THE DYSFUNCTIONALS

Serie 3

My Story

Let me tell you a story, my story of my first sexual experience. No wait! Let me deviate a little. Don't whine, I'll get to the story. I was 6 years old and my father had just died leaving my mother to cater for 6 children alone. Oh! I remember how she used to cry her eyes out back then; but now she's over that phase. I mean, who wouldn't after 17 years.

My Uncle had come from Lagos to pick me up. He said I'll be living with his family in Lagos and that he'll be my new father. In my little mind, I wasn't really sure if I liked the idea. I was thinking how I would cope without my family, who will be my mum since I was going to have a new dad; so many thoughts ran through that day but in the end, I had no choice. I had to go with him or nothing.

My mother packed my bags and two days later, we left Onitsha for Lagos. Oh! Things were really different in Lagos. My Uncle and his family was living a lifestyle of luxury. Everyday I thought about my family mostly because I felt it was wrong for me to be exposed to so much when they had little or nothing. I felt like I was betraying my own, my very own people.

Living with my Uncle was grand. I got to eat well, sleep on a good bed, take good snacks to school, go to a school where fighting wasn't cool and watch tv. In my little mind, my life was forming.

Two years of living with my Uncle got me settled in. I began to relate with my present status as fate. Unknown to me, half bread is truly better than none. My half bread eating family who understood love was far better than this no love plenty bread place. Here, we had everything except LOVE. This lack of love has shaped my life negatively because till date, I still find myself searching desperately for love in all places (good, bad, wherever) and most times I end up with nothing.

Living with my uncle was luxury but what is the essence of luxury that you can't enjoy. 

In my uncle's house, all the children slept in a room. My uncle had two sons who slept on the main bed while I slept on the foam on the mat (way better and softer than the mat I slept on in Onitsha). We slept by 8:30pm everyday and TV was turned off (we had a television in the room while back in Onitsha we had only one television).

While sleeping one night, I felt someone touch my thighs. I dismissed it as a dream probably because I didn't expect that anyone would touch me or because I loved my sleep better. I mean, that was my only rest time and I had to make good use of it. Two days later, this same thing happened but in a slightly different way. The toucher shifted my night dress up and was stroking my body. I couldn't dismiss this as just anything this so I woke up to find my cousin (I was only 8 and my cousin, a year younger than I).

I didn't understand what was happening so I asked him what he was doing. He goes on to say he was searching for something. I went blank because I didn't know what he would be looking for on my body. I asked him what it was he was looking for and he said nothing. He then went back to the bed. The next morning, I told my aunt before going to school what had happened at night and she calls me a liar and goes on to say she would tell my uncle to send me back to Onitsha if she hears anything like this again (I couldn't imagine going back to Onitsha. Worse off was what my mother will be told and she would believe).

That night my cousin was up for his search again. This time, I threatened to report him if he touches me again when I sleep. His response shocked me. He asked "to who" and then said or you want me to touch you when you're awake. I then said I was serious and I meant it. I couldn't tell my aunt and I didn't have access to my uncle. So I kept my challenge to myself. It continued like this for days. Days turned to weeks and weeks to months till the day my cousin found what he was looking for.

The 7 year old molested me sexually with his fingers and left me crying all night. I cried till I could shed tears no more, then like the biblical David, dusted myself up and went to my aunt's room. I knocked till she woke up. She asked what was wrong and why I was in her room at that time. I began explaining while stuttering because I was afraid of what would happen next. My aunt pulled me into the room, closed the door and flogged me. After the serious beating, she warned never to say a thing like that again and if I ever did, she'll deal with me and then take me back to Onitsha. I cried that night and had no one to console me.

This unwholesome experience continued for years. I don't know why he stopped, maybe he grew up and realized it was a terrible thing to do or he found a new prey. All I know is today, my cousin no longer creeps in my bed to touch me but the wounds he inflicted on me hasn't healed and I do not know when or if they would ever heal.

-The PenAddict.

THE DYSFUNCTIONALS

SERIE 2

MY FRIEND MARIAM

I remember the first time I saw Mariam. I had just joined the NYSC Band CDS group. Mariam sat two seats away from me chatting happily with a friend. She must have caught my stare occasionally because I was there wondering how a lady could be that beautiful, physically endowed and rich. I mean thinking about my status at the time; beautiful, not physically endowed and trying to survive. I was determined to be friends with Mariam.

