How To Change or Get A Job in 6 Months or Less

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE
to
Get or
CHANGE Your JOB

in 6 months
or less
SECRET TIPS & PRACTICAL STEPS

That Will Help You On A Job Sooner Than You Expect.
MOBOLAJI ATOLAGBE
The Ultimate Guide
To Get or Change
Your Job
In 6 months or Less
Secret Tips and Practical Steps
That Will Help You On A Job
Sooner Than You Expect.
MOBOLAJI ATOLAGBE
The Ultimate Guide
To Get or Change
Your Job
In 6 months or Less
Secret Tips and Practical Steps
That Will Help You On A Job
Sooner Than You Expect.
Copyright:
Text © 2020 by Mobolaji Atolagbe
Cover and Page Layout Design © by 2020 Jide Durowoju
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced

or transmitted in any form of by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying, recording, or by information storage
and retrieval system, without written permission from the author/publisher.
1
INTRODUCTION
There are many reasons that you picked up this ultimate guide.
You might have never gotten a job in your life or you might be willing to
change your career, move to another city, make more money, or you are
just out looking for a more exible job to allow you time for your family.
Everybody has a reason to want a job or change to another job.

If you are on a job, it might not be so bad since you have not decided to up
and quit (that is if you have not done that already) However, there might be
an empty feeling that hits you every time you think about your work. There
could be a plethora of reasons for you wanting to change jobs: not getting
average or above-average industry wage, having an abusive boss, the
stress of the to and fro commute, the strain of a job can be taking a toll on
your relationship, marriage or family, or you are looking to change locations
for whatever reason.
If you are also looking to get your rst job, you want to get paid for the skills
you have garnered from education or training. Certain factors will put you
ahead of your contemporaries if you follow them to the letter. There is stiff
competition to get into entry-level positions and recruiters are out to hire an
individual that will get the job done with little supervision. The truth is that
you'll only get hired if you can provide value and solve the challenge your
employer is facing. Once you have the ability to solve the problem of the
employer and create some value, you'll denitely get hired.
Whatever your reason for seeking employment, this book is for you.
This book will assist you in the process and provide you with the underlying
principles that will contribute to identifying your pain points and what type
of job will help you achieve your short and long term goals. Nothing is more
fullling than working in a place that allows you to be the best at what you
do, provide you the monetary value that satises the type of lifestyle that
you desire for yourself and the ultimate joy that comes from being relevant
in a team of people.
The thing, however, is this, getting or changing a job is not a magic wish that
will happen just because you said so. There are processes that you have to
go through and sacrices that you will make to allow these principles to
work. Growth is important and you have to give the necessary push to
ensure they work while utilizing the principles that work wonders in the 21st
century.
2
HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF THIS BOOK
Whenever you take up a new task, especially one you have never done, you will feel
scared. So scared sometimes you freeze and do not take any action.
It is very natural.
I have the feeling myself so most times I break down the tasks little by little till it
seems less strenuous.
That is exactly the way this book is structured.

All your tasks are broken down into smaller activities.
Investing a maximum of 5 hours of effort per week and you'll achieve your aim. If you
want to go hard and invest more time, your results might show earlier.
Most times when it comes to getting a job, it is a full-time job on its own. The best
strategy to use to get a job quickly is to take this process of getting the job as a job
itself. You'll need to spend time getting your applications ready for each job you are
applying for and prepare properly for each job offer. Treat it like a 9-5: resume at
your application table for 9 am, apply for jobs that ﬁt your skills and learn to skill up
after sending in your application. You'll get a positive response in the shortest time
possible.
Changing a job is a little different. It might be a little more difﬁcult because you are
already overwhelmed by the responsibilities of the current job and life in general
that you might not have the extra energy required to start a job search (which is a
job on its own)
You can read the book in one sitting and begin implementation or you can read it at
your pace and execute according to the timeline placed in the book.
You decide the strategy that works best for you.
If you want to make the most of this book, I'll advise you to have a new physical
notebook and pen dedicated to this project. Studies have shown that the act of
writing physically links the human mind with the emotions necessary to carry out a
3
particular task and most times, these emotions keep spurring the person
when the chips are down.
However, if you must use the software on a computer or phone, create a

new document Titled "Project New Job". You'll respond to all the exercises
from each of the sections in either the notebook or document on your
device.
We will be following the career story of Mike in this book.

His career path or story might not exactly be yours but underlying principles
are the same. Mike's story is a real-life story although the names of the
people have been changed to cover their identities.
If you have lost your job and are looking to use this material to begin the hunt
for employment, I charge you with 2 things.
1. Something has to change in your mind before you can utilize the points in
this book. If you were let go or quit for whatever reason, it is best to remove
the fact that there is a problem with you. Something is brewing for your
good. Have a positive mindset and keep going. All you have to do is
highlight your skills to your potential employers and keep polishing them
while you wait for an opening.
2. You can make use of various remote work platforms to keep the ow of
income. All you require is the internet, phone or laptop, and some creativity.
Social media is very great to put out information about your skills to get some
gigs or pointers to money-making opportunities.
Platforms that allow for remote work are:
Upwork CloudPeeps
Freelancer 100 Telecommute Jobs
Fiverr Remotely Awesome Jobs
Flexjobs Werk
We Work Remotely Hundred5
Virtual Vocations SolidGigs
Dribble Angel List
Ruby Now Workew
4
If you are looking to make a career switch and do not know how to go about
it, there is a chapter dedicated to how to make a seamless career change
without wasting time with trial and error.
If you just want to garner knowledge to be in the best position when the
opportunity presents itself, this book is also for you. If you want to know the
basic principles necessary to put your best foot out there to easily change
jobs, there are many points you can use to make yourself a brand by using
platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn. All the needed steps have been put
together just for you.
Learn, take action as stated and you will begin to see the results that you
seek.
This book is designed in such a way that you can just delve into the practical
sections of each chapter to absorb the tips that are most relevant while the
segments before lay a story following the job hunt of Michael George who is
on the search for another job.
5
Table of Content
Monthone
Month One
Renew your Mindset and Have a Massive Review
Week 1 - Critical Introspection
Week 2 - Identify Your Purpose for Getting a Job
Week 3 - Identify 10 Employers/ Companies You Are Interested In
Week 4 - Determine The Things That You'll Have to Change.
Month Two
Polish Your Job Hunting Tools
Week 1- Take Your Time to (Re)write Your CV and Other Documents
Week 2- Sharpen the Use of Your Social Media (And Clean Up If Need Be)
Week 3- Stay Where the Jobs Are
Week 4 Have another pair of eyes look through
Month Three
Fire Away!
Week 1 - Begin applying to jobs that t your skillset!
Week 2 - Start moving out of your comfort zone
Week 3 - Start sending AS MANY applications to positions that interest you.
Week 4 - Network Like Crazy
Month Four
Go Back to Your Drawing Board to Review.

Week 1 - Have a Critical Review.
Week 2 - Sharpen your ax while waiting
Week 3 - Secret Sauce: Changing your strategy that solves the pain of the
employer!
Week 4 - Learning how to make a seamless Career Switch
Month Five
Interviews, Following up and getting the Job,

Week 1 - How to work around getting to interviews.
Week 2 - Answering questions at the interview
Week 3 - After the Interview, what next?
Week 4 - Dealing with the silence
Month Six
Job Offers, Job Offers, Job Offers.

Week 1- Carefully Review The Offers That You Have.
Week 2 - Prepare To Hand Over Properly
Week 3 - Take A Few Days or Weeks of Rest and Review before Resuming.
6 Week 4 - Mentally Prepare To Begin At Your New Job.
MONTH ONE
RENEW YOUR
MINDSET
&
HAVE A MASSIVE REVIEW
7
Month One: Renew Your Mindset And Have A Massive Review
WEEK 1
CRITICAL INTROSPECTION
Mike hated the position he was.
He could not think properly or focus on the tasks that were handed over to
him because of the constant confrontation from his new manager.
Initially, he was excited that his former boss had been transferred to another
country but right now he misses Charles' lofty attitude and self-preserving
nature. With Miss Edith leading the team for the past 6 weeks, it has been the
worst month and a half of his career.
Even John, his colleague, had to speak with him at lunch.

"Mike, how are you doing?" he asked as he sat next to him in the cafeteria.
"Doing ne", Mike replied without looking up from his food.
"No, you are not" John replied.
Mike stopped eating and looked at John. John was looking at him straight in
the eye.
“Do not let our new boss get to you. You'll weather the storm. Today's
meeting was just aimed to frustrate you"
Mike broke the gaze and went back to his meal. The meeting John referred
to was the worst meeting he had anchored and he wished the oor will have
swallowed him up at some point.
Mike always took charge of the meeting for the department because he
was extremely brilliant at analysis and asked leading questions. Charles
Nida, the former HOD, had a maxim to allow his people to perform at their
areas of strength and assigned Mike to squeeze the juice of every second
they spent in the conference room. That was then.
Miss Rosemary Edith seems to have another tactic up her sleeve.
Due to the abrupt transfer of Charles Nida, the pending project that was
half-way done had to be handed over to Miss Edith. She has spent over a
decade in the company rising from an entry-level secretary to a senior
manager. She worked hard and got whatever she wanted so getting to
terms of the requirements for the project was not a problem.
8
However, Mike could do nothing right in her sight. His presentations were
said to be sloppy, his analysis misguided and she always pointed out his
mispronunciation of certain words. At the meeting that just ended about
an hour ago, she seemed to have decided to completely destroy his ego
and self-condence in one deft blow. Every single word out of his mouth was
not only, in her words, "trash" but she outrightly insulted him and screamed
him to get back to his seat because "a toddler spoke more coherently and
with greater intelligence than the words dropping from your lips"
He just kept picking at the green peas in his Fried rice. He had lost his
appetite but needed to eat.
John placed a specially designed notebook on the table.
"You know I am an advocate of having a journal, so I bought one especially

for you. When you get home tonight, write out your values and the things
that make you unique. Do not let another human being take away your
sanity. You are good at what you do no matter what anyone says. Believe
that"
John stood and squeezed Mike's shoulder as he went back to his desk.
The other activities of the day at the ofce went by in a blur and the numb
Mike just wanted to get some sleep after staying up all night to prepare for
the presentation. He dashed out of the door immediately it was closing
time.
Scrolling through his phone as the bus eased through the heavy trafc, he
saw a quote on RealityCheck that he follows on Instagram and that juggled
his thinking.
"New thoughts can remake you"

-Norman Vincent Peale
He decided that he needed to get a new job, a better job. He needed to

clear his mind when he got home. His mindset had been shaken and he
needs to get back his condence.
9
PRACTICAL ACTIVITIES FOR WEEK 1
The most important aspect of getting a job is not just polishing your CV or
throwing your application to any and every opening that you see.
You need to take some time out and properly align your MINDSET.
There are critical questions you need to ask yourself in no particular order:
1. How do I see myself?
2. Am I condent about my skill level?
3. Am I capable of handling my tasks properly and efciently?
4. Do I just struggle to give my very best or do I do it effortlessly?
5. Do I need to focus on skill improvement or better positioning?
The only way to get ahead in your career and life is to polish the way you see
yourself. Once this is out of the way, it is easier to forge ahead to make the
most of the opportunities available to you.
What you have written as answers to these questions are the pillars that build
you to who you are. The pillars of your identity. These are the values that most
people run through life without writing it down. When your values are written
down especially before a negative segment of life, it helps you get back on
your feet easier because these words have been written down and you can
refer to them to remind you of your abilities.
Everything begins in the mind.
10
Month One Renew Your Mindset And Have A Massive Review
WEEK 2
IDENTIFY YOUR PURPOSE FOR GETTING A JOB
It was a new week and yet another project had been passed to Mikes' team
to work on. It was interesting that Miss Edith did not delegate the
presentation to someone else. Mike did his very best in putting together the
slides and mentally prepared for a showdown with the "Khaleesi", a name
that his colleagues called her as she indeed acted like the character from
the popular TV show; Game of Thrones.
Mike presented his slides to his teammates in the conference room.
Mike is 6 foot 1 and had a slender body frame. He is fair complexioned with a
very bright smile that showed off his pearl white dentition. He loves wearing
dark outts which perfectly contrast his skin. He stood at the screen
explaining the graphs and how each activity will correspond to the desired
end goal of the project.
His new boss sat at the head of the table staring directly at him all through
not taking her eyes off him. He was surprised she did not utter a word
throughout.
The presentation was pretty short and straight to the point. He had adapted
his presentation style to t what she had been clamoring for since she took
charge.
He nished the presentation. He stood by the screen and was expecting

some backlash.
"Michael please take your seat" was all she said.
"Rotimi, kindly delegate all the duties to the team members and upload the
timeline on Scoro before C.O.B today."
"Consider it done ma," was all Rotimi said from the other side of the room.
"You can all go back to your desks. We will convey here rst thing tomorrow
morning to ensure we all understand our responsibilities and properly ensure
11
we complete both projects in time." She stood from her seat, picked up her
notebook and began working out of the room. Everyone else started
making small talk and picking their laptops to head back to their desks.
Mike was already at the exit at the other side of the conference room
dashing out when he heard Miss Rosemary's voice:
"Michael, come with me."
He sighed.
She walked down the corridor with her head high and went straight to her
corner ofce.
Rosemary Edith was shy of 6 feet and only wore Christian Louboutin heels.
Her skin is the denition of chocolate caramel. She paid particular attention
to her appearance and only wore outts that accentuated her hourglass
gure. Rumor had it that she had plastic surgery to get that shape but the
truth was that she is a gym rat who exercises 1 hour every single day before
heading to the ofce.
"Beautiful Presentation," she said as she turned around her table to sit, "I like
that you have learned to change. It shows you are smart and will be a
proper student. Have a seat." She said to him pointing to one of the seats in
front of her desk.
He sat quietly.
"This will be a very short talk and I will do most of the talking. You are indeed
smart but you'll need some form of mentorship and guidance. I am
available for that. My ofce is open if you need anything and I am sure we
can work together to achieve astounding results for this department. Do
you understand all I said?" She asked.
Mike was confused. Thoughts were just running through his head. Were the
initial attacks just mind games to see how he will react or was she waving a
white ag because she had another card up her sleeve?
He nodded.
12
"Good!" she exclaimed.
"So you'll be here after our general meeting tomorrow for us to draw out a
draft plan for the end of year review. Good day Michael"
Mike stood and left the ofce. He could not believe what she said, it seemed
too good to be true. He felt she was toiling with him. Like a predator that
played with its meal before nishing it off.
Mike pulled out the book that his friend gave him to begin the exercise and
wrote why he wanted to change jobs.
"I am very smart."
"I need to get away from Miss Rosemary Edith so I can grow my career
according to my thoughts and choices"
He had thought about changing his job before now but it seems he has to
take that thought more seriously.
If you are aiming to get your rst job, it is very easy to know why you are
searching for a job; you need to get employed to be able to pay your bills.
However, asides from just getting a job with a good salary, you should also
target to get a job that will position you better in your career. My advice is to
get a job with a great boss that will allow you to learn and grow quickly. This
will reduce your learning curve and provide responsibilities that will teach
you the tricks of the trade. Nothing is more important than your rst years of
work with individuals that are available to guide you to the best growth
possible.
If you get your rst job to be able to cover your bills but you are not given the
freedom to learn, it is best to begin looking for another job that will allow
career growth. Some companies are willing to pay for their entry-level
employees to take professional courses on their bills to make them more
competent at their tasks.
13
Do not just be interested in remuneration, also nd out from research,

questions and observing the way the company works if they are interested
in the growth of their employees especially the entry-level candidates.
However, if you are looking to change jobs, whatever the reason(s), it is

usually personal and connects deeply to your emotions.
This practical activity for this week is to help identify the real reason(s) you
want to get or change jobs.
There are numerous reasons it might be and no matter what your reason is,
as long as you can connect to it on a personal level, you can use it to fuel the
activities that you will have to take to ensure you get another job.
Before you can get a job that you want, you have to identify the reason you
want to get/change your job.
Various reasons you might want to change your job.

