Interview Questions Job Interviews

Job Interviews are usually more revealing of you than the aptitude tests. It gives your potential employer the opportunity to know you and what you can do. You can perform so badly in an interview process that it may hinder your chances of ever being interviewed by the same firm another time, or You can perform so well in an interview process that it can cause the hiring firm to consider you even when they already have a candidate. In either ways, your performance depends on how much you have prepared.

In this post, we list numerous questions and answers to common interview questions.

1. Tell us about yourself: 
This is usually the first question you will probably hear when being interviewed. It can come in different formats such as: Can we meet you?, Can we know you?, Who are you? Can you introduce yourself to us? etc. They all mean the same thing. Be careful not to give the interviewer your life story here. Relevant facts about education, your career and skills are great for an answer.

2. Why did you leave your last job:
This is a tough one, but one you can be sure you'll be asked if you have worked before. Definitely keep things positive, you have nothing to gain by being negative about your past employers. Instead, frame things in a way that shows that you're eager to take on new opportunities and that the role you’re interviewing for is a better fit for you than your current or last position.

3.  What do you know about our company:
This is one question you cannot run away from. A wise approach to answer this is to state the company's vision, mission and goals. This you can get ahead of time by visiting the company's website if they have one or visiting the company before the interview day.

4. Why do you want to work with us:
Best approach is to tell your interviewers that their company goals are in line with your personal goals, and state how a unique skill of yours can get the job done. Your interviewers wants to see your passion about the position you are applying for.

5. What are your Salary Requirements:
If this is your first job, then you do not have a say about the salary. Fact is that every organisation have a salary structure. Your greed may manifest and may annoy your potential employer. If it isn't your first job, then ensure you make a research about the firm and how much they pay for the position you are being interviewed for. Try as much as to be flexible; most likely give your interviewers a range around the salary for the position.

6. Why should we hire you:
Use this opportunity to sell yourself. Do not go for answers like "I am great" or "I really need this job to support myself and family". Your approach here is to craft an answer that covers three things: that you can not only do the work, you can deliver great results; that you'll really fit in with the team and culture; and that you'd be a better hire than any of the other candidates.

7. Where do you see yourself in five years:
If asked this question, be honest and specific about your future goals, but consider this: A hiring manager wants to know a) if you've set realistic expectations for your career, b) if you have ambition (a.k.a., this interview isn't the first time you're considering the question), and c) if the position aligns with your goals and growth. Your best bet is to think realistically about where this position could take you and answer along those lines. And if the position isn’t necessarily a one-way ticket to your aspirations? It’s OK to say that you’re not quite sure what the future holds, but that you see this experience playing an important role in helping you make that decision.

8. What is your Greatest Strength:
This question can also be asked like "What is your selling point". You should use this opportunity to highlight a singular skill you have that have brought you success and that relates to the position you are applying for. My answer will be "I think on my feet", and will offer a demonstration instantly. Don't use this question to tell your interviewers about unrelated skills and hobbies.

9. What is your Greatest Weakness:
What your interviewer is actually looking for here is your honesty. Try to acknowledge your weakness but let them know you are working on it. However there are some weaknesses not worth mentioning like "I sleep on duty", "I do not like to work".

10. Do you have any questions for us
Don't ask regular or foolish questions here. You can ask intelligent questions like "What career growth path does your firm offer?, How they have been able to be successful despite the fierce competitions"

The questions listed here are the very common ones. Always get prepared before any interview, and be very confident. I have seen someone who performed poorly in his own sight during an interview but got the job. While in the job, he asked why he was hired, it was purely his confidence.

REFERENCES:
1. The Muse
2. JarusHub
3. Information Nigeria

Job Aptitude Test

 You have been invited for an aptitude test, and after the test, you are told you will be contacted. While waiting for the success or failure mail, We thought it wise to let you know what employers do with your aptitude test scores. You can refer to my previous post here if you want to get more information about Aptitude Tests.

Reasons Employers Use Job Aptitude Tests

Employers use job aptitude tests to determine how applicants make decisions as well as how they cope with having to make them work under pressure. For this reason, the test is usually timed, but fairly so. It simulates time-sensitive decisions that could be made when employed. Thus, this test allows employers to see you in action as you work, and then evaluate you.