The next CDS meeting we had, I sat beside Mariam and tried as much to keep a reasonable conversation going but it was clear she wasn't interested in me. Immediately her friend came, she pleaded with me to adjust my seat so her friend could sit beside her. That day, I swore to myself not to go close to her again. I was hurt, sad and devastated. I felt I had been rejected (though that's what happened) and I kept surfing through the previous event to see where I had gone wrong. I know I had the gloom till the end of the meeting.

Forward to four months later when a mutual friend was celebrating his birthday. He called to ask if I could assist with the preparations and I agreed to. On getting to the venue, I found out Mariam was the lady in charge. There I was, asking myself if this was a bad idea. Well, we worked together, I did my part and everybody got hosting at a point. That was when I changed my thought about Mariam. Mariam and I began bonding in a special kind of way. Like we had known ourselves for a very long time.

It wasn't up to two weeks since I started bonding with Mariam before people started talking (and with what I've learnt in life, people will always talk. Some because they have a mouth, some because they have something to say and others because they just want to talk. In all, people must talk); telling me stuff about how Mariam jumps from bed to bed sleeping with men for financial benefits and all. I wasn't bothered, probably because I didn't want to believe or because I already had this inbuilt thought that Mariam is from a rich family.

I mean, her apartment was touché; everything a young lady needed was in it. Her appearance was always like that of a queen; adorned with sweet smelling fragrance. How could it then be possible that this sweet, gentle lady could be involved in such. Mariam and I got closer by the day. A week to her birthday, she invited me to come spend 2 weeks with her. I was really glad when I received the message because I needed a break from my routine. I agreed, packed my bags and moved to her place. While there, we started preparations for her birthday party.

One night, I received a call from an older married man who was asking me to be his girlfriend. After the call, Mariam asked me what was getting me angry; I told her everything from when I met the man till that day. She left her cooking, came and sat beside me and said "my dear, that's how we survive". At that point, I wasn't sure it was my friend talking. Within me, I was doing multiple checks to be sure. She went on to tell me how she's been catering for herself and her family with the financial benefits she received from these men. I just sat there in complete bewilderment. I was trying to convince myself it was all a lie.

Then she went on to tell me about her family. Her mother got pregnant out of wedlock and her parents were angry. When the man responsible (Mariam's father) came to ask for her hand in marriage, her parents chased them away and said they never want to see him anywhere close to their daughter. As I write this, Mariam still doesn't know her father. Her mother got to marry another man who didn't want Mariam staying in his house so she had to grow up with her grandparents. Her grand father died some years later and she was left in the care of her grandmother. Her mother got involved in an accident which cost her her ability to walk. Her mother's husband got tired of catering for a paralyzed woman and sent her back to her parents. The burden of catering for both mother and grandmother was placed on Mariam's shoulders.

As a young lady struggling to get an education, she decided that having sex with men for financial gains was the only way out.

I do not condemn nor judge my friend Mariam not because I like what she does but because circumstances have placed her in a position where she had to choose a way out and she chose what worked for her. I've visited my friend in her family house several times. I see the burden she has to carry and I can't help but say she's a strong woman. I mean she literally feeds, clothes and pay bills for the family. The shocking part of it all is, she doesn't have a regular job and nobody bothers to ask where the money comes from. What do they care anyway; as long as they're comfortable. It's not their body, the multiple abortions isn't theirs; the pain, the shame and the hurt doesn't affect them.

I really do not know what has become of Mariam as we lost touch a long time ago. I do not know if she's still running a race she started at a tender age of 14 but one thing I know is that she's a fighter and that can never change.

-The PenAddict

THE DYSFUNCTIONALS

"It has been quiet in here for a while now... A year actually. And that's because there has been ongoing work at the background to come up with something Fresh, Fun, Educative and Exciting to all who visit the blog. It's safe to say that we've found what we've been looking for.

Debuting today, and to feature on every Friday, is a purely fictional series titled "The Dysfunctionals" by (The PenAddict).

The Dysfunctionals would be published in episodes, with each episode totally unrelated to the previous one.

I implore you to let your mind wander through the lives of The Dysfunctionals"

- Bright Eugene.

