₦airaland Forum

Osesax:
I was part of the test on Friday May 29, Yes. There was Public Holiday but an Assessment was held. About 50 of us were in attendance. We had an Aptitude Test, wrote an essay and an oral interview.

We wrote together. Were you called for medicals?.

kaboninc:
It appears you subscribe to this noble idea.

Do you mind helping me - because am at a loss here - based on your thinking, what do you think are the functions of this ministry?

First of, an Employment Standard Act could be created to address irregularities bedevilling the labour market in the form of:
-Shoddy and unethical recruitment processes that is prevalent nowadays
-Workplace harrasment and injustice that some workers face

Also, the labour market is faced with what is called information asymmetry. There are some regions that have more demand for Labour than the others but most employees don't know. So the Ministry can help employees with adequate information on places where their skills are needed.

This will be done through the Ministry requesting for the data base (like Resume and photocopies of credentials) of all Job seekers. They will then act like a potent and fair agent of employment. If employers also needs manpower, all they need do is contact the ministry and they will pick which credential match their taste.

The Ministry can also engage in what I call the Ultimate Graduate Trainee programme for Job seekers that will teach them the needed skill they need to be more valuable and attractive to the employers of the market. This will save most firms the cost incurred in embarking on graduate trainee programs and ipso facto reduce their cost of production. The reduction in their cost will allow them have more capacity to employ more hands.

Their roles are more than the aforementioned. But you should have gotten the idea by now.

noblezone:
You dont have the slightest idea of what you are talking about bro.

If you want fruits, plant trees.
The focus is not fruits, but trees.

If you want employments, pay attention to industries, businesses, creativity and productive.
Ministry of employment is as bogus as Fayose's Stomach Infrastructure.

They sound sweet to the ears and the intent is to confuse and deceive the gullible.
do not be deceived.

You made some good points because I agree unemployment can't be tackled in one fell swoop. Its a problem that can be solved through tackling other problems like industrialisation and all.

Be that as it may, specialisation is key. Some ministries are overburdened with roles, yet have little funds to meet all of them. Carving out ministries at low budgetary costs that will address specific problems isn't a bad idea. Ministry of employment doesn't necessarily mean their raison d'etre is to eliminate unemployment. Other indices are needed to achieve that. However they can help reduce the bottlenecks that is present in the labour market through ensuring the availability of labour market information, checking the activities of employers against unethical employment processes, and the setting of a workable blueprint to ensure a free, fair environment that elevates merit above mediocrity.

sarahatuba:
Definition of 'rant'
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/rant

'I think its wise' you use your dictionary,'it will help you in the future you know'

*sighs* now I've got crazy on me

I understand the urge you have to transform a fool into the path of reasoning. But unfortunately, its a battle you can't win. Its like fighting with a pig and rubbing yourself in the mud just to later find out that the pig actually loves the mud. Let it go.

In this 21st century and age of enlightenment, you still see humans that reason like this: 'Our enemies', 'Our brothers'....spewing bollocks of epic proportions.

Everytime you visit nairaland, you must always bump on these set of deranged elements fanning the embers of discord with reckless disregard of their old age!. Goodness!, must everyone have a phone?!

onatisi:
ogbeni siddon and stop finding excuses ,I have sold pure water on the streets, cut firewood in the forest for ppl ,worked at the fishing harbour for 16hrs a day non stop and many other more dirtiest stuff I won't say here . So quit talking and hit the ground running. It is only in nigeria that the word mercy exist and that is why u are lucky u are in nigeria . Nobody gives a shit if u kill urself outside naija ,infact ppl will be actively encouraging you to kill urself and not to forget recording it so that they can make a fool out of ur mess. We live in a hard world where only the fittest survive . One eyed and u call that a big deal !!!!! If a man with no limps ,arms or legs can make it ,then what stops a one eyed man from making it . Better change ur thinking and mentality from this begging begging for job and think how to survive .

Dude relax and stop acting like you own the place. This dude asked for help not condemnation. I don't think anyone gives a fvvk how you hustled to survive cos me personally don't. You making it through your jab doesn't mean its by your power, its simply by the grace of God. Some worlds are darker than the one you've passed through and its folly for you to think the obstacles you met are greater than everyone's own. Life is screwed so much you can't un-screw its fvvcks just by using a formula. So please learn to be more humble. No one likes a one-upper.

meetneyo:
[color=#000099][/color]

You did yours in Ibadan and you applied for Compass 06 right?

Chibuhealth:
The Yorubas have been hating us since time immemorial so ANYTHING we hear they said MUST BE TRUE.

Who talks like this?.

olojuede01:
Bros your theory is flawed.

Your theory is based on the assumption that a person in the private sector will not invest. As someone in the private sector, after working for less than 3 years i invest like 80k monthly.

