₦airaland Forum

dearpreye:
That's it, my boss. Compliments of the season.

Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life feeling stupid- Albert Einstein!

ksstroud:
Pukka!!!
I love that quote

ksstroud:
Do not fret, all what is here is about journey to becoming a successful man or woman. Even in school, you know what we face to ace all those courses... This is just about life;
1)Having the right information
2)Knowing what you are doing
3)Doing the right thing
4)Being focused
5)Being determined and passionate
6)Having the faith
7)Exploring the availables
Pursuing the Very Best
9)Being Versatile
.
.
.
)and taking the sky to be the springboard... That you are far more than the eagles, so soar higher

Oluwapresley:
may God not aIIow our viIIage ppI pIay drum in our head ooo.. Ha

rationalmind:
KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT YOUR COURSE OF STUDY.

I was just a raw job seeker, still serving, when I saw this job ad posted by MissIndependent. Fresh Corp members are needed at a firm in Ikoyi. Company was Montego Holdings.

Fast forward to the day of the interview, I was dressed in my favourite black shirt and black trouser with red tie looking like a ghost.

Full of confidence, I walked into the interview room to see a guy and a lady. In no time, the interview started.

So Mr rationalmind, you studied computer engineering? Yes, I answered.

So please tell us, what is computer engineering all about?

Right there in my mind I was like, what!!!, I spent the whole night reading about your company and common interview questions and all you're asking me is what computer engineering is all about?

I answered their question but I was so ashamed of myself. I struggled to explain a course I had spent six years studying (2 years in poly, 4 in uni).

After I finished, the guy looked at me and said, assuming my computer brings out a blue screen, what could be the likely cause?

I had no fucking idea. All I was taught in school were digital signal processing, artificial intelligence and a whole lot of courses that couldn't help me at that moment.

He then asked me another question which I got but it no longer mattered. They had seen all they wanted to see.

Right there, I learnt my first ever lesson. Which is to know everything there is to know about my course.

And of course, I was never called back

Mcsammy4u:
the blue screen is caused by the data cable not well fixed... rationalmind take note

rationalmind:
I have been fighting two battles prior to opening this thread. One is if to open it at all, another is the form it's going to take. I almost decided not to open it again but my conscience never let me be. I just have to give back to the forum that immensely helped me.

Without being an ingrate, I'll like to start by thanking some very special nairalanders for their help and support at various times during the blue days.

To eipreel, words cannot describe how much I appreciate you. Your constant support while hunting is highly appreciated. You're the best I've ever met in my life. I love you . Congrats on your "new job" with..... bank

To these great guys I say thank you. Thank you for being there at one point or the other. MacMaster01, ednut1, Highmey, mikedimeji, MarshallMathers, therealadonye, adeaks, Valentinooo, Tbliz, taiwolusol, nitrogen and several others I can't mention now.

To MissIndependent, thank you.

This thread is specially dedicated to every other job seeker out there especially those having problems nailing interviews.

I'll be sharing real life interview experiences and things I learnt.

I'll be right back.

rationalmind:
STRUCTURE YOUR ANSWERS, PREPARE BULLET AND DETAILED RESPONSES

I once read the diary of a joblander. Beau49 I think. She talked about preparing so hard for an interview with stanbic ibtc. It suddenly occurred to me just as she's preparing hard, others are equally preparing hard and interviewers won't take everybody. So it all boils down to who has the best response. In my experience, the detailed one is, the better.

What do I mean?

While I was being interviewed, A question came up. Rationalmind, tell us about your project in school.

I could have said, The tittle of my project is the design and construction of a 5kva voltage regulator. Incorporated in my design were four relays, a microcontroller.........

This was how I answered.

"You'll agree with me that in Nigeria, voltage fluctuation is a very common phenomenon. This voltage fluctuation results in conditions known as over voltage and under voltage. Over voltage occurs when the voltage level goes above the nominal voltage range which is 220-240V and under voltage is the reverse.

These voltage anomalies damage our household appliances and as such, a device that regulates voltage comes as a relief. As a result, I set out to design and construct a 5KVa voltage regulator also known as stabilizer. Incorporated in my design were four relays......" The interviewers obviously were pleased with my response.


You'll agree with me if two applicants were to be asked that question and they had the same project topic, the second will most likely get the job.

