Checklists for a Successful Job Interview: Important Things You May be Overlooking

Follow @ngcareers

Print this out if you wish and keep in your wallet whilst job seeking.

Congratulations; you’ve got a job interview! Now prepare to make the most of the precious time you’ll get in front of the hirer.

Homework:

After researching the company or organisation thoroughly, ask yourself the following questions:

- what does this job involve?

- what skills would a top employee in this job have?

- how can I persuade them there is something unique about me?

Examples of past performance:

Merely saying you have the required skills and experience is not enoughto make you stand out.“I’m good at XYZ” is also not enough –have practical examples ready to hammer the message home.

Set pieces:

It would be wonderful to know in advance what the recruiter was going to ask. However, you can anticipate likely questions and have the answers up your sleeve, especially for thecommon, “What are your weaknesses?” question. Below are three other possible questions.

Why did you leave your last job?

If it was a less than amicable separation from your last boss, now is not the time to go deeply into it. Emphasize that you get along with people.

Can you explain your gaps in employment?

In a post-recession economy, gaps in employment are commonplace. Whether you were studying, doing voluntary work, looking for work, travelling or thinking about your mission in life, frame any gaps positively.

Have you done exactly this type of work before?

Risk-adverse employers are looking for reassurance that you’ll hit the ground running. Emphasise that your skills are transferable and you’re quick to master new things.

Answer the question:

Nerves can make you ramble or freeze up. One way of making sure you stick to the point is to repeat back the interviewer’s question at the beginning of your response. It keeps you on point, and shows you’re a good listener, which is a great rapport builder.

Practice:

Ask a friend to give you a mock interview. If you’re “umming and ahing” and not answering concisely it’s a great way to realise you need more practice.

Keep things in perspective

It’s natural to build up your hopes and then feel down if the interview doesn’t go as you hoped. Note the lessons you’ve learned, there’s nothing like a live situation for great practice.

Or maybe you thought the interview went well, but you weren’t asked back. In an ideal world you’d be given feedback but unfortunately many recruiters simply don’t have the time and resources to offer this these days. Draw your own feedback, treat yourself well, and look forward to the next one.

Rose Murphy is an author with the A Winning Personality Blog.Rose Murphy is a writer, blogger and copy-editor. After 10 years working in a personal and professional development company, she’s returning to what she loves best, words. An avid

reader, with an interest in publishing, she has also spent time in journalism and marketing roles.

Find jobs you like and research over 300 Nigerian companies on Ngcareers; Join now, It’s free.

Follow @ngcareers Checklists for a Successful Job Interview: Important Things You May be Overlooking
by ngcareers

from Ngcareers Blog http://ift.tt/1x6qm3P

via IFTTT

Read More

Interesting Jobs Featured on Ngcareers this Week

from Ngcareers Blog http://ift.tt/1m2Gf2z

via IFTTT

Read More

Top Reasons You May or May Not Employable

Follow @ngcareers

There had been a heated debate on employability of fresh Nigeria graduates on Nairaland recently. Many HR persons on the forum stated that most fresh graduates are unemployable while the graduates defended themselves blaming the employers for the situation.

Inasmuch as it’s easy to say graduates are employable or are not, finding the right answer to the question is not as easy as saying yes or no. Many factors contribute to your employability, first is the skills you possess, your personality, type of job you are looking for and the company your are applying to.

This article will bring you the various views from both sides and my candid response to the issue.

Below are responses by some HR Persons

Very true.

I remember the interviews we ran for a couple of graduates. 96% of them had nothing to offer. A particular lady was asked, “So what can you do?” She answered, “I can do anything you tell me to do. I don’t know what I can do because I’ve never worked before but I can do anything.” I asked her for her skills and she started pleading, crying, repeating that she could do anything.

Yes we know that our educational system is poor but what have you done to develop yourself that gives you an edge over millions of graduates out there?

Competition is stiff. Survival of the fittest.

——————

There was another graduate that couldn’t write a formal/business letter. He started with “Hi sir” and used a lot of words like “srzly, schl, ur, dere, wen, etc.”

Poor spellings and paragraphs. Then he ended with, “Bai 4 now”.

——————

I used to think it’s a false claim widely made by the HRP until I was privileged to interview a couple of graduates in my workplace.

Inasmuch as I believe everyone has his area of specialisation still not all could really defend their certificates.

My place of work being a private school and the ever demanding need to recruit teachers has put me in the platform to appraise the employability of most of the graduates that applied within. The highly noted problem of these graduates is the lack of good communication skills.

Additionally, 95% of these graduates were unable to solve elementary school questions. Therein hinging on poor academic background.

And some are just after money even though they have nothing to offer. I could remember giving one some questions to solve and she did absolutely zilch. I quizzed her to know why. She said she had taught before and would undoubtably perform well if employed. She thereafter jumped to ask about the pay. She lacks courtesy I thought though.

For solutions, I think many graduates believe in their certificate and not in their individual capability which would make or mar their pursuits of employment. So, more self-development activities should be taken-up by graduates.

Also, most are not confident in themselves. I recently interviewed a 400 level student and I asked him to rate himself in his academics but he wasn’t willing to do that and requested for test to do the judgement. And guess what, he failed all questions. Had it been he mustered the courage to present himself well. He may have escaped being exposed. Maybe he was over-confident though.

Summarily, all points hinge on lack of preparations. Even if one is not so good academically despite having a good grade he should be able to prepare well for employment cause it’s not a walk-over.

Some of the arguments by graduates are below

There are many employable graduates like me out there, just that most times we don’t get the opportunity to prove our worth. .why?? Because it’s all about man know man in Nigeria. ..mtcheeeeww

———————-

96%?? Must you exaggerate? ? undecided

You asked what skills she had and she started crying ?? Seriously? ? If you must forge, then let it be a little bit credible ma…

———————-

It’s always about how unemployable Nigerian graduates are….aren’t there good and wonderful ones?? You are talking about how bad Nig graduates perform during interviews, weren’t there exceptional and intelligent ones at the interview you conducted too?? Definitely there were, just that it’s always all about negativity in Nigeria. ..mtcheeeeww. ..

Abeg, I’m outta here.

————————

Lolz. H.R- a profession dats nt really abt professionalism but about compatibility and likeness @least for some. Dats why even d best candidate wunt get d job still. In as much as dey r good and bad graduates, we can’t rule out nepotism in d country too. And is dat why some H.Rs don’t get back 2pple afta interview? Someone honored an invite, dedicated his time and money but after u so called H.Rs are done, u jst blank out.. Mz H.R, pls remember u were once an unemployed graduate. Try and teach ur oda H.Rs d right tin to do.

—————————

Story of the generation.

After employing people through the usual ”man know man process” them come here to cry wolf.

—————————

Don’t mind them, the kind of applications these HR people get shows the worth of their company. Cos I don’t know how someone applying to good coys would type “Bai 4 now”, “Dede Ka” etc.

After going through the heated debate I contributed based on my experience. Below is my response:

Employability depends on the role involved and the culture of the company. If I am looking for a store officer, I won’t require you have first class or second class, I won’t even look at your grade. I will look at your ability to pay attention to details.

First thing I look out for, which I believe is same with most employers is the passion to contribute. Most graduates just want to get a job and make money. While this is not wrong itself, employers want people that want to create a value, people that derive satisfaction in working to earn a living. The thing most employers hate is employing people you have to constantly monitor to ensure they are productive.