● Lack of career-advancing opportunity? (Do you feel like there is no
growth path for you in the current position you are holding?)
● Bad Management? (Does your manager have your best interest at

heart or does it just look like s/he does not care about you?)
● A Toxic Workplace or Culture?
● Does your company have a well-balanced culture that ensures

everybody has a voice and does not feel stied? Is competition
healthy or some favorites can do no wrong.
● Excessive or Too little Work? If the job does not challenge the individual
or does not allow breathing space to do anything asides work, the
employee will get burnt out. With continuous long hours of work and
no proper motivation or break, even the best employee can break
down and get frustrated.
The 5 points stated above are some of the popular reasons for wanting to
change jobs. If your reason is not stated above, it does not mean it is not
valid.
14
You can change your job for the simplest reason for wanting to change
cities or more complex motives such as changing careers. Whatever the
reason, ensure that it is clearly stated to know how to target the companies
that you will apply.
WEEK 3
IDENTIFY 10 EMPLOYERS/ COMPANIES YOU ARE INTERESTED IN
Mike got into real research mode and started using all the tools he could lay
his hands on to nd out ALL he could nd as regards the company that had
the culture of allowing younger staff to take more responsibilities. He gured
that such companies will have a crop of mentors that will properly guide
these less experienced hands through the challenges they might face on
the job.
He started researching companies that gave proper support to staff and

mentored their staff to managerial positions. He wanted more
responsibilities and to grow quickly. He was certain that some companies
have that factor in the core of culture and ensured all young smart entrants
into their system are trained to become the best and mentored properly.
He had checked the websites "Glassdoor", and "Indeed" which provided
independent reviews from employees that have worked in the company

before. He also planned to look through the company pages on LinkedIn.
Company culture cannot be hidden and you can get a vibe of how the
management team operates by looking through the core values they
display to the public.
Mike took out his time to write out 30 companies he was interested in. He
then whittled the list to the top 10 coys that caught his fancy. He found that
he did not know anybody in any of the companies he identied. He,
however, remembered the statistics he read that says you are 3
connections away from anyone you want to reach out to.
He then decided to spend the weekend speaking with friends and

colleagues from school and places he had previously worked to know if he
could get an introduction to any of these companies.
15
He made a very comprehensive list of people he could reach out to.

Nicholas was the rst person on his list.
Big Chief was his nickname throughout their time in college. Nicholas was
very smart and had a huge frame. His towering 6' foot 6 made other
classmates dub him the 'Big Chief'. After two dialing tones, he heard his
husky voice respond at the other end of the phone. It had his pitch of
excitement as usual.
"Hey, Mike my man!"
"Big Chief! Mike exclaimed in return, the energy that Big Chief has is
amazing. He is usually animated and exudes positivity no matter what was
happening.
"How can I be of assistance, smart boy? I know you want something

important for you to call me."
"Well, I am out looking for another job. Bro, I need to have a manager that
can mentor me to the next stage. I am not getting that currently and it
seems to stie my growth. You understand what I am trying to say right? "
“Yeah, yeah. I get you. So you still want to be in the same position but with
better supervision and more responsibilities right?”
"Exactly!" Mike responded. Big Chief had this communication technique

that he always responds to your requests with a question to clarify what you
want. Mike still expected him to ask a few more questions. He was not
disappointed.
"Are you looking to change your industry or you still want to remain working
in a consulting agency as a data analyst?"
"I prefer to remain in a consulting agency but I am more interested in having

a supervisor that will give me responsibilities so I can grow to a better analyst
and grow in my capacity. I have already identied some companies that
have what I am looking for." Mike replied and read out the top names from
his list.
16
“Okay then, I'll keep my eyes out for an opportunity in any of the companies
you mentioned. I have penned it in my jotter so I will not forget. Please send
reminder messages once a week so I will put it top of mind. Is that ne?" The
big chief asked in his afrmative tone.
"No problem Big Chief. Thanks for your time. Enjoy the rest of your day" Mike
said and hung up.
Mike smiled and ticked Nicholas off the list. Then started to dial the next
person
We have stated in the previous chapter about the purpose of getting a job
or changing jobs.
Once the purpose of change can be found out, you can decide which
company you are targeting to get employed in after you have identied
that they are capable of fullling the gap that you identied.
Do not just randomly ll your book, writing pad or document with just any
company that you THINK you'll be able to nd solace.
There are companies that you can target in the industry that you are
playing. Look through organizations that will t into your career plan or
require individuals of your skillset and can accompany the reason you
want to change jobs.
Do the hard work that comes with research and asking uncomfortable
questions from people that can assist you in the process of your pursuit. To
identify these companies, ensure that you speak to someone that works
either in the organization or closely with them.
After identifying these companies, you will have to write it out in your
notebook or document that you have created.
17
If no names come to bear in your mind, ask,
"Who do I know that will know someone working in this company?"
Research conrms that you are at most 6 connections away from a

person you are looking forward to connecting with so below are 2
practical steps you can take to ensure you get the contact of the person
you are looking for
1. There is always that one friend or colleague that seems to know people
in every company or place. You can reach out to him and request if s/he
knows someone in your target company.
2. LinkedIn is a very important tool and you will nd someone that either
attended the same institution with you or worked in a company you had
previously worked in.
If you are looking to get an introduction from someone already in your

connection to another of his/her colleague in a company you are
interested in, you can tweak the sample of the mail below If you have
applied for a job advertised and want to get introduced to the person
making decisions
Hello Dan,
I trust this mail meets you well.
I need your assistance to kindly introduce me to your colleague, Kemi

Lawal who is the Head of the data processing department.
There is a job opening I saw advertised in her department, although I

have applied for the job, I still want to meet her acquaintance and share
the unique ideas that can solve the challenges they are currently facing.
An email introducing me can be very helpful and will assist me in

standing out of other candidates that have also applied for the same
position.
Yours Faithfully,
Michael George.
18
If there is no job advertised
Hi Dan,
I trust this message meets you well.
Your company culture appeals to me and I am in search of an opening

in the Data Analysis Department. I will appreciate if you can introduce
me to the Head of Department via email so I can share ideas on how the
department can be more efcient in the process of capture and analysis
of data.
My email address is MichealGeorge@gmail.com I will sincerely appreciate

your assistance and thank you in anticipation of your positive response.
Yours Faithfully,
Michael George.
If you are not connected to them on LinkedIn, you need to write a short
note when you send a connection request.
Be as succinct and honest as possible in your message. State the

similarities that you might share and the reason you are sending them a
connection request.
E.g.
Hi Dan,
I trust you are doing great. I am a 98 set graduate of Cleggs College and
I see that you graduated a few years earlier than me from the good old
school. I require your assistance with an introduction to the Head of
Department of Data Analysis department as regards an opening. Your
help will be much appreciated.
Thanks in advance sir.
Micheal George.
19
(This is just a sample. You should use your interloping connection as a

basis for reaching out to the individual. It might be a common interest or
being part of the same volunteer group. However, if nothing is
connecting you, do not fret.
Be honest and as brief as possible. You'll be surprised as to how people

are willing to assist you in the process of your growth.)
With these companies in view, you can study what is required to stand
out when they are looking to hire. During your wait period of the hiring,
you can learn a skill that will be relevant to helping you get hired easily or
that will make you stand out.
Remember this: Companies do not hire people. People hire people. You
need to connect to people that will refer you or people within the
company you are interested in.
WEEK 4
DETERMINE THE THINGS THAT YOU'LL HAVE TO CHANGE.
The lobby was always busy with staff and guests walking by quickly.
Each department took up a oor in the tower and Mikes' department was
just one oor shy of the pinnacle of the building. All departments were
properly highlighted at the elevator to ensure you knew where you will get
off.
Mike decided to begin positioning himself to be noticed by managers in

other departments. He made it a point to know all the decision-makers and
nd a common denominator that will ensure they can hold a decent
conversation.
He thought to himself that if he was able to build a good reputation in the

company before he left, he will be able to come to continue to grow in the
industry as time went by.
As he used the elevator to his oor, Mike then decided to start with the Head
of Human Resources Departments.
20
Mr. J. Daniels graduated from the same department of the same university
as Mike although their sets were 15 years apart. They had made small talk
earlier when he just joined the company about 18 months ago, he had not
consciously kept a relationship with him.
During the lunch break, he headed to his ofce.
From their discussion during the recruitment period, Mike knows that Mr. J.
Daniels loves to spread his packed food on his desk in his ofce. He had
asked Mike to come and share from his home food whenever he had the
opportunity.
He decided to take him on that promise today.
He knocked on the door and opened the door after he heard the
occupant of the ofce request him to come in.
He walked in condently and stood facing Mr. J. Daniels desk after shutting
the door behind him. Mr. J. Daniels raised his head from the steamy home-
cooked meal that was spread on his desk. He always says he takes his time
to do 2 things in this life, have a great meal and a great night rest. There was
a funky tune playing in the background from his Bluetooth Bang and
Olufsen speakers placed on his side desk.
"Hey! Finally, the young man decided to come to my ofce after all these
months. Come in and have a seat. I hear you are a star in your department."
Mr. J. Daniels is a rather short man with amazing energy and an even more
amazing personality. He is the proper denition of a people person who
does not joke with his relationship with anyone no matter their cadre in the
ofce or the society. Nothing pleased him more than solving problems
bluntly and quickly.
Mike sat at the desk and had small talk for about 15 minutes before taking
his leave to head back to his desk.
While walking back to his desk, he reviewed the conversation in his head
and found it was very relaxing and helped him to connect the dots of some
things he was thinking about. Conversations with other members of the
companies, especially those that are in positions above him were
something he decided he will look for no matter how things go.
His mobile phone buzzed. It was a work email from his boss.
21
He was needed to put together a presentation for the trip she was to
embark on by the end of the week. He was requested to come straight to
her ofce after lunch.
He sighed and headed to her ofce.
On a very personal note, one thing I have noticed before I have been able
to get or change jobs is to identify something that I was going to change in
my current habits. In the process of getting my rst job, I kept calling the CEO
that told me to reach out to him after I concluded my NYSC. It was not in my
nature to keep reaching out to an individual especially when I know the
person would be busy but I did something different and it opened the
opportunity for my rst job. It took a few months and lots of effort to get an
appointment with him but it paid off.
Even when I want to change my job, I look for something I will do differently
in my current company before I leave. It is a counter-intuitive strategy but it
shows that before anything has to change, you have to change.
If you need to come in an hour earlier than before or take a particular

project as a personal task that you will gift yourself before leaving. Make a
choice of one or two factors you want to improve or learn before you leave.
At one of my positions, I noticed I had been going late to the ofce because
I was tired of the job, I then decided to not only arrive earlier than all my
other colleagues but also to take special attention to the growth of my
subordinates especially the chap that was best positioned to take my ofce
when I took my leave. This was even before I had gotten an offer from
anyone. This change was a major factor for me and as I prepared for the
opportunity that I had not seen, I had a call to continue an employment
conversation I had 5 months earlier and I had disregarded.
That little change can open you to new thoughts, new opportunities, and
self-improvement.
22
POINTS TO NOTE ABOUT MONTH ONE
The task of you getting a job or changing to a job that ts what you are
looking for is a job on its own.
You'll need to have a game plan that you will stick to so you can get results.
Be prepared to make the desired one hour sacrice daily for the period that
it will take you.
Research says it takes an average of 5 months to nd another job but if one
is very specic to the type of job he/she is looking for, it might take a longer
time. An average of 6 months is necessary to make the required plans and
moves to change jobs.
Be prepared to do all the hard work and receive the results that will come.
The rst task is the mental preparation that comes with trying to get a job,
once you can identify your potential mental blocks and place yourself in a
positive light, you are half done.
Also know that you will need some time alone in deep introspection to get
the right answers to the questions you will be asking yourself. Many times, the
rst response might not be the correct one, learn to prod further to be sure
that you have the right answers.
23
MONTH TWO
POLISH YOUR
JOB HUNTING TOOLS
24
Month two: Polish your job hunting tools
WEEK 1
TAKE YOUR TIME TO REWRITE YOUR CV AND OTHER DOCUMENTS
Mike stumbled on a job opening that t exactly what he was looking for.
While scrolling through the requirements, he found that he will need to
review his documents and see how he can improve them with the
accomplishments he had made in the current position he is holding and
also include the projects he had handled.
He knew he had to position himself to get a shot at the job that will avail him
get a better opportunity at growth and leave the pain of working for a boss
that undermined his effort for exchange of a favor. Something he was not
interested in.
He took out a weekend to review all his application documents: CV, cover
letter and LinkedIn Page.
He started with work on his LinkedIn page and researched all the individuals
that hold the position he was looking to be hired at. He also studied the
LinkedIn proles of people in the top 5 companies he was looking to get
hired in.
He noticed that the image he used was not the best t that was described
by the website. It was requested he uploaded "a clear headshot that
showed his face." What he had uploaded earlier was a sele taken in a
poorly lit background. He placed a reminder to take another shot at the
studio in the building opposite his ofce building on Monday.
After 18 months in the current position he is holding, he had not upgraded

