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2016-06-21T19:25:00.000+01:00

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Brimfield Police Chief's Open Letter to Kanye West

2015-04-20T07:38:00.001+01:00

Attention seeker aka Kanye West blasted crap ignorantly as he always does but this time he got a well deserved response from Brimfield Police Department Chief David Oliver.

Oliver’s post quickly went viral, collecting more than 90,009 shares and 123,000likes.

Kanye’s latest set of dumb statements came during an interview on the Saturday Night Online radio show where he compared himself to a soldier saying he risks his life everyday on stage to perform!! Ummm...Mr. West really??
He said "I'm just giving of my body on the stage and putting my life at risk, literally," West said. “And if I slipped … You never know. And I think about it. I think about my family and I'm like ‘Wow, this is like being a police officer or something, in war or something.’”

Police Chief Oliver decided to defend our men and women in uniform by writing the letter below:

Brimfield Police Department

Dear Kanye West,
I am honored to be writing such an important star. I am a mere Internet sensation. I’m not sure I am worthy to address you, although the Huffington Post did say I was “Humorous and Insanely Popular.” I don't pay much attention to those things. Anyway, please excuse my interference in your life for a quick second.

I read your interview and also watched it on video. You said:
...“I’m just giving of my body on the stage and putting my life at risk, literally.….and I think about it. I think about my family and I’m like, wow, this is like being a police officer or something, in war or something.”

I want to thank you for putting your life on the line for all of us every day. I know that being a rapper is tough work. I have tried to rap, and it is very difficult to keep up with the pulse of the rhyme flow…although when Ice Ice Baby comes on the radio, I can usually keep up with ol’ Vanilla. Anywho, your job is just some very dangerous work. Most people don't consider... if you rap really fast, without a chance to inhale, you could pass out and hit your head.

That last paragraph was covered in sarcasm. I’m letting you know, just so you do not think I agree with your very ignorant assessment of your career (or any other performer)as it relates to a person in the military or a police officer’s service. You sir, are as misguided as they come. I do have a suggestion for you. Since you are accustomed to danger, from your life as an international rapper, I am strongly encouraging you immediately abandon you career as a super star and join the military. After joining, I would like you to volunteer to be deployed in Afghanistan or one of the numerous other forward locations where our men an women are currently serving. When the Taliban starts shooting at you, perhaps you could stand up and let the words flow. It could be something like “I’m Kanye West, wearing a flak vest.” I’m sure they would just drop weapons and surrender. You could quite possibly end all wars, just from the enemy being star-struck.

Your line of thinking is part of the problem in the world today….which include entertainers thinking they are something more than just entertainers. I know it is supply and demand and the demand for your services is high. I get economics. What I do not get is you EVER comparing what you do for a living to our heroic military members, who are always in harm’s way… and my brother and sister police officers who have to go to work carrying weapons and wearing a bullet-proof vest to protect themselves.

Check yourself, before you wreck yourself….Chief Oliver.

10 Phrases Successful People Avoid (But Losers Use)

2015-04-17T07:59:00.002+01:00

Comments

Winning and losing are about your frame of mind more than anything else. You can be a successful go-getter working in a mail room just as easily as you can be a loser CEO. By cultivating a winner’s mindset, you’ll set yourself up for greatest success.

Check out the list of phrases below and note any that pop up in your daily lexicon.

Eliminating them from your speech will go a long way to eliminating the negative thoughts that go along with them and help you believe that you can succeed.

That won’t work.
How do you know it won’t work? Even if it’s something that’s been tried before that doesn’t necessarily mean it won’t work this time. Shutting down ideas without trying them is definitely not the mark of a winner.
I can’t do it.
OK, negative Nancy, but guess what? If you can’t do it, chances are they’ll find someone else who can. Instead, approach this from the perspective of what you’ll need to accomplish the task. Do you need more training, more support, more supplies, more time?
Impossible
Things are rarely impossible, so be very careful throwing this word around. In my experience, it often indicates someone closed-minded who can’t see another person’s vision. Rather than declaring it impossible, open your mind to how it might be possible. Brainstorm. Look at the problem from different angles. Nothing amazing was ever created by declaring it impossible.
That’s not fair.
What are we, four-year-olds? Real life isn’t set up to always be fair, and if you find these words coming out of your mouth, you are almost certainly feeling mistreated. Instead of playing the fair card, however, try looking for opportunities to improve the situation. And, understand that sometimes you’renever going to change a situation to make it fair — you might have to go out and create your own, more fair, situation yourself.
It’s not my fault.It may very well not be your fault, but this phrase assumes that you’re laying the blame somewhere else. And nobody wins the blame game. Instead of focusing on blame, focus on solving the problem. How can you step in and make things right — even if you weren’t the one in the wrong?
I might be able to…
Might is another one of those words like try that set you up to fail. When people use words like this, it’s because they’re expecting not to be able to do whatever is being asked of them. Or, sometimes it’s used grudgingly. A client asks you to go above and beyond your original agreement, and to placate them, you say you “might” be able to add something. In either case, don’t hedge. Stand your ground and say what you mean.
That’s not my job.One of the things managers loathe to hear. Sometimes, in order to help the team or move up the ladder, you need to step up and do things that might not ordinarily be in your job description. Don’t let yourself be taken advantage of, but try to look at working outside your comfort zone as an opportunity for experience and growth.
NeedNeed is a funny word. You need food, water, and shelter. You don’t need that report on time, your team to come in for the weekend, or really anything else at work. You want it. Perhaps you even require it for things to function and flow properly. But do you need it?
I think…
Which sounds more powerful: I think, I believe, or I know? I think can be wishy-washy. Leaders and other successful people are decisive. Go with what you know.
I’ll try.
Take a page from Yoda’s book of wisdom: Do, or do not. There is no try. People tend to use the word try when they want to leave themselves an out, because they consciously or subconsciously don’t believe they can or will accomplish the task.

These are my top 10, but what are yours? Leave your favorite “loser mindset” phrases in the comments below so that we can add to the list.

United Biscuits' Martin Glenn: culture is more important than strategy

2015-03-11T00:22:00.001+01:00

United Biscuits CEO Martin Glenn

One of the most celebrated marketer-turned-chief executives, Glenn's first CEO post came at PepsiCo, following his rise through the company's marketing ranks. He moved to Birds Eye Iglo in the same role, before landing the top job at United Biscuits in 2013.

These really are the best of times. Commerce is a massive force for good; it has lifted millions of people from grinding poverty and

given the world a standard of living that would have been seen as a fantasy 50 years ago. There has never been a better time to be alive, so let’s appreciate what we have and stop apologising for all the things that aren’t perfect.

A marketing mindset drives all commerce. Marketing’s role is to translate what’s going on outside the organisation into a set of meaningful plans to take advantage of it and force continuous adaptation. All business failures are ultimately marketing failures; organisations blind to change seek the comfort of routine, which can be their undoing. Too few CEOs (about 25%) have critical marketing experience, but this is starting to increase, as boards move from risk-aversion, after the financial crash, to organising for growth – a trend that will favour marketers.

‘Better’ beats ‘different’ in the design and delivery of products and services.Brainstorming is easy; the patient development of superior performance, however, is hard work requiring intense consumer attention and focus. Consumers’ attention span is the bottleneck; we (consumers) have to ignore most marketing messages, or we would go mad, so making something better has a much greater chance of being noticed and valued.

Nonetheless, sometimes ‘different’ does beat ‘better’. In advertising, getting noticed requires boldness. Take Walkers Crisps, for example: a simple product, brilliantly done and with a track record of memorable advertising. Another case in point is last year’s ‘Sweeet’ campaign from McVitie’s – truly memorable advertising based on a simple, bold premise.

There's never been a better time to be alive, so let's appreciate what we have and stop apologising for all the things that aren't perfect.

Beware the ‘Year Zero’ fallacy. Change is everywhere, but so, too, is consistency. Social media will enable different ways of selling and influencing; ethical factors will continue to be an important evaluation criterion, but, fundamentally, most people want to have a job, start a family or enter into a rewarding relationship and will value brands that make their life easier. There is rarely a paradigm shift.

Culture is more important than strategy. In all my experience, the difference between the average and good companies was always the culture – how things happened up and down the company. It is hard to make command and control work for long and, similarly, colleagues are not simply human slot machines, motivated only by money.