Ways Employers Use the Results

Employers use the results of job aptitude tests to evaluate how you might fit in with their department and company. After gaining a picture of the way you approach work and how you work, they are better able to gauge if you'll be a good fit. They'll also be able to use the results to compare your reasoning skills, or other skills, to those of other applicants, to make a shortlist of suitable candidates.

Test Type Analysis

Verbal ability focused aptitude testing is required by employers who want to determine how a prospective employee communicates. The test may include questions that concentrate on sentence structure, proper grammar or the ability to follow instructions.

Reasoning and ability tests can include reasoning of the numerical, spatial, logical, emotional, and abstract types. Tests relevant to your job will be selected. This helps the company to see if you're qualified to reason efficiently and make wise decisions. If you get enough of these questions wrong it can indicate to the company that you do not have the required skills to perform the job.

Personality tests can provide information about who you are, how you think, and how you perceive your environment. Employers can use the results to assess how enthusiastic you are about the position. While you may be completely qualified, if you're not excited about the prospect of your job, you simply won't make a good employee. They'll also be able to see how well you work with others based on your responses.

Employers who hire individuals for jobs in electronic and mechanical fields may use a fault diagnosis aptitude test in pre-screening. The fault diagnosis aptitude test measures the person's knowledge about fault systems and the ability of the individual to repair faults that occur in electronic or mechanical equipment.

Many employers require clerical workers to check data for accuracy. Due to this job task you may be asked to complete a data-checking aptitude test prior to being hired. The aptitude test will usually require you to find errors in data. Work-sampling aptitude tests also require that you perform a skill during the test, but there may be more than one skill that is measured.

Skills test: A skills test is the most common form of pre-employment testing and can be used to test specific and general skills. The goal of the test is to verify you have the skills you say you do, as well as the skills that are required to do the job.  For example, if you were hired to work a piece of machinery or use a piece of software, you may be asked to demonstrate your knowledge and skill level. If you are being hired in the food services industry, you may be asked about food hygiene, nutrition, and preparation techniques, or to demonstrate your knowledge of food preparation techniques or food storage.

REFERENCES:
1. Job Answers
2. eHow
3. AARP Foundation

Job Aptitude Test

Typically when you see a job opening, and you apply, the next stage should be an invitation for an Aptitude (Pre-employment) Test.
There are four main types of pre-employment tests — aptitude, personality, skills, and job knowledge.

Definition of Aptitude Test

It is an exam used to determine an individual's propensity to succeed in a given activity. Aptitude tests assume that individuals have inherent strengths and weaknesses, and are naturally inclined toward success or failure in certain areas based on their inherent characteristics. An aptitude test does not test knowledge;

Overview of a Job Aptitude Test

An "aptitude test" (also called a "psychometric test") is a structured systematic means of testing a job candidates' aptitudes to perform specific tasks and react to a range of different situations given. Aptitude tests each have a standardized method of administration and scoring with the results quantified and compared with all other test takers.Though most tests are relatively standardized and will cover the same general areas, each individual company can choose to include a company-specific and skill-specific section. A job aptitude test can measure areas such as spatial, verbal, numerical, logical, and emotional reasoning as well as skill-specific tests. The questions are usually of a format that offers choices to select from, such as multiple choice, true/false, and questions that ask you to rate your reaction from a range of one to five.

There are a number of important facts about the aptitude test one should be aware of:

• Approximately only 15% of all applicants pass the aptitude test successfully.
• Your aptitude test results are usually kept or frozen for a period of time, during which you will not be able to repeat the aptitude tests.
• The results of the psychometric tests in general and the aptitude tests in particular make up approximately 40-50% of your final score in the assessment centre.
• The threshold for passing an aptitude test changes from one employer to the next. Some organizations will place a minimum threshold (e.g. 75%) in order to pass the aptitude testing part. Yet others decide that regardless of the score only the top few candidates will move on to the next stage of the assessment centre.

Reasons Employers Use Job Aptitude Tests

Employers use job aptitude tests to determine how applicants make decisions as well as how they cope with having to make them under pressure. For this reason, the test is usually timed, but fairly so. It simulates time-sensitive decisions that could be made when employed. Thus, this test allows employers to see you in action as you work, and then evaluate you.