_______________________________________

SERIE 1

MY NAME IS RITA

Me and my scattered mind. This minute I'm thinking about this, the next I'm on another thought. Sometimes I get this feeling my head needs a thorough clean up.
And then this morning, I wake up to a message from my step mother to send my tribute to my late grandpa. So I'm lost because it reminds me how dysfunctional my family is. Yes I'm really from a dysfunctional one (trust me, you don't want to know how bad our case is).
First thing that comes to my head is if my mama sees my tribute, what will she say (because I didn't send it to her, so how did it get there). To think my mama and my step mother are great enemies. But then I really wanna write a tribute to my grandpa. This man you see (to me) died because he wasn't well catered for (though nobody wants to admit it).

Last time I saw him, from my little understanding of medicine, I knew he was showing conditions of haemophilia (believe me I didn't study medicine but I know a lot about medicine. I study medicine in my spare time.) and his immune system was getting weak by the day; major reason his sores weren't healing completely. And when I voiced it, the response I got was the usual 'what do you know? Industrial Chemistry isn't medicine'.

Second reason I think he died was because they just wanted him out of their lives. If there's anything I've learnt from my family, it's that money can never buy love. (Yes, just so y'all know, I'm from a rich family. Money has never been and will never be a problem. This is probably why I don't chase money). Well, the money was there but the man wasn't taken to the hospital; his first nurse (well, the only one who actually took care of him at the time) became my step mother (could this have been the reason why she took good care of him? Because she no longer cared after the ring) and the nurse after her just had a title and no ability.

Why am I hurt I lost my grandpa? Well, he was everything to me. At 6, I could read a newspaper the way the news caster on NTA read the news. I learnt how to read fluently at a tender age. All thanks to my paternal grandfather. All the time my papa was busy, he was there for me (unlike my maternal grandfather who was a nuisance and made my childhood a living hell. Always inserting his fingers in my private part and telling how wonderful I felt. In fact, he made me hate being female). He taught me to read the dictionary with understanding, how to spell correctly and proper use of tenses. I can boldly say I'm bright today just because my grandpa The Late Sergeant Alfonsus Ibe made me so.
I'll probably not send a tribute to the man who called me his doctor, his pride and the cutest Ibe grand child but deep down, I know what this man means to me.



- The PenAddict

#DoItYourself - How to Fix a Corrupt USB Flash Drive

Hey guys, I just learned something new and I think it is worth sharing.

I do believe that, in our technology-driven world, most of us possess USB flash drives which we use for storage, data back-up and transfer of computer files. Those little devices that come in various sizes are sometimes so indispensable - i.e for some of us who are yet to place our trust in Cloud Storage services.

Due to our dependence on the functionality of our USB flash drives, we sometimes do not have a back up of our files that we have stored on them. This sets us up for great disappointment and frustration whenever our flash drives get corrupted by virus from using it on a virus infected PC, or failing to eject it safely. Once this happens, every file stored on our flash drive tends to be lost. This could be very annoying and agonizing when you think of the documents you have on it that you didn't store any place else. 

We see such error messages when we insert our corrupt flash drives in our PCs as indicated indicated below.

Well, I have been down that road more than twice, until I learned how to repair my corrupt flash drive and restore all "lost files".

I will walk you through the steps involved in repairing your corrupt flash drives.

Kindly note that skipping any step renders the process useless.

Here we go:

1- Scan affected flash drive with a fully updated and functional antivirus.

2- Identify name of drive on PC e.g: G, F, H, or J

3- Close all windows on PC, then bring up the run box on desktop by pressing the windows key + R.

4- Type in "cmd" in the run box and press enter to launch DOS Prompt.

 

5- On the command line, type the drive name with a colon sign e.g: "G:" Then press enter to get "G:\>"

6- Now type in this code: attrib *.* -r -s -h -a /s /d

Make sure you put space between each element in the code, e.g: attrib(space)*.*(space)-r(space)-s(space)-h(space)-a(space)/s(space)/d
Then press enter

7- The code should appear at the top of the DOS prompt window. Allow it to run until it disappears.

8- Now type "exit" and press enter to close DOS prompt window.

9- Check flash drive again.

If you followed the above steps thoroughly, you would have successfully repaired your corrupt flash drive and restored all lost files on it.

I hope this bit of info has been helpful to someone out there.

Ciao!

Sharing is caring. :)

#EBOLA: How May We Help You?

