There is a lot to say on this topic but I have tried to get the most helpful tips across to you. Without wasting much of your time, I will outline the different aspects handled under this series and hope that you go through all of them to guarantee you your dream job. They are:
1. Shocking Truths on the Job Market
2. Job Search Dynamics
3. Preparing for the Job Interview
4. Cracking the Job Interview
5. Performing Excellently on the New Job
I will go on immediately to share with you some shocking truths about the job market.
Let me begin by asking you a few questions:
1. Do you believe that there are no jobs?
2. Do you know that somewhere in the globe, there is an employer looking for you?
3. Do you know that while you may be unemployed and seeking for a job, there are some persons working for even up to three organizations at the same time while for some, employers are persuading them to come work for them even on part time basis?
4. Do you know that even right now that you are reading this, someone somewhere less competent than you is getting a job you have always dreamed to have?
5. Do you know that somewhere not far from you, someone is earning a salary for doing less than 50% of what you would have done if you were in his/her position?
The job market is a very competitive place to be involved. There are so many persons trying to win the attention of potential customers and the customers (those hiring) these days are very selective in buying. And so on a daily basis, you have to upgrade your knowledge on the market and leverage yourself in order to survive. This can only be by constantly adapting to the daily demands of job market environment around you, especially by understanding the behavior of your potential customers. I found out the following shocking truths about the job market:
No Organization is Overstaffed
You must be wondering what I am talking about, when everyday banks are downsizing in Nigeria, laying off some workers to meet up with the demands to pay their staff; when you hardly see job adverts around you, calling for applications from qualified persons; when out of thousands of job aspirants that attend an interview, just three are selected.
You see, organizations are battling with striking a balance between what they make and what they spend. You cannot be spending more than you are making and still remain in the market. And so the issue is the fact that most organizations have hired the wrong kind of persons who are more of a liability than an asset.
If as an employee, you can generate say N500,000 a month and earn just N100,000 you will be an asset to most organizations. In order words, employers will employ more staff if they are certain about the contribution the new staff will make for them, no matter how many staff they have already. In fact many organizations will create a new position the moment they meet with a very resourceful employee.
I have personally experienced this. This should re-orientate your mind to think more about the contribution you can make to the organization you hope to work for, some day. As you think about this, it will push you to focus a lot on building skills and talents in yourself while looking for the opportunity to put them to use for any organization.
Many Organizations Don’t Advertise Job Vacancies
Have you wondered when some organizations employ new staff? You never see any job adverts from them and you keep seeing new staff. When I was in Nigeria for my post graduate studies in 2009, I worked for school that was one of the best amongst similar schools in that town, in terms of pay package. They hardly advertised any jobs. But there were always vacancies to be filled up and each time there was a vacancy, it took less than no time to have someone fill it.
I soon noticed that it is because they had built a reputable image in the community and many persons wanted to work for them. And so even when they did not advertise openings, they always received applications from job seekers and whenever they needed someone to fill a vacancy, they simply went to their pool of job applications and selected the best.
This is so for many big organizations that have built a great reputation over the years. Thus, you need to go to them and present what you have to offer, rather than sit down waiting for the day they advertise a job vacancy.
Some Big Organizations Don’t Reveal Their Identity In Job Adverts
When I was in school, I had this classmate who until today, works for UNICEF. When she shared with me how she got her job, I was shocked. Before, I use to wonder why I hardly saw job adverts from some big organizations. When she shared with me her story, I understood why. She said she just saw a job advert posted on a pole along her street and like most of such adverts, it did not seem like a lucrative one.
At that time, she was a volunteer for UNICEF but did not even know that the advert she saw was from the organization where she was offering voluntary service. She ignored it. Just two days to the deadline, a family member of hers saw it and felt it was good for her to apply. After much persuasion and with great reluctance, she applied. You can tell the rest of the story.
Job interviews are very expensive to most organizations and so they try to look for ways to limit the number of applicants. One way they do so is to advertise jobs without revealing their identity. Imagine the number of applications Central Bank of Nigeria will receive if they make open their job advert for say the position of an Office Secretary, where just maybe one year of experience is needed.
Thousands of course will apply and it will cost much money to select the best. This truth should affect you in that you need not minimize job openings related to your area of competences.
Many Applications Never Get to be Looked At
Many years ago, my brother wanted to work for the Oil Refinery Company in my country. He went to their head office and was asked to drop his application at the gate with the security, which he did. A few weeks later, he came back to find out what had become of his application, just to find it along with many others, unopened and in the trash can.
It is the same with many organizations and sometimes it is because the applications are so many and the Human Resource Department is under starved or lazy to go through all of them. You must be wondering what to do in this case, where it is no guarantee that because you applied, your application will be looked at. Well, any of the following could help:
i. If you know anyone working for the organization, give him/her your application and call to find out later if he/she has dropped it where it has to be dropped.
ii. If by any means you have access to the email of the head of the organization, don’t be afraid to reach him/her through a mail. You may just be surprised to realize that some of these people read their mails and reply them even with their charge schedule. I have gotten a job through this method.
iii. If you know the name of the head of the institution, write a letter to him/her and address it by his/her name. Don’t put the name of their position on the envelope. If you do, it will be read just at the level of the Secretariat. Just his/her name is enough as it will be seen as a private mail and handed to him/her.
Some Big Organizations Scan Social Network Sites
I know you are already asking: What for? Social networking sites today like Facebook, Twitter, and others, are great places to get to know people better. From the things people post, the comments they make, the things they talk about, the number of friends they have, the pictures they post, you can tell a lot. This is one reason why some people don’t use their actual names as their names on social networking sites.
Personally, I have used Facebook to find out about someone I wanted to employ to do some work for me. I also heard about someone who lost a job because when the company that wanted to hire him went on Facebook to see how he looked like, they found out he was a chronic smoker. You need to be very conscious of this.
I hope that some of the points I have shared above can be helpful to you as you prepare for your dream job. If you have any comments, make them below while I hope that you go on to read my next in this series, titled: Job Search Dynamics.
Written by Kadzem Claude for WealthResult.com
These are very inspiring and revealing truths. Thank you Mr Kadzem for sharing this. I look forward to going through the rest of the series.
ReplyDeleteYou are welcomed. Stay connected for more on this series
DeleteThis is a great piece with vivid examples that leave much to be desired. Research on why employers behave the way they do as highlighted in the article would have added much to it.
ReplyDeleteI am happy that you could read through it. Your comment is noted though that was not the focus of the article. All the same, I am grateful. Keep reading as more comes up
Deletethanks a lot for these tips. God Bless u and us in the Job Market too
ReplyDelete.
God bless you as you apply this knowledge and more that comes up soon
DeleteWow thank you so much Mr Kadzem for opening my eyes to the things I have not been able to see for years now.I pray that God will continue to create and inspire Great men like you to teach us things that will make us Great. I really can not wait to go through the other series.God Bless You.
ReplyDeleteThis is great news Mr Kadzem Claude I'll share this with my friends and I'll put it to practice too. All the same God bless you
ReplyDeleteThank you all. Keep following
ReplyDeleteThis really gives a consultant touch to the job hunting process. I am impressed with your insight and mastery.
ReplyDeleteThis really gives a consultant touch to the job hunting process. I am impressed with your insight and mastery.
ReplyDeleteI am flattered. Thank you sir
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