Remember bro investing is not about buying and selling.. .. ..

My analysis is based on the assumption that the Private sector worker has LESS TIME to invest than the public sector worker. Investment and Savings are two different things bro. To invest in a business that is at its budding stage, you need to devout a substantial amount of time to it. Even the supervision of the business also needs time. Besides, my emphasis was on Real Investment which is investment in physical/tangible reproductive capital goods NOT financial assets (stocks/bonds).

emmy423:
jst finished for IMO now compass 8 no interview jst height n certificate verification...I peeped my grading n I saw 8 all thru....*feeling hopeful*

Let's hope its not the category am thinking you got 8 all through. The first two listings in that category is something related to 'Bad conduct', and 'Financial problem'. They are meant to put '0' there for those two. Getting 8 in that when the highest scale is 9 means you have serious bad behaviour and financial problem.

Adet5:
what did he scored you on a scale of 0-9?

Well if you must know, the first two, I was scored '0'. For the 'composure' I was scored '7'. Then the other two I was scored '8' each.

Emmysteve:
Thanks for the detailed information. My question is, when rating on the scale of 0-9,does it include certificates and the questions asked plus composure?

The certificate category isn't a rating. They just put '1' for the presence of that particular certificate and '0' for the absence of it. The category where they used 0-9 scale is different. That one mainly includes five listings ('bad conduct', financial problem, 'composure' and two other things like that.).

Did mine in Ibadan. They attended to compass 03 and 06 first before 08. When it was our turn, they gave us one sheet where there are different categories there. You are to only write your names and one code number like that written on your invitation slip (not your NIS application number). The other things there are not yours to fill. One category in the sheet is for physical disabilities, another for credentials (primary,JSCE,SSCE,tertiary.....). There are other categories there too.

For the section of physical disabilities, if you don't have any they will fill 'NIL' for all of them.

They will also take an eye test by writing some alphabets in a slightly distanced place and tell you to read the rows with the smallest alphabet.

They will also measure your height with a scaled wood and measure your chest with a tailor's tape rule.

Then they will check your credentials after then. If you have a particular certificate, the screener will put '1' in the box, if you don't he/she will put '0'. My own screener put 0 for my primary school certificate after I showed him my primary school testimonial. He said testimonial isn't certificate. Anyway, I had others excluding the JSCE.

Then you will move to another screener that will ask you questions (mostly simple) related to your course. For instance if you studied English they can ask you 'what is prose'? Or if you studied Geography they can ask you 'what is geography or branches of Geography'? E.t.c. If they are satisfied they will write 'Academically sound' in that sheet.

There is also another category in that sheet where your screener will rate your 'Bad conduct', 'financial problem', 'Composure' (I can't remember the last two). They rate those attributes on a scale of 0-9 and give whatever figure they perceive you deserve within that range. If you don't have the attribute they will write '0' there.

Just make sure you don't forget any important documents that you have at home and you dress as stipulated. Shave your beards if you can and don't lose your confidence. Even if you did not meet up with some of the basic requirements, their own job isn't to disqualify you, they will just record their findings. The main shortlisting will be done from the head office. I hope this helps. Best of luck to everyone.

The camp training with no pay is actually true. Though am not certain if this one might be upto 6 months. All paramilitary jobs have a similar recruitment process in which the camp training forms an integral part. Even when I was writing the CBT at chams, one of the soldiers was threatening us that 'this one we are behaving anyhow, God help us we pass the test, that we shall meet in camp....its then we will find out'. Though my source is from someone that works for civil defense.

Choyo:
Pls I need your advice o, my height no reach at all, should i still go for the physical examination or I should just forget it, mine is on the 5th in kaduna.if only I can borrow height.

Am hoping you measured yourself accurately. Because most that used tailor's measuring tape might find it hard obtaining an accurate measure.

saytolz:
50 per session . Press up Oluwa jowo gbami!

Lol. Which state are you doing yours?

saytolz:
I wish he did. Now peeps are telling me to go do press up Am I a guy Which press up will I do for 1 week now that will expand my chest

You can target like fifty per session. Then do like three to four session with just like two minutes break in between each session morning and night. Then eat a lot of protein and drink milk. Who knows, you might just meet the requirement.

urchrlex:
Try get a testimonal from any primary school. some headteachers can help you.

So I guess a testimonial and a primary school certificate is the same thing or perhaps serves the same purpose?

Is it only me that don't have my primary school leaving certificate?. Will they be strict on that too?.

Donbabajayz:
yeah I thought same too. but when I imagined that length on a shoulder, even WWE fighters don't ve up to that

Infact, I was imagining the same too o. Was even thinking am the one that don't know how to measure. Thanks for the clarification.

Donbabajayz:
Did they mention shoulder measurement in your letter?...