his CV with his accomplishments. He had increased his skill level across all
various capabilities. After he had included the details from his current job,
he also looked through the previous information on the document and
sought to improve the information to help put his best foot forward and
attract the attention of a prospective employer. He looked at each line and
added gures and achievements instead of just functions that he
performed in those roles.
Although he knew that he was going to tailor his cover letter to each
application he will put in, he needed to have a template he will use
whenever he was going to apply for the position. He described his skills in
general terms and saved his letter of motivation.
Mike's alarm rang on his phone to remind him of the meeting set the
previous day with "The Khaleesi" for the review of her big presentation. They
25
had scheduled to begin working on the presentation for an hour after

regular ofce hours to allow them to focus on the other projects that had a
steep deadline. He headed to her ofce and met her with the draft of the
presentation on the smart TV in her ofce. He connected to the network and
started making edits and inclusions as was required of him. She seemed to
be in a very relaxed and happy mood, there was some pop music playing
softly in the background and she was cheerful with their conversation. He
started to see her in a different light and also let his guard down a little. Time
ew by and though they made good progress, they spent 2 extra hours
putting things in place. When she decided to call it a night, Mike stood up to
pack his laptop into his bag when he noticed she stand very close behind
him and whispered to him while holding his waist,
“Young man, you will give me your body as you have given me your mind. I
do not ask twice. Do you understand?”
Mike turned around to face her. He was shocked at the words she said and
stared directly into her eyes because she did not move back. She
continued,
"Michael, you will have no regrets when you give yourself to me. Think about
it and give me your response within 2 days. Philip my driver will drop you off
at home tonight." She said walking back to take her seat.
"You can leave now," She said facing her laptop.
Mike was speechless and just picked up his bag and left her ofce. The ride
home was quiet and had him in deep thought on his next line of action. He
did not like the position he found himself but decided to protect his interests
as much as possible.
When he got home, he showered and ate the leftovers from his fridge. He
then opened his laptop to begin editing his CV to apply for the position that
he saw earlier in the day. Now that Miss Rosemary had shown her real
intentions, he had to double down on his initial plan.
The most important set of documents when applying for jobs is your CV,
letter of motivation (cover letter) and your LinkedIn page. These materials
provide the potential employer information of your capacity, your
26
achievements and give them a good idea of the responsibilities that you
have been able to take charge of in the past.
If you do not have the time to look through your documents or you are not
skilled at putting together compelling documents, it is best to outsource the
writing to an agency to ensure that your documents are well above
average.
What you need to understand about job hunting in the 21st century is that
technology plays a major part in all aspects especially in the initial point of
sieving out the ideal candidate from the thousands of applicants. The
Applicant Tracking System (ATS) lters candidates according to keywords,
the format of the document and other relevant details. It is stated that ATS
rejects up to 75% of CVs before they even get to a human that will decide if
the candidate is to be invited for an interview.
These points below will assist your resume to pass the test for ATS readability.
(Follow these points when writing your CV, you never know if the employer
will use an ATS)
1. Do not place any important details like contact information on your

header and footer.
2. Stick to a simple clean resume design that is devoid of unusual

(downloaded) font, embedded charts, and images.
3. Save your CV as a Word document. Some ATS platforms cannot convert

PDF, HTML, Open Ofce and some other formats. It will automatically
discard resumes that are saved in such document formats. However, you
can send it in the format that was specied in the job advert but if there is
none made, you should send in a Word document.
Last but most important
4. Use keywords that directly link to the job you are applying for. Utilize the
exact phrases and words used in the job description. Identify these words
from the job advert and also include the skills you possess that was
requested. Remember to include both the acronym and the keyword or
phrase. This is because the recruiting ofcer might use any of these
keywords to lter candidates from the ATS platform.
There are various online tools that you can use to test your resume if it is ATS-
friendly. Some are paid while others are free. Make a choice for which can
produce the best CV that will beat ATS robots.
27
I can recommend for you to use Jobscan.co to optimize your CV. The site
has an easy interface and allows you to make the most of having a perfect
application. They have a free keyword optimizer tool and other very useful
tools.
There are also online platforms that allow you to put automatically create
CVs. with you just including various skills and experience for a small fee. It
also properly arranges the document such that it is easy to read and has all
the important words that will ensure it is not passed over in the ATS.
Some useful sites are
Resume.com
cvmkr.com
cakeresume.com
Note that your CV is a sales document and will require you to put yourself
out to your prospective employer as the best t for the job since you possess
the required skill set.
When you are tweaking your CV to t the job that you are applying for, do
not let the hiring manager imagine that you are a good t, make it very
obvious. The average recruiter takes 6 seconds to look through a CV so be
sure that yours will be in the heap of rejected CVs if s/he does not see a
connection.
See the tweaks that you make to your CV every time before you send it in as
an investment that will put you a step closer to your dream of getting a job.
Your CV is a document that is aimed at displaying your unique abilities so
you have to make it as distinctive as possible.
Writing Your CV
You need to do proper research on your market to know what type of

content that is needed on your document.
Your Prole Statement.
This is the rst section of your document and a unique story will catch the
attention of any recruiter. It usually consists of 3-5 sentences that best
describe you and your unique career experience.
Avoid the seduction of copying something that you saw online or on a

28
friend's document. Take some time to put your own interesting story
together.
E.g.
Focused, goal-driven manager with a history of success leading all aspects

of human resources for Oil & Gas and Construction industries in multinational
companies. Exemplary leadership, coaching and motivational talents, with
a track record of hiring, training and retaining large, high-performing cross-
functional teams. Highly adept at developing and managing large-scale
training and orientation programs. Well-versed in HR team
management/leadership, business partnering, project management,
strategic and operational HR activities.
Your Relevant Work Experience
This is another very important section that will assist you immensely in
showing the recruiter that you are a great t for the position. The points
below will assist in the process.
● Do not just state your responsibilities but also your achievements.

● State the various tasks/ achievements that you had done in positions
similar to the one you are applying for.
● Use gures and adjectives to clearly show the impact you made in the
position.
Formats of CVs (Advantages and disadvantages)
2 major CV formats are used to arrange skills and experience.
1. Reverse Chronological
This is writing your experience with the most recent at the top followed by
the next most recent until you write the least recent.
It allows the prospective employer to know the positions you held and how it
relates to the job you are applying to.
Advantages of Reverse Chronological Arrangement
1. If your most recent job is directly related to the requirements of the

position, it quickly puts your skills and abilities in the crosshairs of the
recruiter. It will be perfect if you had very similar responsibilities and
achieved the goals that the company is in the current pursuit.
2. It shows consistent growth if you have to be consistent in the same
career.
29
Disadvantages of Reverse Chronological Arrangement
1. Gaps in your career are more noticeable and will push the recruiter to
question why.
2. If you are just starting in your career, it is not an optimal method
because it will display your lack of experience easily.
3. This format is not suitable for anyone looking to change from one
profession to another. (from one industry to another, from one career
path to a different one)
EXAMPLE OF A REVERSE CHRONOLOGICAL CV ARRANGEMENT
30
CHRISTOPHER Explorer
(+227)123123123 | christopherexplorer@gmail.com |
Core Strengths: Project Management, Business Analysis, Negotiations and Presentations.
PROFILE
An assertive, diligent and highly intuitive young man with strong core values, and intense
goal drive and a great team spirit. He is a self-motivated individual who is result-oriented
and can properly hone his research, analytical and communication skills to achieve set
goals and targets. His mantra is that everything can be achieved with the deployment of
the right team, adequate resources and proper focus on the challenge.
EXPERIENCE
November 2017- Date FortMount Consulting
Senior Business Analyst/ Chief Content Strategist
● Built and constantly modifying content creation strategy aimed at attracting

Medium and Small scale Enterprises (MSMEs) which are efciently converted to be
paying clients.
● Conceptualized and engaging sales of scould software that ensured 50% prot on
sales using pre-order techniques and improving the sales of clients.
● Coordinated collaborations with other companies that ensured maximizing the
customer growth, multiplication of revenue channels and focus on the company's
strength.
June 2016 - October 2017 Creativity Inc.
Business Analyst
● Improved client engagement from 39% to 68.7% in the rst 3 months thus assisting
the transformation of the business bottom line.
● Worked with a core team of 6 to grow purchases and revenue by at least 3-5%
month on month consistently using data-driven analysis to ensure that smart
decisions were made.
● Designed a double-check system that reduces cash leakages and ensured the
realization of the entire prot attainable on each transaction.
May 2013-May 2016 Teach Tech Today Limited
Product Manager and Analyst
● Oversaw the development of written, oral and visual content for collaboration
with Fisher Business School and content collaboration with alison.org
● Co-ordinated a team of 10 subordinates in strategizing and execution of
consumer engagement processes, product development and production of
useful resources and content.
● Prepared a year long expansion business strategy that targets growth across three
platforms, revenue targets of $69.8 Million that was proposed to be achieved using
various innovative channels.
31
EXPERTISE
● Amazing Training and seminar presentation skills.

● Digital marketing. (Specialty in email marketing, link building, blogging & Social
Media engagement)
● Expert team management skills.
● Effective oral and written communication. (Business Writing, Content
Management & Presentation)
● User Psychology Analysis. (Emotional linking to Products & Services)
● Business Development & Revenue Growth using data analytics.
EDUCATION
2008-2012 Howard College, Big Spring, Texas
B.Sc. (Business Administration with specialization in Management)
Thesis: Growth of Business with relations to Employee Growth . Christopher. E (2012)
INTERESTS
Communications, Conscious learning , Business Growth , & Global economics.
2. Skill-based (Also called a Functional CV)
This format helps to enunciate the candidates' skills and abilities that are
connected to the requirements for the position applied for.
Advantage of a Functional CV
1. Directly show the recruiter that you have the right skills for the job even
if you do not have the customary background and history of
employment.
Disadvantages of a Functional CV
1. Will raise a ag to the trained eye that the candidate might not
possess the experience requested by not arranging previous
employment history rst.
2. This format will not put forth your experience rst which might be a
great advantage if you have worked with industry leaders
32
EXAMPLE OF SKILLS BASED CV
PERPETUAL, HOPE
|p.hope@gmail.com | www.linkedin.com/in/perpetual-hope
Core Strengths: Merchandising and Sales, Customer Retention, Negotiation, Closing Techniques.
HIGHLIGHTS OF QUALIFICATIONS
● Impressive 2+ years background in Merchandising, Customer Services, and Sales.

● Have an average record of 45% referral rate due to proper communication, negotiations, and
customer satisfaction.
● Procient in the use of the Microsoft Ofce Suite.
● Highly proactive. Works well within teams and in leadership positions.
SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
Merchandising and Sales
● Efciently built a proactive system to allow proper synchronization of purchase and stocking.
● Standardized shelving to provide ease of purchase for customers and stock updating for staff.
● Follow all best practices set by health and safety legislation, operations and customer values.
● Overseeing the planning of product ranges and stock plans with vendors and buyers.
● Set-up an effective sales strategy to increase sales through customer satisfaction and referral.
● Negotiate properly to ensure a win-win situation for the company and buyer.
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
March 2019 - Present Retail Merchandiser
Spark Limited (www.sparkltd.com)
● Works closely with Operations Ofcer to ensure the correct amount of products are available for
purchase on the shelves and in stock.
● Properly forecast, plan and monitor stock levels to ensure availability for customers and prevent
delay in purchase and stocking.
● Ensure all products are properly stocked with the right price tag and that they pass all health
and safety requirements before purchase and use by the customer.
● Actively support sales department as needed to improve the prot of the business.
● Maintains safety standards of shelving and xtures while ensuring the cleanliness of the aisles
and store.
Jan. 2018 – Feb. 2019 Retail Sales Representative
MrFrisk Communications Limited ( www.mrfrisk.com )
Consistently provided excellent services to clientele and used available resources to expand the client
base.
● Constantly achieved sales target of $200,000 worth of bundles sold monthly.