Culture scares most CEOs because it’s not tangible or quantitative, but culture starts from the very top. People don’t take their cues from mission statements or screensaver propaganda, but from how they see decisions being made. People need to feel that they are doing something worthwhile and that they have the tools to get the job done.

Culture change can be dramatic and rapid. United Biscuits has lower levels of absence, accidents and consumer complaints than two years ago. The change has been largely culture-driven – people figuring out for themselves what difference they can and want to make.

Be authentic. People want to follow real people, not a stereotype. So, know your strengths and be aware of, but not spooked by, your weaknesses. Trying to be someone else will make you unhappy and ineffective; be open to change, but keep your core solid. ‘Better’ beats ‘different’ and people can sniff out a phoney from a mile away.

by Martin Glenn

To the "Manager" Who Just Fired My Friend

2015-01-24T17:16:00.000+01:00

Got this from LinkedIn and I Must Confess "They" Are very Plenty In Nigerian Workplaces.... I call them Bad-bele bosses... ...Read on...

A close friend of mine got fired this afternoon, after working for a non-profit agency for five years. My friend is a generous, responsible, and
highly capable person; I personally watched her chair - as a volunteer - fundraising events that brought in over $250,000 for two schools in our area.
Over her tenure at this agency, my friend received strong performance reviews, except for the last one, when - pay close attention - she had a boss who was new to the agency. This new "manager" got very upset when an embarrassing (to her) error occurred. My friend was to blame, but let's put this in perspective... if I only made one error every five years, it would be a huge improvement over my actual performance.
For much of my friend's previous four years, she worked for a former colleague of mine. This colleague is a tough, smart, demanding and highly professional woman. She gave my friend excellent performance reviews; to this day, they remain friends. Unfortunately, that woman moved on and was replaced by the new "manager".
To recap: new "manager" comes in, decides she doesn't like my friend, and sets the ball in action to fire her. At her first possible opportunity, she does.
Did I mention that this is a non-profit agency designed to help people?
I've taken pains in this piece to keep everyone anonymous, because my intention is not to criticize anyone - even the "manager" who fired my friend - but rather to inspire other managers to aim a bit higher.

If you are part of an organization created to do good, then do good. Don't be petty or vindictive. Don't fire people because you feel like it.
But here's my main message: if you join an organization and find that a person who has thrived at that organization suddenly becomes incompetent once you start supervising them... the problem is you, not them.
So think twice before you give up on people. Don't label them as expendable. Don't send them out the door, simply because you don't feel like working with them.
If you only work with people whom you naturally like, then you will put yourself in a box and marginalize your own career. In the short run you may have the power to make other people stumble, but in the long run you will only trip up yourself.

Bruce Kasanoff is a ghostwriter for entrepreneurs. Learn more at Kasanoff.com. He is the author of How to Self-Promote without Being a Jerk.

HOW I LANDED MY FIRST PR GIG – A GUIDE FOR BEGINNERS

2014-12-08T18:17:00.002+01:00

Interested in a career in public relations (PR)? Whether you’re a student wondering what it would take to start your career upon graduation, or you’re considering a career move from your current job to PR practice, you could learn a few important tips from my personal experience.

But before I go on to describe my journey let’s try to

define what it is exactly that PR professionals do? Simply put, PR pros use all forms of media and communication to build, maintain and manage the reputation of their companies (if they are employed in-house) or clients (if they work in a consultancy). A career in PR involves gaining understanding and support for an organization or product, as well as trying to influence public opinion and behavior. Ultimately, the work of PR pros helps create an enabling environment for businesses to thrive.

So, how did a trained medical scientist like me transition to the creative field of PR? This is one question I’ve had to answer quite often in my over 10-year career, and I’m happy to share my story with you:

Following graduation from medical school, and my compulsory one year internship at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, I joined the AVSI Foundation – an international NGO – where I worked as an Haematologist at the AVSI-run St. Kizito Clinics, and also as coordinator for AVSI’s youth projects in Nigeria. During my first two years at AVSI, I realized that I enjoyed working more on projects than laboratory work. Though I was a brilliant haematologist who cared very much for, and was well loved by, his patients, I knew deep down within me that I would find greater fulfillment doing something which, like the AVSI projects, allowed for a lot more creativity and flair.

I enjoyed the research, the brainstorm (strategy) sessions, the proposal writing and presentation, the meticulous planning and execution of the AVSI educational and health awareness projects…and I knew that with my effective “people” and “communication” skills, I could fancy a career in PR, marketing or advertising. Problem was I had limited knowledge of these professional fields and I lacked the requisite academic or professional qualifications (or so I thought).

With my AVSI work demanding so much from me mentally and physically (you couldn’t escape that if you took the job as seriously as I did), I was always drained at the end of the day, and I had little or no time to research what it would take to make the career move. And so, after another uneventful year tethered to the same routine, I made the tough decision of resigning from my “paying” job to find out what it would take to venture into the exciting field of PR and marketing communications.

So, what does it take to start a career in PR in Nigeria? Well, this isn’t too different from other professional fields and countries worldwide: most employers prefer to hire candidates who have a minimum of an HND or BSc qualification. Many who enter this field have majored in public relations, marketing, journalism, communications and advertising but employers aren’t really strict on the field of study. Work experience (for example, internships) in a related field is helpful, and membership of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) is imperative. Much more than the educational qualification, professional certification and technical ability (great analytical and organisational skills, brilliant writing skills, excellent presentation skills etc.), passion is the singular most important requirement.

Armed with this knowledge I registered as a student member of the NIPR and commenced the process of certification as a practitioner. While preparing for my exams I also began to research organisations I would like to work with and dispatched about 40 “unsolicited” mails, comprising my resume and a passionately-worded cover letter, to marketing and communication heads of large companies and CEOs of PR/Marketing Communication firms. Within 10 days of sending the mails, I received invitation to 3 interviews and got a job offer with Sesema Public Relations as an Account Executive; all these even when I hadn’t majored in any of the “related” courses or completed my NIPR certificate exams. Of course, there might have been an element of “luck” in the way things turned out, but without the preparations I made, the initiatives I took and the passion I demonstrated I wouldn’t have been that “lucky”.

And even if luck got me my first PR gig, it’s definitely taken much more than that to make my career the success it has been; only hard work and professionalism could have earned me the award for “Best Team Member” while at Sesema PR, as well as The Future Awards’ nomination for “Young Professional of the Year” and the Institute of Brand Management of Nigeria (IBMN) Award for “Africa’s Young Brand Manager of the Year” both of which I received for my work with Dana Group. Not to mention that, today, I am a one of the most sought after speakers and facilitators at local and international seminars and conferences on all things PR, brand management and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

How can young practitioners and students develop a career like mine? Here are some useful tips:

Prep Yourself. If you are a student you can start preparing for entry into the PR field by doing any of the following:

· Develop and promote a blog on a topic of interest

· Develop and document your writing/communication credentials by working for a campus magazine or radio station

· Join a student club/association of your interest where you can act as the PR officer and organize events (outreach programmes, departmental seminars, hall weeks, concerts etc.) on behalf of the club

· Explore the possibility of getting a part-time job at the school’s media relations department, or an internship at large media outlets or marketing firms during long breaks

· Join the NIPR and any other related professional bodies like IBMN (Institute of Brand Management of Nigeria), APCON (Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria) and (CIM) Chartered Institute of Marketing, and obtain relevant certifications

By preparing in these ways you'll distinguish yourself from competition and lay the foundation for a rewarding career in public relations and marketing communications.

Step up to the plate. Whether you’re a student working on a voluntary/part-time basis, or a fully employed young practitioner, you’ve got to demonstrate a genuine interest in the business, freely offering to help a team or participate in an internal project. This may mean extra hours above and beyond existing account work, but it can be very rewarding and give you extra experience. In my first month at Sesema PR I did a SWOT Analysis of the company and got valuable feedback from my bosses, deepening my understanding of the subject. Also, when asked, I was never shy to offer my opinion on issues, increasing my knowledge and strengthening my confidence in the process.

Be a student for life. One major quality of a student is the undying thirst for knowledge. To be successful in PR practice, you must have an open disposition and always seek to learn new things whenever and wherever you can. Even before I kicked off my career I had subscribed to PR Week - an online educational resource for practitioners and, only recently, I joined Toastmasters International - a club that helps members improve their communication, public speaking and leadership skills. It is also helpful to attend development courses/seminars to keep abreast of trends in the industry (Some years back there was very little talk about Digital PR, now you’ll be damned not to embrace it) and the company or client’s line of business (there can be policy somersaults and introduction of new ones, so it is important to keep track of them and manage the impact on the business). NIPR, IBMN, APCON and CIM offer periodic training programmes.

