Good day my future employer, I am Dr Siji Olawumi an eligible employee in your company and I want to work for you. Please employ me. Thank you.
Ok, I know I am supposed to put my CVs in different job portals like jobberman.com, naijahotjobs.com, careergong.com, etcetera. I am supposed to be walking about the streets of Lagos from one hospital to another, or from one HMO to another, and not sitting in front of my PC here on my blog screaming for help. But I thought I should start here first.
And wait oh, if I say I am jobless, but many people quit their day job to blog full time now. Ok, I know all that but I still want to work in a company with and for real people, not for Google (adsense), at least for now. [Is Google a real person?]
Very funny isn't it? But I am serious oh.
Let me share some tips on getting your dream job with you (of course you know I am still searching for my dream job too so these obviously ain't originally mine, Courtesy forbes.com contributor David K Williams):
1. Apply for jobs that are never listed…by connecting with extraordinary people from all walks of life.
Most of the
really great jobs are filled before companies even think to post them on job
sites. Overall, the interviewing process is tedious and if 50 people interview,
49 are going to be deflated and only one elated. How many times have we
interviewed for a job we knew was not right for us and yet we were still
devastated when we weren’t called back for the next round? It’s like a beauty
pageant gone terribly wrong.
Become friends
with people who work in companies you’re interested in. Enjoy learning about
them and supporting them. Don’t be surprised when they call you up and ask you
to join them when a new position opens up or refer you to an open position at
another great company. Networking opens new doors all the time.
2. Skills always win…yes, even over likability, charisma, and charm.
Develop mastery
in your chosen profession so you will continue to create job opportunities
throughout your entire life. Companies will always need people who can deliver
strong results. Great companies hire good people who are willing to learn and
who are not afraid to educate themselves. There is a wealth of learning
available to you – on and off the Internet.
3. Don’t rely on your résumé…too much.
A résumé is a
good first step to get your foot in the door and describe what you’ve
accomplished in your career. But showing is better than telling. Create a
portfolio that represents who you are and what you stand for, which you can add
to LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. Those are the places where hiring professionals
will go to check you out, anyway.
4. Don’t focus primarily on
money…if you’re really good, it will find you.
Discover the work
that calls out to you and start doing it. If you’re just in “the game of work”
for the money, title, and illusion of power, you’ll never feel completely
satisfied or fulfilled.
Here’s a great
example of someone who keeps money in a healthy perspective: We know a young
man who loved building websites. He loved it so much he quit school and built
them from dawn until late in the evening just about every day. Each project led
to another. He had so much work that he started hiring “helpers.” Today, he
operates a successful Web development firm and he still builds websites. He
hired “a suit,” as he calls her, to take care of the “biz” so he can continue
to do what he was born to do.
5. Don’t quit your day job…while you are working on discovering what you want to do.
Your time before
and after you go to work belongs to you. A company doesn’t own you; just the
time you put into it. Having more than one job for short periods of time,
contrary to popular belief, won’t burn you out. Worry, stress, and lethargy
take a bigger toll in the long run.
Also, if you have
a day job you don’t have to worry about failing or going hungry since you have
a steady stream of money coming in. Eventually, you may need to take the next
step and leave your old job behind in favor of your new one. But until then
it’s nice to have a safety net. Be grateful for that net and don’t shortchange
it.
6. Demonstrate genuine
gratitude in your current position…no matter where you are
working.
Gratitude is an
excellent trait to master. Most people enjoy working with grateful, humble,
genuine people who give their all. Do the absolute best you can and if you’ve
been slacking a bit, go the extra mile to build better habits before seeking
that dream job.
Keep in mind that
happiness generally has little to do with a job. Happiness is a choice. Neither
your boss nor your company can make you happy. One of the happiest people I
know works at a grocery store. She brings joy with her to the job. She always
has something kind to say to everyone waiting in line to check out.
7. Get off social media and
back in the game of work…because social media is a
tool, not a job.
Once you upload
your credentials, get back out into the real world. Limit your time on social
media to a few minutes a day at specified times, such as before going to work,
during your lunch break, or at home in the evening. Social media isn’t a job,
it’s a tool. A contractor doesn’t live for his hammer. He or she puts it to
work building things.
“You will never do anything in this world without COURAGE. It is the greatest
quality of the mind next to honor,” said Aristotle.
We can use
technology to remotely learn about companies and jobs. Our question…could we be
doing more? Is it time to create a new way to find the right job and build a
meaningful career?
“Never be limited by other people’s limited
imaginations,” said Dr. Mae Jemison, the first African American female
astronaut.
If you love
writing – write.
If you love
designing beautiful spaces – design away.
If you want to
build a software app – go ahead!
The choice is
ultimately yours. Don’t waste your time, regardless of where you are working.
Focus it and manage it wisely because it’s more important than money. It’s one
thing you can never get back, replace, or buy more of.
Pause for a
moment and take a long look at your hands. What is the work they are meant to
do? Part of the joy of living is finding that out. Enjoy the journey.
I also have an ebook here that gives some common questions (and answers) asked in job interviews. You can email me if you want me to send it to you.
No comments:
Post a Comment