● Greeting, directing, providing, accurate information and answering customers questions about
the product and also offer assistance when in difculties.
● Consistently found unique ways to communicate with clients to get referrals and return
customers.
● Dealing with customers repairs and refunds courteously and professionally.
EDUCATION HISTORY
Bachelor of Science, Economics
Southgate University, Newport.
33
Your Cover Letter/ Letter of Motivation
Your cover letter is an important document in the process of application and showing
that your skills and experience is a great t to the job you applying for. You need to sell the
value that you have to your potential employer in this document. Use this document to
highlight your skills in a way that whoever is reviewing your document will be interested in
inviting you for an interview. Also learn to tailor your cover letter to t each job you are
applying for.
SAMPLE FOR COVER LETTER

Catherine Theresa
3516 Berkshire Circle
Knoxville
Tennessee
catherinetheresa@rocketmail.com

Head of Human Resources,
Department of Food Safety and Zoonoses (FOS)
World Health Organization
Avenue Appia 20
CH-1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland.
Dear Sir/ Ma,

Application for Monitoring and Evaluating Ofcer Position
I am writing to apply for the aforementioned position as advertised online. I am

condent that my prior experience and interests make me a perfect t for this job.
With my previous experience working as a Monitoring and Evaluation
Ofcer with World Food Programme, I have honed the skills required to ensure that
every aspect of any project is properly supervised, concluded and recorded to
have a detailed report that can be made reference to. A major motivating factor
that has stayed with me is the long term effect and impact each project has on
every participant.
My knowledge as a certied project manager also assists in properly
identifying challenges and proffering solutions to ensure success with the
available resources at our disposal. I can easily navigate all Ofce packages and
produce reports that will properly highlight the usefulness of the data collected
and how they are analyzed.
The fact that this project targets young people connects to me personally.
This is due to my knowledge that there is a huge potential for the youth to make a
great impact on the society if their abilities are properly harnessed and
channeled effectively through purposeful engagement and proper inuence.
I appreciate the time taken to look through my cover letter and CV. I look
forward to an interview session and I am exible to the time and venue. Earnestly
anticipating your positive response.
Yours Faithfully,
Catherine Theresa
34
WEEK 2
SHARPEN THE USE OF YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA (AND CLEAN UP IF NEED BE)
Mike got to the ofce mentally prepared on how to face his boss and
respond to her request. However, it seemed that top managers had a site
visit thus she was not in the ofce all day. He then recalled that she asked
him to respond 2 days later. He breathed easy and did his tasks as assigned
for the day.
When it was closing time, he opened his Twitter app to read the thread that
Mr. Gustavo will have put up.
Mike suddenly got interested in Twitter when he began to use it for his job
search research and found out that Tony Gustavo, one of the directors of
the company he was interested in, was very active on the platform. He
searched for his prole and followed him. His nickname was the Bull. He
found that as much as he kept his persona alive by not only tweeting about
business, he also was courteous and friendly to other users. He read through
his tweets and decided to adopt one of the things he did. Once a week, on
Thursday evenings to be exact, he took out time to share his experiences
with his followers and called it " #CocktailwiththeBull" where he shared his
business trips, negotiations and other important things to followers as if he
was talking with his friends over drinks after work.
He had quite a following of this and he found out that he had been doing
that consistently for about 6 years. Mike imagined how busy his business and
personal life was but he still made out time to keep his followers engaged
with useful content. Mike turned on his notication for his tweets and
followed all the top people in the same industry that followed the Bull. He
often retweets his tweets and replies to topics that he had some knowledge
about.
Mike decided to begin to chronicle his growth process and share useful
information that would be very useful to recent graduates that have just
started their career. A journey he was on a few years back. He had started
tweeting on Thursday at 6:00 p.m to his followers and kept at it.
His mentor did not disappoint and tweeted, as usual, today but Mike had a
different line of thought to what he said. He respectfully tweeted his opinion
beneath the thread and closed the app.
35
Later in the evening before he continued working on the presentation, he

checked the app and saw that the bull mentioned his handle. "DM me,
Mike. We need to continue this conversation at my ofce."
He quickly sent a direct message and was all smiles as he whistled while he
worked.
An appointment had been set for later in the week. At least something was
working for him.
He needed to prepare himself for the confrontation with his boss the next
day.
This is very critical in the 21st Century. What do you have on your social
media channels? What do you tweet about it? What is on your Facebook
feed? It is not right to portray yourself as a party animal or an insensitive
human to other things. This does not mean that you have to put up a front
that is not you. You need to be as original as possible but learn to be civil. If
you believe that you can drag anybody or bully on social media, you will be
surprised that the HR personnel will look through your social media channels
to know what your digital footprints are.
Are your posts lewd and might misrepresent the rm that you are looking to
join? These can be red ags and might mean you are not going to be on the
hiring list for interviews and potential employment.
If you have previously posted nasty and inconsiderate things in the past, you
can take time now to either hide these posts (if you still want to keep your
memories on the platform) or delete them outrightly.
You can also follow the conversation of individuals that you respect on
these platforms. Interact with them respectfully and provide value. Do not
go out of your way to put yourself in their faces because it is not all the time
that these people have access to their social media accounts themselves
(some have an experienced social media person in charge of their social
interactions) This should not stop you from replying their posts or provide very
useful information in response of the queries they might request.
36
I know individuals that have gotten jobs because of their caption to the post
they put up or their comments to the post of a mentor that is interested in
someone that possessed the type of skills they had. All you need to do is to
properly portray your skills and ability in your prole and also have a clean
prole that is devoid of the negative inuence that is not acceptable in the
formal sector.
"But it is my personal space" you might argue and you are right. However, in
the 21st century, individuals have lost their endorsements and jobs due to
their social media activities. It is politically incorrect to post certain things
and it might directly or indirectly affect your job if you are working for a
popular or publicly-traded company especially if you are in a sensitive
position that interfaces with the public.
CLEAN UP YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNT.
Multiple studies have shown that 75% of hiring managers' actively searched
for candidates online, with more than 70% deciding not to hire a candidate
due to the information they uncovered. You never know if a Human
Resource person has looked through the content and that might have cost
you the interview or position you have been working hard to get.
Negative posts about certain tribes or races, elevating crime or criminality,

or breaking the law should be taken down and not be posted at all.
You can also make use of certain platforms to push your professional brand
to the right set of people. The most popular platforms that can be utilized
are LinkedIn and Twitter. For LinkedIn, you can begin publishing content
worth sharing on your timeline and relevant groups and you can begin
threads on twitter that connect with your profession. You'll be surprised at
the connections you can make just by utilizing social media platforms.
37
WEEK 3
STAY WHERE THE JOBS ARE
Mike had never spent his time looking for job opportunities, the 2 positions he
has occupied throughout his career were shared with him by his friends.
Now that he was looking for another position, his friends have not been able
to refer him to an opportunity that ts his requirement. The company he is
working with is the aspiration of most people at his career level so most
people do not understand why he wants to leave in the rst place.
How many people will he explain about harassment from his manager? He
did not expect her response to him. He went to her ofce during the lunch
break with the voice recorder app on expecting to catch her voice during
the conversation they will have. He put his phone in his blazer pocket and
patted it before he knocked at her door.
"Good day, Miss Edith," He said as he stepped into her ofce.
She looked up from her laptop and nodded him in then went back typing.
He went in and took his seat. She then stopped typing and asked, "What
can I do for you, Michael?"
"Ermm…. It is as concerning you want me to be intimate with you."
She kept eye contact and did not say anything. He continued.
"I will not be able to go ahead with it after much thought. It is against my
ethics……"
She stood suddenly before he nished his statement.
He thought she was going to seat next to him and try to convince him.
He was wrong.
She went to the door and held it open for him to leave.
Mike was confused, he did not expect that reaction with all the things he
had prepared himself for. He stood and asked,
"Are you not going to say anything about this?"
She still did not utter a word but pointed him out of her ofce.
38
He walked out of the ofce and she slammed the door behind him. He
quickly went to his desk to play the recording again. Both of their voices
were crisp but she did not say anything that could be used as evidence for
harassment. He sighed.
Darn! He felt like a trapped rat facing a massive cat that knew all possible
escape routes. She must have known he had a recording device on him
and thus decided to keep quiet.
He needed to get another job.
Mike shrugged with fear at the thought being framed. When it comes to
sexual harassment, ladies tend to be believed more than men. He also
knew from his father's experience how difcult it is to get out of a well-
planned framing especially when the woman was obsessed about getting
something in her favor. He ipped open his mobile phone and ran a search
on Google: Job listing websites in my location.
Various results surfaced.
He opened one result after the other. He input his email to join their mailing
list. He put in the type of jobs he was interested in and to the websites that
gave him the option of selecting the day he wanted to receive the email
notication, he selected that he wanted it daily. He wanted to know the
available jobs as soon as they were advertised.
He joined all the job boards that were reputable and changed his LinkedIn
prole setting to "Actively searching for another opening"
After saving those settings, he looked at his new LinkedIn prole picture
again. The photograph was perfect as a professional picture and his prole
as explicit in portraying his ability.
He knew another great opportunity will turn up, it was only a matter of time
and he had to be ready.
He had to get a new job to get away from Khaleesi, she had more than an
ace up her sleeve.
39
Join job boards and career-focused websites to get notied about a job
that ts you anytime it pops up on the internet.
Utilizing Job Boards
Numerous job boards are great platforms to search for jobs that connect
with the opportunities you are searching for.
Indeed.com
Careerbuilder
Monster
Some job boards are specic to certain career paths. If you are in a niche
industry, you can search for job boards that might service your sector. Some
examples are:
Tech
Dice.com
Authenticjobs.com
Techfetch.com
Finance
enancialcareers.com
Engineering
Engineering.jobs
40
Healthcare
HealthcareJobsite.com
HospitalRecruiting.com
Nurse.com
You can run a search on the internet to nd the best-t job board and then
subscribe for notications of the latest opportunities to be sent to you via
email.
Utilizing LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a professional networking site that currently boasts of 303 million

active users. There are various ways you can utilize LinkedIn not just for the
job search but also for career advancement.
1. Ensure your prole is up to date.
This is very important because headhunters, heads of Departments and

CEOs usually scout LinkedIn looking for the best talents that will assist them in
the process of growth of their company or department. If your prole is up-
to-date with your skills, recent achievements, and your "authentic voice",
you can catch the attention of a headhunter.
If you do not have loads of experience, do not fret. Place your qualications
on your LinkedIn prole and begin to create content documenting your
growth in the career path of your choice. You'll be surprised how it will set
you apart from other candidates.
2. Let Recruiters know that you are open to Opportunities
There is a feature on LinkedIn that you can activate to let job posters and
recruiters know that you are interested in looking for other opportunities. You
can easily select this option from your settings.
LinkedIn states that they protect your information from LinkedIn Recruiter
Users that work in your company or related companies although they
cannot "guarantee complete privacy"
41
3. Becoming a thought leader
There are ways that you can put your brand out as a thought leader in a
particular topic of your choice or the skill that you are great at. This is a long
term plan that will be very signicant in your career growth and also in a job
search.
You can write an article weekly to be published consistently. This allows your
name/brand to be easily recognized such that if an opening that connects
to your account, you can get tagged or referred easily.
Plan your monthly schedule of articles and have a writing plan that will not
disrupt your work. This is important to put your brand and person in the faces
of people that matter in the industry that you play in. Write about factors,
challenges, and solutions that other people in the same industry will be able
to relate to. If there is a unique way you solve a problem that plagues your
colleagues, share it with them. People appreciate meaningful information
that makes their lives easier.
If you are looking for your rst job, this can be a learning period for you to
know how to write properly and communicate your thoughts. With
consistent posting and rich content, you will not only stand ahead of the
crowd but also show that you know how to communicate properly in writing
(not just it is a skill written on your CV)
If you are busy with your tasks if you are currently on a busy job and cannot
write, you can hire a copywriter to put together the words on your behalf for
a fee. All you'll have to do is to review his writing and post as appropriate.
42
WEEK 4
HAVE ANOTHER PAIR OF EYES LOOK THROUGH
Mike had done all the hard work in putting together all the documents
necessary to put forward a compelling prole for someone capable looking
for a job but he still had a nagging feeling that he had missed out on
something.
He did not know what to do and then he remembered Juliet.
There was a Human Resource Program that Charles Nida, his former boss
was invited to speak at. Mike was to represent him and Juliet was the
chairperson of the planning committee. They had a pleasant conversation
over the phone and kept communicating via email after the program.
Juliet was serious about positioning herself as a Human Resource person

and looked to add value anywhere she found herself. Mike quickly put
together his documents and attached them to an email. He also placed a
link to his LinkedIn prole in the email and sent it. He messaged her
immediately that he had sent her an email that needed her attention.
She responded 30 minutes later that she had received it and will revert as
soon as she was able.
3 days later, Mike got his response with tips on the changes he needed to
make on both his CV and LinkedIn page. She also shared 2 jobs that she felt
he perfectly t and asked him to apply to them.
He was wowed at her attention to detail and quickly made all the
corrections that she pointed out to him.
Show someone that you know and trust their judgment to look through all
you have done. You might tire from the preparation and it is better to have
another pair of eyes to look at everything. There are many things you might
have missed out, might have made spelling errors, or grammatical
blunders.
Before you begin to use any of the documents or materials that you have
prepared, have at least another pair of eyes to look through. It is best to
share your documents with someone that understands the requirements of
the industry that you are looking to join and will be able to give proper input
43
to how you can make the best of the skills and experience that you might
have.
For an entry-level candidate, the best person to review the documents is an

individual that has experience in the industry the candidate is looking to
start. This individual will know which skills to highlight and which training the
candidate can undertake in preparation to put the best foot forward and
stand out from the crowd of applicants.
This can also be the best for the person looking for another job. However, if
s/he has someone that is actively involved in recruiting, they will also let the
candidate know the best way to portray his skills and abilities.
RECAP OF THE PRACTICAL TASKS FOR MONTH TWO
Ÿ Update your application documents.
Ÿ Sharpen your use of Social Media or remove any content that does not
portray you in the best possible light.
Ÿ Stay where the jobs are. (You have to go to them, they will hardly come to
meet you)
Ÿ Give your documents to another pair of eyes to review.
POINTS TO NOTE ABOUT MONTH TWO
You cannot get the job you are looking for if you do not portray yourself as
capable.
All the documents and platforms available to portray your skills should be
properly utilized in the process of hunting for another job.
The other factor is that there are more avenues asides from the traditional
means of applying for jobs available in the 21st century. Social media
breaks down barriers to major decision-makers. Many hiring managers are
looking through LinkedIn to poach smart and brilliant minds to join their
organizations. Many candidates have also connected to decision-makers
through social media through discussions about various causes that directly
or indirectly connect both of them.
44
There are little things that can be done to put you in the faces of important
people. You can write about various topics that connect with your person
and position. This will put you in a thought leadership position. Be as
engaging as possible in online forums and on threads that you have various
mentors present. You will be surprised at the attention your point of view
might get and how it can land you interesting conversations that will assist
you in making critical changes to your career.
Do not just use the social media strategy to only get a job, be consistent at it
to ensure that with the time you can be a thought leader and a force to
reckon with in your career. Social validation has a big impact on today's
career growth. Select a skill or niche that you love or are knowledgeable
about and share information as much as possible. Also, connect with other
thought leaders and manage these relationships to lead to ofine
conversations. These relationships can assist you in leveraging information in
the future.
Also, your application documents and other necessary paraphernalia will