Ability to comprehend and execute simple instructions is second on my list. I have conducted interviews where some graduates show lack of basic understanding. In some instances, I try to break things down a little further but there and then you see many giving up without even trying harder.

Here are some guidelines, it’s not exhaustive but you can start from here.

1) Understanding of the responsibilities/requirements of any job you are applying for. If you don’t have up to 70% of the requirements do not apply. Also you should be convinced you are willing and able to do the job before applying. You must understand the roles of the position before walking into any interview.

2) Practical basic computer skills. I have seen candidates that claim they know how to work with Excel but can hardly create simple spreadsheets. Take your time, get practical. Don’t assume you know, practice and learn.

3) Work on your comprehension skills. It’s the same thing you learned in secondary school. Take the humble pie, go and pick your secondary school note and brush yourself up.

4) Don’t wait till you get a 200k per month job, start something and give your best. Nothing like practical experience. In all always GIVE YOUR BEST!

5) Don’t beg for job, don’t be desperate. Study the industry, what skills are companies looking for? Learn those skills very well.

6) Consider self employment.

Follow @ngcareers Top Reasons You May or May Not Employable
by Andy

from Ngcareers Blog http://ift.tt/1hxA2KW

via IFTTT

Read More

How to Apply to Jobs Within Your Organisation: Positioning Yourself to Take Advantage of Internal Job Vacancies

If you are working in an organisation and not taking advantage of internal job openings to advance you surely are not doing yourself any favours. Many large organisations regularly have need to fill in jobs and while they may advertise publicly, in some cases, nothing stops someone with relevant years of experience working already in the organisation to apply.

However to apply for jobs within your organisation you need to consider the following;

Talk to Your Superiors

Find out from people who should know about the internal vacancies and whether the company is looking to fill from exclusively outside the company or whether they will also consider internal applications from employees. When you can be sure this is the case you would have a sure basis to dust up, rewrite you CV and send in your application. Get informed on the application process and follow it to the letter.

Follow Your Company’s Job Openings Page

If your organisation does its recruitment through its own HR department chances are that it may have a career section on its website where new jobs are listed. Be sure to keep track of the page for any openings that may be relevant to your career path.

Secure the Right References

If the opportunity you are applying for requires significant differences from your current job you may have to find and include references that will indicate your good background in the areas required for the job.

Don’t Take Things for Granted

That you are already an insider or an employee for the organisation doesn’t guarantee anything or give you any undue advantages over other equally or more qualified external applicants. So you should be doing your best to understand what the position you are applying for entails and follow the rules.

Stay Positive

After sending in your applications it’s all you can do to go about your current job as effectively as you used to. Remain positive and committed even when the selection doesn’t favour you.

Find reviews of over 300 companies and organisations in Nigeria submitted by past and current employees. Join Ngcareers now for free access

How to Apply to Jobs Within Your Organisation: Positioning Yourself to Take Advantage of Internal Job Vacancies
by Paul

from Ngcareers Blog http://ift.tt/1p9zKi2

via IFTTT

Read More

Re-Applying to a Company You Earlier Resigned From: Matters Arising

It’s not everyday that an individual resigns voluntarily from a company only to start seeking appointment again in same company. When that does happen what should such an individual do? Is it proper or self respecting to even consider doing that? This question was raised in a popular online forum in Nigeria.

Tackling the issues one after the other;

Is it Proper or Wise?

There are several reasons that could make one to resign from a place of work so it is a matter of context before deciding whether you are doing something proper applying for another job with a company you previously resigned from. Most people may agree that if you left the organisation in acrimonious circumstances it may not be wise sending in an application yet again.

However if the reasons for your previous resignation where mutual or forced by non-quarrelsome circumstances it should be easier to re-apply if you want to without facing any previous issues.

The Organisations’s HR rules

In this sort of case though you would want to be aware of the organisation’s HR policies so as to not find yourself in an awkward situation.

Previous relationship with the Human Resources and Key Staff

When contemplating applying for a job with the same company you resigned from before one of the important factors to consider is your relationship with the human resources and or key staff that may be involved in recruitment processes.

This also leads to the earlier raised issue of how your resignation came about or was handled. You wouldn’t be in a confident mood to go drop another application if you had damaged relations with the people who would again play a role in considering your application.

Nature of Resignation

There was this young man that got a new job offer and needed to resume immediately. Without taking the time to resign properly he simply stopped work and on resuming at the new job gave his former employer a phone call informing them he was no longer working with them.

Now the young man certainly didn’t resign in a way to help his relationship with the former employer and realises that. If any job should come up with the past employer which interests him greatly he certainly will find it difficult and unwise to apply.

Thus the way and manner of resigning will matter to a great deal should you want to re-apply to the same employer for a job.

What Should the Individual Do to Ensure Success in Re-applying?

If some of the conditions we explored above are favourable for you and you are in a situation you want to re-apply to a former employer here are a couple of tips on how to try and tip success in your favour;

Updating CV to Reflect Improvements

You sure should not make the mistake of attaching the same old CV and cover letter you used in getting your first job with them. An unchanged CV after a couple of years shows lack of growth of the applicant and every organisation worth their salt will want to bring in people who are consistently becoming better and improving at something relevant.

Include all reasonable milestones, professional and academic related achievements you have made since you last applied with them.

Utilising Good Relationships in-House

If you have still very good relations with some important staff in the organisation it will be key to play your card and take advantage of the good relationships. Get an idea of what the organisation wants from them and any changes that you should know about in the organisation’s mode of operation.

If you had previously left them in a gracious and respectful manner, maintained good relationships with enough of the in-house staff and possess the qualifications and experience for the job your chances are going to be better than that of all the other candidates. So you should be going ahead to apply with all confidence.

Do you need regular updates on important jobs that match your interest and area of specialisation? Join Ngcareers now and Create a Profile

Re-Applying to a Company You Earlier Resigned From: Matters Arising
by Paul

from Ngcareers Blog http://ift.tt/1t9LaET

via IFTTT

Read More

National Youth Service Corps Says Corps Members Will Not Be Forced to Serve in Emergency States

The National Youths Service Corps says corps members will not be forced to serve in the three north eastern states currently under emergency rule.

The Director General of NYSC, Brigadier General, Johnson Olawumi made the clarification when he appeared before the National Conference Committee of Civil Society, Labour and Youth.

He said the agency had taken a decision not to send any corps member to the three affected states unless the request to be posted to any of the states comes from the corps member.

The DG said, “We have stopped sending corps members to the three troubled states in North-East under emergency rule. Surprisingly, some still demand to be posted there . But nobody is forced to go there.”

He said there was no way the agency would stop those demanding to be posted there, adding that the embargo on the three states would continue until security improves there.

Olawumi also spoke on areas the agency is making use in order to make the corps members self reliant after their one year service.

This, he said, included skills acquisition and entrepreneurship development programme which he said had been established in all states and Abuja to train corps members.

source: Channels TV

Discover new jobs you may like everyday on Ngcareers; Join Nigeria’s top jobs and career community Free. Go here to create you profile

National Youth Service Corps Says Corps Members Will Not Be Forced to Serve in Emergency States
by ngcareers

from Ngcareers Blog http://ift.tt/1sz6O2U

via IFTTT

Read More

10 Ways to Instantly Boost Your Self Confidence

The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease for ever to be able to do it – J.M. Barrie

Self confidence definitely helps improve the quality of work we do and the things we tend to achieve. For how then can we get others to agree with our plans, give us more responsibility if we clearly lack the belief in ourselves.