Imbibing these tips won’t just enable you to start your career right; they are critical to sustaining and maintaining your career’s path in a changing world.

Tony Usidamen, a Communications Expert and Social Advocate, writes from Lagos.

Email: tonyusidamen@yahoo.com,

Twitter: @tonyusidamen

Do NOT Teach a Starving Man to Fish

2014-11-18T21:59:00.001+01:00

You've heard this old saying before: give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. You may even be nodding your head in agreement right now. Sorry— this saying is all wrong.

When a person is starving, that's not the time to fill their head with knowledge. The right thing to do is to first give the person a fish - banishing their hunger - and only then teach them to fish.

Far too often, people ignore this common sense first step. They see someone who is struggling, and they rush to offer wisdom. "Let me tell you what I'd do in your position," a well-meaning individual might offer.

But few of us understand the anxiety, confusion, and uncertainty that comes with overwhelming need. People in the midst of personal disasters are reeling. They can't think straight. Their nerves may be shot. Their confidence may be non-existent.

We all know affluent, outwardly successful professionals who lack confidence and - at least temporarily - the ability to think straight. Can you imagine how people must feel in the midst of outright failure?

Rushing to offer a struggling person long-term advice is a waste of time.

Instead, it makes far more sense to help them regain their equilibrium. Once this happens... once their ears, heart and mind open, then you have an opportunity to teach a new skill.

What does it take to decide whether a person needs a fish before a fishing lesson? Two things:

1.) The ability to pay attention: Is the other person open and receptive, or looking at the world through narrowed eyes that tip off just how terrified they feel inside? You can't just take their words at face value, because claiming to be alright is a basic survival skill. You have to look at how the person acts and what they don't say.

2.) Empathy: The more successful you are, the harder it is to imagine what it must be like to be the opposite.

By the way, don't trust everything you read on the Internet, where the "give a man a fish" saying is attributed to everyone except my Uncle Nathan.

Entrepreneurship 101: Experience ≥ Education in the World of Business

2014-11-18T21:40:00.003+01:00

There is little doubt that formal education is valuable; if you are in a position to pursue higher education I strongly encourage you to do so. Studies have shown a direct correlation between higher education and higher wages.

That’s wonderful news if you aspire to work for someone else. However,
not having a formal education does not automatically condemn you to failure.

When I was a teenager the common belief was that in order to succeed in life one had to possess a college degree. The parents of every friend I knew assigned as much value to that belief as they did to the law of gravity.

My parents were no exception as evidenced by the disciplinary measures imposed upon me each and every time I came home from school with a bad report card. My parents had the best of intentions and for that I am grateful.

Unfortunately, in the process of encouraging good grades and higher education, the unspoken (but well understood) consequence of not pursuing a degree was a life destined to be plagued by failure and mediocrity.

My parents didn't lie to me – they told me the truth to the best of their ability as they understood it – but at the end of the day they were wrong.

For the purpose of full disclosure and honesty, I have formal degrees from good institutions of higher learning and I am proud of the fact I invested the time to pursue them. However, I did not finish my undergraduate degree until after I had created and sold my first restaurant concept.

The degree followed my success; not the other way around. When I’m asked if my formal education contributed to my initial entrepreneurial success, I can answer “no” with complete honesty.

Once again, I am not offering this insight as an indictment of formal education. There are successful people that have exceptional academic credentials, and having a formal education is of benefit if you have the desire and the resources to pursue it.

Below are some notable and successful entrepreneurs who were college dropouts. While you know these people for their successful ventures, don’t forget for a minute that they all “started from nothing” in their garages or basements.

When they dropped out of college and started their business concepts they were no different than the majority of American entrepreneurs – broke, struggling and told by others they would "never be successful."

1. Mary Kay Ash: Founder of the popular cosmetics brand Mary Kay, Inc., Ash not only did not go to college – she never saw inside the four walls of any school. Billionaire.

2. Richard Branson: Founder of Virgin Group, Branson dropped out of school when he was 16. His empire now consists of more than 400 companies. Billionaire.

3. Giorgio Armani: Founder of a popular fashion brand, Armani dropped out of medical school because he couldn’t stand the sight of blood. Billionaire.

4. Jenny Craig: Founder of the popular weight management system, Craig never went to college. Billionaire.

5. Carl Lindner: Founder of United Dairy Farmers, Lindner dropped out of high school at age 14 to help his parents deliver milk for their dairy. Billionaire.

These examples are just of a few of the thousands of success stories in which people relied on their goals and motivation instead of academic credentials. Those who dropped out of school were told at the time they would “amount to nothing.” Those who never even went to school were all but written off by society.

There are other high profile billionaire dropouts that have founded successful companies – Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook), Bill Gates (Microsoft), Larry Ellison (Oracle), and Steve Jobs (Apple).

While they may be considered to be the "exceptions to the rule," there's no reason why YOU can't be the exception to the rule until proven otherwise.

I encourage everyone to pursue higher education if the opportunity exists, but it’s proven that lack of formal education won’t automatically bar you from success and prosperity.

In life, the School of Hard Knocks is just as good as an Ivy League education in the hands of those with the mindset and determination to succeed.

Why Top Performers Get Axed

2014-07-19T23:06:00.000+01:00

4 Ways to Dodge the Chop

It happened again this week—twice.

Two calls from two top performing Senior Executives who got axed (outplaced, if you prefer) after 16 years of prodigious performance (verified by their $500k+ remunerations).

Top performers get axed because the political ground shifts under their feet and they are slow, unable or unwilling to shift with it.

Being a top performer doesn’t guarantee your continuous employment if you don’t adapt quickly or appropriately enough when your company culture changes.

Today's top performers become "yesterday's news" by tomorrow because anything that distances you from your peers can negate you. Being too conspicuously successful or too quiet an achiever is equally risky.

But why axe top performers?

Because any group (i.e., company, corporation, profession, industry, etc.) acts first and foremost to perpetuate itself, especially when in crisis.

The US charity March of Dimes was founded in the 1950s to combat polio. When polio was eradicated they immediately found new diseases by which to justify their continued existence.

Government programs don’t disband when they accomplish their objective. They find new ways to justify their further funding.

Business is the same. Companies re-invent themselves routinely in order to survive. IBM used to make computers, now they’re a global technology that does everything but make computers.

Likewise, top-performers have to adapt. Or else.

4 ways to dodge the axeman’s blow:

1) Think like a company. Companies think differently than people. You must learn their ways, speak their language, and figure out what drives them today.

Whether you’re an employee within the company or a supplier to it, you need to understand what the company wants and needs; and that’s different from what you want and need.

Companies --- like countries--- act in their own self-interest. You’re either seen as an asset to that corporate self-interest or you’re not.

2) Learn to act: By act I mean don the costume, adopt the role, and immerse yourself in your corporate role.

After all, that’s what they’re paying your to do.

You say: ‘Oh my!’ I can’t pretend; I won’t compromise my integrity, morals, values, blah-blah-blah….

Did Nicole Kidman sell out by portraying Virginia Woolf (she won an Oscar)?
Did Russell Crowe cop out to portray a Gladiator (he won an Oscar)?
Did Jeffrey Rush compromise his integrity by imitating a pianist (Oscar winner)?
Did Heath Ledger surrender his virtue by portraying the Joker (Oscar winner)?

No, they acted. They did their job, fulfilled their role’s requirements, and picked up a pay check.

They did it while maintaining their pride and dignity. So can you (Oscars are optional).

3) Get on the bus or get thrown under it.

In times of flux toleration decreases in companies. Companies react by creating a morehomogeneous culture. Your record matters less now than ever. Now, being a team player is the prized characteristic. Now is not the time to question the bus driver’s skill.

4) Use the common currency.

To purchase something in a foreign country, you use their currency. Foolishly insisting that they accept your currency reveals your ignorance and rigidity. When their currency changes, you adapt to it, not vice-versa.

Likewise in corporations. Even top performers must adjust to the prevailing company environment, however foreign, and use the new currency, especially if the company is cost-cutting.

Bottom line: Companies act for their survival, not yours. So they should. And so should you.

Vacancy for the Position of HR Officer.