need another person with ample experience to look through. This will
ascertain that you have put your best foot forward when applying for any
position. There might be typographical or grammatical errors that will turn
off the hiring manager (especially if the candidate states s/he pays
attention to detail but has a CV riddled with errors!)
45
MONTH THREE
FIRE AWAY!
46
Month Three: Fire Away
WEEK 1
BEGIN APPLYING TO JOBS THAT FIT YOUR SKILLSET!
After Juliet had looked through his documents and sent him the corrected
copies via email, he nally felt ready to begin applying for jobs.
Since he had subscribed for job alerts from various websites that he included
the type of companies he was interested in working with, he just waited
patiently for the emails to keep hitting his inbox.
There were 2 particular notications he looked forward to, one that came in
during his transit to work in the morning. While on the move, he mentally
highlights the jobs he will apply to when he got back home and the other
that sent mid-week and end of the week round-ups. This allows him to catch
up with the opportunities he might have missed out during the morning rush
or that the rst job board did not pick up.
He NEVER applied for a job using company time or company material. He

did not want any of his teammates to sense anything.
He had an Excel Sheet he created for all his applications, he updated them
according to the activities that occurred on each job.
He took his time to read all the job requirements and tweaking the template
he had to t what was requested by the companies. All he did was to use
certain keywords as was used in the job description of these companies to
show that he was a great t for the organization.
No lies, no embellishment that was out of place to the skills he had.
Since he had rejected her offer, Miss Edith did not act out of place and was
as professional as possible. Mike and she had continued to work on the
presentation and there was no slip-up. He always has his phone recorder on
incase she made another request but she only kept their discussion about
work or a trivial social topic.
After one of such sessions that they nished a lot later than the normal
closing time and she asked if she could drop him off close to his stop since he
had missed the staff bus. It was meant to be a short ride but when they got to
her car, her chauffer had left and she was the one driving. She was to start
her vacation the next day so she asked him to leave early.
He buckled his seat belt and vowed in his mind to be quiet most of the trip.
47
Her ofcial car was an all-black 2019 Camry with all the full options. "The life
of luxury," he thought to himself as the engine purred when they drove out of
the car park.
Mike looked out of the window as his boss hummed to the tune that was
playing over the radio. She had not threatened him in any way since he told
her he was not interested in her request. She did not withdraw the initial offer
of guiding him to become better at his job and gave him more pointers on
what will make him fast track his career. Mike has sat in with her in meetings
and took notes on her behalf which he later condensed to reports and
actionable points. They seemingly had a working understanding, Mike did
his best to consistently produce excellent results and she guided as needed.
She had dropped him off a few times after some of their long meetings, she
lived in the upscale estate about 15 minutes' drive from his apartment so she
knew the way to his place.
She asked a question about the presentation which brought Mike out of his
reverie. He answered as quickly as possible but the conversation continued
throughout the trip. Moving from the presentation to the madness of the city
trafc and how it could be sorted. It was nightfall when they got to this
apartment building and as she eased into the parking spot available, she
took his hand from the elbow and swung it towards her bosom.
Mike was shocked and didn't know what to make of this action. He quickly
withdrew his hand and opened his door to let himself out. Then he paused
when he remembered his phone recorder was still running.
"What did you do that for?" He shouted. What do you want to gain by this
pressure to want me to have sex with you?"
She just smiled at him and said nothing. He stared at her and just left the car
angrily.
While walking to his apartment, a million questions crossed his mind.
What was her game plan?
Did she want to frame him for assault? He knows she has a camera in the car
that she uses to monitor her driver. The camera was only focused on the
activities of the person in the driver's seat. He knew she was a strategic
thinker and for her not to make a comment when he asked what she
wanted, she might have gotten what she wanted.
Maybe she just wanted to toil with him just before she went for her vacation.
Maybe……just maybe.
48
Trust me, you are now ready to begin to search for the opportunities that
you have been looking for.
The truth is that there are opportunities that t your skillset and level but you
need to patiently have a detailed review of the job openings that you see.
All you need to do is to tailor your application to show your skills as the
requirements in the position you are applying for and also to use the
keywords as placed in the job description. This will allow the potential
employer to connect to you as a great t for the position.
However, do not gloss over the openings and just try your luck. You have to
be deliberate with the reading of each job description as the openings
come.
Ask yourself, does this solve the problem that I want?
Is the company culture a good t for me?
Is there something that is said subtly in these details?
Can I talk to someone, a mentor or colleague about what they know about
the company?
You do not need to t 100% to the jobs that are posted. If you have the
important skills that are requested, you can send in your application.
Human Resources personnel distribute skills in 2 broad categories (Must-
haves and Nice to haves) If you have the must-have skills, just send in your
application
Once you can ascertain that you have the skills that are tagged as "Must-
haves" and it is a job you are interested in, please send in your CV after you
have adapted it to the keywords used by the employer.
The factor of keeping a record of the job applications you put out might be
difcult but might be a very useful tool to track the progress of the job
applications that you have put in and the channel that got you the job you
will eventually get. You can either keep this record in your notebook set
aside for the practical points of this book or on an excel sheet on your
computer or smartphone.
49
WEEK 2
START MOVING OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE
Mike hated meetings!
GOSH!!!
Most of his colleagues think it is contradictory because he loves to make

presentations. He tells them that he loves to state facts and make logical
assumptions but thinks it is such a waste of time going back and forth
discussing things that are meant to happen instead of taking appropriate
action on all the factors that had been pointed out already.
Then he started observing that for the position he was aspiring to get,
especially for his manager to give him more responsibilities, he will have to
attend more meetings and host a few himself. He then decided to learn
how to be most efcient in attending meetings and hosting meetings if he
was the one that called the meeting. He scoured the internet and found
materials and very useful books.
He then decided to attend any and every meeting he was invited to and
consciously learn from hosts that properly handled all the manners of the
meeting.
The core of his ndings was that meetings were very important to set the
tone for achieving anything useful. What most managers did not note were
3 important factors:
1. What the core objectives of calling a meeting,
2. What was to be achieved by individuals attending the meeting and most

importantly
3. How to follow up on progress as time went by.
He connected to these hacks and stated enjoying any meeting that used
them as a template to ensure they were on track. He started picking up
cues and tips on how great meeting holders directed the affairs to ensure
there were efciency and direction in meetings.
He was in one of such meetings. Jake was the host of a brief meeting that
was scheduled to do a recap of the tasks left for the department to achieve
before the end of the month. Mike looked at his watch as Jake rounded up
50
the discussions with the points that each team member was meant to work
with. He smiled, since Miss Rosemary was on her vacation, the department
had not missed a step and Jake was doing an awesome job in ensuring the
team was still working according to the timeline that was drawn.
He still had ample time to be able to head to The Bulls ofce a few blocks
away to continue the conversation that started on Twitter.
Be more adventurous, challenge your thinking.
There has to be changed in the way you currently live your life to be able to
get to your goal of getting a job or changing jobs. The change has to
prepare you consciously for the new task you are preparing for.
Be more creative, have more push. Take more responsibilities, prepare

yourself for the place you are working towards. This way you are preparing
yourself for the place you are looking to apply especially if you are targeting
a position that is higher than the current position that you are holding. If you
are currently on a job, make your boss's job easier. Solve his problems
tactfully and gain his trust so he can give you more responsibilities. Once you
can consistently provide top quality work, you'll see that you will gradually
outgrow your current position and either you get promoted in a short time in
the current organization you are if they promote on merit and an opening
comes up.
There has to be a change in yourself towards the direction you are aspiring
to. Note what might be required of you in the position you are aspiring to
and start preparing yourself for it.
One of the ways to know what might be required is to ask from people that
are currently holding the position or if you are lucky to have someone
holding that position in your company, you can shadow them to know how
each day goes.
51
WEEK 3
START SENDING AS MANY APPLICATIONS TO POSITIONS THAT INTEREST YOU.
Mike was fed up.
What happened earlier in the day made him dig deeper
It was 11:00 a.m and he was working on a new proposal that was due the
next day. Then he got an email alert on his email.
He was excited hoping it was from one of the places he had previously
applied to that sent him an interview request.
The email was from an unknown person, a very random email address.
Iseeyoumichael@gmail.com was the email address.
All that was written in the body of the mail was:
"I have seen you speak several times and you are good at it. Your tongue
had better be sharper when you get busy with me."
There was a video attachment to the email.
Mike downloaded it and plugged his earphones to the laptop to nd out
what the content of the video was.
It was the viral video of Pastor Wilson pleasuring a lady with his tongue. He
immediately knew who sent the email. Although "Kaleesi" had not
contacted him directly since their episode in the car because she was on
her compulsory annual leave, she still found a way of tormenting him with
mind games. This was one of her tactics, sending subtle messages with a
heavy sexual undertone. She has never used any of her own
communication devices or mails but continues to nd a way to him. This has
made it extremely difcult to get the evidence he can submit to any of the
relevant authorities in the company.
He quickly closed his VLC player to avoid any of his co-workers see him and
think he was viewing adult material during ofce hours. He looked over his
shoulder and everyone in the shared ofce was busy at their desk or some
sort of meeting.
He sighed heavily, closed his eyes and made up his mind to send 4 well-
prepared applications daily instead of his daily target of 2.
52
She is to resume in 3 days and he had gotten to the height with all the
messages he had received. He saw a twitter thread earlier that morning
about a woman that was sexually molested by her direct boss. Although she
pressed charges and provided evidence, the case was suppressed and she
eventually lost her job.
Now that he was being sexually molested by his boss, he did not know what
process to follow especially since he could not provide a piece of tangible
evidence. He imagined how HR will be able to pursue the case if he
reported.
His father had been framed as a sexual assaulter and that ruined his great
career. Gabriel was a top executive in the bank and was very exceptional
at his job. There was no major decision that was to be taken without opinion.
He needed a P.A to assist in to make his life better arranged so he could be
more productive. That was when he hired Lizzy. She was the best graduate
in her class, spoke French and Spanish (which were very necessary for the
expansion plans for the company) and was very efcient. She was also as
beautiful as she was intelligent with a sultry and seductive personality.
Lizzy was very great at organizing the entire life of Gabriel such that he could
not do without her. Then they started a mutual relationship that they had
agreed to keep under wraps to prevent any backlash that might come with
it. Gabriel was married with 2 kids while Lizzy had a steady boyfriend.
They were as professional as possible at work but made out time to have
raunchy "meetings" at hotel rooms or the back of the car. It was at one of
those meetings that Gabriel ruined his career without him knowing it.
He got to the ofce and was summoned by the disciplinary committee. He

knew what the standards were because he was the brains behind the
template the disciplinary books were built. He always wanted to allow a
proper ow of communication among all staff and not to allow staff in a
higher position to suppress someone in a lower position. He thought there
was going to be a review like they do once a year. He did not know he was
the staff to be disciplined.
The Head of HR who also doubled as the head of the disciplinary committee
had no fear of any of the staff no matter the level. It was because of this
blunt and uncompromising character that Gabriel recommended her to
chair the disciplinary committee in the rst place. She did not know how to
tell him about the charges but asked him to sit and look through the details
on the laptop facing him. It was all the evidence the victim had submitted
to her ofce.
53
Letters to report sexual advances from her boss and a recording that had his
voice during the rape.
Gabriel did not know that Lizzy had recorded their role-playing session. They
usually had a role-playing session that involved them picking any character
they wanted. The recording that was played was the most recent
escapade they had with Gabriel playing a randy lecturer and Lizzy was a
stubborn student that he wanted to punish.
Lizzy's voice was clear in the recording "Please sir, I will not run anymore" His
response followed perfectly and corroborated her claims. It also nailed his
cofn: "I will punish you for denying me what I have always wanted. What I
have wanted since I laid my eyes on you. You'll see that I am not called the
impeller for anything. Beg me!"
Her "Please Sir" kept ringing in his ears as the recording ran out.
Lizzy claimed that she was only able to record a small part of the entire
"painful rape experience" that was the climax of the sexual molestation she
had faced from her direct line manager. Nothing could exonerate Gabriel
of the charges against him. He was speechless and just resigned from the
shame that came from the case. Lizzy was compensated handsomely by
the company as not to press charges.
She had studied the manner junior staff was being bullied by senior
employees and she decided to use the loopholes from the system created
to make some money for herself while understudying and framing one of
the best and smartest individuals in the business. She is still in active business
and currently sat on 3 boards of banks in the country.
Gabriel, however, was not able to take the shame associated with the
case. He relocated to another country and began working his way up the
corporate ladder again. He, however, died 4 years after the incident from a
stroke.
You will have to apply to as many positions that you t as possible. The more
places you apply, the better your chances are at getting a job. This can be
your main task or duty if you are not on a job. Make it a target to apply to at
least 4 positions daily. Also, take the time out to ensure that your CV and
54
cover letter are edited to be a good t for the position.
If you are currently on a job, take out time after work or early in the morning
before you resume to check and apply for jobs. Do not use company time
to search for a job. It is the hallmark of irresponsibility on your path and will
not give you the focus that is necessary for you to give your best in your job.
Dropping the ball is not an option even if you are looking to jump ship. Once
you have a reputation for giving excellent work, it will precede you
anywhere you go.
You can apply for at least 4 jobs daily. You'll need to set aside time that you
will need to identify the jobs that t you and then prepare your application
to t the requirement. If your schedule is very tight and you cannot dedicate
enough time to doing 4 applications daily, put in one daily.
Always look through the job description before you send in your
application. Ensure that you t the skills that are requested. Nothing can piss
a recruiter more than having to review an applicant that is not a t for the
requirement but he/she still sends the application in.
You can do this in the evening after work when you have identied
openings that t your skills.
WEEK 4
NETWORK LIKE CRAZY.
Since he does not work on Saturdays, Mike spends the entire day resting
and studying market trends. It perfectly suited his introverted nature.
However, with this new challenge, Mike could hardly have any rest of mind.
He kept looking out for networking events and HR gatherings that will get
him in front of people that can connect him to the companies he was
targeting. From research and speaking with several friends, he found that
most of the job openings were not publicized but spread by word of mouth.
This was very true because he got hired twice from the referral of friends and
not from applying randomly for any position. He decided that he had to do
something about meeting more people and growing his network to
increase his odds. He just had to leave his comfort zone.
From the books he read, he found that 'networking' was just a fancy way to
55
say 'Meet people and provide a valuable mutual relationship'
He registered on Eventbrite, set Google alerts to specic keywords in his

