₦airaland Forum

This is a serious one. Let me try to predict the outcomes here

Leaving the Work Experince on your CV
1. Your prospective employer might do a background check which often includes contacting your previous employer.
2. Your prospective employer might be a result-oriented person and not bother to inquire as to why you left as long as you can demonstrate your ability to deliver

Removing The Work Experience from your CV
1. Depending on how long you worked there and how old you are, you might have serious issues getting another job
2. Rather than write a conventional CV, you could make your CV super functional, stating your achievements without explicitly stating the name of the company from which you were fired. This could work in your favour...or not, its all in how you package yourself
3. If you have less than 2 years with the company, you could remove it from your CV and start fresh.

If you have a wealth of experience, one option is to STOP job hunting and start selling solutions. I am sure you must have built a network; reach out to the folks in your network and start solving their problems.

Things you should not do
1. Do NOT lie
2. Do NOT lie

Cheers

Etinosajay:
Welcome onboard bro.

Your plan is not feasible sir. I have to be objective, judging from your statements.

If I understand you perfectly, you work in a university (probably as GA or in such capacity) and you're already involved in a master's programme (Research based).

Therefore you cannot combine all of that with an MPH (professional or non-thesis based). The MPH is a very intensive discipline of studies that requires day in day out attention to details. Classes are scheduled for almost everyday of the week, and even Saturdays as may be determined from time to time. For full time of course.

I do not know if there is a part time aspect of fulfilling the MPH.

Lectures important? Capital YES, lecturers take this part seriously.

Even if you succeed in entering both at the same time, you may not be able to carry on with both at the same pace and attentitiveness.

My advice? Determine which is more important 4u and focus on it.

MPH is lecture intensive,

Very useful advice. Thanks. A friend just informed me there is a 75% statutory attendance regulation in UI. I most def won't be able to make 75%. Maybe some other time or a more flexible school.

Thanks once again.

Hello Etinosajay, your posts here have been really enlightening.
I am currently running a masters degree in microbiology here in Nigeria. I am considering putting in for a MPH in Ibadan if I can still get the form. I plan to run both programs concurently.
1. How feasible is it taking into cognizance that most of my time will be spent at my MCB program cos that is kinda of a work school program.
2. What's the calender of UI like
3. What's the program sturcture like viz-a-viz classes. Is attendance at classes mandatory

Thanks

coolhamid:
Good day bro, can i also send my CV for appraisal ??

Its okay bro, guess I could do one last one

There is NO such thing as a 'recent standard CV' CVs are custom made and NOT ready made. #justsaying

sylarsquins:
Thanks alot, ow do I get ur mail Sir?

Check my handle, send me a mail through there sir

obajoey:
nice write-up.
but one thing i got to know is that most HR lacks foresight expecially when it comes to interviewing candidate, they tend not to see beyond the way a prospective employee answers their questions, they fail to see the potentials in prospective employees.

just my opinion

Very good one but the truth is they cannot afford to 'see potentials'. Its a result oriented game, it's a function of who can make stuff happen, not who has the potential to make stuff happen.

sylarsquins:
Pls Sir can I also send u a mail coz I also need that.

Yes sir, you can send me a mail. But its only an appraisal o, might not have the time to rewrite

emekamn:
bros I don't mind your appraisal oh. that's if you don't mind too

No problem bros, you can send sir

Nlevel:
HELLO EVERYONE! I am a fresh graduate of Industrial Chemistry from UNIBEN graduated with a 2'1 and i just completed my NYSC.I have been applying for jobs for over three months now and i have not received any job invitation even when my mates applying for same job do.I read a book on how to write a professional functional CV as a fresh graduate and I went ahead to compile my CV,but i think the CV is not catchy or professional enough to my potential employers.I saw some sites online providing professional CV for #3000 and i am thinking of going for it.Fellow nairalanders i need your advice and help please.Thanks

Send me a mail through NL. I could do a free appraisal for you

Very valid points. That being said, I dont really believe there are rules in the game of job hunting. The most important thing is that one stands out. How you do this is dependent on how much you know yourself and your prospective employer(s).