To advance in your career you must be seen to possess the innate self confidence that all achievers have. That belief that you can surmount challenges and produce results has a way of reflecting in interviews and during meetings with your boss.

Self confidence as described by the Counseling Center of the University of Illinois is an attitude which allows individuals to have positive yet realistic views of themselves and their situations. Self-confident people trust their own abilities, have a general sense of control in their lives, and believe that, within reason, they will be able to do what they wish, plan, and expect.

What self confidence is not

Being self confident is not equivalent to being arrogant and proud. It also does not mean one can actually do everything. A self confident person has also to be realistic and when they fail to achieve something or meet expectations they continue to be positive and be themselves.

The value of self confidence in one’s career and professional life

The relationship between self confidence or rather the lack of it with performance or achievement in business and career has been established severally.

When you fail to step up to lead a project it may not be just because you feel you are not qualified. It probably is because you do not believe you have the capacity to succeed and so are afraid of failing at the task.

Many people pass up opportunities for actualising great things in their career because of self doubt or low self esteem. They prefer to remain in the shadows where they are not discovered.

Self Confidence Building Steps

To become more effective, successful in your chosen line of work self confidence is a key attribute to have. Here are some tips to gaining solid confidence in yourself which in turn will show in the quality of your work.

Psyche and Personality

There’s hardly anybody that comes into this world insecure or afraid of taking steps but as we grow the interactions and realities begin to shape how we see and believe ourselves.

Key to working on your self confidence is to work on your personality and psyche. What type of person are you and what shaped your perception and current personality. Asking the right questions about the development of your psyche is the beginning of chiselling away the issues that masked your innocent confidence and absolute lack of doubt at birth.

Man Know Thyself

As you learn who you are, you gain confidence in your strengths and also learn your weaknesses. ~ Angela Birt

Studying and discovering what makes you tick as a person is important. Take a SWOT analysis of your strengths and weaknesses. If you are obviously not strong in or fond of an area and you try to do a good job there it doesn’t help your confidence at all. When you focus more on your strong areas and pursue a career along your areas of strength you are likely to have a bit more confidence, drive and believe.

Know yourself and you will win all battles – Sun Tzu

Real Positive Thinking

Confidence comes from success…But confidence also combines another quality because you can be successful, yet lack confidence. It requires a mental attitude shift to an expectation of success. And this alone, can bring about more success, reinforcing the confidence. It spirals from there. ~ Jason Hihn

Positive thinking isn’t just an academic exercise; it’s something successful people have come to master. They actively believe and expect to succeed and while they may fail several times they eventually do succeed.

Conventional wisdom suggests it’s smart to expect the worst because you won’t be disappointed if you fail and you’ll be pleasantly surprised if you succeed. But research suggests this isn’t universally true. Pessimism can undermine your performance creating a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Physical Appearance

Sometimes you get addressed the way you dress. It helps the confidence of most people when colleagues commend on how they look. When you take great care of your appearance the approving looks and respectful manner you are talked to by strangers invariably contribute to a positive confident feeling.

On the other hand when you dress and look poorly you may notice that you find it difficult to pass people’s first seconds of scrutiny. There is a reason most successful professionals and business people look great when going for work.

Taking care of your physical appearance to project confidence includes; having good hygiene, dressing good, maintaining good posture and being in good physical shape.

Social Habits

When you barely have a social life, good caring friends etc you may tend to have more confidence issues. To become better at dealing with people, scenarios and handling rejection you need to build your social life and cultivate the right social habits

Do Something Good for Others

Treating others respectfully or doing something good for a less priviledged fellow has a way of affecting your mood and self belief. When you make someone else happy by your actions you also discover you become happier and more willing to take on your duties.

Find a Cause You Believe in

Many of us have energy bottled up within waiting to be released. It won’t get released until you discover that cause or issue that you have so much passion and belief in. There are many excellent and great humanity issues that you can take time to find which of the causes strikes up your passion.

When you begin to do something meaningful for that cause your self confidence takes a boost.

Avoid Places, People That Put You Down

It goes to say that if you are really working on bringing up your sense of self worth you do not have to hang around people who put you down.

Most issues of low self esteem or lack of confidence we have today, especially in this part of the world, comes from the settings at home. Early in the life of a young person the parents do not hesitate to shower abuses on you for any little mistake. Some go further to call you names like ‘dunce, good-for-nothing etc’ Subconsiously the child begins to withdraw and shy away from assuming responsibility. Failure becomes not something to learn from but something to dread.

So as you grow into adulthood the best thing you can do for yourself is to keep away company that always acts or speaks in a way to adversely affect your self belief. Have a friend who always tells you how you cannot do this or achieve that? Keep him at an arm’s length. Of course you need realistic friends around you but you certainly do not want someone to rub off their abject negativity and low self confidence on you.

Explore; Meet New People

Sometimes exploring life and getting about will bring you in contact with people that will inspire you to be better and improve. This also boils down to changing your social habit to ensure you meet more interesting people. Your self confidence improves the more you learn to network and meet the right persons.

Compliment Others

Do this sincerely and not as flattery. Tell your colleague how good she looks. To make your compliment even better be specific and show you actually noticed a particular good thing about them or their looks.

These are not magic rules but little steps that ultimately improve your life and help strengthen your sense of self worth. The important thing to note is that your self confidence depends on you. You should never think or expect that it will come from other people which is why you should never hang on people’s approval to have a healthy sense of your self worth.

Join other career individuals and professionals in discussing any career issues you may have on our fast growing discussion community. Go here to start

10 Ways to Instantly Boost Your Self Confidence
by Paul

from Ngcareers Blog http://ift.tt/RPJsLg

via IFTTT

Read More

Exclusive: Best Paid Jobs and Careers in Nigeria for 2014

Last year ending we published a report on the best paid jobs for 2013 which was well received. As year 2013 runs out it’s time to look again at what career paths are looking more promising in terms of income prospects.

Note: As our last list this one is also based on estimated income for entry to mid level positions.

To come up with this list we have scoured hundreds of relevant online pages of data, done interviews with several career individuals in these specialisations, and most importantly carried out an in-depth analysis of the salaries for over 10,000 unique jobs listed in 2013 so far.

This list is by no means absolute, it is rather a painstaking evaluation of the jobs and careers that are considered most rewarding (in terms of pay only) in 2014 based on information gleaned from various sources. The list is based on entry level earnings and salaries for the various careers and is by no means an absolute, error-proof compilation of best paid jobs. It is however a well researched sequel to our earlier profile on best jobs to know about in 2013.

So here’s the list of our big earners;

Aerospace Engineering

There is hardly any quality, functioning aerospace engineering and technical department in Nigerian universities. Aerospace engineers working in the country’s aviation sector got their professional and technical trainings outside the shores of the country and get paid handsomely.

They are most likely licensed aircraft engineers and its a tasking profession that requires continous technical expertise and sound judgement. Pilots earn well but do not come near the pay packet of aeronautical engineers.

