₦airaland Forum

bizzle*:
@ OP, In your informed opinion, how seriously would you say coys take their stated maximum age requirements for entry level jobs?

Very seriously. There is no point applying for a job when the company has specifically stated their requirement and you do not meet it. You will be disappointed as you will be screened out as soon as they find out...

burrytee: Please I need u 2help me out with dis.. I Was jst throwing out my cv 2dose firms.luckily one of dem sent me a mail 2com 4dere recruitmnt assessmnt.d issue is dat am nt vast in dat area.I tried 2chekon d details online of dere requirmnt d assesmnt will b base on.am nT getting a good respond.my Qs is? will it b proper goin 4such interview u dnt even hav d skills or knowledge about.if at all 2convince dem of dere training.how can I go about it.

Drop an email to the company to find out the type of assessment and what to expect on the day if you have their contact details. Find out who else has done a similar assessment with the company. Research the job section of NL as someone may have previously brought it up or connect with current employees with the same role on LinkedIn and drop them emails. I am assuming you know the company and role you are interviewing for.

Good luck!

windows8: ^
Thanks, the question of asking an applicant how much he can take for the job he/she is applying for is a very challenging one , can you share info on how to tackle such questions in different ways when they arise.

Research what a similar role would pay in a competitive company and suggest a range during the interview, but only if the interviewer insist. This would always be the last resort and can be tricky. I would initially recommend you through the question back to the interviewer in a polite way by saying:

1) As a multinational/large company, I am confident you will pay a package that is competitive, I am completely open to discussing a suitable remuneration at a later stage.
2) If you do not mind, I would appreciate it if we first determine if I am right for the role, before we discuss remuneration as I am very keen on the role and my motivation is not necessarily the package.

windows8: Good day to you, kindly describe the basic steps one should adhere to when going for an interview

Basic steps right?
Prepare, Prepare, Prepare...

Please note that the below list is in no particular order and not conclusive...

1) Research the company and how the role sits in the scheme of things properly. You may have done a bit of that before you applied, but there is no harm in going a step further for the upcoming interview.
2) Research their local and international operations if they are based in more than one country. It is always a good idea to know what their competitors are doing and this knowledge always come handy when responding to specific question. In addition, it shows interest.
3) Familiarise yourself with the job description. It is amazing how many people do not know details of the job they applied for, even when it is clearly stated on the job description.
4) See if you can get in touch with anyone in a similar position and try to understand their responsibilities/challenges. This will better help you tailour you responses and help determine the skills to highlight.
5) Prepare relevant questions to better understand the role and company... An interview is a two way process, as much as it is an opportunity for a company to get to know if you are right for them and the role you applied for? it is an opportunity to know more about the company and role, and if they are right for you as well.
6) Find out the structure of the interview, is it competency based, group interview, panel discussion, 1-2-1, presentation etc?
7) Be very clear on why you applied for the role and what immediate and long term value you will bring... Focus less on what the company can do for you, but more on what you can do for the company. Be ready to explain this in a logical way.
For some people, practice questions may be helpful. Ask a friend to ask you some relevant questions and try answering.
9) Find out if other people have been interviewed for the role and what sorts of questions they were asked. Its amazing what you can research online. However, leave room for flexibility as sometimes, questions or interviewers may change.
10)Familiarise yourself with any instruction given. It is interesting that people still come late to interviews or even miss it completely because they got the date/time wrong.

Like I said, it is not conclusive, but I hope it helps... All the best!

Ask anything you want to know and I will do my best to answer...

esere826: Why u dey curse me naw?

Ok, lets try this:
An elder once told me that if i enjoy reading
I could as well get certifications for what I have read and already know
I have not regretted taking on this advise

ICAN + IT certifications (knowledge) is cool if you wanna build accouting applications

The secret lies in 'dragging and dropping' the right certifications for the appropriate job opening

Some recruiters hate people like us
Some love us to bits
Me, as a contractor, I love the flexibility that multiple knowledge and its certifications offer me
one door closes another one opens

Having multiple certificates is not the problem. Adapting them to the different roles you are applying for and backing them them with relevant experience if required is where a lot of people get it wrong. People do not realise that there are certain times to downplay some skills and certificates and times when the same should be highlighted.