I am tempted to ask you if the person who wrote this is in Nigeria or even in 2015. This may have been the case 5-10 years ago but not anymore.
There is barely any serious employer who cares about the job seeker's certificate. Employers are interested in results, achievements and the likes.

P.S The above is in response to points 1&2 especially point 1.

Cheers.

SadiqDO:
Thank you for this very important piece of advice. I've always heard people suggest improving on particular technical skills and gaining more knowledge (which is essential) but can't remember ever being advised to work on improving soft-skills. But how would you advise one goes about that?

Thanks again.

Please send me a mail through my profile, will be glad to discuss with you thru that platform. Cheers

mosimi20:
When did you sit for the test ?

Last year November

stanley102:
Did you write the test today?

Wrote the test November last year

Just got a call from KPMG for AC on the 29th. Picked MC

Just got a call from KPMG for AC on monday 29th June, 2015. Picked MC

princemmab:
Ehyaa... just 2 likes after u took out time to post this mini book here. Sure u were feeling like a guru before clicking the submit button, but nlanders just fall ur hand. No worry before e reach 2weeks, dem go show u more love

Lol, that really cracked me up. Thank you

Its not the degree that gets one a job, its your ability. The degree is just a way of shortlisting so as to reduce some load. One thing you could do is to de-emphasize your education on your CV and emphasize your achievements. I also think you should look outside microbiology cos its a course that hasn't really found its place in Nigeria hence few job oppurtunties.

Modified
By way of addition, I know some people will recommened that you start self-employment. Believe me, its not always the best option especially if you don't have adequate resources and proper know-how for whatever trade you might choose. Like I said earlier, de-emphasize education on all your applications. What you need to do now is gain some serious intermediate-expert level competency in various skills esp skills like Problem solving, Interpersonl skiils, Communication skills, critical thinking/questioning. You should also develop your research I.e knowing where/ how to obtain information and to properly harness or utilize said info for profit.

Nigeria is rapidly evolving and those who will be on top in the times to come are those who can properly harness the power of information (or knowledge)

Its not going to be easy, a lot of people will look down on you cos of the class of your degree. Some will even offer to pay you peanuts. You must be constantly developing yourself as you will always have to prove what you are really worth.

It will be all good in the end.

In my opinion, self-employment doesn't really translate to relevant work experience for obvious reasons like the fact that you answer to no one hence you may not have tested your limits.

I think it should go under achievements. What I mean is that you outline what you have achieved. You could also do a functional CV where you list out the skiils you have honed through self employment.

Another way to do it, that's if you want to list it as work experience, is to write something like
Freelance Programmer. 2014-present
. Designed an ERP system for XYZ group of companies linking over 200 branches together
. Designed a remote catalouging system for ABC blah blah blah

Something like that. You can list all your achievements under.

As regards the sole proprietor, he must have a company name. The address is not so important. These days we have many online companies that don't have an office space.

Please note that should you get invited for an interview, you should be ready to answer questions as to why you want to leave freelancing for a paid job. You should also be ready to convince the recruiter that you will be devoted to the job and won't be double dealing.

Cheers

OP are you sure that's what made you loose the job. I very much doubt that.

opella:
Please I want to ask if including referees to one's CV is now outdated

Depends on the kind of job your are applying for. It is often unnecessary for most job applications. However, you should include refrences when applying for jobs with international organisations and the government. The former usually does extensive background checks and often require a statement from the referees.

Cheers

Nice one @OP. Really attractive CV. I especially like the fact that you condensed it into one page. Shows you know how to prioritize information.
I am not so sure it is optimised for an ATS tho. All the same, nice one. Going to your blog now.

OP, pls move on. To be candid, Nestle has done nothing wrong here. You said it yourself that the positions have been filled by previous contract staff. I am guessing that was a management decision. It saves on cost.
The job of the HR is to make recomendations. The onus then falls on the management or head of dept to actually take in someone.
Then again, they might have benchmarked you. So don't dispair, you might just get an offer when the next vacant position pops up.