Petroleum/Production Engineers

Highly skilled engineers in the various production aspects of the petroleum industry are among the best paid professional careers in the country.

Investment Bankers

Investment bankers help companies, governments and their agencies to raise money by issuing and selling securities in the primary market. They assist public and private corporations in raising funds in the capital markets (both equity and debt), as well as in providing strategic advisory services for mergers, acquisitions and other types of financial transactions.” They mostly work in Hedge Funds, Banks, Asset Management companies, Investment advisory and consulting firms etc.

Commercial Airline Pilots

Dominated by expatriates pilots in the country are still among top earners. Indications are that as more airlines join the airspace in Nigeria to make things even more interesting and competitive well trained and skilled pilots will command more pay as they will be in more demand.

Project Managers

Project Managers most time plan, lead a team and execute on varied projects within their organisations. While Project managers’ salaries vary depending on the prestige of the company Senior Project Managers are expected to be well experienced managers who most time carry out and supervise ambitious projects ranging from setup up new manufacturing plants to roll out of telecom products and so on. Project Manager jobs in Telecom, big Manufacturing firms, oil & gas, banking, FCMG earn big pay packets

IT/Telecom Engineers

IT engineers are responsible for the implementation of all software and hardware solutions in an organisation and the position may include training, hardware/software, administration duties and support. As the IT and telecom industries are becoming fiercer in 2014 skilled IT and Telecom engineers will be more in demand and earn more.

Hackers/Software Programmers/IT Security Analysts

The demand for programmers well versed in Javascript, PHP, Java and JQuery is on the increase and we predict a more lucrative atmosphere for highly skilled ethical hackers and programmers. Ethical Hackers are rarer to find in Nigeria and the situation will not likely improve much in 2014. Ethical Hackers work to improve cyber security, prevent security breaches and maintain security of web and online platforms. As more and more big business starts to get conducted online corporations and companies are getting to ensure low risk of security breach on online operations thus IT security Analyst and Hacking careers are looking more lucrative.

Have we missed any job or career that pays well enough to be in this list? Let us know through the comments.

Additional sources: Payscale, Nairaland, Ngcareers salary data, Interviews with Industry personnel

Join Ngcareers for free and get personalised updates on only the types of jobs you want. Go here to create your profile

Exclusive: Best Paid Jobs and Careers in Nigeria for 2014
by ngcareers

from Ngcareers Blog http://ift.tt/1sDxIJ6

via IFTTT

Read More

Why Becoming a Mining Engineer Would be a Smart Career Move

The world doesn’t run on coffee. It runs on minerals. To get those minerals, a mining engineer is needed. Mineral extraction is a very exacting science and requires that an individual be involved in the practice, theory, technology, and science of extracting minerals from the environment. If the idea of devising efficient systems for doing this sounds appealing to you, you’ll want to know how to get started down this exciting career path.

What Does A Mining Engineer Do?

Mining engineers are involved in a wide range of tasks that focus on the engineering aspects of mining. They can be consultants for large mining operations or they can work out in the field (i.e. a mine). If you’re doing mineral discovery, expect to be out in the field with geologists digging up dirt. Your job will be to take core samples and examine them for proven reserves.

A mineral determination is done once a deposit is located. This usually involves a chemical analysis of the ore to determine its composition. Once that’s been identified, you would then determine the quantity of the ore and its purity. Finally, a feasibility study is done to prove mineral reserves in the ground. In other words, you’re trying to determine whether it would be profitable to dig commercially for the mineral ore.

Of course, if you don’t like field work, you may be able to land yourself a consulting job in a big city. That would preclude traveling to far-away and remote towns for weeks on end. The educational requirements are somewhat intense. You’ll want a bachelor’s at minimum. Some companies will require you to have a master’s. Thankfully, finding colleges for mining engineering isn’t hard.

What’s Life Like?

For the most part, you have to love traveling, unless you get yourself a consulting gig. Even then, you may have to travel now and again. Many engineers work in remote locations, away from other people. Sometimes, they work in locations so remote, the only people there are the geologists and crew for the exploration mission.

You may work a 3-2 schedule – 3 weeks on and 2 weeks of vacation. It’s a hard life because, when you’re working, you don’t get standard breaks or time off.

You may also be required to work on a mine site, which opens you up to all of the health risks of working in or near a mining operation.

Your love of solving problems, and discovering new deposits, will have to overwhelms all of the negative aspects of the job.

Salary and Benefits

Thankfully, you’re compensated well for the work you do. The mean yearly salary for a mining engineer in the U.S. is about $90,000. Some make more, however. It all depends on the company that hires you and what your actual job entails.

Types Of Mining Engineers

The opportunities in the industry are almost endless. You can work in an established mine as an operation’s manager, go out exploring for more mineral deposits, and even do some of the mining yourself.

Thomas Fields is passionate about his engineering career. When not working on projects or being an adjunct professor, he enjoys writing about the career field. The EngineeringDegrees.org team can help you find colleges all over the U.S. They can even get the application process started. About the only thing they can’t do is pay for the schooling.

Join Nigeria’s top jobs and career website and get your CV profile in front of thousands of recruiters. Register free in less than a minute.

Why Becoming a Mining Engineer Would be a Smart Career Move
by ngcareers

from Ngcareers Blog http://ift.tt/1nvf7N5

via IFTTT

Read More

Careers in Wildlife That Are Non-Existent or Disappearing in Nigeria

Government in Nigeria places low importance in conservation and promotion of wildlife resources in the country. As a result there are several careers in wildlife that do not have promising prospects. For some of these career paths the opportunities are far disappearing as neglect of the wildlife conservation and tourism sector continues.

Zoologist

Zoologists are interested in animal study but with many animal species in Nigeria endangered, almost going extinct and very few zoos functioning very well in the country there is ever less and less job prospects for zoology graduates.

There are almost no animal training establishments where zoologists can work to train some animals to do certain tasks. In a society that thrives on tourism this alone would open up opportunities for graduates who posses deep knowledge about wildlife and animals.

Wildlife/Conservation Biologist

Wildlife Biologists are primarily concerned with improving conditions for wildlife to exist and grow. Wildlife biologists, also be referred to as conservation biologists, help to ensure wildlife in conservation areas and zoos are not wiped out.

There may not be a cut and dried career path in wildlife conservation as one could veer off into several routes. A career in wildlife conservation could be with the environmental department of big multinationals whose commercial activities have significant impact on wildlife and the environment. Alternatively one can work with international agencies or local NGOs as research assistants, biologists etc.

Lack of strong environmental protection laws impact negatively on the growth of job opportunities in these areas. Few wildlife conservation areas are active to warrant more employment for individuals interested in wildlife conservation.

Forensic Scientists

There is a virtual lack of forensic science in the country and as such someone looking to pursue a career in forensic science will be hardpressed to find opportunities. Forensic scientists provide impartial scientific evidence for use in courts of law to support the prosecution or defence in criminal and civil investigations. Forensic scientists play great roles in wildlife and environment helping to determine through scientific evidence from the key areas of chemistry, biology and toxicology.

Forensic Science as is applicable for biology and wildlife is near non-existent in Nigeria. People looking for a scientific career in that regards can expand their options to include other related areas.