Scores and Marking

Your score relates your performance to an average group. Your aptitude, ability or intelligence has a relative value to this average result.
Typically, an 'average' performance is all that is required to pass an aptitude test. Most employers take people's backgrounds into consideration for marking. For example, maths graduates will have an unfair advantage over arts graduates on a numerical test. Consequently, most employers use these tests as only part of the assessment process.

Negative marking

Many aptitude tests incorporate negative marking. If this is the case, you will normally be told beforehand. In any test that does incorporate negative marking, you must not guess answers, even if you are under extreme time pressure, as you will undo your chances of passing.

Here are some tips on how to approach Aptitude tests.

1. Relax:
If a company or organization uses pre-employment testing, it is usually only one of a number of factors used to determine your suitability for the job. If your prospective employer sees you are nervous or upset at being asked to take a test, they may be concerned about how you will handle the normal day-to-day job stress, so try to relax and you will actually test better.

2. Read the instructions.
The most common mistake test-takers make is rushing through instructions. It is very important to read the instructions carefully and make certain you understand them. Sometimes instructions contain information about how the test is scored. For example, on some aptitude tests you may be told that there is no penalty for incorrect answers. In this case, if you are running out of time you should start guessing.

3. Prepare.
Test-takers who are comfortable and relaxed will do better, so becoming familiar with the types of tests and questions may be helpful. Here are online test websites you can practice with.

REFERENCES:
1. Investopedia
2. Job Test Prep
3. Criteria Corp
4. Job Answers
5. WikiJob

Aptitude Test Questions Job Aptitude Test

Job Aptitude Tests have come to stay and almost every top employing firm uses aptitude tests to determine some qualities they require in candidates, and as such it is important you prepare adequately for aptitude tests. A lot of Job applicants prepare using the popular GMAT Book but in this post, I will be sharing with you some very good online websites you can use as an alternative.

Here they are:

1. India Bix:

 India Bix is a very powerful online resource that every job seeker needs to utilize especially when preparing for Aptitude Tests. The design and layout allows you to select any category of your choice and answer questions based on that category. You can also participate in a timed random online test. At the end of the test, your score will be displayed as well as the correct answers with steps.

2. Practice Aptitude Tests:

Practice Aptitude Tests is also a very robust online test practice site. Their content is tailored to whatever you might be preparing for. However, your practice questions are limited and will need to pay to get more. The website offers psychometric tests too.

Other Aptitude Test Websites you may find useful includes:

• Aptitude Tests.com
• Job Test prep
• Assessment Day
• Psychometric Success
• WizIQ

Interview Questions Job Interviews

Interviews are never easy, especially if you are being interviewed by industry giants like Google, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook etc.

Skimming through some posts online, I found these interview questions I would like to share.
If you have the answers, use the comment box below to drop your answers.

1. If you were given a box of pencils, list 10 things you could do with them that are not their traditional use.

2. How would you solve problems if you were from Mars?

3. What's the most creative way you can break a clock?

4. A disc is spinning on a spindle, and you don't know which way. You are given a set of pins. Describe how you would use them to determine which way the disc is spinning.

5. You have a bag of with "N" number of strings. At random, you pull out a string's end. You pull out another string end and you tie the two together. You repeat this until there are no loose ends left to pull out of the bag. What is the expected number of loops?

6. You want to design a phone for deaf people — how do you do it?

7 How would you design an elevator?

8 Why should we not hire you?

9. How do you compute the collision of two moving spheres? Give me both the mathematical equations for the solution as well as an algorithmic implementation.

10. How many times a day does a clock’s hands overlap?

11. A man pushed his car to a hotel and lost his fortune. What happened?

12. You need to check that your friend, Bob, has your correct phone number but you cannot ask him directly. You must write the question on a card which and give it to Eve who will take the card to Bob and return the answer to you. What must you write on the card, besides the question, to ensure Bob can encode the message so that Eve cannot read your phone number?

13. You're the captain of a pirate ship and your crew gets to vote on how the gold is divided up. If fewer than half of the pirates agree with you, you die. How do you recommend apportioning the gold in such a way that you get a good share of the booty, but still survive?

14. You have eight balls all of the same size 7 of them weigh the same, and one of them weighs slightly more. How can you find the ball that is heavier by using a balance and only two weighings?