It was on the 1st of October, 2014, that I learned of the first reported case of Ebola in the United States of America. My instant reaction was "how come?". That was until I read the news article further. In that news article, it was revealed that Mr. Thomas Duncan (now deceased) had travelled home to Liberia and back to the USA within the past month.  I then said to myself "well, this is the USA. They will get it under control in no time, without seeking any form of aid". I had no doubt whatsoever about that particular thought until I heard that the USA were -at the time- looking to send a team to Nigeria to study how Nigeria successfully got Ebola under control within 2 months, with no more than 8 recorded deaths. At that point, I thought to myself that something must have definitely gone wrong with the balance of the universe. But why not? Imagine the United States of America seeking to learn from Nigeria. What a moment. The same Nigeria where over 200 girls have been held in captivity for over 6 months by the dreaded terrorist sect, Boko Haram? The same Nigeria where the private jet of the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria got detained in South Africa for having on board an undeclared sum of $9.3m said to be for the procurement of arms? The same Nigeria where the petroleum regulatory body, NNPC, keeps getting implicated in gross mis-appropriation of funds, with no one ever getting sacked or charged to court? The same Nigeria where the President, on National Television, said there's nothing like corruption, but simple petty-stealing in Nigeria? The list is endless. But what is worthy of note is that amidst all the negative and corrupt (petty stealing) practices going on in Nigeria, there exist some good that countries like the USA are willing to learn from.

Being what we are as Nigerians, we are of course ready to educate the USA, and other interested countries, on how we kicked Ebola (not Polio) out of our country. But before we do, we would like to know how far the USA are willing to go to put what we teach into practice. If they are committed to observing our instructions to the last letter, then we have no other thing to do than to educate. Okay then, here goes nothing.

First things first, now that Ebola is in the USA, the Republicans (opposition) should raise their voice and call out the ruling Democrats for shirking in their responsibility to successfully protect their borders, which has led to the arrival of Ebola in God's own country. The Press Secretary of the USA, director of the CDC, and all others who praised the USA's capability to use ZMapp to deal with the Ebola virus if it ever finds its way onto their shores, should be chastised for inviting EVD patients, through their unguarded statements, to run down to the USA.

The next step is to saturate all available media with sensitization information, indicating countless ways to prevent getting infected with EVD. The information should be so much that it drives people into a state of paranoia. You all should be scared to leave your homes, except absolutely necessary. When you leave your homes, you should step out dressed in long-sleeved clothes, to protect your skin from direct contact with another person's. In public buses and trains, there should be no crowding or pushing. Everyone should respect the next person's private space. 

Handshakes and hugs should be cut out. If you hear of a relative that is ill, don't go visiting them until they've been tested. A list of delicacies should be struck out from your regular menu. Such a list should contain apes, bats and bush rats. If your affected Western and European countries don't eat such, then you all should desist from eating frogs, toads and sushi. Whatever! Just do away with certain delicacies. Nigeria did same.

Great attention has to be paid to the issue of hygiene. For the USA and other affected European countries to successfully defeat EVD, this particular instruction should be strictly adhered to. Bathe with warm water and salt before 7:00hrs GMT on any date agreed upon Nationally. This message should be broadcast via text messages, BBM, WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter. Some of you might find this particular instruction ridiculous and outright outrageous, due to your level of enlightenment and academic achievements. But hey! Most Nigerians did it (sadly enough, I didn't) and now W.H.O is about to give us the ALL CLEAR.

I know hand sanitizers are not new to the everyday lives of my western brothers. Well, they aren't new in Nigeria too, but EVD put hand sanitizers in a whole new light. So get out your tubes and jars of the perfumed disinfectant and use it generously on your hands, and other body parts if you are so inclined. Do you have the urge to turn hand sanitizers into your body cream? Then by all means, knock yourselves out. I know some of you are already saying to yourselves that hand sanitizers kill germs and bacteria, not viruses. You could either argue that -rightly for that matter- until thy kingdom come, or strive to be free like Nigeria. The choice is yours.

Having said all these, we can't laugh off the deadliness of the Ebola scourge. The death toll of over 3,000 people to the disease in West Africa alone and the recent death of Duncan in the USA proves how deadly it is. And the only way to seriously defeat it includes the following:

• -        Be more hygiene conscious
• -        Avoid contact with people who have taken ill with EVD
• -        Turn yourself over to the medical authorities as soon as you notice that you've come down with the symptoms.
• -        Adhere to treatment procedures as directed by certified medical professionals.
• -        Use toll free contact lines to report emergencies and suspected cases.
• -        DO NOT PANIC. NEVER LOSE HOPE.