Ecologist

The general decline in wildlife conservation and the growing disregard for enforcing environmental laws adversely affects the outlook of opportunities for ecologists. Ecologists are concerned with ecosystems as a whole, the abundance and distribution of organisms (people, plants, animals), and the relationships between organisms and their environment. Ecologists usually choose a specialist area (e.g. freshwater, marine, terrestrial, fauna, flora) and then carry out a wide range of tasks relating to that area.

Ornithology

An ornithologist studies birds, but there is no clear job description for the profession. Many ornithologists do not work exclusively with birds. They may be ecologists, geneticists, wildlife biologists, land managers, teachers, researchers, outdoor educators, or tour leaders. They may work for federal or state government agencies, non-profit organizations, for-profit companies, or free-lance. They may work exclusively with birds or only as a small part of their job. Ornithologists may work in the field with populations of wild birds, in the laboratory , or on data on their computer. They may specialize in a particular bird group or be a generalist.

Follow Latest Opportunities in your area of career interest; simply join Ngcareers community of career individuals and get free updates on jobs you may like. Create your profile free now

Careers in Wildlife That Are Non-Existent or Disappearing in Nigeria
by ngcareers

from Ngcareers Blog http://ift.tt/1kQJTMw

via IFTTT

Read More

How to Create an Online Profile That Targets The Attention of Recruiters

These days when you want to be noticed you have to take charge of your online profile and image. Your social media accounts and online forum postings has never been more important than it is today. More and more employers are beginning to use the internet to check out potential candidates for jobs. Don’t be surprised that before you attend that interview your interviewer and prospective employer may have scoured the web for information on your person.

What this all points to is that you must manage your online entity and project an image that recruiters and employers will be attracted to.

Creating a Solid Online Profile

This starts with recognising the various places on the internet where you can create your online professional and career profile in the way to make it very targeted to the kind of job you want to land.

When you are looking for a job it is important to have online profiles where people interested in hiring you can easily find out your interests, accomplishments, skills and experiences. Even if you are gainfully employed and looking to advance faster in your chosen career path it is important that you create the right profiles for yourself online. Note that if you can’t be found online in this day and age many employers will not take you serious.

Sites Where You Should Create an Online Profile

LinkedIn: LinkedIn is a professional networking site where you can create your own profile to increase visibility and attract potential recruiters. LinkedIn has hundreds of millions of users and many thousands of them are Nigerians.

Facebook: Most people who know how to use the computer very well have a Facebook Account. However you can optimise your Facebook Account for job search purposes by ensuring you create a professional looking profile describing your career interests.

Twitter : Twitter is fast becoming a platform for discovery of information (jobs included). Your Twitter profile will help give you exposure especially as it helps you connect with other professionals real time.

Google+: Another social network in the mould of Facebook with hundreds of millions of users Google+ can be useful in building connections and advancing your career. You can connect with individuals and organisations on Google+

Ngcareers: A job search and career site for Nigerians with over 300,000 users Ngcareers enables you create a complete career profile or resume which is indexed in its Talent Search Engine enabling thousands of employers and recruiters to find your CV when they search for candidates based on keywords and interests. Creating a good Ngcareers profile will help you get better exposure to employers looking for candidates with your skills and experience.

Your Own Blog: If you are good enough to have your own blog (preferably in your own name) that will be a good plus for your job growth. Pushing out quality and great content regularly will definitely get you attention from players in your industry. Having your own blog gives you the power to create the right image for yourself and send out useful information that may impress people and get them reaching to connect with you.

Tips to Creating a Great Online Career Profile

Your career profile is a document that summarises your skills, interests, job experience, and other necessary background information that may be useful to a potential employer checking up some information about you. Here’s what your concise online profile should contain;

- Summary: This is a brief section of phrases and words to show at a glance what skills, abilities you possess and what previous or present accomplishments you have utilised your abilities for. Try to make this section as eye catching as possible

- Work Experience: Outline your core work experiences, titles, including voluntary work.

- Education and Relevant Trainings: List your academic qualifications, relevant professional trainings, workshops, licenses and certifications obtained.

Note that your online profile has to be organised and brief (restricted to one page is better) and created to create the right impression with anyone who is checking it out. You can the above tips to create your career profile on Ngcareers right away.

Have you ever needed information on what it is like to work for any Nigerian company? Current and Past employees have shared reviews of over 300 companies in Nigeria giving you inside tips on what it is like to work in any organisation of your interest. Why not check out the reviews on Ngcareers?

How to Create an Online Profile That Targets The Attention of Recruiters
by Paul

from Ngcareers Blog http://ift.tt/1sf0jEf

via IFTTT

Read More

National Orthopedic Hospital Nursing Diploma 2014 Application

National Orthopedic Hospital, Enugu Nursing Diploma Application Form for 2014 is out sale, members of the public who are interested and qualified can now start to pick up application forms.

Application Into National Orthopedic Hospital Enugu Nursing Diploma Program 2014

Applications are invited from suitably qualified candidates for admission into orthopedic and plastic/burns basic Nursing diploma program.

Requirements:

Applicants must;

- Possess the West African school certificate/GCE/NECO or their acceptable equivalent with credits in five subjects at one or two sittings including English, mathematics, and at least two science subjects viz biology, chemistry and physics

- Be a registered nurse with the nursing and midwifery council of Nigeria

- have at least one year post qualification experience in the clinical area.

- show evidence of sponsorship/release throughout the period of training by an institution or voluntary agencies

- evidence of physical fitness

Duration of Course

The duration of the course is twelve calender months comprising two semesters

CLOSING DATE: Applications forms duly completed for the National Orthopedic Hospital Nursing programme, together with photocopies of relevant credentials including valid nursing license should be forwarded to the course coordinator of the programme of choice not later than 30th June 2014

Test and Selection Interview:

Written test and oral interviews will be conducted at the post basic nursing schools as follows;

Orthopedic Nursing 6th August 2014

Burns/ plastic nursing 13th August 2014

Accomodation:

The hospital has accommodation for the selected candidates during the period of the course.

Method of Application

Application forms are obtainable from the coordinator of each program on presentation of receipt for payment of non refundable fee of N5,000 ONLY. Forms are available at the schools now.

National Orthopedic Hospital Nursing Diploma 2014 Application
by Andy

from Ngcareers Blog http://ift.tt/1fLXEA6

via IFTTT

Read More

Five Ways to Make Yourself Irresistible to Job Recruiters

Are you looking to get a job in the near future? If so, you are going to have to make yourself look as good to recruiters as possible. What are some things that you can do to have recruiters beating down your door with job offers?

1) Build Your Own Audience

Those who are unemployed should start a website or their own blog where they can express their views and get their name out to those in the working world. If your blog is popular enough, you will have an audience that can bring with you to your next employer. That audience can then be converted into paying customers and boost the company’s bottom line just by hiring you.

2) Have a Creative Resume

Your resume should stand out from the crowd. While you don’t want to attach any photos or use crazy fonts, you can have fun with the format, style and other aspects of the document. Whatever you do, make sure that it is easy to read and informative.

3) Use the Proper Keywords on Your Cover Letter

Many companies use keyword scanners to weed out applications from people who have no chance of getting a job. If you want to hear back from a recruiter think of and use keywords that are relevant to the job posting. For example, you might want to use the words bankruptcy or trustee if you were applying for a job at Paddon & Yorke Inc.