15. In a country in which people only want boys every family continues to have children until they have a boy. If they have a girl, they have another child. If they have a boy, they stop. What is the proportion of boys to girls in the country?

REFERENCES:
1.Business Insider
2. Nairaland

NYSC

In my last post, We discussed on some list of personal CDS projects a Corper can carry out in a community. You can read that post here. Today, We will examine how to raise money to execute these projects.

It is important to note that 90 percent of personal CDS projects that are well recognized have to do with construction or renovation of a facility in the community, and these kind of projects are capital intensive.
A lot of corpers may never embark on a personal CDS because of the fear of funds. You would not want to start a project and abandon it half-way. It is not advisable as a Corper to use your own funds for projects

Here are guaranteed ways any Youth Corper serious about a personal Community Development Service can raise funds:

1. Writing to LGA Chairman
2  From Relatives or Families
3. From Churches bodies
4. From Philanthropists
5. Organizing and exhibition to raise funds
6. Launching
7. Prominent Indigenes of the Community
7. etc

Your letters to source for funds must be well detailed, explaining the purpose of the funds, the breakdown of how funds will be used, and the impact on the host community.

We wish you success in your Community Development Service Projects. You have chosen a path of greatness!

Job Vacancies Job Vacancies in Nigeria

These are the Top latest Job vacancies in Nigeria released this August, So check regularly or bookmark as more vacancies will be added to this list.

Click on any of the Jobs to view more details and apply

JOB VACANCIES RELEASED FOR AUGUST 2014
Recently Updated *

*University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City recruitment

15 Positions
Education Sector
Deadline: 18th September, 2014

*KFC recruitment in Abuja

7 Positions
Food and Catering Sector
Deadline: N/A

*Federal University Dutse recruitment for Lecturers

10 Positions
Education Sector
Deadline: 15th September, 2014

*Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria Job for a Graduate Personal Assistant

1 Position
Banking Sector
Deadline: N/A

*United Biscuits International (Nigeria Head of Marketing)

1 Position
Food Sector
Deadline: N/A

*Coca-Cola Company Recruitment for Communications Manager

1 Position
Food and Beverage Sector
Deadline: N/A

*Ericsson Nigeria recruitment for Customer Project Manager

1 Position
Telecomms Sector
Ddeadline: N/A
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Total E&P Nig Ltd Massive Recruitment

60+ Positions
Oil and Gas Sector
Deadline N/A

Interswitch Nigerian Graduate Recruitment

10 Positions
Tech and Finance SectorDeadline N/A

Voluntary Service Overseas Recruitment

16 Positions
Empowerment/NGO
Deadline 4th August 2014

Federal Polytechnic Bali, Taraba State Massive Recruitment Academic and Non Academic Positions

60 Positions
Education Sector
Deadline 9th September 2014

Senior Field Engineer at Halliburton 

1 Position
Oil and Gas Sector
Deadline N/A

Academic and Non Academic Job Vacancies at Ekiti College of Technical and Commercial Agriculture

56 Positions
Education Sector
Deadline 15th August 2014

Tooling Maintenance Specialist at GE Oil and Gas

1 Position
Oil and Gas Sector
Deadline N/A

Customer Project Manager at GE Health Care

1 Position
Oil and Gas Sector
Deadline N/A

Junior and Senior Contract Manager at Sapiem Contracting Nigeria

2 Positions
Engineering Sector
Deadline N/A

Managing Director at Edwin Drake Oil and Energy

1 Position
Oil and Energy Sector
Deadline N/A

Massive Recruitment at Obafemi Awolowo University, Academic and Non Academic Positions

10+ Positions
Education Sector
Deadline 5th August 2014

Price Water House Cooper (PWC) Job Recruitment

19 Positions
Tax and Advisory Sector
Deadline Varies

Graduate Field Specialist Recruitment at Baker Hughes

1 Position
Oil Services Sector
Deadline N/A

More to be updated tomorrow. Check back.
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NYSC

One of the aspiration of every graduate is NYSC; to serve in a place where there is great prospect of getting a job after the one year program. NYSC Participants are commonly called "Corpers". A  Corper's chances of being retained in the LGA of service in Nigeria can even be further boosted when He/She embarks on Project(s) that will develop the community. Beside the prospect of getting a job, the personal CDS projects carried out by a Corper can get him/her a Federal award, a State award or even a Commendation award. During my time as a Corper, I carried out 3 personal CDS Projects in my community and I was awarded at the end. Those awards and certificates today boosts my CV anytime I am applying for a new job or trying to get a contract.