2014-04-04T20:08:00.000+01:00

Location: Benin City.

Qualifications: Bsc/HND in any business or related field
.

3 years as HR generalist.

Knowledge of Nigerian Labour Laws, dynamics of HR practice and People Processes Tools.

Send CVs to cv@bsr.re

Job Opening: HR Manager in United Arab Emirate

2014-04-04T20:04:00.001+01:00

Job Description

My client is part of a successful group of companies in the UAE. They are now looking for a HR Manager to join one of the divisions.

The Role

As HR Manager you will be responsible for a full HR generalist role including recruitment, training, employee relations, strategic decision making, HR transformation and HR staff management. You will ensure the smooth running of the HR department and be prepared to get involved in ad hoc projects as and when required from the business.

The Person

The ideal candidate:

HR Management experience (atleast 8 years) – essential
Exposure within property development/property management sector – essential
Excellent communication skills – English must be first language – essential
Flexible approach to work – essential

Salary
AED 30,000 – 35,000

Benefits
Flight, Medical

- See more at: http://www.yesijob.com/jobs/hr-manager-ref-sw-14805/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=linkedin#sthash.LumQ7nWG.dpuf

Vacancy for Marketing Analyst

2014-04-04T20:01:00.005+01:00

5+ years in marketing analysis; research & consulting background.

2+ years in Freight/Courier/Logistics.

Send CVs to cv@bsr.re

Vacancy for Sales Manager in a multinational.

2014-04-04T19:59:00.003+01:00

Sales Manager in a multinational.

Degree in social sciences or management related fields.

Minimum 5 years of professional working experience in industrial/automobile supplies.

Microsoft office tools. Send CV to jobtrain@es-africa.com .

Job Opening: Senior Accounts Officer – Ref J39901

2014-04-04T19:55:00.001+01:00

Job Description

Senior Accounts Officer

My client are local Contracting company who have entered into a Joint Venture with a reputable company on one of the largest construction projects in Qatar. As a result they are looking to hire a Senior Accounts Officer to join their Finance team.

A suitable candidate will be responsible for Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Cash Management and general finance responsibilities such as Joint Venture accounting and financial management. A candidate will be involved in invoices, debtor statements, financial transactions, payroll, general ledger, financial reports and other financial activities ensuring compliance with accounting standards and regulations.

A successful candidate will need:

- A Bachelor Degree in Accounting or Finance or a relevant discipline
- Chartered Accountancy – ACCA, CA, CMA, CPA or equivalent
- A minimum of 8 years of experience in Finance & Accounting
- A minimum of 2 years of experience in Finance & Accounting in Construction/Projects industry
- An understanding of Accounting standards and regulations
- Experience working with ERP systems – Oracle, SAP etc.
- To be a team player

This is an opportunity to work on one of the largest projects in Qatar with an enthusiastic team and earn a competitive salary package.
If you feel that you have the required skills and experience for this role, please apply using the links.

- See more at: http://www.yesijob.com/jobs/senior-accounts-officer-ref-j39901/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=linkedin#sthash.eAS54Z11.dpuf

Vacancy: Graduate Cashier needed at Mopheth Group

2014-04-04T19:52:00.001+01:00

Mopheth Group which owns some of the known pharmaceutical brands in Nigeria, which is Mopheth Pharmacy is recruiting to fill the below vacant position:

Job Title: Cashier

Location: Lagos(Island)

Job Description:

Incumbent will handle daily sales and relation with Customers

Qualifications:

Minimum of an OND

The Person:

Must be a female and reside on the Island
Should be able to work on time and fast
Must have customer relationship skills
Must be hardworking, pay attention to details and a responsible individual
Must have excellent communication skills

How to apply:

Interested and qualified candidates should send CV’s to: cv@mophethgroup.com

Closing date: 10th of April 2014

- See more at: http://www.jobstoday.com.ng/accountings-jobs-in-nigeria/graduate-cashier-needed-at-mopheth-group/#sthash.gfuN5tPv.dpuf

Vacancy: Group Head, Genesis Group - Port Harcourt

2014-04-04T19:31:00.001+01:00

Genesis Group is a wholly Nigerian owned Catering, Hospitality & Entertainment Conglomerate with business interest in Hotels, Restaurants, Cinemas, Shopping Malls, Property Development, Outdoor Catering, Industrial Catering/Camp Management and Food Production.

MISSION
To deliver the best quality services, through the continuous provision of innovative and exceptional customer experiences, while fulfilling our responsibilities to all stakeholders based on respect and integrity

Job description

Report directly to the COO.

Has leadership responsibility for the company’s Human Resources team.Key deliverables includes formulation & execution of the company’s people management strategy to attract, retain and develop an optimally
engaged workforce for the sustainable achievement of corporate objectives.

· Ensures the maintenance of the work structure by updating job requirements and job descriptions for all positions.

· Maintains organization staff by establishing a recruiting, testing, and interviewing program; counseling managers on candidate selection; conducting and analyzing exit interviews; recommending changes.

· Ensures the strategic alignment to the company goals through the use of PMS, training and Recruitment Selection

· Maintains a pay plan by conducting periodic pay surveys; scheduling and conducting job evaluations; preparing pay budgets; monitoring and scheduling individual pay actions; recommending, planning, and implementing pay structure revisions.

· Ensures planning, monitoring, and appraisal of employee work results by training managers to coach and discipline employees; scheduling management conferences with employees; hearing and resolving employee grievances; counseling employees and supervisors.

· Maintains employee benefits programs and informs employees of benefits by studying and assessing benefit needs and trends; recommending benefit programs to management; directing the processing of benefit claims; obtaining and evaluating benefit contract bids; awarding benefit contracts; designing and conducting educational programs on benefit programs.

· Ensures legal compliance by monitoring and implementing applicable human resource federal and state requirements; conducting investigations; maintaining records; representing the organization at hearings.

· Maintains management guidelines by preparing, updating, and recommending human resource policies and procedures.

· Maintains historical human resource records by designing a filing and retrieval system; keeping past and current records.

· Administers performance review program to ensure effectiveness, compliance, and equity within organization. Administers salary administration program to ensure compliance and equity within organization.

· Completes human resource operational requirements by scheduling and assigning employees; following up on work results.

· Maintains human resource staff by recruiting, selecting, orienting, and training employees.

· Maintains human resource staff job results by counseling and disciplining employees; planning, monitoring, and appraising job results.

· Development of an employee-oriented company culture that emphasizes quality, continuous improvement, key employee retention and development, and high performance.

Skills/Qualifications: Hiring, Human Resources Management, Benefits Administration, Performance Management, Communication Processes, Compensation and Wage Structure, Supports Diversity, Classifying Employees, Employment Law, Laws Against Sexual Harassment, Organization

Desired Skills and Experience

First degree of minimum second class honours or HND Upper credit in any Human Resources or Social Science related discipline.

• A Masters degree or additional professional qualification and membership of relevant professional body (CIPM/CIPD etc) is an added advantage.

• At least 4 years in relevant/related job role (familiarity with hospitality/Service Industry etc) .

• Age bracket 33-40years. Good borderline candidates may be considered.

• Strong leadership, people management and supervisory skills.

• Ambitious, highly innovative, self-driven and confident.

• Excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills.

Apply via http://www.linkedin.com/jobs2/view/10872926?trk=rj_jshp&refId=7de14640-7db5-4a47-9c5b-02c5ff005ddb

Land A Job in 10 Application Attempts

2014-03-17T07:40:00.000+01:00

Please, do not read this article if you:

don't believe on-line applications work
are tired of sending CVs for jobs
do not believe this article will help
do not have confidence in your skills and abilities

If you want to land a good job with your next 10 applications, then ride with me and ensure you complete all exercises at the end of each paragraph.

1. FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU WANT

This is the most important stage in landing your dream job. At this point, you need to identify the field(s) where you have the highest competitive advantage.

Did I hear someone say "I want a Federal Government job?"

Did someone say "I want any job?"

Nah! This is totally unacceptable. ANY job is no job.

The following questions can help you narrow down on the job you want:

What skills do you possess? Can you sell? Can you teach? Can you repair simple machines? Can you sew? etc.
If you find it hard to say one or two things you can do, then you may need to acquire a new skill
Where do you want to be in the next 4 - 6 years? What kind of training and experience do you need to get there? In which organization or setting can you acquire these skills?
What is your priority now - money or skill?