4) Be Confident When Approaching Recruiters

If you approach recruiters at job fairs or trade shows, do so with confidence. Use a strong handshake and a big smile to show that you are at ease with the recruiter and want to talk business. Research has shown that smiling indicates that you are happy and energetic. Those are the people who employers want to hire.

5) Use Professional Services Whenever Possible

The best way to get job recruiters to love you is to come off as a professional in all ways. If you don’t write well or have problems interviewing, you should have a professional writer write your resume and talk to a job coach to brush up on your interviewing skills.

It is easier than you may think to make yourself look irresistible to a job recruiter. By coming off as a professional who is serious about finding a job and adding something to a company, the odds that you find a job increase significantly.

Karleia Steiner is a freelance writer and writes for Paddon & York Inc.

Get found by over 1000 recruiters on Ngcareers; Add your CV profile to our candidate database by simply joining Ngcareers for Free.

Five Ways to Make Yourself Irresistible to Job Recruiters
by Paul

from Ngcareers Blog http://ift.tt/Q5jQbW

via IFTTT

Read More

Five Things You Must Not Toy With in Your Career

Careers. Jobs. Employment. Salaries. Job security. Productivity.

All these form the basis of our frequent visits to this blog. We want tips on how to write the award-winning resume, how to dazzle the panel at every interview or how to package ourselves to be the darling of all employers. They are all necessary and important for the breakneck challenges we face these days.

But there are these five things we can’t take for granted in our lives and careers.

If I read your mind well enough, you may be expecting me to mention such colorful terms as training, professional development, team building or even dressing. Great as they are, they aren’t on my radar because with the best training you can still be kicked out. Who cares if you are developed professionally when the monster of office politics rears its ugly head? Neither suave dressing nor team spirit is capable of saving our ass when the axe dangles.

I hereby present to you, in no order of superiority, the five basic lifelines we mustn’t joke with in the course of our careers and of course throughout our lifetime.

Family

The family is the single most important school we never graduate from. The family is the most enjoyable club where you don’t pay any subscription to be a member except for the perpetual subscription of mutual sacrifice and love. The family is the most trusted and ever reliable source of comfort and joy. Happiness in our career depends, to a large extent, on how close we are to our families, how committed we are to our families and how much we give into them.

If you haven’t been taking advantage of the amazing wonders of your family, try getting closer and be more responsible. The joy is transcendental. Nothing compares with it.

Relationships

Let’s talk friendship and networking.

We are all taught to realize that no one can survive as an island. We need one another. We really do! The quality of relationships we build with friends, colleagues, associates, religious comrades and even casual acquaintances comes in handy during both sweet and bitter times. Some guys even claim that external relationships are more helpful than families. I don’t write to debate or argue this but the kernel of the matter is that both lifelines shouldn’t be toyed with in our career.

Fun

Somehow, I don’t know or I can’t recollect when or how exactly I became a fan of Real Madrid. I had never been a lover of football but the spinner turned up a different number along the line. I just got attached to them and the romance began. I think it was in the days of Zizzou. And I’m loving every minute of it. It’s fun! It’s amazing! It’s entertaining! It’s a stress killer!

Please, whatever your career entails, get some fun. On a regular basis, we need to let off some toxic steam. We need to give our brain the chance to recover and our nerves the chance to relax. Nothing kills productivity as fast as stress. And nothing deals with stress as effectively as relaxing.

Hobby

Does a hobby play any role in our lives and careers besides gracing a space on our CVs? Yes, it does. But…

I’m yet to see a lifeline misused and abused as hobbies!

But those stuff we insert at the tail end of our CVs, almost hidden from sight and swallowed completely by other stories and screams, do we really take full advantage of the saving grace they offer? Does your hobby really mean anything to you? Sorry, were you really sincere and true to yourself in including all those things that are categorized as ‘hobby’ in your CV? Isn’t it just to fulfill all righteousness?

Before I started writing this post, I just finished reading Paul Eze’s great tips on what to do if I lose my job. I’m dead sure that the article would kick some mixed reactions – basically emotional. While those who were grappling with loss of job would find it comforting, the religious ones among those who still had their jobs would have probably uttered a resounding ‘tufia kpa!’, ’God forbid!’, ‘k’Olorun ma je!’ or ‘I reject it in Jesus name!’.

A million wishes for long life would not stop death from doing its chores. People lose jobs regularly. It’s even more frightening in a country as ours where employers take advantage of the wobbling and dizzying economy that years of cancerous corruption and imbecile governance bestow on us.

Hobbies are amazing therapy for stress. Things you can pour your heart into even when you aren’t getting a dime for them. If you truly have a hobby, the kicks and spanks of office will pale into near nothingness because you will always look forward to doing it. And for those who are either not yet employed or those who are out of job, your hobby is a soothing companion you can’t do without. Your hobby can also be transformed to a full scale career which can guarantee you regular income during and after your career.

Conviction

Some call it faith. A number of us call it religion. Whatever the terminology you attach, man finds solace in the supernatural. I’m not canvassing for religions. Just get a conviction. Believe you can. Believe you have what it takes to survive any storm. Believe you aren’t cut out for intimidation, you are a star. There is a mythical but real connection between what we hold onto and what we eventually become. It’s inexplicable but it works.

Do you now get why all these are more important than anything in our careers and in our lives?

Talk to you soon.

Take control of your job search and career growth; Join Ngcareers and discover inside information on companies and jobs in Nigeria.

Five Things You Must Not Toy With in Your Career
by Taiwo Adeyemi

from Ngcareers Blog http://ift.tt/1o2ZVq8

via IFTTT

Read More

Letter to a Fresh Graduate: How to Start and Build a Successful Career

Dear Graduate,

Now you are out of school and probably through with serving your fatherland I want to talk to you about how you can embark on a successful career for yourself. You probably didn’t know or care much about the future when you were in school. The parties, football games, flirting and maybe the night jacking were all that occupied your time.

I don’t know if you prepared for your intended career or if you even have an idea of what you want to do with your life right now. This letter is not to dwell on that but to point out what you can do to start an illustrious career for yourself.

What Do You Want to Do?

All achievers in life must take a couple of minutes each day to remind themselves of what exactly it is they want to achieve or do with their life. If you want to join the elite you must sit down and reflect and articulate your plans. You are no more a kid, hope you know. From now on you think for yourself!

Do you have the entrepreneurial spirit? Do you just want to have an illustrious engineering career? Find out what exactly it is then.

How Do You Intend to Start?

Your career goal determines how you develop a plan. If you want to run your own business, start an internet or offline company, be a self employed professional you will have to decide on issues like fundraising and getting the skills you require. If you have relatives, friends and parents who can give you the seed fund you need good for you but remember you will need a simple straightforward plan on how you intend to grow your idea to good levels of profitability.

If you have no one to rely on for funds you may look at the option of getting a job, working several years and saving towards your ultimate goal.

If you instead wish to get a job in a field of your choice and build a long, illustrious career therein you will need to identify the job options you want to pursue. What skills and attributes will you need to pursue a successful career in those fields? Start a rigorous self improvement regime and use all the smart job search ideas we have been talking about here.