location and scoured social media to see where he could spend at least 3
hours on the weekend to talk to people of like mind. He had a friendly
demeanor and was willing to listen to how he could help them with their
projects.
After each event, he took his time to message everyone that he collected
their contact, added them to his LinkedIn network and was friendly to them.
Instead of telling them about his predicament and his search for another
job, he wanted to help out with their problems. He groomed their friendship
by providing value that was needed.
Not all job openings are advertised. Many companies rst send an internal
memo to their staff before even announcing it to the public. If they can get
reasonable applications, they do not usually publish the job opening to the
general public.
Once you let people in the industry you are interested in know you are
looking for an opportunity, you'll be surprised at the number of great
openings that will be forwarded to you.
Remember this: "Companies do not hire people, people hire people"
Networking events
When an opportunity to go for an event that has people in your industry in

attendance, you need to nd a way to be in attendance. It is the people
that you know in your circle of inuence that will assist in the process of
introducing you to potential employers.
Arrive early.
These networking events allow you to talk to any and everybody so make
the most of it. You can research the top speakers if it is a speaking gig and
ask a pertinent question that can catch their attention or spur a
56
conversation. If you are a shy person by nature,make it a note that you can
and will be able to communicate to people that you need that they can
assist.
Do not hide if you attend these events. Talk about yourself and the
opportunities that you are looking to have if you want your rst job or are
looking to join another coy. Collect the details of the people that can assist
you and reach out after the event.
It is best to reach out to them a day after the show to ensure they still have a
connection to you and can connect you quickly to whoever they can. The
longer it takes for you to reach out to them, the more other events might
have overshadowed you speaking with them and the possibilities of you
getting a lead from them less. Find things that connect you with the person.
Ask simple questions and they do not have to be directly related to their
careers. Ask questions like what sport do they watch and teams they
support, what they do when they are not working, where they grew up and
the schools they attended. You'll be surprised at the connections you have
with a random person by asking simple questions.
TEMPLATE OF EMAIL THAT YOU CAN USE TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF AFTER THE
EVENT.
Hi Tom,
I trust this mail meets you well.
It was great having a conversation about the work your department is doing
with robotics at the Linkedin Local Networking event.
Kindly assist in reaching out to me about the job opportunity that we spoke
about. An email that I can send my CV to will do just ne.
I anticipate your response and the possibility of us getting to see the game
together sometime.
Regards,
Mike.
You can also send a LinkedIn request to connect with the person you met at
the event. Sending a personal message while requesting the connection
makes it easier for the person to remember meeting you and accepting the
request.
57
RECAP OF THE PRACTICAL TASKS FOR MONTH THREE
Fire Away
Go out of your comfort zone
Start sending AS MANY applications to positions that interest you.
Network like crazy
PRACTICAL POINTS FROM MONTH 3
This month will demand more from you. This is the action-packed month
from the preparation of the earlier months. It might be tedious to pay close
attention to the job details of each job but it is even worse to use the same
application document for various job offers. A hiring manager will be able
to see that you didn't even take the required effort to make slight
adjustments to the cover letter and résumé.
The two things that will be required are ACTION and CHANGE!
Invest the time that you will take to tweak your CV to t the job application
before you send it in. Tweaking your CV to the appropriate requirement of
the employer increases your chances of getting an interview by at least
50%. It is better to send 3 proper tting CV than 10 generic applications.
You will need to take action to learn something new out of your comfort
zone and also appeal or embrace more responsibilities especially those
responsibilities needed in the position you are aiming for. This assists you to
know how to respond to certain interview questions and also be more
efcient at your duties before getting the new job.
If you are an introvert that does not like meeting people or networking, you
will have to make a slight change to assist the growth of your career. Once
you have the goal at hand, you can and should give your all to reach out to
more people that are also looking for valuable professional relationships.
58
MONTH FOUR
GO BACK TO YOUR DRAWING BOARD
TO REVIEW
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GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD TO REVIEW
WEEK 1
HAVE A CRITICAL REVIEW.
There was no event this weekend.
Mike checked every platform that he had registered and there was no
single event.
He lay in bed hoping to at least sleep. There was no project at hand from the
ofce that required his attention. The Khaleesi was to resume on Monday.
The thought of her back at the ofce spurred him to check out his Excel
sheet to review his progress so far.
His conversation with The Bull was very interesting and he was promised a
spot on the team once their plans for expansion had been properly
planned out. That was meant to be at the beginning of the next month.
He had written 3 online tests and done one physical interview. He had
gotten to the next stage of the interview and was told he would be called
when the next stage of the interview was.
He also sent his CV to a contact which one of his classmates from college
provided. The recruiter said he will get back to him when the recruitment
process starts. The company hardly hires because their staff stays for long
periods and if there is a new position, they only hire externally if there is no
staff that cannot take the position. Mike loves its company culture and will
give an arm to join their company.
He had a third stage interview scheduled for the upper week with High
Tower Corp. The Head of the department was out of town and made the
last hiring decision after the candidates have gone through all other
interviews process directed by the Human Resources department.
Mike opened his Excel Sheet and looked through all the job applications
that he had put together to get to this level. He realized that most of the
openings that he got more positive responses were the ones that his friends
had introduced him to.
Although he got some interviews from the applications he sent online, the
recruitment process seemed to be fast-tracked with applications that he
knew someone in the organization.
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You must have gotten some results. Review, what strategy seems to be
working?
What do you have to do more of and what do you have to stop?
This is a very important aspect of the process to be able to track your

progress and know if there is any advancement.
The best thing that you can do to keep track of your activities is to write
down the progress of every application.
When you apply for an opening, write the name of the company, position
and the platform that you used in applying for the job. This can be done in
your notebook or using an excel sheet.
When there is any progress or invite for an interview, you note the date of the
interview in this document. This will assist you in tracking how there is an
improvement with time and any strategy you need to use to spur action. This
way you are not lost when there is a form of communication from ANY of the
application you put into. It also assists you with the follow-up process.
It can also prompt you to send some form of reminder to ensure the Human
Resource personnel will recall to reach you when there is an opening that ts
you especially if you possess the skills needed for the position but you are not
the rst choice candidate. Some organizations have such candidates on
their back up list and reach out as the need arises.
A friend of mine passed all the stages of an interview of a top rm but they
only wanted to hire 10 individuals for the position. She was among the top 15
candidates but did not meet the cut-off. The HR personnel in charge of the
recruitment process told her to be patient and will be reached out to in a
few months when recruitment is scheduled to hold. She kept in touch with
the HR personnel via email twice in the space of 3 months and was
requested to resume 4 months after the initial interview process.
The power of reaching out and keeping in touch due to a standard form of
keeping records of your application process assists in following up closely
with potential openings that might just need a little more push to get a
successful response.
61
WEEK 2
SHARPEN YOUR AX WHILE WAITING
Mike was scrolling through his LinkedIn timeline later in the day after
completing his intense review.
He noticed a post on one of the groups he was a member of. One of the
data analysts based in Singapore put up a screenshot of a software that
was used across board to render data results. Mike paused and zoomed in
the image. There was a major difference in the interface with the software
he used.
Mike decided to do a quick research and found out it was the recent
upgrade that had a lot of input on features. He did not know the release
had been done and immediately started sourcing for the software upgrade
online. There was a payment needed to have access, he quickly whipped
out his MasterCard to make the payment immediately.
He knew he would spend the entire weekend learning how to make the
best of the newly included features. He could already envision himself
including this upgraded skill on his CV and LinkedIn prole.
What have you noticed that you are lacking? Is there a skill that you are
lacking that can boost your opportunities?
Do not hide with excuses, start learning what you have identied to be
important. It could be a soft or hard skill.
If it will require some form of payment or sacrice, know that it will assist in
your career growth and not just help with the job search. The process of
learning this skill can also lead you to meet more people that can refer you
to a job opening of your dreams.
It might be the process of beginning a professional course that is required in

the position that you are interested in. If you are looking to get hired in a
position higher than your current role, an increase in your skill level will be the
62
rst thing that puts your foot through the door. Imagine if your desired
position requires the possession of a CFA designation for the candidate, a
CFA level III candidate has a better potential of getting the job than
someone that has not written even the rst paper. There is a place of skilling
up that is required especially when looking to get a better job.
This period of applying for another job, you can also invest in getting more
knowledge or skill that is essential for the role. There are many MOOCs that
you can use to gain knowledge for free or a small fee to obtain certicates.
Alison.org
Udemy.com
Khanacademy.com
Coursera
edX
MIT OpenCourseWare
Stanford Online
Codecademy
Open Culture Online Courses
TED-Ed
WEEK 3
SECRET SAUCE: CHANGING YOUR STRATEGY THAT SOLVES THE PAIN

OF THE EMPLOYER!
Monday arrived and his HOD had still not resumed. He was surprised that she
was not at her ofce when he resumed. She was a workaholic and he felt
something was amiss when she had not resumed.
It was an hour later that a department-wide memo was sent that the
meeting she was to the chair had been postponed to the next day due to
another project she had to be onsite to supervise.
It was at this time that Mike decided to study trends and how it affected
data collection and its analysis. After reading a few articles online, he
wanted to put all the theoretical reasoning into some practical use.
Mike started thinking about the trend of questions he had been asked in all
the interviews he had attended. Most of the questions related to leadership,
ownership of responsibilities, relating with decision-makers within and
outside the organization, and how he could work in a fast-changing
environment.
63
He was trying to piece together if there was a major move that most of them
were
out preparing for.
Then it hit him.
There was a sudden shift in the global market in terms of investment and as
such there was a huge tendency for their local market to be inltrated by
foreign rms that have more nancial muscle. As such, local rms were
looking to acquire good talent that will be able to continue with the massive
growth that was occurring in the economy in choice industries.
There had been a lot of interest in the country due to population and
potential that was noticed in a few focus sectors in which his current
employer were also major players.
It was then he decided to take a different approach to get the job.
He whipped out a notebook and started putting together ideas for a

document he will send to the companies he had already interviewed with.
He planned to begin work on the document later that evening.
This can be the game changer in this process of looking to get a job or
change your jobs.
There is a deluge of applicants immediately there is publicity about the jobs.

The most difcult thing to do as a candidate is to stand out from the crowd.
Think of it like shouting you are the number one fan of Michael Jackson in a
stadium full of Michael Jackson fans.
Dur, look around.
The truth is that the hiring manager does not just want someone that will do
the job. He wants someone that can hit the ground running and be
proactive to deal with future challenges that might have not been noticed
in the rst place.
So not to get lost in the ton of application that the HR has to attend to, you
can use a different approach.
64
Turn everything on its head and write a pain letter!
Follow this process:
1. Identify the major problem of the company or industry that you are
looking to join. This will not be written in a press release or on the website.
However, you can see it in patterns that can be observed in your research.
The reason they are looking to recruit for a position is that they want
someone to solve a problem they are going through.
All companies are out to save money while making more money. When you
have enough knowledge to be able to do this, you will be able to move to
the next point.
2. When the problem has been uncovered.

Then you need to properly highlight the problem and if you have been able
to solve it previously. If you have solved the challenge in a job you held
before, it will be great to highlight your responsibility and position held.
Example of a Pain Letter
Dear Kelly,
I was happy to catch your Tedx talk at Gregs' hall and I have become a
huge follower! I agree with your take on making the business a more
collaborative effort especially in a growing economy like ours.
It is pretty amazing to see Gong Biscuits making headway and having a

year-over-year growth of 41%. I was in charge of the distribution of Peacock
biscuits from the period of 2011 to 2016 when we were acquired. We had
similar challenges that I am certain you are currently having. We distributed
to all countries on this continent and built an independent network of
distributors worldwide.
We built the sales from $11M to $98M during this time and I can envision a
similar scale and level for expansion for your business. I am looking for a
new challenge and I am interested in assisting Gong Biscuit in its expansion
plans.
If you have time to chat or continue this email conversation, I am available.

(My phone contact is on the footer of this mail) Also, nd my CV attached.
Best to you and your team.

John Johnson.
65
If you have not solved the exact problem that the coy you are targeting are
currently facing, you can state your skillset and how you are interested in
tackling new challenges. Share your enthusiasm in making an impact and
proving your abilities to the hiring manager or decision-maker.
Pain letters are said to receive callbacks at least 25% of the time from
Human Resources than CVs just sent to applications. You can send this letter
by mail or if you want it to stand out, send it via a courier company that will
deliver it to the person's desk directly. Sending it directly via courier will make
your pain letter not get lost in the inbox that might be clogged with mail
already.
WEEK 3
LEARNING HOW TO MAKE A SEAMLESS CAREER SWITCH
It was Tuesday morning and time for the all-important meeting the entire
department had been waiting for. Miss Roseline Edith was in the ofce
before resumption time as usual and had a guest with her.
She and her mystery guest came into the conference room at 9:00 a.m and
met the entire team seated, waiting for the meeting to begin. Miss
Rosemary was straight to the point as to the basis of the meeting and what
the overall objective will be. The last project that the team handled before
her annual leave was a huge success and just before she ew to Santorini to
spend the few weeks basking in the sun and enjoying the euphoria, she
spoke with the chairman about the vision of the department and what they
needed to do to be ahead of the curve consistently. It was then she
introduced the lady with her as Dr. Edinburg and how she was a top
consultant in the usage of technological tools to provide the edge in their
line of work.
Dr. Edinburg took to the center stage and began to dish out the needed
information using her slides.
Mike was particularly keen on how the conversation she was about to begin
will assist him to be better at his job and improve his techniques at using
some of the tools he expected her to talk about.
She did not request for the teleprompter but was controlling the slides of her
PowerPoint presentation directly from her mobile phone. Mike knew she
had an app that allowed her the ease of connecting her device to the
smart TV.
He became more interested when she mentioned that she was a trained
66
medical doctor but got enthralled by technology and started learning how
to write computer programs.
She carried every individual along during the presentation, asking questions
and telling rather quirky jokes about her experience in the transition process.
She had learned so much about the company's culture and structure. She
tuned each point to show how the department can use technology to
shorten their response time and the best process to use and not abuse
technology. She had learned some of the everyday slang and got
everyone excited in the room.
Her presentation was long but everyone did not want it to end.
She sent a more detailed attachment to the email addresses of all the
members of the team before she took her seat. Cheers and huge applause
trailed her as she sat acknowledging the praise heaped on her. Mike just
had to talk to her to know how she was able to make the effortless switch
from medicine to a foremost consultant in technology. If she did not make
mention of the transition, he will have never imagined it.
Miss Edith called on a 20 minutes break before they concluded on the plan
for the department. It was that window that Mike used to speak with Dr.
Edinburg.
She was at the table of confectionery and beverage getting herself a cup
of tea and doughnuts when he stepped up to her and greeted her.
“Hello, Dr. My name is Mike. I was impressed by the ways you highlighted
how we can utilize technology to ensure we work more efciently in our
department. Thanks for such an awesome presentation” ,he said.
“Oh, I am attered by your kind words” She answered rather politely.
He went on: “I am however curious as to how you were able to move easily
from practicing medicine to writing code and now consulting about
technology. That is quite some feat!”
“It was not as easy as it sounded Mike. The entire transition from a medical
doctor to a programmer took 3 years of active work juggling my duties
during the day and learning process at night or vice versa depending on
the duty I was posted on in the hospital.”
“Interesting” Mike said “3 years of learning code only?” He asked.
“Well, I am an intense person and love to know as much as possible in all that
I do. I also was interested in the business of the tech industry so I took
67
numerous courses online and ofine to be up to date about the growth,