Your ability to define what you want is essential in our 10 applications for a job ride.

2. FIRE UP YOUR CV AND COVER LETTER

If you are a fan of one CV fits all, then this ride is not for you. You must modify your CV to fit each position you are applying for; as each job has its own peculiarities.

Do not be too lazy or weak to modify and fine tune your CV as this is the first impression recruiters get.

IN OUR NEXT SERIES, YOU SHALL BE PROVIDE YOU WITH SEVERAL CV FORMATS FOR DIFFERENT JOB TYPES AND LEVELS.

3. APPLY FOR THE RIGHT JOBS

Applying for 50 jobs you are not qualified for daily does not increase your chances of hitting a job. Ensure you read the description and requirements end-to-end before applying.

Also, avoid the following pitfalls.

Copying (Cc) several recruiters in an email
Forwarding an email you've sent to another recruiter. Please use a fresh email for each position, we do not need to see your application history.
Using an existing cover letter without modifying the position being applied for and other details
Omitting a simple introduction (cover letter) in your email and leaving the default signature e.g "sent from Samsung Mobile" or "Sent from Blackberry". You may argue that this does not matter but when a recruiter needs to take a decision between two people, one with only "Sent from Samsung Mobile" and the other a nice cover, the recruiter will obviously feel that the latter really needs the job and may be more committed too.
Copying and pasting your CV in the body of the email unless otherwise stated.
Don't Bcc a recruiter
Forgetting jobs you have applied for! It's bad when you are called up and it seems you can't remember a thing about the position applied for.

This is Part 1 of our 10 applications for a job series. In our Part 2, we will be making available several CV formats for download.

You must secure that job soon.

6 Secrets That Make Successful People Insanely Productive

2014-03-15T23:32:00.001+01:00

Successful leaders, entrepreneurs and business professionals lead very busy lives and are always tempted to wear many hats to be productive. Most entrepreneurs are forced to wear different hats to be productive and work all day to grow their businesses.

But working all day does not necessarily mean you are being productive.

Dealing with distractions, procrastination and over work can significantly improve the way you work. It's easy to get distracted in the age of growing use of social media and apps. Get rid of your distractions and you will be productive again.

My habit is to check your emails all day long and to answer them as they come in can hinder your progress in any day. How then do you stay productive everyday. The following are a few of the many things productive things that have contributed to the success of many entrepreneurs.

They start the day with the end in mind!

Start with the end in mind and focus on process that can get you there. Define a clear goal and work at it with all the resources you can gather. You should have a clear sense of what is important to you and get to work immediately. Start your day by working on the projects that inspire you most and you will be more productive and achieve your goal faster whilst minimizing procrastination.

They know when to take a break!

Most entrepreneurs can easily get burned out because of how they work. Give yourself a break, relax. You don't want to break down, everyday of the week should not be another day at work in or outside the office. You could be working without knowing it because of the constant use of mobile devices. Plan to break and stick with it.

They single-task

The importance of focus cannot be overemphasised. In as much as most entrepreneurs want to multitask to get lots things done, it's crucial to know what works best for you and what results in the best output.

You could do a lot of things without necessarily finishing any of them in any day. But you can equally focus on just one task at a time each day by giving it time and sticking to your schedule in the day. Focus on one thing at a time.

You can begin each day with a goal that is properly phrased, once that is achieved, create to-do items and focus on achieving your goal for the day. You could organize your daily schedule neatly in Google Calendar, Evernote or your favorite to-do app.

They know the importance of productive apps

Successful entrepreneurs know when and how to use productive apps to help plan the day and get things done. An increased sense of productivity can make you more accomplished, organized, and in control. And the good news is that there are apps for that.

You always have your smartphone with you, why not put them to productive use like every other successful entrepreneur or business professional. You can start with free productivity apps like Sunrise, Wunderlist, Any.Do, Remember the Milk, Tempo, Mailbox or Google's new to-do app, Google Keep. Starting using a portable calendar today. Check out other great and useful productive apps here, here and here.

They know when to delegate

You could do most things but you can't do everything. Most successful entrepreneurs know what they are good at and they focus on their strength and delegate their weakness to another person, another team member, another employee or even a virtual assistant. A virtual assistant can take care of your scheduling, correspondence and online administrative tasks.Successful people find great assistants and focus on the big picture.

They work on what they are passionate about

One of the best ways to be successful and enjoy what you do is to do what you love. Find your passion and turn it into business and it will not feel like work. You will be more productive if you can focus on your passion. It's easier to be productive when you are passionate about your project. Think passion and work will be fun again.

Most successful entrepreneurs have build businesses around what they are good at, yet others found solutions to problems they had. They scratch their own itch. If you don’t love what you do, what in the world is going to inspire you to keep doing it?

You are the creator of your own universe, make the day count, don't count the days

News: Schlumberger Offers Amnesty Programme Trainees Employment

2014-03-11T08:05:00.002+01:00

Schlumberger Technologies of France, at the weekend, offered automatic employment to most of the 29 delegates of the Presidential Amnesty Programme who successfully completed a 12-month specialised course in oil drilling at the base of the company in Melun, France.

At the formal graduation event of the 29 Niger Delta youths in France, weekend, the Business Manager for Europe and Africa of Schlumberger/NEXT, Mr. Pierre Bihan, said the firm decided to retain the Nigerian youths in their employ following their brilliant showing in all the courses they undertook over the one-year period their training lasted.

“It is true that we have been training students from several countries of the world but I must confess that these Nigerian students are exceptional. Their level of discipline is very high. Their ability to cope under immense pressure is second to none and more importantly, their good showing in both theory and practice is commendable. Schlumberger has decided to employ most of them for their facilities in Nigeria.

“They have gone through the best training possible in drilling engineering and it is our hope that they will now put to practical use what they have been taught in oil drilling,” Bihan said, adding that all the external assessors of the delegates scored them very high.

At the event, a visibly elated Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, Hon. Kingsley Kuku, lauded the trainees for being true ambassadors of Nigeria by excelling beyond the expectation of even their trainers.

“I am the happiest man on earth today. Our efforts have been bountifully rewarded. I am grateful to God Almighty that 29 of them have not just graduated in oil and gas drilling but they have been acclaimed as the best set of trainees this globally revered Schlumberger facility in Melun, France, has produced. On behalf of our President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, who made this training possible, I want to thank the trainees for making us proud,” the Special Adviser said.

Kuku praised Schlumberger for offering to employ most of the graduates.
“This is what we call practical support. Schlumberger has shown today that it is a true friend of Nigeria. Schlumberger has also shown that reward abound at all times for excellence. Our delegates came here and excelled and you have not shied away from saying that they are the best you have trained. You went further to offer to employ most of them. Nigeria is grateful to you. We shall continue to collaborate with Schlumberger and NEXT,” Kuku enthused at the well-attended graduation event.

The Special Adviser disclosed at the event that his office and Schlumberger would collaborate later this month to organise a job fair for the delegates in Nigeria where all the oil and gas companies operating in Nigeria would be offered the opportunity of snapping up the remainder of the graduates.

“With the first class training you have received, you have become hot cakes in the industry. But we are not going to sit back and wait. We have decided to bring potential employers to meet all of you in Lagos this month,” Kuku told the graduates.

At the event, the Chairman of Schlumberger Africa, Mr. Shola Oyinlola, and the Head of Schlumberger West Africa, Mr. Eke Eke, both commended the delegates for making Nigeria proud.

“I have personally gone through the commendation notes from the assessors of the Nigerian trainees and I was very impressed. I commend the federal government of Nigeria for getting this one right. This is what government everywhere in the world must do: build capacity. I challenge the graduates to quickly begin to reap from the benefits of divestment of a number of oil and gas multinationals from Nigeria’s downstream sector. It is your country and you now have the requisite training; you are now truly prepared to fly,” Oyinlola counselled the graduates.

In the same vein, Eke explained that the Nigerian graduates stood a very good chance of being employed given that their training duration of one year is the longest ever he could recall, which he said was a very good thing.

"You have trained here, the acclaimed university of oil and gas, for one year. This, on its own, is amazing. It does not happen often. Most employers anywhere in the world will be glad to hire you. So make good the opportunity your training has afforded you. You now have all that it takes to even rise to become the Managing Director of Schlumberger,” Eke admonished the graduates.

The graduates also received high commendations from the Nigerian Ambassador to France, who was represented by a minister in the Embassy, Mr. Alani Bello, and the representative of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who pledged continued support of the French Government for the training programmes of the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta in France.