Before you embark on a personal CDS project, First you will need to write a letter to the State Co-ordinator, through the Head of your  CDS, through your Zonal Inspector. The letter should carry a proposal that should carry each project you hope to undertake in this manner below for example:

Project 1
Title: Building a New Clinic for ABC Community.
Statement of problem: this depending on the state's format, so you will need to find out how it is been done.
Duration: This is the period you are stipulating for the project.
Budget: How much you have estimated to cover the cost of the project
Source of funds: How are you going to rise the money or fund need for the project
How the funds will be used: Your plan on how you will use the funds

Note: Every step you intend to take from start to finish Project during the NYSC is necessary.

Here are 11 Personal CDS projects You can carry out as a Corper. I will include links to some past Corper's projects for references. In my next post, I will be discussing on How you can raise funds for these projects if you have decided to carry out a personal CDS.

1. Construction of a Manual or Electric Bore Hole in the Community of Service
2. Donation of Books and Writing material to Primary and Secondary School Library
3. Donation and Distribution of Mosquito nets to rural villages in your community and to poor families
4. Construction or Renovation of NYSC Corper's Lodge.
5. Donation and Distribution of School Uniforms to Schools.
6. Organizing Youth Programs or Quiz competitions among students in your community and awarding the best.
7. Organizing Training session on Skill Acquisition for Community Youths, Women, etc.
8. Donation of clothings, and/or food materials to orphanage homes.
9. Construction of Traffic Signs and Symbols in Busy roads
10. Construction of Public Toilet in very remote locations in the community
11. Construction or Renovation of Health Centers in Communities with no health centers.

REFERENCES:
1 Nairaland
2 All Student Forum

How to get a Job Job Applications

Looking for Jobs these days is highly competitive, There are over a 100+ CVs/Resumes submitted for every job opening advertised. About 50 percent of these CVs never even gets to the HR, and are deleted by HR softwares.

image via freerangestock.com

With these stats, job applicants should be willing to go the extra mile and be creative inorder to stand a chance of getting the attention of hiring managers.

Here is one creative way you can approach job applications:


Demonstrate your skills:

• Sam Mallikarjunan, head of marketing at Hubspot Labs, launched a full-blown marketing campaign to grab the attention of the company he was pursuing. It worked! 

• Leona Chu, advertising operations manager at Work4, utilized Facebook to capture the attention of a variety of companies in her job search efforts. She launched the below ad to promote herself to targeted audiences. 
• Mark McDonald, curriculum developer at Thinkful, landed his job by demonstrating his skills. He wanted to work at a technology company that aligned with his interests and values, so after narrowing down his list to a select few organizations, he built a webpage for each, and formally applied. The strategy got him call backs to every single company he applied to, including Google, Khan Academy, Clever and Thinkful.This type of approach can also be particularly effective for students seeking internships.

Source

You too can do same!

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VSO stands for Voluntary Service Overseas. VSO is the world’s leading independent international development organisation that works through volunteers to fight poverty in 34 developing countries. VSO have operated across Nigeria since 1958 and her strategy focuses on working with poor and marginalised young men and women to impact employment, employability, enterprise development and youth participation in governance.

The following Vacancies exists for the following positions in her Youth Programme:

Job Vacancies

Position: 3 Youth Program Officers (reporting to the Youth Program Manager)
Annual Salary: N2,879,207.00


Job Summary: Experienced, dynamic and efficient Youth Program Officers to be responsible for program development and support the delivery of International Citizenship Service (ICS) and Youth for Development (Y4D) programs in assigned geographic areas (Kwara, Lagos and Abuja)

Minimum requirements:
Proven experience of working with and providing support to youths from a wide range of backgrounds with proven ability to facilitate learning in a non formal environment.
Direct and substantial experience of working cross-culturally
A university degree with a relevant combination of academic qualification
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Position: 5 Project Officers (reporting to Youth Program Officer)
Annual Salary: N1,522,551.00

Job summary:
Experienced, skilled and efficient Project Officers to provide administrative and programmatic support to the programme team. These positions will be based in Lagos, Kwara, Osun and Abuja.