Do not hesitate to call on Nigeria when next you need our assistance. Our lines are always available... depending on the network.

CHEERS!!!

#NokiaX - Connecting Platforms

The last week of February, 24th - 27th to be precise, witnessed a dazzling display of breath-taking mobile devices by world renowned brands in the city of Barcelona, under the aegis of the Mobile World Congress #MWC14.

From the smallest, to the most complicated, I'd say the #MWC14 put them all on display. Devices we could only dream about some 20 years ago, or see in James Bond type of movies, have been made readily available for gadget-loving folks like me to own and gush over.

Of all the devices that were on display, nothing got me on the edge of my seat like what Nokia brought to the party, their #NokiaX range of devices.

The 3 new members of the Nokia family, viz: Nokia X, Nokia X+ and Nokia XL put me in a state of rapturous excitement and expectant glee.

If you are wondering why such excitement over the #NokiaX range of phones instead of any other device that was on display in Barcelona, then I would simply tell you to go as far back as the Nokia 3300 series mobile phones till date, and you'd discover that Nokia always has a way of producing a device that might look less simple than competitor models that come out right about the same time with it, but possess a feature that stands it out, even for as long as possible, than one would expect.

I guess I'd have to shed more light by narrating briefly, my personal encounter with Nokia.

I only got my first Nokia mobile phone in June of 2012. At that time, though I had another device that I used for communication and work purposes, I needed a smaller phone that could contain more than one sim card; afford me access to the internet whenever my other bigger device ran out of power, have a reliable radio reception so that I wouldn't have network issues even in my rural village in Nigeria, as was common on my other device; provide mp3 entertainment for me whenever I want to get lost in the music; and also have a battery life that wouldn't have me reaching for my charger after a couple of hours of music playback.

I opted for the dual-sim Nokia X2-02 as advised by my kid sister. I'd like to state at this point that her advice was the best advice I got in 2012. Apart from fulfilling all the needs stated above and more, the Nokia X2-02 has one unique feature that has actually turned me into the designated DJ anytime we have a family re-union, or I'm having some fun time with close friends. And that is its "Play-Via-Radio" feature, which enables it to playback mp3 files in its memory card on ANY and ALL stereo equipment, be it low end transistor radios, or high-end home theatre systems. All you need do is select the "Play-Via-Radio" option during playback, and synchronize a designated radio frequency of your choice on your radio system with your phone, and you are set to raise the roof. You need no Bluetooth connection or AV cables. NOTHING!

With that singular feature, my Nokia X2-02 always stakes its claim in gatherings where you have devices that could cost you a fortune to acquire.

I was encouraged to get my 2nd Nokia device in Jan 2013. I got the Asha 311 this time. The phone is a NOKIA through and through. I got it at a time when Nokia had 40 free games in their store from EA Sports. So I couldn't help turning my Asha 311 phone into my very own portable and cute gaming device. I always have my fingers on its touch screen, tapping away on Need for Speed, Fifa 13, Assassins' Creed, Angry Birds, Sim City, or whatever game that catches my fancy at the time. Aside that, I keep up to date with the latest national and international news via the News Reader app; and stay on top of my personal and work related mails with its Mail Exchange app that helps me connect to Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync business and personal emails.

With my Nokia Asha 311, I also have my Social Media accounts at my disposal through all their individual apps. But that's not all. Wait for it... Now for me, the outstanding feature of this cute device is its screen. The screen of the Nokia Asha 311 could be likened to a diamond. It is practically "unscratchable" (kindly permit my use of that word). Despite being so careful, the phone has dropped from my hands on a couple of occasions, on very hard and rough surfaces. But the screen always comes out unscathed. I've always wondered how come, until I realized that Nokia employed the use of Corning® Gorilla® Glass while making the Nokia Asha 311. How brilliant!

Having digressed a bit, I'm back to the #NokiaX devices. Simply put, from what I've read about these devices online, these range of devices are not your regular break-the-bank prized phones. These are phones that are going to be affordable for any Nokia lover out there, most especially for many of us here in Nigeria.

Despite being affordable, these devices possess same apps and OS that were once only available on devices that dig holes in our pockets in order to own them. The #NokiaX devices pride themselves in running Android applications while looking like a cross between an Asha and Lumia phone. How cool is that?