In their remark, the delegates who spoke through their team leader, Oba Asime Charles, thanked Hon. Kuku and President Jonathan for offering them the opportunity to benefit from the first class training at the Schlumberger facility in France.
“We have become living evidences of the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan,” the excited team leader said.
Schlumberger is the world’s leading supplier of technology, integrated project management and information solutions to customers working in the oil and gas industry worldwide. Employing approximately 120,000 people representing over 140 nationalities and working in more than 85 countries, Schlumberger provides the industry’s widest range of products and services from exploration through production.

Schlumberger partners with NEXT to deliver complete oil and gas training and career development solutions for organizations and professionals worldwide.

NEXT has access to well-equipped, global Schlumberger training centers and technical facilities, where participants gain practical, hands-on experiences. These facilities run multidisciplinary theory and practical training programs, which encompass classrooms, practical workshops, discipline-special simulators of field operations including but not limited to a mock up drilling rig, mock-up training wells for cased and open hole logging, production stimulation pads, cementing pads and completion pads

Business Development and the Key Skill You Need to Succeed

2014-03-09T19:26:00.000+01:00

Business development is a key role in any organization. The business developer is tasked with the responsibility of creating long term value for its customers, building and maintaining strategic business relationships to increase revenue,
and even entering new markets in some cases.

Even though the responsibilities of a business development executive may vary from organization to organization, the skills required to succeed in the defined career is consistent.

Before we talk about the key skill to succeed in business development, let us define what business development is.

Is business development sales? Or is it making deals and forging partnerships?

According to Scott Pollack in his article, What Exactly Is Business Development?, business development is “the creation of long-term value for an organization from customers, markets, and relationships.”

From his definition, we understand that as a business developer, you will be spending a lot of time interacting with your customers, your market and building relationships.

Communication: The Secret ingredient

Whether you are articulating the benefits of a product to your customers, or signing a deal with a strategic partner to drive sales, you will need to communicate your vision and ideas clearly and effectively to succeed.

Sara Tribble, Affiliate Coordinator at Paint Bull, put it this way: “Clear communication, written or verbal, is key for any business developer.”

So how can you improve your communication skills?

Practice!

Sarah says, “Simply talk to people and not just within your set industry. By exploring other individuals outside your comfort zone, you will pick up patterns and flow which can easily carry over to your natural habits. And no worries if you start off awkward, you’ll get past that! Too many people worry about how they sound versus just making a sound.

Be specific

Great communicators know how to make their words count. Choose simplicity over ambiguity.

Listen

As a business developer, it is important for your clients, partners and customers to trust you. And how else can you gain their trust if not by listening to them?

What do you think? Is communication the secret ingredient to success in business development? Do you have other tips to share on how to improve communication?

- See more at: http://connectnigeria.com/articles/2014/03/06/business-development-and-the-key-skill-you-need-to-succeed/#sthash.t0t5yy4m.dpuf

You Get The Boss You Deserve: Manage Up!

2014-03-09T19:14:00.000+01:00

Your attitude toward your boss is shaping your boss and how he is treating you. Consequently it's your job and your duty to manage up. Being destructive or antagonistic won't get you anywhere.

Managing relationships upward has nothing to do with manipulation, political maneuvering, promoting of self-interests, sucking up, or brown-nosing. Instead it's a much needed skill to obtain the best possible results for your organization, your boss, and most importantly,
for you.

Managing up means managing your boss. It's at least as important as managing down or cooperating with peers. It's an inevitable prerequisite of building a sustainable career.

When approaching the relationship with your boss with an attitude of open-mindedness and cooperation, you have much better chances to become a more effective manager and person. I suggest that you take the following main principles into consideration:

Understand The Nature Of the Relationship With Your Boss
Comprehend and never forget that your boss and you are mutually dependent on one another. He needs your support to succeed and you need your boss to benefit from his assistance and guidance to do the right things the right way. As such it´s more of a "Partner-Junior Partner" relationship than a "Master-Subordinate" one.

You Get The Boss You Deserve
I call it the "Principle of Self-Responsibility and Self-Accountability". It means that you're in charge. In charge of your life and, of course, of your career. You've got two basic options: you can wait until things evolve (or not). Alternatively, second option, you can decide to proactively influence the development of things and of the relationship with your boss.

Organize Yourself and Your Work
You need to be organized in order to being able to become proactive and to have time and room to manage up. Be clear about your targets, clarify priorities, and constantly differentiate between important and urgent topics. Otherwise there's a big risk you'll chase your tail. And when being trapped in the human rat race there's no way you can discuss constructively and thoughtful with your boss. Recognize your needs, strengths, and weaknesses and align them in the best possible manner with those of your line manager. Define realistic expectations and targets (incl. deadlines, costs, etc.) together with your boss. The magic words are "together" and "realistic". Don’t set expectations too high. This might discount your credibility in case you don´t achieve them. However, don’t intentionally set them (too) low. That won’t help you either.

Decode Your Boss’s Personality
Ultimately you will need to adjust your style and to adapt to your line manager's modus operandi. Example: If your boss is an analytical type of person you will need to have sound data at hand when discussing with him a project or business initiative. You should also be able to categorize your boss's behavioral style, his pet peeves, and his likes and dislikes. Does he prefer taking his time before making decisions? Is he getting stubborn when being confronted with too many requests? Is he satisfied by getting the whole picture or does he usually require all key details?

By nature your boss is not good at everything. It is up to you to figure out where he's weak and to provide your support in those areas. The better you'll be at that, the easier you can manage him and the more he will listen to you. The burden of exploring your line manager's expectations and personality falls to you!

Put Yourself In The Shoes Of Your Boss
Try to understand the situation and context in which your boss is. Does he has to finish budget preparations, is he organizing a key meeting, is he about to meet very important customers? What is his immediate task, what are his exact needs, and what are the objectives he has to deliver? Don't forget that also your boss has his own boss. Every day take a moment and spot the critical challenges your boss might be facing. He immediately sees and appreciates if you understand and care about his targets, issues, and complexities.

Be Loyal, Respectful And Committed
Building trust by being trustworthy is a crucial element in managing up. There's a reason your boss is your boss and that you're not his boss. Most likely, because you're not ready yet. As a result, accept this fact, display loyalty and show commitment. He should do the same. Don’t go behind his back or over his head. Go to him first. If the two of you can't resolve a serious issue, you might have to go over his head. This should be a last resort and you should tell him beforehand. To secure your general "independence", you should try having a mentor or coach. Always be aware of how you talk about your boss to others, realize that what goes around, comes around.

Over-Communicate and Avoid (Bad) Surprises
Very good communications skills are the basis to successfully managing your boss. It can be verbal or written. If you want to be heard by him, then make it as convenient as possible for him, i.e. adjust to his communication style. If you're not sure, ask him and get confirmation by requesting feedback. Also don’t wait for your annual review to find out what your boss thinks of you and your work. Whenever you receive feedback handle it in a rationale manner. You will need to make sure that you and your boss are on the same page. Of course, it's the best if you respect agreed commitments, project deadlines, etc. Either way (i.e. even if you were to miss a deadline) the best method is always honest and forthright communication. Provide early heads up and don't hide information. Bad news doesn’t get any better with age.

Provide Solutions And Not problems
Without doubt sooner or later you, your boss, and your projects will encounter problems. Actually nothing better can happen, since such situations separate the wheat from the chaff. By quickly coming forward with possible solutions you can demonstrate that you have given the problem some thought and that you care. When you share a problem timing is critical, i.e. discuss the issue within an appropriate situation and not in a "hit and run" setting. Your boss appreciates being informed, e.g. about a delay of the most important project, well before entering the board room and meeting with the exec team.

Disagree And Commit
It´s okay to disagree with your boss from time to time. It should be based, however, on a in-depth analysis, solid arguments and – if possible – some precise examples. He will respect you for that. Even more so, if at the end you will support and follow him, even if the final outcome was not your preferred option. Important: Do not discuss with your boss just for the sake of discussing or because of trying to impress peers. It's a waste of precious time and it'll undermine your credibility.