Minimum requirements:
Considerable experience working with young people in an international development context
Able to communicate to a range of audiences and promote sharing and learning between cultures
Able to develop clear and realistic plans to deliver agreed objectives within deadlines


Volunteering Opportunities

Position: 4 ICS Team Leaders (reporting to the Project Officer)

This is a volunteer post with paid monthly living allowance only.

Job summary:
If you can see yourself leading a group of enthusiastic young people to deliver community based development projects, then this opportunity is for you. This position will contribute to the delivery of projects, whilst also supporting a group of ICS national and international volunteers.

Method of Application:
For detailed job description and to apply, Visit Site Here
Closing date: Monday, 4 August 2014, 5pm

Source

How to Apply for a Job Job Applications

In Nigeria, the rate of unemployment is so high, even a high percentage of the first class and 2.1 graduates are still at home job hunting. What is the fate of the Nigerian and African graduate with a 2.2 or 3rd class degree?

While majority of graduate employers clearly indicate their choice of applicants as 2.1 and higher, there are still some that do not. The key is finding out those that do not. I want you to understand that we have three kinds of graduate employers:

• those who look for candidates with a good academic result
• those who look for candidates with quality years of work experience
• those who need both candidates above.

There isn't any point in feeling bad about what you graduated with. There is an adage in my place that says "He who is on the ground fears no fall, because the only direction he can move is upwards". You may not have done well in school, but our advice will help you make the most out of your degree.

Here are what you need to do to:

• Remove your class of degree from your CV - You will need an opportunity to get to the interview hall to sell your skills and experience to the interviewer, and if that is going to happen, then you will need to give yourself that chance by taking that 2.2 or 3rd class away from your CV. The reason for this is because, most employers won't even invite you for an interview the moment they see your class of degree. So it is wiser you let them guess and keep them in suspense till they meet you one on one.

• Keep Applying for any Job that interests you - There is no harm trying, after all, you are not paying any money to email your CVs. Try to implement the first step above in all the jobs you wish to apply for. You will be surprised at how fast that job will come.

• Go for Work Experience - You may have missed out of a golden chance to graduate with a 2.1 or higher, but you can cover for that by gaining experience while you apply. It is no longer news that some graduate employers look at your work experience first before looking at your academic qualification. Read my post on how to gain work experience by clicking here

• Emphasize on what you can do and offer - Let your CV carry your skills and strengths in detail. Talk about what you can offer to them. Even if you make it to the interview, you will need to sell your self by making them see why you are a better candidate beside your result.

• Apply for Jobs at Smaller Companies for a start - Once you are already in the job market, it is easier to climb based on recommendation, but you will need to begin from the seemingly low paying ones first. The reason is that they will most likely accept you without caring much about your degree class. Then from there, build your skills, experience and grow.

• Build a Network of People -  In Nigeria today, they say the 'man wey know person, na him dey chop well'. This means, your net-worth is dependent on your network. Make friends, get to know those that matter, and get to know your onions too (master your skill) because you may get the job through your network but your abilities and mastery of the job will keep you in the job.

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Unicem, a modern Cement Manufacturing company located in the South-South region in Nigeria seeks to engage young, intelligent and forward looking graduates in the field of Engineering into its Graduate Trainees programme.

With a state of the art facility and one of the most modern cement plant in sub Saharan Africa, with a capacity of 2.5m metric tons per annum, Unicem is offering challenging career opportunities for Nigerian youths to build a better future.



Unicem boast of a strong multicultural workforce with the highest priority given to the safety of employees, contractors, visitors and communities.

Click Here to Apply

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See also: How to Build 3 Years Work Experience in One Year
See also: How to Apply for Jobs if you graduated with a Second Class Lower and Third Class
See also: How to Apply for Jobs In Nigeria when there is no Vacancy

How to Apply for a Job Job Applications

In this article, I will show you 5 steps you can employ to get a job without the company announcing a vacancy.

I got my first job this way, that's why I am happy to teach you how you too can apply it and see it work for you like it did for me.