My bad. Sorry. I actually had put my mind in shoulder measurement.

Donbabajayz:
this should give an insight on how to measure chest width m.wikihow.com/Measure-Chest-Size

Chest and Shoulder are two different things.

ice234:
What an ideal scenario,

Its, lets make it practical. If this scenario is achievable, all government staff will be sinking in money. But we know the truth.

All government staffs can't be 'sinking in money' because the Information world is asymmetric. The reason why most are poor isn't because they don't have the substantial resources to build long run wealth but mainly because they just don't know HOW to.

ice234:
only thatwhich is in your hand that is truly yours. Of what benefit is pension to a work earns 80k per month and dies at 50 years, yet to receive gratuity and pension haven worked for 25 years.

Now compare this to a private sector worker earning 150k per month and dies at 50 without pay off, haven worked for 25 years also.

Now who earned more .

Its simple bro. The annual salary differential between the private sector worker and that of the government worker is around 840k (in other words, the private worker earns 840k more than the government worker annually). If the government worker is an industrious investor, he can be saving around 40% of his income (that's around 30k) for a spate of say 5 years. His annual savings will be around 360k.

Since government jobs are flexible and they give you time to pursue other endeavours, he can invest that annual savings of 360k in a viable business that will bring him a monthly 15% Return on Investment (ROI). That's like 648k extra income for the government worker. The wage differential between them has now reduced to 192k.

Now imagine that the government worker reinvests like 70% of that 648k extra income he earned (that's approximately 454k) in the second year in another viable business that will bring him that same 15% ROI monthly. In the second year the government worker will be having an annual 816.48k extra income. If you add this extra income to the government worker's normal annual income, his gross income will be totalling around 1.8million.

This means he's now earning almost a million more than our private employee in just the second year. Now let's imagine if this government worker keeps reinvesting like 60% of that extra income the subsequent years, he will be swimming in millions in just 5 years. But our private worker won't be given the time the government worker has to pursue this entrepreneurial endeavour thereby making his pay stagnant.

Your salary isn't what makes you a wealthy man, its a job that provides you sufficient time and steady income to finance your entrepreneurial dream. You can take this fact to the bank.

prof1990:
So it is better to remain a policeman earning less than 30k than davido's bouncer? I dnt think so.....forget pension.....most govt worker dnt live to collect theirs

What will be the fate of davido's bouncer when davido's popularity/profit suddenly starts dwindling and davido decides to sack him and get a cheaper bouncer? (Knowing fully well that the 'bouncer' market is flooded with competitors).

Ben1975:
I know plenty of people who work for the government and have gone 15+ months without a page check. That's not job security that's volunteer charity work.

You don't make exception a rule. Yes, you right that happens atimes in public sector jobs, but you cannot say this doesn't happen in private jobs too. Be that as it may, I still prefer Government owing me money than working for a private individual that can fire me at whim without offering me any form of compensation or reasonable explanation.

The choices we make define our future one way or the other. That's why its imperative for job seekers to understand that the desperation to get a job should be balanced with a careful understanding of some basics. Our Economy is a mixed one: you either get employed by the private or public sector. Each of them have their pros and cons which should be considered carefully in line with your long term vision before making a choice (if one happen to exist). The pros of government job happens to be the cons of private ones and vice versa.

These are the observed merits and demerits of Government jobs have observed:

PROS OF GOVERNMENT JOBS

The best aspects of a government job include:

STABILITY: Unlike the private sector where
companies can go out of business, the
government never goes out of business.
Agencies or offices may close or morph into
new forms, but there will always be
government jobs. Employees will always be
needed to complete the tasks only
government does, and additional employees
will always be needed to support them.
Moreover, incessant laying off of workers is
less prevalent in government jobs than private ones.

FLEXIBILITY: In the vast majority of positions,
workers can easily maintain a healthy work-
life balance. Additionally, telecommuting
and alternative work schedules are common
in government agencies. For jobs that
require employees to conduct much of their
business away from the office, government
organizations have begun providing
equipment to facilitate a mobile workforce.

BENEFITS: Government benefits almost
always exceed private sector benefits
packages. Employees often have superior
health care plans with lower cost and
favorable retirement plans. In prolonged
recessions, government and private sector
benefit packages both get worse. Still,
government benefits remain better.

TIME OFF. Leave time accruals are
generous, and managers tend to be
permissive in approving vacation time.
Federal holidays are observed. State and
local governments sometimes have their
own additional holidays.

CONS OF GOVERNMENT JOB

The worst aspects of a government job include:

SLOW SALARY GROWTH: Cost-of-living
adjustments authorized for government
employees rarely keep up with inflation, and
merit raises are given to only a small
percentage of top performers. For big salary
increases, government employees have to
compete for vacant positions with higher
salaries.