Being placed in between the Asha and Lumia range of devices, The #NokiaX devices present themselves as simple and unassuming, but with pretty cool powers and tricks up their sleeves. Imagine such a range of devices that are all Dual-Sim, running BBM, WhatsApp, Skype and Instagram among others. A much pleasant thought.

Furthermore, with the beauty of the concept of Nokia incorporating local contents in their Nokia Store, it would really be a joy to run Nigerian apps like GidiTraffic, FirstMonie and Linda Ikeji's Blog on them, while connecting to the internet with reliable and fast data services from mobile networks like MTN Nigeria.

I do believe that when those devices are made available in the Nigerian market, and I lay my hands on either one of them, I'd find out one or more spectacular features that would really make them continually relevant than every other device unveiled at the #MWC14 in Barcelona, about a week ago.

To buttress my point even more, in a press release issued during the #MWC14, Nokia won two awards at Mobile World Congress 2014 in Barcelona. The Nokia 105 won “Best Entry Level or Featurephone”. All the nominees in the category were phones made by Nokia themselves.

The other award won was the “Best Low Cost Smartphone” for the Lumia 520.

These award wins reaffirm the quality of the devices manufactured by Nokia.

So tell me, isn't it time you considered owning a Nokia Smartphone?

To read in detail a more concise review, click #NokiaX Family!

"Cover Letter: Stating Your Claim"

Writing a cover letter often seems like a particularly daunting task. However, if you take it one step at a time, you'll soon be an expert at writing letters to send with your CV/Resume.

A cover letter typically accompanies each CV/Resume you send out. Your cover letter may make the difference between obtaining a job interview and having your CV/resume ignored, so, it makes good sense to devote the necessary time and effort to writing effective cover letters. This is simply because, sending off your CV/Resume, accompanied by your cover letter is actually the first test in a job recruitment exercise.

A cover letter should complement, not duplicate your CV/Resume. Its purpose is to interpret the data-oriented, factual resume and add a personal touch. A cover letter is often your earliest written contact with a potential employer, creating a critical first impression.

Your cover letter should be designed specifically for each purpose outlined above as well as for each position you seek. A cover letter is not a "one-size-fits-all" document. Do not design a form letter and send it to every potential employer (you should know how you deal with spam mail!). 

Effective cover letters explain the reasons for your interest in the specific organization and identify your most relevant skills or experiences (remember, relevance is determined by the employer's self-interest). They should express a high level of interest and knowledge about the position.

Types:

*The APPLICATION LETTER which responds to a known job opening 
*The PROSPECTING LETTER which inquires about possible positions
*The NETWORKING LETTER which requests information and assistance in your job search

The guidelines here apply to both hard copy correspondence and e-mail. The main difference between e-mail and hard copy correspondence is format: your signature block (address, etc.) goes below your name in e-mail, while it goes at the top of the page on hard copy. Of course you won't have a handwritten signature on e-mail, but don't forget this on hard copy.

All cover letters should:

• Explain why you are sending a resume. 
• Tell specifically how you learned about the position or the organization - a web site, an advert in the dailies, a family friend who works at the organization. It is appropriate to mention the name of someone who suggested that you write.
• Convince the reader to look at your resume. 
• Never make the reader guess what you are asking for. Be specific: Do you want a temporary employment, or a permanent position; are you inquiring about future employment possibilities?

The cover letter will be seen first. Therefore, it must be very well written and targeted to that employer.

• Call attention to elements of your background - education, leadership, experience - that are relevant to a position you are seeking. Be as specific as possible, using examples.
• Reflect your attitude, personality, motivation, enthusiasm, and communication skills.
• Provide or refer to any information specifically requested in a job advertisement that might not be covered in your resume, such as availability date ( this is when you would be available to take up the job )
• Indicate what you will do to follow-up. 

Extra tips:

•In a letter of application - applying for an advertised opening - applicants often say something like "I look forward to hearing from you." However, if you have further contact info (e.g. phone number) and if the employer hasn't said "no phone calls," it's better to take the initiative to follow-up, saying something like, "I will contact you in the next two weeks to see if you require any additional information regarding my qualifications."

•In a letter of inquiry - asking about the possibility of an opening - don't assume the employer will contact you. You should say something like, "I will contact you in two weeks to learn more about upcoming employment opportunities with (name of organization)." Then mark your calendar to make the call.

Cheers!


PS: Your suggestions are strongly needed on what I should write on next week.
  
Looking forward to your comments, as you do not forget that there's always love in sharing. Kindly feel free to make good use of the share buttons below. Thank you.