Raise Your Concerns And Speak Up
Raise your concerns clearly and politely, if needed. Stand firm. If you’re doing the best job you can do, keep your head held high and don’t give in too easily. Rather ask questions, seek to understand, and work to deactivate a difficult setting instead of suffering in silence or responding in anger. It may not always change the situation or the final outcome, but at least you would have given it a try. And if done in a rational, respectful, and well-articulated manner, it will earn you the respect of your boss. By the way, you owe your boss some challenging thoughts and ideas from time to time. Every good boss will appreciate it when you approach him with a genuine desire to make things working better. Usually this kicks off a new level of cooperation and trust between you and your boss.

What do you think? How do you manage up? What are your experiences?

How to Answer Stupid Job Interview Questions

2014-03-09T17:21:00.004+01:00

Our client Angela went on a job interview.

"It's supposed to be a Marketing Manager job, but they sure talk a lot about graphic design in the job ad," said Angie. "And the job's been posted on the company website for six months."

Angie went to the interview and sat in a lobby for half an hour. A nice woman came to get her and deposited her in a small interviewing room.
A not-as-nice lady came in and started grilling Angie with questions, taking notes as Angie spoke (no eye contact - all business!).

"Tell me about your experience with Adobe Illustrator."

"Tell me how much you know about InDesign."

"Tell me what you know about search engines."

Wait a second, thought Angie. Something is off - this lady is just reading questions from a script. She doesn't know how the pieces fit together. She doesn't know anything about this job!

Angie is a marketer, not a graphic designer. She knows tons about search engines, but none of what she knows would have impressed her interviewer, who kept her eyes glued to her notepad and scribbled furiously throughout the interview.

"May I ask a question?" asked Angie finally. "Sure," said the lady.

"This job has been open for a while," said Angie. "What would you say is the reason it's taken some time to find the right person?"

"I'm choosy," said the interviewer, and that was that.

Angie never heard from the company again, but she hadn't waited around after the interview, either. She could see in a flash that no one with spark and self-esteem would thrive in that company. As far as I know, that job is still open.

A job search is a test of your fortitude. The struggling economy doesn't make it easy, and an even bigger challenge is the dysfunctional recruiting process used by nearly every medium-sized and large employer.

I want you to keep in mind that it's not you - the system itself is broken beyond repair. You are fine. It's the combination of talent-repelling job ads, Black Hole application systems, and thoughtless, soul-crushing interview processes that make a job search so hard on your emotions.

The good news is that slowly, the tide is turning. I've been writing about putting a human voice in business for twenty years, but since we put a name and mission to the the Human Workplace cause in 2012, the pace of change toward a mojo-fueled work world has accelerated dramatically.

These days, we get as many inquiries in our office from employers looking to boost the mojo level in their organizations as we do from job-seekers looking for Human Workplaces to join.

Still, you can't assume that when you go on a job interview, your interviewers will be as Human Workplace-aware as you are. They may be just the opposite, like Miss Choosy in our story above.

They may ask you idiotic interview questions and work hard to make the relationship "I'm in charge - you're dogmeat" abundantly clear throughout your interview conversation.

When you're asked a foolish, irrelevant question on a job interview, it's hard to know how to respond. Do you answer the question sincerely, ironically, or a mix or the two? Is it best to play the part of the The Good Little Interviewee and give no sign that your time is being wasted and your IQ is seeping out through your ears?

If you play that part too well, you may get hired into a job that will suck your life force away. So what do you do, when the brainless interview questions start flying?

Here's our guide to stupid interview questions, to bookmark and pull out before your next job interview.

1. If you were an animal, what kind of animal would you be?

This question is so pointless and by extension, insulting (Do you have a job opening to fill or not? Why would you use our precious time together asking me fanciful kindergarten questions?) that it's a red flag.

Either this firm lets its interviewers ask any random questions they want on a job interview, or they've actually talked about it and decided this question is worth asking. Either way, if a fresh-faced baby interviewer or HR screener asks you this question, I'd hate for you to get up and leave before you've made it to the hiring manager, the person who has the Business Pain we came to learn about.

(If your hiring manager asks you this question, you have my permission to get up and leave. Just say "Oh, look at the time! So sorry, I forgot that I have an appointment in eight minutes. Lovely to meet you, though!") Hit the road, and go get yourself a nice gelato.

You might want to answer this way: "I'd be an ebola virus, and infect your competitors!" but I fear your interviewer wouldn't pick up on the satire. Better to answer the question with a short answer and then ask your own question, like this:

INTERVIEWER: If you were an animal, what kind of animal would you be?

YOU: Hmmm, probably some kind of wild cat, like a jaguar - I enjoy the hunt. Can I ask you a question about that?

INTERVIEWER: Er- sure!

YOU: I'm always interested in the interview questions that companies ask. Is that your own addition to the company's interview script, or does everyone here use that question? I'll bet you hear some fascinating answers!

A human being in the chair across from you will enjoy telling you about all the wild and domestic animals s/he's met on past interviews. If your interviewer can't handle unscripted conversation and looks panicked at your question, you can just say "That's okay! We can talk about that later."

During your job search, you'll decide whether and how far to push the frame "I'm the interviewer -- I ask the questions, and you answer them!" over and over again. I encourage you, if you haven't done it already, to try a meta-question like "I'm curious how that question helps you make better hires?" if you can ask it with a smile on your face.

I understand that if you've recently endured a string of interviews studded with stupid interview questions, that smile could be hard to maintain.

2. With all the talented candidates, why should we hire you?

This interview question comes from the genre called "How badly do you want it?" that still plagues corporations and institutions decades after we all realized that the most-grovelly applicants don't make the best hires. We still love to test job-seekers on their DESIRE for the job, asking insulting questions like this.

I hate this interview question, because it asks a job-seeker to do two awful things. First, the question asks a job-seeker to assume a supplicant position and beg for the job. Secondly, it asks a person to compare him- or herself to people s/he's never met and likely never will.

Here's how you can handle this one:

INTERVIEWER: With all the talented candidates, why should we hire you?

YOU: Great question, and I think that's really the point of our conversation today -- to determine whether I'm the person for the job and whether this is the job for me. It might be that you should hire me. I love this field and I'm excited to keep growing muscles in it. That being said, I haven't met the other candidates and I'm sure there are smart and capable people in that group. That's going to be your challenge, to consider what's ahead for you and which person can best fill that role. I have total faith that if we're supposed to be working together, we'll figure that out.

3. What's your greatest weakness?

This question comes down from our Puritan forefathers, who saw life as a joyless quest to surmount personal deficiencies and weaknesses. Cheery vision, right?

I reject the view that people have weaknesses. People come in a fascinating array of types, and part of the fun of being alive is that we get to figure out where we shine and maneuver ourselves into that spot.

The old idea of weaknesses-to-correct is giving way to the new idea 'figure out what you love to do, and do it all the time.' Who has time to work and work to get slightly better at things we'll never love and never be great at?

I recommend that you handle this horrendous question this way:

INTERVIEWER: What's your greatest weakness?

YOU: Great question! I used to obsess about my weaknesses when I was younger. I took classes and read books like you wouldn't believe, and then over time it occurred to me that I should be focusing on the things I do well, like designing financial reports. Other things -- graphic design, for instance - aren't for me, so I steer myself toward the work that jazzes me and where I can make the biggest impact.

4. Where do you see yourself in five years?

Really, are people still hearing this ancient interview question in 2014? Yep, interviewers still pull out this lame Mad Men era question and ask it, so you've got to be prepared. The truth is that no one can make a five-year-horizon career plan in 2014 (maybe the Pope - and maybe not even him).

This may have been a great question to ask when The Beverly Hillbillies was filming new episodes. Today, it's a waste of interview airtime, but you still have to answer it.

Try this approach:

INTERVIEWER: Where do you see yourself in five years?

YOU: I love Finance, and I don't have plans to move out of it but then again you never know what influences will hit you. I'm interested in getting my MBA, so five years from now I could be one year out of school and I may think totally differently at that point than I do now. The things I can say for sure are that if I'm alive five years from now, I'll be working hard at something I love and supporting the people around me. For me, the team is as important as the work.

What interview questions should replace these stupid, old ones?

When you get into your new job and start interviewing people yourself, what questions will you ask them? When you adopt the Interviewing with a Human Voice approach, you won't ask lame interview questions like the ones on our list. You'll ask job-seekers to bring their questions to the job interview instead, and invite them to go first, asking questions of you to start the interview.

You'll learn much more about your candidates from the questions they ask you than you ever would from their answers!