It all started when I completed my Nysc program and have stayed home for over six months waiting for a job that was not forth coming. I decided to experiment and it paid off. Here are 5 steps I took.



Step 1:
Identify an industry you wish to get employed in:
For me, it has always been either the ICT, Telecoms or Oil sector. So my search was narrowed to these areas.

Step 2:
Search for Companies in the sectors you identified:
Having identified my preferred sectors as ICT, Telecoms and Oil, I went to www.vconnect.com; the biggest business directory in Nigeria, and I searched for local companies operating in the ICT sector, I wrote out their names, contact address and contact numbers.

Step 3:
Call the Companies you have Searched for and Send them a Mail too:
I called four of the companies i searched for and told them I can do certain things for them if given the opportunity. Three asked me to forward my CV which I did.

Step 4:
Follow up with Calls and Emails:
After sending my CV, I did not hear from the three companies again after two days so I decided to call and email. It was in this process I discovered most have not checked their inbox. Two of the companies invited me for Interview.

Step 5
Negotiate your salary and Resume:
This is where a lot of people miss it. Any company that has invited you for an interview has gone through your CV and possibly is on course to hire you. Know your worth and don't accept any salary they throw at you. In my case the First of the two companies proposed a salary that I was okay with but I acted as if it was below my worth. The MD quickly stepped it up and i accepted. I resumed the Next Monday.

See also: How to Build 3 Years Work Experience in One Year
See also: How to Apply for Jobs if you graduated with a Second Class Lower and Third Class

You just read how i created an opportunity for myself to land my first Job. You do not have to sit down and keep hoping the big jobs come. The big jobs will always advertise and the competition may swallow you up as a fresh graduate. Begin small and it will only get better as you amass experience.

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Akwa Ibom Water Company Limited Massive Recruitment

Our Company is the agency charged with the responsibility for the provision of potable water in the urban and semi-urban areas of Akwa Ibom State. We have restructured for total efficiency in our aspiration to excel at delivering only the best to our esteemed customers. We are looking for partners in the programme for excellence.

If you are above the rest in your profession or trade: committed, honest with high integrity and sense of good judgment; able to work in a team without direct supervision; need an opportunity to give your best and be rewarded beyond expectation. We may be looking for you.



Applications are therefore invited from suitably qualified candidates to fill the following vacancies in the Company. Please send in your application with detailed C.V. to the Managing Director/CEO, Akwa Ibom Water Company Limited, 62 Dominic Utuk Avenue, P. M. B. 1138, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State to reach us on or before the close of work on Monday, 28th July 2014.

The vacancies are:
1. Administrative Officer
Candidates must possess five (5) O’ level credits including English Language plus a good University degree in Social Sciences, Business or Public Administration or any other relevant discipline. In addition candidates must have at least (3) years working experience with organizational and work schedule management ability.

2. Personnel/Human Resources Officer
Candidates must possess five (5) O’ level credits including English Language plus a good University degree in Personnel Management, Business or Public Administration or other relevant discipline. In addition Candidates must have at least 3 years post qualification experience.

3. Monitoring & Evaluation Officer
Candidates must possess five (5) O’ level credits including English language plus a good University degree in Environmental Sciences or Management, Engineering or any other relevant discipline. In addition candidates must have at least 3 years post qualification experience.

4. Secretary to General Managers
Candidates must possess five (5) O’ level credits including English Language plus a B.Sc./HND in Secretarial studies or Office Management. In addition candidates must have at least 3 years practical experience in Office Management or Secretarial duties.

5. Officer, purchasing & Supplies
Candidates must possess five O’ level credits plus a University degree or its equivalent in Economics, Business Administration, Materials Management with registration of the Institute of Purchasing and Supplies. In addition, candidates must have 3 years working experience.

6. Accounts Officer (Financial Accounts)
Candidates must possess five O’ level credits plus a University degree or its equivalent in Accounting. Possession of a professional Certificate in Accounting will be an added advantage. In addition Candidates must have 3 years working experience.

7. Accounts Officer (Management Accounts)
Same as above.

8. Officer, Operations
Candidates must possess (5) five O’ level credits plus a University degree or its equivalent in Civil Engineering. Computer application skills and COREN registration will be an added advantage. In addition Candidates must have 3 years post qualification experience.