My advice to any applicant is to try to put themselves in the employer's shoes, even if it is for just a second. For instance if there are 200 qualified applicants for a position and a company is looking for a fresh graduate, another way to make a shortlist from the pool is to select BSc/BA/BEng + MSc/MA/MEng holders only as opposed to people with additional and some times not directly relevant certificates. In this case, I would recommend downplaying any certificate that is not directly relevant to the role.

Having multiple certificates can be an advantage, but can also be a disadvantage, depending on how you "package" yourself throughout each recruitment process.

All the best.

viruz007: I could not agree more with this post. Straight to the frigging point. Especially points 2 and 4. I keep on telling my college friends this but they don't want to listen . God dey sha.

Trust me, I review thousands of African CVs every year and it really breaks my heart to see that people are wasting so much money, but more importantly, time that they will never get back. Many of them come to the UK and they study 2 BScs, 3MScs and MBA and go on to do a PMP or CFA. Seriously, this is no exaggeration. I know some of them do so to buy time and eventually qualify for permanent residency, but many of them are really confused unfortunately. The same people that struggle to understand why a company like Total or Dangote would prefer someone with just a Chemical Engineering 1st degree and an MBA when they shortlist candidates for interviews.

Some people call to say 'I don't understand why I wasn't selected. I am more qualified than my selected course-mates/friend'. Unfortunately in the developed society and increasingly in the emerging markets, experience is what really counts 75% of the time.

A Recruiter's Perspective:

As an Nigerian International Recruiter, it saddens me to see our brothers and sisters wasting money to do a million and one degrees and certificates which will get them nowhere, especially in the UK.

1) For many people who made mistakes in their secondary school or university choices, it can be corrected. Think of internships or volunteering, even if it is for free. Work experience generally is given preference, especially for non-technical roles.
2) For those studying in the UK, think twice before spending thousands of pounds/dollars or millions of naira on further education. Many of you will be better of investing the money and reaping the benefit if you have business management and development skills.
3) For those planning to further their education abroad, please remember that lots of things have changed over the last 5-10 years. It is now extremely difficult to get a proper job in Europe and America (especially). You will be competing with natives with the law and background fully on their side.
4) For many courses, it is a lot more beneficial to have some experience before furthering your education. The more education and certification you get the more specialist and expensive you become. Ultimately, the less attractive you are for a graduate role.
5) For engineering/technically inclined high/secondary school students, consider studying a broad degree, then decide on a specialisation afterwards. For instance do a BSc in Electrical Engineering and later specialise in Computer Engineering, Energy-related degrees or anything else that you are interested in. It gives you four/five years to figure out what you really like, but also a platform to switch easily in the future.. This is particularly so as the economic and industrial situation of a country may change in your lifetime (or your country location) may change and you want to be in a position to switch to something else that is relevant and of interest to you in the future if needed.

All the best!!!

What are the others please?

SimonAndal: To me, a modern site MUST contain collapsible panels, clickable slides, and onHover interactions.

Do you have a real example of your ideal website please?

mededot: Great clean design. No clutter, Easy Fonts, plenty of white space... apple.com type...

Do you have a real example of your ideal website please?

Thanks. Please keep them coming...

Recruitment professionals and consulting firms get a lot of negative press... some deserved, some... well not.

Recruiters: What is your experience in client/candidate management? Why do you think we have this much bad press, what is the way forward?

Candidates: What is your experience using recruiters in your job search? Positive or negative?

Employers/Hiring Managers: What is your experience using recruiters in your hiring process? Successful or not?

What is the truth? The earlier you correct it, the better...

Some of the best HR professionals are from the technical fields. In fact HR professionals with IT/Engineering/Bio-related backgrounds are in high demand and will continue to be in the long term.

Ok, we all like great-looking websites, but as they say, one man's meet is another man's poison. As a pro or an amateur, what do you look out for when you visit a website? What do you look out for when you rate a website's attractiveness from a superficial level?

Dear All,

I have reviewed the many reality shows in Nigeria (past and present), some have been successful and some haven’t. One of the issues that keep coming up with regards to the success of a reality show is – THE AUDIENCE APPROVAL.

Tell me, what do you want to see in your next reality show?

Regards
Hope49ja