Is Employee Time-Off More Important than Money?

Is Employee Time-Off More Important than Money? 



This post is culled from www.hr.toolbox.com

"CV/Resume: Your Forerunner"

It's already a week after the NYSC 2013 Batch A observed their POP. I marked that event with my "Are You Truly Good to Go" write-up. One week on, I'm wondering what most of you new-entrants into the labour market are spending your time on.

I'm imagining that some of you are still taking a break after the 1 year youth service experience. Some must be on course to acquire more academic/professional qualifications and certifications. Others might be working on their ingenuity and putting their entrepreneurship skills to use. And a few might have been retained in their place of primary assignment during the NYSC period.

Whatever category you fall in, you should possess one vital thing, and that's your Curriculum Vitae/Resume.

It would amaze most of you that most graduates have no clue what a CV is. Anyways, that shouldn't be surprising considering that most people wait until they are done with their 1st degree before they realize the need to have a CV. Maybe, if the concept of a CV is properly understood, we would realize that it's a tool worth possessing irrespective of whether you are a degree holder, you decide to seek white or blue collar employment, or decide to be an entrepreneur.

Your Curriculum Vitae (CV) simply provides an overview of your experience and qualifications. This includes work experience (student worker, industrial attachment, voluntary jobs, etc.), and academic and professional qualifications and certifications.  In some countries, a CV is typically the first item that a potential employer comes across regarding the job seeker and is typically used to screen applicants, often followed by an interview, when seeking employment. It is usually a job seekers first impression, hence, my reference to it as "your forerunner".

Curriculum Vitae, is a Latin expression which can be loosely translated as "the course of one's life". This necessitates the need for it to bear a summary of every relevant information regarding work experiences/accomplishments and academic qualifications.

A CV is expected to be short and concise (usually a maximum of two pages of A4 paper), and therefore contains only a summary of your employment history, qualifications and some personal information. It is often updated to change the emphasis of the information according to the particular position for which you as a job seeker is applying for. Many CVs contain keywords that potential employers might pick up on and display the content in the most flattering manner, brushing over information like poor grades. A CV can also be extended to include an extra page for the job-seekers’ publications if these are important for the job.

Your CV remains the most flexible and convenient way to make applications. It conveys your personal details in the way that presents you in the best possible light. A CV is a marketing document in which you are marketing something: yourself! You need to "sell" your skills, abilities, qualifications and experience to employers. Considering that it can be used to make multiple applications to employers in a specific career area, many large graduate recruiters now opt not to accept CVs, but rather use their own application forms (usually online), which are designed to elicit specific relevant information directly related to a job position, but might not be included on your CV.

The primary difference between a CV and a Resume are the length, the content and the purpose. A resume is a one or two page summary of your skills, experience and education. A goal of resume writing is to be brief and concise since, at best the resume reader will spend a minute or so reviewing your qualifications. A CV, is a longer (two or more pages), more detailed synopsis. It includes a summary of your educational and academic backgrounds as well as teaching and research experience, publications, presentations, awards, honors, affiliations and other details.

What to Include in Your CV?

There is no "one best way" to construct a CV. It is your document and can be structured as you wish. But, there are things that are definitely not expected to appear on a CV.

Your CV is expected to convey the following data:

Personal Information/Bio-data: Name, Contact details (mobile number, email address, and residential address), gender, and date of birth.

Education and Qualification: This should include your university degree(s) and area of concentration, name of institution you obtained them from, and the year you obtained them. Also include your secondary school certificates and the year you obtained them. Some websites advise that you mention your grades unless they are poor. I advice that you do no such thing considering that some organizations are no longer looking to employ candidates with 1st class degrees for the simple reason that financial resources get wasted in recruiting and training such fellows, only to lose them to other employers in under a year.

Work Experience: This should include every reasonable and legitimate employment you've held to get paid, or to acquire experience. Vacation Jobs, Industrial Attachments, Internships, Volunteer Work and NYSC all fall under this category, along with jobs got after NYSC. Even work in your mum's shop, bar or restaurant will involve working in a team, providing a quality service to customers, and dealing tactfully with complaints. Don't mention the routine, non-people tasks (cleaning the tables) unless you are applying for a casual holiday job in a restaurant or similar. Employ the use of action words such as "developed", "planned" and "organised".