9. Officer, Design & Construction
Same as above.

10. Officer Planning and Research 
Same as above.

11. Technical Officer (Maintenance)
Same as above but with 3 years post qualification experience in pipeline maintenance activities.

12. Technical Officer (Lab Services)
Candidates must possess (5) O’ Level credits plus B.Sc. or HND in Chemistry, Biochemistry, Microbiology or any other related discipline. In addition Candidates must possess 3 years post qualification experience in quality control and water treatment activities.

13. Technical Officer (Water Treatment)
Same as above but with 3 years experience in Water Treatment Plant Operation.

14. Manager, (Electrical Maintenance) 
Candidates must possess (5) O’ Level credits plus a University degree or its equivalent in Electrical Engineering obtained from a reputable higher Institution of learning. Possession of a Diploma or Masters degree in instrumentation will be a major advantage. In addition Candidates must possess 8 years post qualification experience with 5 years at Senior Management level.

15. Legal Officer
Candidates must possess (5) O’ Level credits including English Language plus LLB (Hons) from a recognized University and BL. Possession of LL. M will be an added advantage. In addition candidates must have five (5) years post qualification experience plus computer appreciation skills.

16. Computer maintenance officer
Candidates must possess (5) O’ Level credits plus HND in Computer Engineering or related field obtained from a reputable institution of higher learning. Comptia A+, CCNA,Network+ or CPN certificate, a added advantage. In addition Candidates must possess 3 Years post qualification experience.

17. Public Relations Officer
Candidates must possess five O’ level credits including English Language plus a University degree or its equivalent in Mass Communication, Public Relations, English or Advertising from a reputable University or higher Institution of learning. Membership of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) will be an added advantage. In addition Candidates must have at least 3 years post qualification experience.

18. Admin/ Personnel Assistants 
Candidates must possess WASC/GCE/SSCE plus 3 years post qualification experience. Possession of OND will be an added advantage.

19. Production Assistants (Mechanical/Electrical)
Same as above.

20. Commercial Assistants
Same as above.

21. Accounts Assistants
Same as above.

22. Transmission Assistant (Plumbing)
Candidates must possess WASC/NABTEB/NTC/TT II with practical skill in plumbing work and pipe fitting. In addition candidates must possess 3 years post qualification experience.
Applicants above the age of 40 years need not apply. Only shortlisted applicants will be invited for interview.

General Manager
Admin/Corporate Affairs
for: Management.

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See also: How to Build a  3 Year Job Experience in 1 year

Job Application Shortcuts Job Applications

You will agree with me that it is so frustrating to apply for jobs nowadays in Nigeria. The issue is not that job vacancies are not available, but the requirements needed to land the job is beyond fresh graduates. Just this year alone, I have seen more than 30 high profile vacancy advert with work experience requirement of at least 2 or 3 years. What does this mean for the young graduate with little or no work experience? In this article, I will attempt to show you how you can land a job of your choice by building a 3 years job experience in one year.

Here is how the three years in one year experience magic works:

1. Use Mathematics Law in your favour: In mathematics, the concept of frequency and time are related, and you can buy time by an increase in frequency. Let me break this down. The number of times you do a particular task (frequency) is the same as the duration of time you have done that task. So if  company is advertising for a job that requires 3 years job experience in lets say Software design, a person who have done this just 10 times in 3 years can boldly apply. On the other hand you may have done this 30 times in a year. Your job experience is worth more than that of the other man. Using the concept of frequency and time, you are more qualified, and it is worth 3 years too.

2. Consider Volunteer Jobs: Once you have identified a sector that you may like to work in, you may consider taking up a volunteer job at a smaller or average firm in that sector immediately you graduate from school. Don't worry about the pay here. Your aim should be to build your job experience and your social profile. By the time you have gone to the youth service program (NYSC) and back, you should have gotten nothing less than a 2 year experience.

3. Don't forget prior experience: Now when applying for jobs seeking 3 years experience or more, do not forget to add prior experiences no matter how small they may have been. You were in the team that organized a mega program while in school, add it, you have worked in a restaurant to support your education, add it, you were in a position of leadership in a campus or student group in school, add it up. They will form more than a 3 years experience.

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Read Also : How to Apply for Jobs if you graduated with a 2.2 or 3rd Class