Another important thing is to prepare bullet responses. Have at least bullet responses to, why do u want to work for us? Where do you see yourself in five years time? What are your strengths and weaknesses? What do you know about this company?

I had bullet responses to all those before going in and was praying they ask one of them. Luckily, I was asked where I see myself in 5 years time.

By the time I finished, one of the interviewers asked if I wanted to be a governor? I asked him why?

He told me my answer was more of a brilliant manifesto and I should consider politics.

Another told his fellow panelists, "this guy really needs this job" he came very prepared

In my mind, I was like, you guys should thank your stars you only asked one of the questions I was hoping you'll ask. At that point, I knew the battle was won and it wasn't much of a surprise when two weeks later, I got a mail stating

You are one of 7 candidates selected based on your......

And before I end this, yes, I unleashed my passion weapon. Told them my love for telecoms made me volunteer to work in a telecoms firm without pay .

Follow all these hidden lessons especially the ones on passion, detailed and bullet responses and you're close to landing your dream job.

rationalmind:
ACTING OUT PASSION WORKS

To start with, I'll have to say the ajasa4link method works. And I have to say a big thank you to him. I read his thread and how he landed his job then decided to try out the same thing.

I got a list of telecoms firms in lagos, got their contact line and sent a text message to about 20 of them. I told them I was a fresh graduate, passionate about a career in the telecoms industry and bla bla bla.

Luckily for me, an in house recruitment was being conducted in one of the companies and my text was replied. I was invited for a test. I would have loved to mention the name of the company but I can't as I'll be resigning in a few days and can't risk letting them know before collecting my December salary .

Shortly after the test, I was told to wait to be interviewed. I wasn't prepared as I was invited for a test and not an interview.

I went in and during the interview, I was asked the name of their CEO. How would I have known? . Told them point blank I didn't know. I wasn't performing so well but was waiting for an opportunity to unleash my weapon. The passion weapon.

Then the question came. Rationalmind, we take trainees for 6 months and pay them... thousand during the six months but most people leave before the end of 6 months when we haven't recouped our investment. They move to banks where they are offered better pay. How are we sure you won't leave?

I started, Sir, that's what happens when people look for jobs they aren't passionate about. To them, it's all about money. To me, it's about my undying love for telecoms. Matter of fact sir, I wrote three courses in telecoms as an undergraduate and had two A's and one B. My love for telecoms dates back to my undergraduate days and money will never make me leave for a bank job.

I saw them smiling. At that point, they obviously had forgotten I didn't know the name of their CEO and sent me a success mail few days later.

Like I said earlier, I know no interview weapon greater than showing than you're passionate about the job. It works.

rationalmind:
Contd

I felt he was just saying it to unsettle me so as to see how I'll react since by their own admission, the other guy hasn't been performing well while I have. I just kept smiling at him.

The interview went on till it ended and I was very optimistic about the result. The following Monday, I got a mail from them. It was the greatest surprise of my life. A regret mail. It was then I knew he meant what he said.

I learnt my next lesson, interviewers want to see the drive, the passion in you. Show it and you're close to landing the job. It's the greatest interview weapon I know.

Armed with this new lesson, I went for my next interview.

rationalmind:
ACT AND PRETEND IF YOU CAN. JUST ENSURE YOU SHOW HOW PASSIONATE YOU ARE ABOUT THE JOB. IT WORKS A LOT

I'll forever be grateful to the CEO of cordros capital in person of Mr Wale Agbeyangi. He ended my interview woes in a way he'll never believe he did.

A few months ago, I got a test invite from mastermindshrsg, I had no idea which company there were recruiting for.

Roughly one month afterwards, I got a mail from cordros capital inviting me for an online test. Few days after the test, I got an interview invite.

This time around, I didn't need to prepare much. I just picked my airtel and kpmg interview notes, read all there is to read about the company and set out for the interview.

We were 11 that made it to the interview and I was optimistic I'll get in. While we were waiting, we were told we'll be interviewed in two's. That is, two people will get in at the same time to be interviewed together.

So they ask Mr A a question, he answers, they ask Mr B the same question and he answers.

Of course, the second person to answer is at an advantage and I made sure I was always the second to answer

When it got to my turn, fortunately, I was grouped with a guy who won't pull his weight so it made things easy for me.

We entered and after a series of questions, Mr agbeyangi looked at the other guy and told him his responses are vague and not direct. Another interviewer told him he doesn't answer questions the way I do.