expansion, and needs of businesses. Everybody's stories will be different but I
decided this was the path I wanted to toe and I am not disappointed one
bit about the outcome of my journey” She concluded her statement by
taking a sip from the piping hot cup of tea that balanced in the saucer in her
hand.
“I have a friend from university that is currently in the transition phase of her
career. It is quite coincidental that she is somewhat in the medical sector
also, although she is a pharmacist and she is also learning to write code.
Can I make an introduction if that is ne with you? If you can, you can have
lunch with her before you catch your ight out of town.” He said as they
walked back to their seats with their plates of snacks.
“Sure! I will love to meet her.” Dr. Edinburg led the way to her seat. She pulled
out her card from her purse. “I am staying at the Blue Haven Hotel, she can
ring the desk tonight for us to schedule a time for tomorrow.”
Mike took her card and thanked her for her time.
He immediately took out his phone to call his friend and share Dr. Edinburg's
contact with her.
In the 21st century, there is an increase in having to change career paths

more than ever before. This is due to various reasons that range from more
exibility demanded by workers, skill demands changing according to
demands of various industries, having access to more information than
before, not knowing about some possible career paths before heading to
higher institutions and lots more.
It is not strange to see a medical doctor resign from practicing medicine to

become a computer programmer to solve a problem that has been
haunting him/her. However, the process of changing careers might be
dependent on the skill set possessed and the requirements of the career
that is to be changed to.
Certain principles can be followed during the transition period that can
assist you in the process.
68
1. Speak to people in the career you are interested in transitioning to.
This way it is easier for you to know what is required in the new career. If
possible, shadow the person for a day to know how the typical day in that
career goes. Nothing beats having real practical knowledge about the
tasks, activities, and challenges that the people in that career path go
through.
2. Learn the basic skill that can get your foot in the door.
With the internet, there are many ways to learn various skills. Some MOOCs
have a variety of courses put together by various individuals with the
required experience. Some of them are Khanacademy.com, Alison.com,
and Udemy.com, etc.
3. Write the professional examinations necessary
Some professions require you to write some examinations before you can
be identied as a member. Research if the career you are transitioning into
has such requirements and begin to prepare for such examinations.
4. Get a mentor that will assist in the transition process.
Your mentor will assist you in cutting down your learning time and allow you
to focus on the important basics that are needed to get through the.
Pareto Principle works in this aspect also (as it works in most scenarios): there
is 20% most critical skill you will require to be successful and the remaining
80% will only make you an expert and stand out. With a proper mentor, you
can know the 20% you should initially focus your attention on to be able to at
least get your foot in the door.
RECAP OF THE PRACTICAL TASKS FOR MONTH FOUR

Ÿ Have a critical Review
Ÿ Sharpen your ax while waiting
Ÿ Secret Sauce: Changing your strategy that solves the pain of the
employer!
Ÿ Learning how to make a seamless Career Switch
Consistency is the name of the game.

It might seem tiring to continue sending job applications or reaching out to
the people in your network that asked you to remind them about your
request for an introduction.
69
What will keep you on track is the constant focus on the end goal of not just
changing your job but also improving your career growth. You can use this
time to skill up by learning a relevant prociency in the period. The best way
to learn and grow is by taking action in the direction of the goal.
Once you can keep in the process of applying for jobs that t your skills and
tweak your application according to the job description, you will be able to
land an interview.
The tricky thing about this aspect of changing jobs is that nothing seems to
work immediately. As long as you follow the steps above, give it time, all will
work out.
70
MONTH FIVE
INTERVIEWS, FOLLOW UP,

GETTING THE JOB
71
Month Five: Interviews, Follow Up, Getting The Job
WEEK 1
HOW TO WORK AROUND GETTING TO INTERVIEWS.
Knowing that the interview with the multinational company that sent him an
interview invite might take the entire day, Mike decided to take the entire
day off.
He followed the procedure as stipulated and sent in the request 5 working
days ahead. HR and his line manager were required to sign off the
document before it was approved. With all projects completed and signed
off by the 'Khaleesi' who was scheduled to be with the fundraising team.
Mike did not just imagine how lucky she was out of the ofce for another
week. The end of the year tends to be very busy for Head of Departments
and senior Managers because the company kept pushing for strategy
meetings on expansion, growth, and innovation.
Since the last video Miss Edith sent to Mike, she had not kept up with her
antics. It seemed she got busy with work and did not have the time to keep
teasing him. He did not want to wait for any more pushes before he got out
of the hold that was tightening around him.
Jake signed the letter easily giving him the day off and asked him to close
early if he wanted. He packed his laptop and called Juliet ahead for the
interview practice session she had prepared for him with one of the trainers
in her HR agency.
If you have a very busy job that gives you little or no time, it is best to
schedule your interview times or days to the times that you have time to
make the most of it. Schedule to have interviews after ofce hours if the
hiring person of the headhunter is willing to wait for you beyond her normal
ofce hours.
If your job allows you to have a exible lunchtime, you can meet your
interviewer over lunch and discuss how your skills can be useful in their
company.
If this is not the case, you can plan to take a day off to properly focus,
prepare and smash your interview.
72
It is very imperative to know how your company culture will allow you to
walk around the rules without being distracted from your tasks and making
the most of the interview.
Has an entry-level applicant, however, you should be exible to the time

scheduled for your interview because most companies will prefer to
interview all candidates at the same time to make a choice. If for any
tangible reason you will not be able to make the interview, you can always
reach out to the person in charge of the recruitment process or that has
been communicating with you to reschedule. You can provide reasons or
not depending on the reason you will be unable to make it for the interview.
Giving out the information for you not to be able to make the set time and or
date for the interview is at your discretion.
WEEK 2
ANSWERING QUESTIONS AT THE INTERVIEW
Jane was waiting for Mike in the lobby of their ofce by the time he arrived.
She gave him a rm handshake and led him to a private room that had
been scheduled for their interview preparation.
She had all the possible interview scenarios and activities prepared for their
time.
“So Mike, the company that is interviewing you is notorious for putting their
candidates through various hoops at the same time to know how efciently
they can process information and react to situations. As such, I will be very
pushy in my attitude and questioning because the few hours we have can
only be maximized if we try to push ourselves. Are you ready?”
He replied in the afrmative and they started.
She rst ran a one on one interview asking him very direct questions about
his capabilities and he answered them as skillfully as he could. After the
interview session, he was given a real-life case study and a very short
timeline to be able to give a decisive brief and a workable plan.
The process built Mike's mind for any possibility for the next day. He thought
he was done after the tedious time constraint presentation he gave but he
was wrong.
There was one more interview session that Jane asked some questions he
was not ready for. He paused and took a long time to answer them as best
as he could although he wished he did better.
73
She took notes all through the process and shared it with him. They both
reviewed his process with her giving him tips on how best to present himself
to the interviewer.
Mike thanked her for the 4 hours they spent working on his interview
planning. He went home still working on how he could wow his potential
employers with great answers and condence.
Practical Activities for Week 2
Congratulations!
You have been selected to be interviewed.
This is a very critical section of the entire process. If you have applied for
numerous job openings and you get to go for an interview, the task left for
you is to convince them that you are the right person for the job.
Take a deep breath rst of all.
For you to be selected to be interviewed, it means there is something on

your application that caught the fancy of your potential employers. All you
have to do is prepare yourself with the following points:
1. Research as much as you can
You'll need to nd out more about the company and the position. This will
mean you will check the company's website, all press releases and annual
reports. There is so much you can gain from these documents.
You can also reach out to individuals that are currently working in the
company or industry that can provide indispensable points that will be
useful for you during the interviews. These people might be friends or
contacts from social media or previous places of employment. This is also
when you can make use of the contacts you have made from your
networking events, most of them will be willing to assist you with the
necessary information or at least point you in the right direction.
74
2. Prepare for the interview
Preparing for an interview is very important. A third of employers know if they

will hire the candidate within 90 seconds of contact so preparation to make
a great rst impression during the interview session is of utmost importance.
Practice with normal generic and industry-specic questions. You can have
a sparring partner that asks the questions and judges your answers and
mannerism (both in speech and body movements).
You might even be surprised at the way you will perform when put on the
spot.
Asides practicing with a sparring partner, you can also practice in front of a
mirror. Listen to your voice, the pitch, and the power behind it. Know that a
condent and competent candidate has a better chance of getting the
job than the individual that is just qualied on paper.
As you look in the mirror, picture yourself in your mind to be in the front of your
interviewer. Note all your facial expressions as you speak and when you are
quiet to know how to portray your best facial countenance. This matters a
lot like a friendly candidate that smiles often has a higher chance of getting
the job. Most recruiters are looking for social skills asides competence to nd
out if the candidate can connect with other team members and have
synergy when s/he joins the company.
Your body language will also be important to be able to convey

condence
You might even decide to have your role-playing or mirror sessions dressed
in the exact outt you are planning to wear to the interview. This will assist
you with visioning yourself speaking with the interviewer and being in the
interview session.
3. Have good answers prepared for these questions

There are some open-ended questions that interviewers use to begin the
interview session to get a feel of the candidate.
Many times due to jitters or lack of proper preparation, most candidates
fumble at answering these questions correctly. Don't be like most.
Have a decisive and well-prepared answer that will make a good
impression. Below are some of the questions that will be asked:
Tell us about yourself

This question is used to have a brief knowledge about the candidate and
career journey. It is best to tailor your answer to t your own story and also
75
the requirements of the position you are interviewing for.
This is the best question you can be asked during an interview because this is
your best opportunity to get the job. Follow a straightforward method of
answering this question that will portray all your values that you will.
Below is a skeleton that a young school leaver can use to ll to get to best
possible response to give in the interview room.
"I was born and brought up in _____, during my schooling I developed a

keen interest in _______. (1) Due to this, I did my undergrad at ___ where I
pursued a degree in ____. (2). In my curriculum, I found the areas of ____ and
____ particularly interesting because they helped me develop a skill set in
________ (3) . Apart from my curriculum, I engaged in ________ (4). I was
drawn to these because they were in line with my interests such as _____ and
in hindsight I think I have developed ______ (5). I am also extremely
passionate about _____ which I have been pursuing for a very long time (6).
“
Why do you want to work for us?
This is somewhat like a sales pitch that requires a mix of talk about skill sets
and personality. Know the solution that you will provide to the problem they
are facing, this is the point to sell it.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Do some research to see the growth trajectory of individuals that are

currently in the position you are applying to. That way you can either use
their career growth as a template for yourself or use it to draft how you want
to build your own unique career story.
4. Use the CAR approach to answer questions about your competencies
When the interviewer asks a particular question about how you will
approach a potential challenge that will occur in the position that you
interviewed for, it is best to use the CAR approach.
State the Challenge
Action points and
Results.
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If you have had such a challenge previously, you can use the history of how
you solved the problem as the perfect answer to the query.
Example of the questions that can be asked.
How will you ensure an unruly but talented subordinate that does not keep
to timelines delivers in time for an important project?
What project will you consider your most challenging in your career?
How will you resolve a misunderstanding between you and your line
manager especially when you are correct and you continue with his
directive, the project will fail or be behind schedule?
These questions are tough and can even throw the most capable
candidate in his/her game.
You can practice using this method using the example below.
E.g.
Challenge
How will you ensure an unruly but talented subordinate that does not keep
to timelines delivers in time for an important project?
With the proper management of time to achieve a particular aim, I was

once in charge of a project with a timeline of 2 months. A critical part of the
project was handled by a colleague that loved to wait till a rush hour before
submitting his section.
Actions.
I scheduled a weekly general meeting with all team members to submit the
needed documents and materials needed and also ensured I had one on
one meetings to ensure we were on the same page.
The requirements of his section were well drawn out and his tasks were
broken to smaller units to be submitted weekly during the general meeting.
Results.
All aspects of the project were completed and reviewed a full 2 weeks
before the deadline that availed us more time to be innovative about the
manner of presentation and got the client to be a repeat customer due to
the efciency of our services.
The procrastinating team member stated I was easy to work with and
started to adopt that method to his work which made the rm more efcient
in the deployment of services in general
77
5. Prepare for the interviewers' concerns about your application.
You might have a few factors on your application that will raise a concern to
the potential employer about your capability or competence. Instead of
hoping they will not bring it up, (hope is not a strategy!) it is best to prepare
for an appropriate response.
You have stayed an average of 12 months in each position.
You have a gap in your employment records.
Lacking a particular skill requested for.
Being overqualied or over experienced for the position.
You left your previous position due to an altercation with your boss or an
unresolved challenge.
E.g.
I realize I do not speak French but from the job advert, I recall it was stated to
be nice to have language skills but not a requirement. However, I am
currently a student of the foreign language class and I have learned the
basics of French. I will continue my studies and as such will be able to speak
with potential clients and vendors when the rm expands to French-
speaking territory.
6. Have questions prepared for the interviewers
It is wrong not to have some important questions prepared for the