Interests/Hobbies: This section is best kept brief and straight to the point. Show a range of interests to avoid coming of as narrow. Hobbies that are a little out of the ordinary can help you to stand out from the crowd. Interests relevant to the job are worth mentioning. Don't use the old boring clichés like: "socialising with friends".

As your career develops, your employment record will take precedence and interests will typically diminish greatly in length and importance. 

Skills: The usual ones you could mention are languages (good conversational French, basic Spanish), computing (e.g. "good working knowledge of MS Access and Excel, plus basic web page design skills") and driving ("full current clean driving licence"). But, also include "employability skills", e.g: adaptability, assertiveness, lateral thinking, decision making skills, etc.

Always try to relate the skills to the job. For instance, a finance job will involve numeracy, analytical and problem solving skills so focus on these whereas for a marketing role you would place a bit more emphasis on persuading and negotiating skills.

References: Many employers don’t check references at the application stage. So unless the vacancy specifically requests that you include referees, its fine to omit this section completely. Though you could simply add "References are available on request."

Where you choose to include references, normally just two referees are sufficient. One should be academic (perhaps your lecturer or a project supervisor) and one from an employer (perhaps your last part-time or summer job). If you must add a third, it should be someone with an upright character in your immediate environment who knows you socially.

When should a CV be used?

As a job seeker, you should know when to let your CV go ahead to pave the way for you, and such occasions include:

• When an employer asks for applications to be received in this format
• When an employer simply states "apply to ..." without specifying the format
• When making speculative applications (when writing to an employer who has not advertised a vacancy but who you hope my have one). 

It is pertinent to bear in mind that CVs are not only used by job seekers. Entrepreneurs use them too as an accompanying document to their content notes when seeking grants and sponsorship.

Finally, when honouring invitations by employers to send in your CVs for a recruitment exercise, it is VERY WRONG to attach your CV to a blank mail, or a poorly constructed informal mail. Your CV needs to be accompanied by a well-worded Cover Letter.

Thanks for reading through.

PS: Next week, I will be writing on "Cover Letter: Stating Your Claim".
  
Looking forward to your comments, as you do not forget that there's always love in sharing. Kindly feel free to make good use of the share buttons below. Thank you.

Are You Truly Good to Go?

"Are you good to go?"

"...Good to Go! Good to Go!! GOOD TO GO SAAAAHHHHHH!!!"

This is usually the question-and-response scenario at the passing out parades (POP) of members of the National Youth Service Corp in Nigeria, three (3) times a year, and it would definitely be the same thing within the next 6hrs as members of the NYSC Batch A observe their passing out ceremony.

Sometimes, I wonder how many of you corp members are aware of where/what you are going into. Obviously, the destination is the labour market. But, how prepared are you to get into an already over-populated labour market?

In today’s ever so competitive labour market, getting a job has become a very challenging task. Acquiring a university degree demonstrates your ability in the academic and theoretical elements of your discipline, however, it does not exhibit your competence in one key attribute – EMPLOYABILITY.

Practical work experience provides crucial content to your CV, even if it’s not the career you wish to pursue. And this is the most important role the NYSC scheme plays.

It demonstrates that you are up for the challenge and provides the opportunity for you to learn and develop a wealth of skills that are sought by employers such as communication and interpersonal skills, teamwork and a strong work ethic.

If you show the right enthusiasm and determination, your NYSC placements could turn into a permanent position, with a salary.

One thing that you as a graduate must understand is that employers need a proof of faith that you are capable of adjusting to a work environment.

In the eyes of an employer, any practical industry related experience such as NYSC scheme, internships or even the right part time job shows that you are able to make the transition from study to work.

Successfully completing the NYSC scheme demonstrates that you have skills and attributes that are vital in the working world and substantiates that you have the ability to succeed in the position you are applying for.

Be that as it may, completing the NYSC scheme will not get you a paid employment on it's own strength, without you being equipped with the appropriate tools.

The appropriate tools simply refer to your CV/Resume; Cover/Application Letter; and your network.

Armed with these vital tools, you can say that you are in deed good to go to kick-start your career today and get the edge over your peers.

Congratulations to all Batch A corp members who have today successfully completed the compulsory 1 year National Youth Service Scheme.

NB: Next week, I will be writing on "CV/Resume: Your Forerunner."
 
Looking forward to your comments, as you do not forget that there's always love in sharing. Kindly feel free to make good use of the share buttons below. Thank you.