P.S. Making it to the interview stage of Nestle and being successful is pretty impressive, it implies you are top notch

Cheers

OP, pls move on. To be candid, Nestle has done nothing wrong here. You said it yourself that the positions have been filled by previous contract staff. I am guessing that was a management decision. It saves on cost.
The job of the HR is to make recomendations. The onus then falls on the management or head of dept to actually take in someone.
Then again, they might have benchmarked you. So don't dispair, you might just get an offer when the next vacant position pops up.

Making it to the interview stage of Nestle and being successful is pretty impressive, it implies you are top notch

Cheers

This could work in Nigeria. It definately won't work on Nigerian roads tho. It could work if the job seeker has a brochure of sorts instead of a regular CV and targets executives probably attending a conference or an elite gathering. That's if the person doesn't get bounced by security.

Stellar!!!

PLSHELEP:
Before i begin, I have not been paid to write this, in fact i have paid for one of their CV writing services.
I would explain my reason in a bit.

When i received an email from the David Makinde, I was convinced it was not a scam as i had a thorough evaluation of my present CV including the results obtained after running it through an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). Did my research to know what an ATS does, and it turns out an ATS which is widely used by hiring managers to manage recruitment and filter through CVs for keywords.

My CV had not hit the nail on the head with respect to keywords needed to land my choice of jobs. I also found out sending my CV in a PDF format which in my opinion was professional, turned out to not be liked by most hiring managers as most prefer word documents which I don't like because it disorganizes my page layout and formatting when they receive my CV depending on what version of Office they use.

I wasn't just convinced by these, I asked the client to give me more reasons why i should pay for any of their services. I did this to ascertain I was in contact with a human and i subsequently received a response which was convincing to an extent. I also did my research about the service, reviews and testimonials, and noticed many of the people's name who paid for the service looked and sounded foreign, specifically American (Trevor, Karen, Ron, Leslie)

Also, I once received a mail from a David Masinde, which is different from Makinde. Could have been a simple typographical error except s and k on the qwerty keyboard are far apart. Which means the David Makinde name is a front to make it seem as if a Nigerian is the one in contact with you. This doesnt take anything away from the quality of service they should offer, but shows they are trying to make themselves look Nigerian and in turn attractive to the Nigerian market.

Anyway, after making my decision, I paid for the service and received a mail from a certain Katie Warren even though my mail was sent to David. Finally, my suspicions were valid when I discovered that the jobberman cv site has the same layout with topresume.com as one of my links was redirected there.

Like i said earlier, These should not take anything away from the quality of service they should provide or if it does, I would find out tomorrow as I'm to receive my written CV.

Suffice it to say that although my CV was good and I think i've got good grades, the ATS is an issue in Nigeria as many hiring managers wont be able to skim through CVs which might not even pass not a 30 seconds test but 20 seconds (because for Naija we no get time for rubbish), and that's why I have paid to have mine written.

Last point is, how much is 10k to put your foot in the door and get yourself a good job. i would say it is an investment, definitely not for everybody but if you're able to afford it, I'll encourage you to do it.

In life, we pay a lot for assurances.

Quite interesting, have you gotten more invites after the CV rewrite?

Dear OP
The picture kind of says it all.
Please do an appraisal of yourself, take some time off to properly analyse your job search thus far. You might just have an epiphany.

Cheers

MrsAnyanwu:
Pls where can a biochemist work with a 2.2 ,my niece hz bin looking for a job,tnx

She could work in the food industry, problem is that they don't recruit for technical positions especially entry level. Then again, the 2.2 might be an issue.
She could also work in a clinical setting, probably in a lab as an assistant. Problem here is there might never be any reasonable career progression cos the clinical setting favours med lab scientists more. I would advise she take a masters degree if she can afford it.

Another option is for her to forget about sciences, at least for now, and start to look for management jobs. Companies that provide coporate services will be a good place to start, the pay is not often very good but they are good places to get experience and probably build a career path.

platodeen:
ts jobberman na, they know where the jobs are and I believe will advice you as to where to apply
2. Jobberman can afford softwares that scan to see if a CV is keyword optimized esp if the CV is going to be submitted to an applicant tracking system
3. As already stated, the mentorship, if available, is worth it

Not trying to market for them o, just saying.



Have been able to secure a job or invites through this process? Just asking

I was ONLY SAYING. I am not currently seeking a job, at least not in the conventional sense of it. Cheers