Once the applicant's questions are exhausted, here are some questions an interviewer can pose:

1) Given what you know about our company and this role so far -- and this is your chance to ask me anything you want to know, by the way -- what would you see as the most likely goals for the new hire in this position, over the next six months?

2) Here's what we're dealing with in Tech Support. (Explain your situation.) What would your approach to that set of conditions be? What would be your attack plan, if you got this job?

3) How does this job mesh with your career plan for yourself? How will it grow your flame?

Job interviews can be fun and enriching for everyone involved -- and they should be!

When we interview folks at Human Workplace, we tell them "This is a job interview, and potentially a coaching session. We have an opening to fill and you might be interested in that job, but that is just our starting point. If this isn't the right job for you, let's talk about you and your career instead." Sometimes, candidates say "I'm not sure I want this job, but I wanted to meet you guys." We say "Cool! We had booked the time anyway. It's great to meet you."

Fifty percent of our interviews veer into career coaching and that's absolutely wonderful. After all, a job is just a job. Your flame is everything!

...while you drink your life away at Elegushi,

2014-03-02T08:50:00.000+01:00

...while you drink your life away at Elegushi,

someone thousands of miles away, with no malaria issues, is trying to figure out how to save your life and those of your children and unborn children.

Don't be a slave to the zombie culture #discover, #learn,#innovate

The Motive Behind Interview Questions

2014-02-01T22:40:00.000+01:00

Fortune 500 Companies in Nigeria

2014-01-02T22:15:00.003+01:00

Nigeria is certainly an important part of the global economy. Here are some

Fortune 500 Companies that have branches in Nigeria to get you started.

Company and contact information is provided as well for your convenience.

Culled from CNN Money and company websites

1. Chevron,

A global oil company, is one of Nigeria’s biggest investors.

Its Nigerian branch employs about 3,100 workers

and 3,500 contractors, and many of them are Nigerian.

Mailing Address: 2 Chevron Drive, Lekki Peninsula, Private Mail Bag 12825

Lagos, Nigeria

Phone number: +234 (1) 277 2222

2. GE (General Electric)

Is a services, advanced technology, and finance company, has energy

and oil & gas facilities in Lagos. GE has been around for 130 years,

and has had a presence in Africa for over one hundred years.

Location: Lagos, Nigeria

Phone number: +234 (1) 4621238 / 9

3. ConocoPhillips

Is an integrated energy company, with branches in over

30 countries and about 260,000 employees.

In 2010, the Nigerian branch produced 44 MBOED

(Million Barrels Oil Equivalent per Day).

Location: Lagos, Nigeria

Phone number: 234 (1) 262 2226

4. GM Nigeria

was started in 1991 as a merge of General Motors

(GM, based in Detroit, Michigan, USA) and UACN Plc.

GM Nigeria is very important in the Nigerian

automobile market, especially with their

Chevrolet trucks and Isuzu Pickups.

Mailing Address: 31 Mobolaji Johnson St Alausa, Lagos, Nigeria

Phone number: (01) 2712470-4

Email address: gmnlcareline@gmnigeria.com

5. Citigroup Inc.

Has been working in Nigeria since 1984. They currently have

thirteen branches and about 300 employees in the country.

Originally called Nigeria International Bank Limited,

it was officially renamed Citibank Nigeria Limited

(Citi Nigeria) in 2008.

Mailing Address: 27 Kofo Abayomi Street, Victoria Island Lagos Nigeria

Phone number: +234 (1) 279 8400

Contact person name: Ogochukwu Sylvia Ekezie (Public Affairs Officer)

6. IBM

Opened their office in Nigeria in 2009, but has had a presence in Western Africa

for more than fifty years.

General inquiries IBM Nigeria Office

Address:
The IBM West Africa
7th Floor, Africa Re Building,
Plot 1679, Karimu Kotun Street,
Victoria Island - Lagos, Nigeria www.ibm.com/za/office/ng/en

Abuja Office

Address:
2nd Floor,Oakland Centre,
Plot 2940 Aguiyi Ironsi Street
Abuja, Nigeria

7. Microsoft

Was started in 1975 and quickly became a leader in the

development of computers worldwide.

Microsoft has locations all ove the world, including

Lagos, Nigeria.

Mailing Address: Mezzanine Floor Mulliner Towers,

Alfred Rewane Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria.

Phone number: +234 (1) 4621100

8. Xerox

Has had a presence in Nigeria since 1974 and is headquartered

in Lagos. It has undergone several leadership and name changes,

and in 2003 it finally became

XHS (Nigeria) Unlimited. XHS Nigeria provides the typical

walk-in shop copy needs, but also has a facility with the

capabilities for handling mass orders,

so that large companies can outsource their projects.

Mailing Address: 12/14, Fatai Atere Way, Matori Scheme, Oshodi,

Lagos Nigeria Phone number: 01- 2790780, 2790781

Email address: xhs@xhsnigeria.com

9. EMC Corporation

Was founded in 1979, and since then has grown to

become a huge international company, with a presence

in eighty countries. EMC creates information infrastructure,

and assists companies in protecting, organizing, and utilizing

their information.

Mailing Address: NNPC Mulliner Towers, 7th Floor,

39, Alfred Rewane Road,

Ikoyi, Lagos Nigeria

Phone number: +234 01 7369929 / 2770270-1

10. Halliburton

Was founded in 1919 and is an integrated service company,

comprised of two parts: Drilling & Evaluation, and,

Completion & Production. They have a presence

in about eighty countries, including Nigeria, and

employ over 60,000 people.

Mailing Address: Plot 90, Ajose Adeogun Street,

Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria

Phone number: 234-1-262.0765

11. Hewlett-Packard (HP)

Was founded in 1939 by Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard in California, US.

HP is the largest IT company in the world, with revenue of $126 billion in 2010.

HP works in over 170 countries in the world, including Nigeria.

Mailing Address: Octagon Building 13A. A.J. Marinho Drive 2nd Floor Victoria

Island, Lagos, Nigeria

Phone number: +234 1 2710366

12. AECOM

Provides technical and management support services

across many different markets. AECOM works in 125

countries, and Fortune 500 has called it one of

America’s largest companies. AECOM has been

working in Africa since the 1960s, and now has a

location in over 30 African countries.

Mailing Address: PO Box 2167, Fourth Floor,

241 Igbosere Road, Lagos , Lagos Nigeria

Phone number: +234 263 6358

13. Qualcomm

Was started in 1985 as a seven person operation, and grew to become a global communications company. In September 2010, Qualcomm opened an office in

Lagos to serve as the center of their western Africa operations. With this new location, they hope to help create more affordable 3G mobile devices.

Mailing Address: Mulliner Towers, 7th FL 39 Alfred Rewane Str,

lkoyi, Lagos, Nigeria

14. PWC (Pricewaterhouse Cooper)

Is a global accounting company and one of the

Big Four audit firms.

In Nigeria, PWC has offices in Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Lagos.

Between all of these locations, they have

550 professional staff members.

Mailing Address: 5th Floor, Katsina House,

Plot 78, Ralph Sodeinde Street,

Central Business District Abuja, FCT Nigeria

Phone number: 234 (0) 9 4613745/6/8

15. Procter & Gamble (P&G)

Was started back in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble.

They were pioneers in branding and marketing their products,

and now have over 70 brands to their name sold in

approximately 180 countries.

Contact Address
Lagos Head Office

Address:
P&G, Amethyst Block, All Season plaza, Lateef Jakande road, Agidingbi, Ikeja, Lagos State.
Telephone number:
+234-1-7749727

Ibadan Manufacturing Plant:

Address:
P&G, Oluyole Estate, Ring road, Ibadan, Oyo State.

Telephone numbers:
+234-2-2317782
+234-2-2310116

Consumer Inquiries/Comments

For questions or comments on P&G and P&G brands, reach consumer care agents directly through any of the

channels below:

Email: consumerelib.im@pg.com

Toll free: +234 8008888888

Calls only: +234 8052049388

SMS only: +234 8052049383

Will try to update this regularly till I get all the Fortune500

companies in Nigeria on this blogsite.

Twitter handle @tonyobj

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How to Answer Stupid Job Interview Questions

1. If you were an animal, what kind of animal would you be?

2. With all the talented candidates, why should we hire you?

3. What's your greatest weakness?

4. Where do you see yourself in five years?

What interview questions should replace these stupid, old ones?

...while you drink your life away at Elegushi,

The Motive Behind Interview Questions

Fortune 500 Companies in Nigeria