CAPPED EARNING POTENTIAL: Government
executives are often paid less than their
private sector counterparts. To hit the big
paydays, high level government employees
jump to the private sector.

LOW LEVELS OF CONTROL: Bureaucracy
doesn’t only frustrate citizens. It also
plagues government employees wanting to
get things done quickly. Expect all major
and many minor decisions to go through
some sort of formal approval process.

LAZY CO-WORKERS: Adages about lazy
government workers exist for a reason.
Some government employees just do what
is asked of them and no more, but there are
far more employees who are driven to
achieve more than just the bare minimum.
Unfortunately, poor performers are rarely
coached to better performance or fired for
cause.

No matter what you want to do, chances are you can do it for the government. You just need to make sure that you're willing to put up with the negative aspects in exchange for the positive ones.

However, if you happen to be lucky to be faced with a choice of choosing between a government job and a private one. I will advise you to consider the one with a better Job security, Flexibility and a fairly comfortable salary.

So let's assume you get a private job that will pay you 150k per month and a government job that offers to pay 110k monthly. The private job offers a better pay obviously but if it doesn't guarantee you of Job security and a flexible time table that can make you pursue other profitable endeavours unlike the government job, My advise is you choose the government job.

The secret of wealth is not necessarily a relatively better pay on the short term but the ability to diversify your sources of income using a steady stream of income.
However, regardless of the job you find yourself, never ignore this secret if you want to be wealthy in the long run.

CallMeOO7:
For every fair cbt exams, servers r programmed to giv result immediately u click d submit button but in a decentralized servers like the jamb exam, it shouldn't b more than 24hrs. Av neva trust dragnet bcus of d conduct of sum of their staffs during exams but the bottom line is that, we shud continue 2pray n hope 4d best.

You echo my thoughts too. There is something about Dragnet that raises the spectre of suspicion. Since my first experience with them, have had my doubts about their credibility. The criteria they use to screen out candidates is deliberately kept obscured so as to serve the vested interest of the powers that be. They are sophisticated but lacks integrity.

martineverest:
No mind op....op is 'over-deluded'.......i did engineering economics and accounting in my final year,they were both walk-over courses....inshort,we were given an assignment on cashbooks,balancesheet and trial balance.the assignment was so difficult dat we took it to accounting dept of uniben.none of dem could solve it,even dia lecturers sef....it was a professor of dat dept and uniben bursery dat were able to solve it....i could also rememba offering an entrepeneural course in my 4th yr @ skul,the course was a compulsory course for all dept..engineering students came out with d best result

Dude if you can pass just a semester course in Econometrics, or Advanced Mathematical Economics in a University that is worth its salt, then we can talk.

Engineering is pretty challenging no doubt, but thinking another course is a cake walk just because you were exposed to its soft parts is nothing short of ridiculous.

Though I passed the test, I still feel this test is unfair. The bank preyed on the anxiety of people and used it against them. I don't really agree that this stuff is a 'Test of attention to details' as opined by the bank because given the context of a messed up server and a limited time, 'Read all questions before answering them' is most likely to be interpreted as reading Each questions carefully before answering. It was a dubious and misleading test and I still believe sterling should have done better than this.

The UBA interview I partook in late January this year made me understand that I screwed up in three basic stuffs:

1). I sat down without being asked to. Its not as if I didn't know this was like an abomination in the corporate interview world, somehow I just forgot that basics as I stepped in the door. I was nervous.

2). Immediately I sat down, they said 'Who is XYZ (my surname), I just replied 'XYZ is my surname'. I answered like this because I initially thought they were making an inquiry about my father which I felt was not meant to be pertinent to the interview, so I replied that way to understand who the question is really been directed to. They said don't they know that its my surname? That was when I realised its an indirect way of saying 'tell us about yourself'. Then I started wondering in my mind how dumb I was not to know this basics. Even when I answered the question correctly, their countenance has fallen because I failed the first impression test.

3). When they asked me what am doing currently I told them have not being doing anything since I finished NYSC (last year oct) even though that wasn't totally true. I just wasn't sure what I tell them have been doing will meet their expectations of a worthy employee. The other reason I said nothing was that I didn't want them to think am engaged with something which will jeopardize my chances of being recruited. Either ways, I guess I was wrong.

These are the fundamental mistakes I think I made that denied me the chance of recruitment. You know this when they give you their typical subtle rejection statement of 'we will get back to you' while others are going through the next stage.

Though have since moved on, I have realised that its good not to take any job interview or test as a 'do or die' thing. It only makes you hyper nervous and as a result deny you of your normal composure.

Do your best to prepare, but don't put excessive expectation on it. The truth is what screws us most in life is the picture we have in our head of how things are meant to turn out. If it all turns out well, Give God the glory, if it doesn't, don't let it make you despair. That Job might just not be yours.