I was so happy within myself thinking I had landed the job. All of a sudden, Mr Agbeyangi looked at me and said, rationalmind, you said you want to be an investment banker but I'm not seeing the drive. I can't see the passion and I can't see the desire.

I felt he was just saying it to unsettle me so as to see how I'll react since by their own admission, the other guy hasn't been performing well while I have. I just kept smiling at him.

The interview went on till it ended and I was very optimistic about the result. The following Monday, I got a mail from them. It was the greatest surprise of my life. A regret mail. It was then I knew he meant what he said.

I learnt my next lesson, interviewers want to see the drive, the passion in you. Show it and you're close to landing the job. It's the greatest interview weapon I know.

Armed with this new lesson, I went for my next interview.

rationalmind:
BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT LIES, IT MAY RUIN EVERY GOOD THING YOUVE SAID DURING THE INTERVIEW

I picked myself up after the airtel disappointment, downloaded numerous videos on how to overcome fear and how to build confidence.

So when I got KPMG assessment centre invite, confidence was the least of my worries. I was well prepared, digested my course to a satisfactory level and was already looking forward to working with them cos I knew I was destroying the interview which of course I did.

The interview started in no time and everything was fine, I answered all questions extremely well until one tall, slim dark guy asked this question I'll never forget.

So rationalmind, how come you're having all C's in your neco result? He asked

I responded by saying it's even miraculous I passed the neco as it was waec I really prepared for and just wrote neco for the sake of writing since I was sure I'll pass waec.

When the result came out, as I had predicted, my waec result was very fine but unfortunately, I had a D7 in chemistry and that rendered my waec result useless. Since then, I've been forced to use my neco result.

How many A's did you have in your waec? he asked.

I could have told the truth but I lied, I told him I had two A's when I had none. All I had were B's. I felt since I had given them my neco result and the result satisfies their requirement, it doesn't matter.

The interview ended in no time, I thanked them and left.

The following day, I got a call from them. "Rationalmind, you told us you have a waec result with two A's yesterday" the caller at the other end said.

Yes, I answered.

Can you please send a scanned copy of the result to us now?

I paused and said I wasn't at home but will do that once I get home. I needed time to plan my next line of action.

I sent my waec result like that and explained it was a mix up bla bla bla

The result was a regret mail

rationalmind:
AN INTERVIEW IS NOT A DO OR DIE AFFAIR. TREATING IT AS ONE AFFECTS ONES CONFIDENCE

Few weeks to completing NYSC, airtel graduate trainee came out. Like every other applicant, I applied, did the online test and was invited for interview alongside 39 other candidates.

This time around, I had bought a white shirt which latter turned out to be my official interview attire.

Prior to the interview, I told myself I have to get the job and there's no room for failure. I thought by so doing, I'll push myself to my limits and prepare so hard. Unfortunately, that mindset was the exact reason I got a regret mail.

When my name was called as the next person to be interviewed, I can't remember how exactly I walked to the interview room. I was so tensed and so scared of failure that when asked to introduce myself, my voice was shaking. I tried so hard to stabilise my voice but I couldn't help it.

One of the interviewers noticed and tried to calm me down. She explained to me we are just having a chat and it's nothing serious. When she noticed it wasn't working, She asked where I served. Edo state, I answered.

Wow, so you served in the same state my mum comes from? I didn't say a word. Where in Edo state did u serve? She asked. Auchi, I answered. Wow, rationalmind, can you believe my mum stays in Auchi?

At that moment, in my mind, I was like, madam, leave all these ones, just ask me wetin u wan ask make I commot for here abeg

When she noticed I wasn't interested in the chit chat, she went ahead to interview me but of course, the interview was a disaster. I wasn't thinking.

I was asked what I'll do when I have several things to do with same deadline, nothing came to my head, I went blank. I could have simply told them I'll prioritise.

When I left the venue, I knew I had blown it up. When people told me I might be called, I just laughed cos I knew I'll never be called. My desperation to land the job took the better of me and that was my second lesson: Never to treat an interview like it's a do or die affair.

rationalmind:
KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT YOUR COURSE OF STUDY.

I was just a raw job seeker, still serving, when I saw this job ad posted by MissIndependent. Fresh Corp members are needed at a firm in Ikoyi. Company was Montego Holdings.

Fast forward to the day of the interview, I was dressed in my favourite black shirt and black trouser with red tie looking like a ghost.

