding company provides light to his locality.

“In my area of residence, we are entitled to light for 12 hours a day, so, I sleep during the period where there is no power supply and work when the power supply is available. This arrangement is good for me and my employer understands this. Poor power supply is a reality in Nigeria and all employers cannot feign ignorance about this.

“I think ultimately, it boils down to having an employer who understands that there can’t be a strict work period when relying on power holding company of Nigeria, to provide electricity to be used for work,” he stated.

Martha is an Editor at a national daily in one of Nigeria’s biggest cities. She says that her employer gave some staff permission to work from home as the coronavirus outbreak keeps spreading. She sometimes has to rely on powering her diesel generator to get electricity to work, however, aside from that, she admits that using an internet-enabled phone with multiple batteries helps her do her job.

“Writers always send stories to my email at all hours of the day, so, I have to keep editing their stories all through the day. I have no breaks, literally.

“The only time I have to power my generator for work is whenever my locality has a problem with transmission infrastructure which could last days.

“But, when there is no transmission fault, I have multiple batteries for my Android device, which I use in place of my PC to edit stories. If one battery dies, all I need to do is fix the other fully charged battery. I have as many as five different batteries, so, my Android device is always on, leaving no room for lagging behind due to poor power supply, she said.

Kehinde is a social media manager for a growing foreign brand, so, he has always worked remotely. He does things a bit differently but it works for him. According to Kehinde, whenever he has power supply at home, he uses Sprout Social to schedule posts ahead of work periods. However, he has to go to public work centers in his city to access power supply sometimes.

“There are places in my city of residence that accept remote workers who need power supply to work. We all need to provide our data though, but it is great that I have an alternative place to work if I have poor power supply at home.

“However, in this time of the coronavirus outbreak, going to such places would be foolhardy, so, I created another alternative by investing in a second PC, so, I always have both PCs fully charged whenever I have power supply,” he said to Lingo Africa.

Source - https://lingoafrica.com/poor-power-supply-is-a-challenge-to-those-working-from-home-in-nigeria/

Lingo Africa.

Happy weekend!