Some Things You Should Know About the Labour Market and Business Generally in Nigeria

- People who have the skills and knowledge may go far but they go even farther if they have the right relationships with other players in the industry

- Proactive people almost always get the best jobs and best deals in their industry

- Sometimes Who You Know Matter in Business and the Labour Market (ask Bill Gates whose mum knew the top brass at IBM and helped him secure the deal with IBM that gave Microsoft the foundation for what it is today)

- Your personal networking and connections may get you jobs and deals but it is your expertise and delivery that will sustain you and get you even better offers and deals

Now Go Ahead and Start

One major attribute of successful career individuals and business people is that they act. Yes, they may plan but more importantly they act and execute on their plan even when things are not so sure and rosy for them. They don’t wait for the perfect time to build their professional relationships or get started on taking that professional course to improve themselves.

There is no complex way to get ahead in your career if you are clear on your goals, focused on them and working hard and smart towards them.

Take control of your job search today on Ngcareers, Nigeria’s top job and career site. Join free now.

Letter to a Fresh Graduate: How to Start and Build a Successful Career
by Paul

from Ngcareers Blog http://ift.tt/1pNoFXW

via IFTTT

Read More

Federal Government Urged to Create More Entrepreneurship Development Centers to Boost Job Creation

A director of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), South South EDC, Mr. Gbenga Owolabi has urged the Federal Government to establish more Entrepreneurship Development Centers (EDCs) across the country to improve access at affordable costs for aspiring or existing entrepreneurs. He made this call during the Entrepreneurship Career Fair organised recently by the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) in Lagos

Speaking on the Imperative for Job Creation, Owolabi also urged governments and regulatory institutions for education to ensure that appropriate entrepreneurship curriculum is well integrated into the standard curriculum for schools at all levels with emphasis on the development of entrepreneurial mindset in addition to business skills.

Noting that only 4.5 million out of 41.5 million working Nigerians are in paid employment, Owolabi said the need for youth to develop their entrepreneurial skill cannot be overemphasised.

In the United States, he observed that small businesses are responsible for between 65 and 90 percent of all jobs created whilst in high income countries, SMEs account for 65 percent employment and contributes 51 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

“Nigeria has been overwhelmed by so many problems that we no longer see opportunities in developing entrepreneurship skills. To seek a job in the country today is much more`challenging than to create jobs. Yet our youths are searching for white collar jobs,” he lamented.

According to him, in spite of the realisation that access to finance is critical to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) growth and development, Nigeria still does not have sufficient volume of the much needed entrepreneurial presence and activities.

He recalled that the CBN had in 2008 initiated the Entrepreneurship Development Centres (EDC) in the South West, North West and South East geopolitical zones located in Lagos, Kano and Onitsha respectively.This, he said was in partnership with private sector firms appointed as Implementing Agencies (IA) for the EDCs.

“The CBN extended its partnership to willing State Governments to collaborate in the establishment of 3 additional EDCs in the other geopolitical regions of Nigeria in January 2013. This laudable initiative of the apex bank has begun to yield some positive dividends across the length and breadth of Nigeria.

“The first set of EDCs in Lagos, Kano and Onitsha have trained over 45,000 individuals, helped to start 8,000 new enterprises and created 12,000 jobs CBN South-South EDC which commenced operation in Calabar January 2013, has trained over 1,600 individuals out of which over 50 percent have stated their enterprises creating close to 1,000 jobs,” he added.

Through an integrated entrepreneurship development program and curriculum, he noted that the CBN EDCs provided life-long learning experiences aligned with the entire entrepreneurship development process and enterprise growth stages.

He therefore challenged governments at all levels and private sector partnership to initiate, promote, encourage and facilitate development of various platforms and industries that will provide financing options suitable for different stages of growth of enterprises.

He further charged state and local governments to also conceptualise, implement, publicise and manage programs to award grants to support the successful startup of enterprises through competitive business plan development processes such as the FG’s YouWIN Program.

source: Thisday

Federal Government Urged to Create More Entrepreneurship Development Centers to Boost Job Creation
by ngcareers

from Ngcareers Blog http://ift.tt/1tAUkvb

via IFTTT

Read More

Here is the Simplest Explanation of Marketing

During a session with some MBA students, a Professor tried to explain marketing in simplest form. He offered the following explanation:

1. 
   

   
   

   You see gorgeous girl in party, you go to her and say I am rich marry me “That’s Direct Marketing“

   
   

   
   


2. 
   

   
   

   You attend a party and your friend goes to a girl and points at you telling her. He is very rich, marry him “That’s Advertising“

   
   

   
   


3. 
   

   
   

   Girls walks to you and says you are rich, can you marry me? “That’s Brand Recognition“.

   
   

   
   


4. 
   

   
   

   You say I’m very rich marry me and she slaps you. “That’s Customer Feedback“

   
   

   
   


5. 
   

   
   

   You say I’m very rich marry me and she introduces you to her husband. “That’s Demand and Supply Gap“.

   
   

   
   


6. 
   

   
   

   Before you say I’m rich marry me, your wife arrives. “Thats’s Restriction from Entering New Market“.

   
   

   
   

Here is the Simplest Explanation of Marketing
by Andy

from Ngcareers Blog http://ift.tt/1hJxE7i

via IFTTT

Read More

What Kind of Smart Are You?

A good IQ is often required for success at work, but more often than not it’s other forms of intelligence that really make or break a team. This is a guest post (infograph) by Bonnie More from besteducationdegrees.com

In summary the real indicator of office success is…

Emotional Intelligence (EI) + Moral Intelligence (MI) + Body Intelligence (BI)

Emotional Intelligence Helps:

Self-awareness, Self-management, Self-motivation, Social-awareness, and Relationship Management

50% of the population has at or above an average IQ. Many other intelligences are involved with true success.

View the infograph below and answer the questions in it to determine what kind of smart you are.

What Kind of Smart Are You?
by Andy

from Ngcareers Blog http://ift.tt/1qIyELi

via IFTTT

Read More

Career Opportunities for English Graduates in Nigeria

Almost every person educated up to higher education level speaks some decent level of English so what exactly, some may ask, are the job prospects for a graduate who majored in English language?

The English language no doubt is the dominant language in today’s world economy. if you studied English language in a higher institution it may seem that there are no tangible, hard skills acquired except that of knowing your way around speaking and writing the English language.

One could argue that there are no specific career paths for English language graduates as it is not in itself a professional course of study that leads to defined professional career routes.

However the advantage for any good English language graduate is that he could easily veer off into marketing, advertising, teaching, communication careers etc.

The skills you gain through an English language degree are marketable in many career areas. See below some job and career options for you as an English language graduate;

Job/Career Areas

Editor/Editorial Assistant – print, online media etc

Teacher – primary, secondary school

Lecturer – (a post graduate degree needed)

Lexicographer – printing, publishing etc

Journalist – print, online, radio, TV media

Writer/Author – writer, blogger, playwriting, fiction writing, poetry, feature writing etc

Librarian – public, private libraries

Information Officer – NGOs, government agencies, business organisations

Marketing Executive – business organisations

Copywriter – advertising, pr agencies

Records Manager – archives, museums, publishing

Vital Skills That Could Be Useful for Your Career

- sound written and verbal communication skills

- organisation and time management

- critical reasoning and anaylsis

- Ability to use and manipulate words

- articulating and understanding texts, ideas and theories

- creative thinking

Note however that many employers accept applications from graduates with any degree subject for many jobs so your possible opportunity areas are not restricted to the ones mentioned above.

