₦airaland Forum

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

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!

If you’re planning to embark on a Master’s programme abroad especially in the UK as an international student, you may have come across NLNG postgraduate scholarship during your search for funding.

This is a highly prestigious award due to its rigorous and competitive selection process. My batch (2016-2017) received over 15,000 applicants, but only 15 of us were selected! That is less than 1%. Amazing isn’t it?

If you’re thinking of applying yourself, here are some tips from my experience!

#1 Purpose of Scholarship – adding value to your home country
One of the key things that must reflect in your personal statement during your application is how you intend to apply the knowledge you will obtain in developing Nigeria. Be prepared to elaborate on this if you make it to the interview stage as this is the pinnacle of NLNG’s CSR.

#2 Check the eligibility criteria
This is a requirement that most people overlook. As at 2018, only the following 5 schools were chosen: University of Aberdeen, University of Cranfield, University of Leeds, University of Strathclyde, and University of Liverpool.

#3 Be aware of the timeline
It typically opens in April of each year; hence this post is very timely. Watch out so you don’t miss it and be sure to apply before the deadline.

#4 Write a killer personal statement
Your personal statement is you they are not seeing at the moment just like your CV. You need to spend some time researching on what and how you want to write to be able to convince your reader that you are worth an interview. You need to be convinced after writing your essay. If you cannot convince yourself of the justifications you are making in your essays, how can you convince the selection panel?

#5 Prepare for interview
Talk about your academic / professional background and mention relevant experiences that led you to this decision. Give examples when answering questions that require you to prove how you have demonstrated a particular attribute. It is important to ask the selection panel at least one question. Interview should be a two way discussion. Endeavour to ask intelligent questions related to the subject matter. For me, I believe that the one question I asked in addition to my achievements was the climax of my interview. They did not expect the question and had no plans for what I wanted to find out. It was a very simple question yet they were not prepared for it. (Want to know what I asked them?) They all agreed it was an intelligent question and promised to do something about it. I’m sure that out of the numerous other candidates interviewed, I stood out and stuck in their memory as I had given them an assignment with my question.

#6 Choose prominent referees
Having a professor or a technical manager in your area of specialization gives an image of someone who is exceptional to be able to get reference from such caliber of people. This is my personal opinion but I believe it gives you a competitive advantage. Contact your referees when filing your application so they are aware and willing to provide good references when required to avoid delay in your application.

#7 Check the language requirements
IELTS academic version is mandatory for the application and not less than a band 8 is required. There are many resources for IELTS preparation online as well as online and face-to-face classes. Please do not think that since it is an English test and you speak English, that it will be a walk in the park. Well, it is for some people while some others require intensive preparation to ace it. Band 8 is not a joke.

#8 Make hay while the sun shines
Just like every other application, do not delay the application till the eleventh hour. What is the online application system slows down due to the number of people trying to beat the submission deadline? This is a good time to start gathering the required documents and composing your personal statement. You have an idea of when the scholarship will pen and the basic requirements.

#9 Try, try and try again

It is good to mention that I got the scholarship at the second attempt just lie a couple of others in my set. My first application was in 2014. I got to the interview stage but was not selected. I guess there were other candidates who gave more formidable responses during the interview than I did. Did the rejection deter me? The answer will always be NO. Just like the other numerous scholarships I applied to and was rejected, I knew I had to try again.

If you need more guidance or more insider tips on what makes a successful NLNG application, kindly contact me and I will be happy to coach you. I hope you find these tips useful, and please don’t be put off applying for NLNG scholarship because the prize is worth the fight.

Goodluck and watch out for when it opens!

Ask your questions and I will be happy to respond