Full of confidence, I walked into the interview room to see a guy and a lady. In no time, the interview started.

So Mr rationalmind, you studied computer engineering? Yes, I answered.

So please tell us, what is computer engineering all about?

Right there in my mind I was like, what!!!, I spent the whole night reading about your company and common interview questions and all you're asking me is what computer engineering is all about?

I answered their question but I was so ashamed of myself. I struggled to explain a course I had spent six years studying (2 years in poly, 4 in uni).

After I finished, the guy looked at me and said, assuming my computer brings out a blue screen, what could be the likely cause?

I had no fucking idea. All I was taught in school were digital signal processing, artificial intelligence and a whole lot of courses that couldn't help me at that moment.

He then asked me another question which I got but it no longer mattered. They had seen all they wanted to see.

Right there, I learnt my first ever lesson. Which is to know everything there is to know about my course.

And of course, I was never called back

rationalmind:
Whatever topic you choose for your project, ensure you know it properly. I can bet you it will come up during an interview.

As for the bullet responses, I'll be back shortly

adeaks:
Preparing bullet responses is a very very good thing, but one has to be careful not to be thrown off course.


I went for a final interview in a company having prepared for all the usual questions and had my responses down pat. The interview was going so well as all the questions they were asking were the ones I had prepared for, until one lady on the panel asked me "tell us about a time you had a disagreement with your boss or superior, and how did you handle it"

The question was so left field that I was momentarily stunned. I had been answering all their questions rapidly and confidently, but suddenly I was speechless....so the panel took note of it. Funny thing was, I had very valid, real-life answers to that question but my brain just wasn't booting. I had gotten into such a great rhythm trotting out my already prepared responses that the first unexpected question just made me go blank.

I finally told the panel that I couldn't remember any event as such. The Lady said she was willing to give me five minutes to think of one of such events but I mustered courage and told her that since I couldnt remember one, I would rather not formulate a story just to answer the question". I honestly thought that was the end of the interview, but surprisingly they all laughed and said they also wouldn't want me to formulate stories for them.

Now my point is, when preparing bullet responses to the usual interview questions, don't get so caught up in it during the interview itself because you might just get a question that is completely outside what you prepared for.

I got a success mail from that interview but I learnt a more valuable lesson .

Mcsammy4u:
the blue screen is caused by the data cable not well fixed... rationalmind take note

rationalmind:
KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT YOUR COURSE OF STUDY.

I had no fucking idea. All I was taught in school were digital signal processing, artificial intelligence and a whole lot of courses that couldn't help me at that moment.

rationalmind:
Thanks for reading.

sparkleice:
naaa nothng of such js normal joke peeps use on NL.I'm stronger dan them.dey can nvr defeat me.

rationalmind:
ACTING OUT PASSION WORKS

To start with, I'll have to say the ajasa4link method works. And I have to say a big thank you to him. I read his thread and how he landed his job then decided to try out the same thing.

I got a list of telecoms firms in lagos, got their contact line and sent a text message to about 20 of them. I told them I was a fresh graduate, passionate about a career in the telecoms industry and bla bla bla.

Luckily for me, an in house recruitment was being conducted in one of the companies and my text was replied. I was invited for a test. I would have loved to mention the name of the company but I can't as I'll be resigning in a few days and can't risk letting them know before collecting my December salary .

Shortly after the test, I was told to wait to be interviewed. I wasn't prepared as I was invited for a test and not an interview.

I went in and during the interview, I was asked the name of their CEO. How would I have known? . Told them point blank I didn't know. I wasn't performing so well but was waiting for an opportunity to unleash my weapon. The passion weapon.

Then the question came. Rationalmind, we take trainees for 6 months and pay them... thousand during the six months but most people leave before the end of 6 months when we haven't recouped our investment. They move to banks where they are offered better pay. How are we sure you won't leave?

I started, Sir, that's what happens when people look for jobs they aren't passionate about. To them, it's all about money. To me, it's about my undying love for telecoms. Matter of fact sir, I wrote three courses in telecoms as an undergraduate and had two A's and one B. My love for telecoms dates back to my undergraduate days and money will never make me leave for a bank job.

I saw them smiling. At that point, they obviously had forgotten I didn't know the name of their CEO and sent me a success mail few days later.

Like I said earlier, I know no interview weapon greater than showing than you're passionate about the job. It works.