Get linked to jobs that match your interest on Ngcareers. Join Nigeria’s top jobs and career site now for free.

Career Opportunities for English Graduates in Nigeria
by ngcareers

from Ngcareers Blog http://ift.tt/1p9kzJs

via IFTTT

Read More

Need a Salary Increase at Work? Here’s How to Ask for a Raise

Do you feel like you have been doing a great work consistently over the past months or years and should be ripe for a pay rise? Do you believe that despite your work the management may not just give you a raise until you ask for it? Then you probably should go ahead and ask for a salary increase.

Asking your employer for a raise doesn’t guarantee you anything positive from them. There are several reasons your employer might not feel like giving you the raise you want: they don’t think you’ve done enough to deserve it; the economy is going down; cashflow is tight, and so on. So how do you effectively approach your employer for a raise and get it?

Think Like the Employer

Today, apparently no company wants to be handing out money. If you’re going to make them do it then you must understand how they think and what could move them to hand over more money to you.

An employer primarily will only reward excellent performance that plays a role in boosting company growth and revenues. They also want to be sure they are not going to give you a raise and not get even better productivity in return.

If you think like an employer before asking for a raise you will also understand the importance of data and analytics. Do you see why there is always a target to be met? By how much have you exceeded the minimum work or target expected of you? If you can have the data at your finger tips the better for your argument.

Thinking like an employer will help you base your arguments on the things that matter to the employer. No socialist thinking here! Just real data and information on what you have brought to the company since you were hired or since your last promotion plus specific information on how getting a raise will spur you to achieve more.

The premise is simple; employers don’t care about all the socialist bullshit lazy employees think. They are in business to survive and make big tons of money. Thinking like them or trying to picture their motivation and reaction will help you make a better argument.

Do You Have Leverage?

In most sectors it isn’t easy to get a raise unless you have the leverage. The leverage is anything that gives you a leg up, a bargaining power. Leverage can be in form of a job offer from another company (whether direct competitor or not), being a star employee (pulling in the best results consistently) etc.

However if you must approach the employer with the offer of a job from another company as a leverage you must be careful. Many will not see it kindly and in fact a few might see it as a dark manipulative act (you wanting to push them to give you more money out of fear of losing you). Then also you should be sure the job offer is already cast in concrete as the boss might want to test your resolve and insist you should go for the new job because they won’t or can’t give you a raise. If this happens then you must be ready to walk.

Know What is Obtainable

It doesn’t help your cause if you are going to ask your boss for a raise and you make a demand very much above the industry rate average. Unless you are a superman employee and they will do anything to keep you in the company.

And since that likely is not the case you will need to have the right information on what others in similar positions could be earning. The more moderate your demand is the higher the possibility that it would be met.

Doing the Asking

This actually is where the ball rolls to a stop for most people. Is it enough or even okay to send a letter asking for a raise? Some experts argue that simply writing a letter denies you the opportunity to make a case that could appeal to the human senses of the employer. So by all means request for a meeting from the person who could act or request for action on your request. When you have a face to face with your big boss then what?

Know Your Company’s policies

Does the company require annual performance reviews before they actually determine if you are good for a raise? Consult your employee handbook or talk to someone at HR so you have the right information before going in for a talk.

Building a Case

Prepare a list of your accomplishments in the past year. Be definite and don’t come with a long boring essay on how you have worked your ass off for the company. Simply outline data driven list of notable and very relevant stuff you have achieved so far in your work. If you have helped increase userbase or revenues state clearly what you have brought on board.

Here are some posers you could use to develop your case:

Did you complete or help to complete a tough project? And get positive results from it?

Did you work extra hours or meet an urgent deadline? Are you continuing to demonstrate this type of commitment?

Did you take initiative? In what ways?

Did you go beyond the call of duty? In what ways?

Did you save the company time or money?

Did you improve any systems or processes?

Did you support or train others? “A rising tide lifts all boats,” you can bet that most bosses will want to keep people who make others work better

It could help if you can memorise the list and tell your boss verbally. You can later on back it up with a copy. Outline your proposed future value to the company.

Timing is important

Aside from how you ask the other very important factor to determine your success is in the timing of your asking. It’s all about the timing.

Here are some tips on the timing for asking

- Don’t ask too soon (you must have worked for at least a year with the organisation)

- Ask when your value is high: choose successful moments to ask for a raise such as when you just pulled off a huge sale, when you just organised a successful conference for the company, when you just did some fantastic work that everybody can’t stop talking about etc.

- Don’t ask when the company just took losses or the finances are taking a hit.

- If possible ask before the budget for a new business year gets decided.

- Don’t ask for a pay rise based only on overtime worked. You didn’t expect you’d go early everyday did you?

- Ask for a meeting on Thursday; for some reasons I don’t know it seems the best day to do this kind of talk. Monday will be too busy for the week just starting, Friday you may not get the attention of the boss.

Tips & Ideas for Asking

- Present yourself well

- State your happiness at working with the firm and doing your best

- Follow up with discussing your achievements. Be brief and restrict to facts and figures

- Be specific with what you are asking for: tell your boss how much more money you want to make in percentage terms (eg 10% of your current pay)

- Don’t be aggressive, be diplomatic

- Whatever you do don’t threaten your employer

- When your boss hears you out his response might be one of the following; yes, no or give me time

- Thank your boss for his patience and time in hearing you out no matter what his response is.

- If his response is positive (yes) thank him and hold him onto his word. Something like ‘I trust you will do as you say’ might do

- If he asks you to give him sometime then certainly you must be patient. Perhaps he cannot take the decision alone. Let him know you are grateful for his consideration and are willing to wait for his response.

- If he says no that doesn’t mean you go sour on him. That your employer turned down your request today doesn’t mean he wouldn’t consider giving you a raise in the coming months. Your reaction to the ‘no’ will matter a lot for future consideration of your request. So don’t walk out of the room and slam the door or your boss would think he was right not to give you the raise.

- In the event of a ‘no’ ask your boss what you can do differently as this shows your willingness to listen to and take his opinions.

- Keep doing stellar work and ask again for a raise in some months time. If you have consistently performed and then ask a second time your chances of getting a ‘yes’ will be enhanced.

After the Asking

Despite the response of your employer during your talk send a thank you message (email or note) to your boss showing your gratitude for the conversation. If he had turned down your request the thank you email will prove to him that you took it graciously and are not bitter with him or the organisation.

Be Persistent

Now you have made it public that you want a raise your boss will certainly have it in his consciousness. He will be deliberating the possibility that you may leave the company for any better offer. He will also be deciding if you are too valuable to be let go. To further push him towards making a decision decide to put in even more solid and spectacular work. Set a date in future to ask him again but before then make sure your work does the rest of the argument for you.

If Nothing Happens

If you work at your best for many months and still nothing comes you may consider quietly looking for other options elsewhere while still doing your best at the organisation. Ideally it should be better if you stay and keep at it until you get the raise you deserve but when you don’t see that forthcoming you might start networking to find other opportunities quietly.

If you follow the above ideas and your work is of great value to your organisation then certainly you should get the raise even if falls below what you are asking for.

Join Nigeria’s top jobs and career community, Ngcareers. It’s free to use; join here

Need a Salary Increase at Work? Here's How to Ask for a Raise
by Paul

from Ngcareers Blog http://ift.tt/1qCrsjB

via IFTTT

Read More