interviewers. The questions might be about the position and requirements to
be made of you if you take the position or about a critical business decision
that will change the current trajectory of their operations.
It is also great to ask questions about the information that you might have
just been privy to during the interview. There is no hard and fast rule to it. All
you have to do is to be sincerely curious, interested in the progress of the
company and also wanting to dispel all confusion that might occur if a
section of your conversation was unclear.
You'll make an impression if you ask a question using the information that
you have collected from your research.
E.g.
● The current trade war with China and America has an impact on one
of the major components of the prime product of this company. How
78
does the company plan to ensure the production process is stable and
what are the steps taken to mitigate uctuation in orders due to the
increase of importation duties?
● As read in the annual report on the company website, there is a

massive expansion plan to open more stores in 15 countries over the
next 20 months. How will these activities have an effect on the
department I am interviewing for? Will I be actively involved with
some of the tasks associated with the expansion?
WEEK 3
AFTER THE INTERVIEW, WHAT NEXT?
The waiting period after an interview is the most tedious time.
Mike had gone for at least 8 interviews and none of them have given a
green light to join their team. All the companies he interviewed had most of
the factors he was looking for. He had put a routine into his interview process
and sent in a thank you email to the interviewer. In the cases that he did not
have the email of the person, he searched through the company website
to obtain the email.
Some companies do not display the email addresses of all their staff on the
website so he used free online tools like “Hunter”, “Rapportive” and
“Anymail Finder”
To some of the interesting interviewers that he wanted to keep relationship
asides for trying to get a job at their coys, he sent a LinkedIn to invite 4 hours
after the interview and sent a personal message.
Most of them responded positively to his requests and replied to his
messages. He expressed how he enjoyed the interview session and thanked
the individual for the opportunity and hoped to keep the professional
connection. He also did not push about a response about the interview
process.
One interview ethic that I actively ask you to pursue is the art of sending in a
thank you note/ email. This makes you more memorable to the recruiter.
Most recruiters are bogged down by singling out a proper candidate and
might have gone through the drag of candidates. To stand out after the
conversation/ interview, it is smart to send in a thank you note or letter.
79
TEMPLATE OF A THANK YOU EMAIL SENT TO A RECRUITER AFTER AN

INTERVIEW.
Dear Amy,
I trust this email meets you well.
The interview session today was amazing and I am looking forward to

working with the company if I proceed to the next stage.
I am also exible to discussions around constraints that might require us to

talk about.
You can easily reach me via email or phone. My mobile number is

+3536283.
Thanks again for your time.
Regards,
Michael.
TEMPLATE OF A THANK YOU NOTE AND PERSONAL MESSAGE VIA LINKEDIN TO

AN INTERVIEWER.
Good day,
Thank you for the sincerity of your perspective and the richness of
conversation during the interview session today.
I am grateful.
It will be awesome to be connected with you on LinkedIn to continue our

professional conversation here.
Kindly accept my invitation.
Regards,
Michael.
However, you do not need to bug the recruiter with messages because you
have their email address. After the thank you note and a possible request to
know if a decision has been made after the interview, it is unwise to continue
trying to reach out especially if another candidate was selected for the
position.
80
WEEK 4
DEALING WITH THE SILENCE
Mike was looking at his excel sheet and noticed that there was nothing new
to enter into the sheet for the past 2 weeks. No new activity from his
applications and he had done all the stages of interviews he was invited
into. The last input he placed in one of the jobs he was so interested in was
that another candidate, Hilda had been hired. He had met Hilda in the
waiting area on the day of the interview and it was interesting that both of
them were the only 2 that passed the online test which was the rst stage of
the application process.
The online test was tricky and he was already drawn to the wittiness of the
test and how it required you to think creatively. He asked her how she solved
the set of questions and they had a pretty decent conversation while
waiting to be called in.
They had exchanged phone numbers and kept in touch.
She rang him on a Thursday afternoon to tell him she had got an offer letter
about 30 minutes ago and wanted to know if he was also sent one. He had
refreshed his email just before her call connected and knew that he had not
gotten a new message. He told her he had not gotten a job offer from the
coy.
He congratulated her, wished her all the best in her new position. She hung
up after also wishing him the best in his job search.
He decided to just throw himself at the work that was left for him to distract
himself from the awkward silence that came from all the job opportunities
he had applied for and interviewed for.
Sometimes you have done every single thing right but it might not turn out as
planned.
That is how life is sometimes but it does not mean that you have to be silent
during the silent period.
81
Here are a few things that you can do
1. Send a reminder mail to a potential employer that you had an interview

with.
The interview was great, you connected with the recruiter and s/he says you
t the bill of the candidate that they have been looking for but a week after,
there has been no follow up call. Take your time to mentally review if there
was a timeline that started after the interview.
If not, send an email or make a phone call to speak with the person in
charge to know what is possible.
2. Reach out to other candidates you might have met during the interview.
3. Put together a proposal/ material that solves a problem that you

discussed during the interview.
This will put you ahead of other candidates that might have kept mum after
the interview. If there was a problem the company is going through that was
mentioned during the interview. If you have the time, work on putting
together a presentation on how you are going to solve it uniquely.
Imagine the surprise on the face of the recruiter/ employer that you are
proactive and solving problems before you even get hired. This raises the
possibility of been employed even more.
4. Keep applying for more opportunities.
Shrug off the silence and keep applying for other opportunities. You never
know if you will get the other job and the more possibilities, the better for
you.
5. Learn an important skill
This point is very important if you are an entry-level candidate and do not
have experience. During the process of a job search, learn an important skill
that will allow you to stand out for the position or industry you are aiming for.
You can nd out from an individual working in the industry or a recruitment
ofcer to know which skill will be relevant to make you stand out.
If there is a professional course you have to take and you do not have funds
to take the exams, you can begin to read the material online and ofine to
prepare yourself with the SKILL. As important as the certication is, the most
important factor is to know the skill. Certication can be obtained later but
82
the in-depth knowledge of the skill is of utmost importance.
6. Keep doing your best quality work at your current position.
If you are currently on a job, do not get sloppy.
Most individuals' daydream about their 'new' position that they have not
gotten that they do not concentrate on doing their best at their current
position. It is best to continue to produce your best work in your current
position while waiting on the response of the potential employers you have
spoken with.
RECAP OF THE PRACTICAL TASKS FOR MONTH FIVE
Ÿ How to work around getting to interviews.

Ÿ Answering questions at the interview
Ÿ After the Interview, what next?
Ÿ Dealing with the silence
It is very easy to despair in the process but having a plan and working with it
makes it a little easier.
The truth is that getting a job is tasking because you will have to jump
through hoops to make it work but making some small progress gives you an
inkling of hope at the end of the tunnel.
The most difcult task is to convince the hiring manager that you are worthy
of an interview session and your application package is the most important
factor in the process. Once you are called to the interview room, half of the
journey is complete.
You now need to use all the resources at your disposal to ensure that you
can make an amazing impression in the mind of the interviewer. Over
preparation is better than under preparation in anything in life especially at
an interview because the interviewer will be judging you due to your
response in those few minutes of interaction. Although interviews are not the
most efcient way to ensure the capability of an individual, it is the easiest
and fastest way to pick up signals and signs as to know if the individual might
t into the position and the grand scheme of things in the organization.
83
Prepare as much as you can, ensure the interview does not clash with your
tasks at your current job and give your very best.
It might also take a while before the company gets to you after the
interview, do not fret if they do not respond immediately after your session.
Great recruitment processes often take some time to look through all the
candidates that had applied to choose the crème de la crème using
various criteria.
Be patient and deal with the process as calmly as possible. Do not quit your
job because the interview went well and the hiring manager gave you all
the condence that the job is yours. Wait till you get a valid job offer with all
the requirements and benets all spelled out in white and black.
84
MONTH SIX
JOB OFFERS,
JOB OFFERS,
JOB OFFERS
85
Month Six: Job offers, Job offers, Job offers
WEEK 1
CAREFULLY REVIEW THE OFFERS THAT YOU HAVE.
It seemed that Hilda's phone call opened the oodgates of offers.
Mike decided not to check his email anymore and was tired of the entire
process.
He only opened his email on Friday morning to read his morning newsletter
from Quartz. Then he saw he had gotten a job offer from different
companies the previous evening. Attached to the email was the
breakdown of all the payments and fringe benets that came with the
position.
He responded to the mail stating he will give them a response in 4 days.

Later that day, he got an email from The Bulls Company with a better offer
than the earlier offer. He blinked at his phone twice when he opened the
mail during lunchtime.
That was not all.
He took the weekend to look through the two options he had and made a
choice to which he had set up a mail to be sent in automatically at 10:00
a.m.
Monday morning however had a pleasant surprise for him.
A multinational that was the rst company to interview him sent him the best
offer of the lot that morning. The offer came with an ofcial car and an
amazing package. He was simply blown away. He thought a joke was
played on him with all the offers that came at the same time.
Mike now had a plethora of choices, it felt like he just won a marathon.
Although he was tired from the journey, he had to do a victory lap and
choose the best option.
He stopped the automatic message he had previously set up and then
decided to weigh his options due to the new offer he just had.
He had to take his time to think through the real reason he wanted to
change jobs. Although he wanted to leave the hold of “Khaleesi”, he
wanted to get a mentor that will be able to manage him and provide
information to help with the growth of his career.
86
You have gone through various interviews and you have gotten a job offer
or if you are lucky like Mike, you have many job offers, you'll need to review
all the offers and make the most of what they offer. It is not just the basic
salary that is needed to be reviewed.
You'll need to look through the reasons you were looking for a job or
changing your position in the rst place so you can ensure that the job offer
you are considering crosses the things that you are looking for.
Take time out to weigh your options especially when you have similar offers.
Weigh the pros and cons while focusing purely on the real intent of you
getting a job. If your reason for wanting to change your jobs has changed
from the exercise that we had on Month 1 week on Page10, it is alright.
Review critically to ensure you are making the right decision.
WEEK 2
PREPARE TO HAND OVER PROPERLY
Mike was determined to resign properly and aimed to tell everyone

important in time.
He already knew that Frank will take over from his responsibilities.
Frank shared his love with crunching numbers and studying trends. They had
a professional relation and mutual respect. He was the rst person Mike told
that he was resigning from the company. They ran to each other on the
stairwell when Mike asked if he had a minute to spare.
Frank was surprised but quickly regained his composure.
“Mike, give me pointers on how I can do better than you because you are
leaving big shoes for me to ll”
Mike laughed and they spent about 30 minutes bouncing ideas off each
other. Frank wished him luck in his new position and promised to keep in
touch.
His next stop was with the Human Resource ofce.
Mike had tendered his resignation letter directly to Mr. J. Daniels, Head of
Human Resources giving them the one month notice as was stated in his
contract.
87
Mr. J. Daniels did not look surprised and said: “Was Miss Edith not working
closely with you? I know she will not want such a great team member to
leave the team abruptly without reason. Was there any problem that you
didn't want to share with me?”
He had a quizzing look on his face and was staring into Mike's face in case
he could read anything.
Mike kept a straight face and shook his head, “It's time to leave I guess. It has
to be an amazing time working with you sir.”
“Hmmmmm” was the only initial response that Mr. J. Daniels made.
“I'll see to the bottom of this,” he said as Mike stood to leave. “Give my
secretary to place it in your le and see me tomorrow afternoon”
He promised to keep the appointment and went back to his department.

It was time to tell his Head of the Department.
She was in her ofce on the phone when he knocked. She asked him in and
take a seat.
She rounded up her call as he sat in front of her.
“How can I be of assistance Michael? “ She said looking at him dead in the
eye.
“Well ma'am, I believe you should hear it directly from me. I have resigned
from this company and I have submitted my letter to the human resource
department as required of me. Today begins the recommended 30 days'
notice as signed in my employment contract.
She kept a straight face throughout. One of the things Mike liked about her
was how she concealed her emotions and nobody could read her. She
always used it while negotiating and trying to get her way. Right now he did
not know if she was angry or undisturbed by his news.
“So what prompted this decision, Michael? Was there something I can do to
keep you with my team?” she asked, still looking at him. He had mentally
prepared himself for this showdown. She seemed to know how to impress
her position and authority gure on any and everybody.
“I want to have more responsibilities so I can grow quickly in my career. I do

not see you allowing me to have control even though I cannot deny you
have taught me a few tricks that have improved my process…….”
She quipped at this point and said, “Or was it my request to give me
something you decided to keep to yourself?” she broke her gaze at this
point, stood and started picking a few les from the table.
88
Darn! He thought to himself, he forgot to place his phone on the recorder

before stepping into her ofce, he was more worried about how the process
will go and since he had one foot out of the door, he was unbothered.
“Do you think that was the best way to request sex from a team member?”
He asked, still seated.
“I did not request anything from you, Michael. I only wanted to know how
you will react in certain situations and you failed the tests woefully. You
cannot seem to handle pressure or face a challenge head-on. If this is the
way you want to grow in your career, by running away to another job
because of an uncomfortable period, trust me, you won't go very far. “She
still stood at her side of the desk with the les in her hands.
Mike also stood at this point noting this was the best time to leave, “I believe
you are a psycho and do not deserve another second talking about this
topic. My message has been delivered and I know we will still meet
sometime in the future. Till then ma'am. Have a great rest of the day” He
turned and left her ofce without looking back at her reaction.
Tender your resignation to your place of employment if you are currently on

a job.
Leave on a clean slate and do not burn bridges. You will be surprised that
you might require something from your former employer or colleague.
Provide the necessary information and timeline that has been previously
stated in your contract. This way, you can ensure there is a smooth transition
to nding a replacement and you might be able to properly train him/her
before you leave.
WEEK 3
TAKE A FEW DAYS OR WEEKS OF REST AND REVIEW BEFORE RESUMING.
Mike had asked to resume a week after his one-month compulsory timeline
for the previous company was up.
Previous company!
89
He felt good that he was able to nally achieve his aim of changing jobs
after putting in so much effort. He took that time to review his career so far
and if he was still in the path he had laid for himself.
There were a few more things he needed to get right before he took the
huge step to join the new coy. He took out his notebook and began to
review his time at the coy. He found out that although he was a sexual prey
to Miss Edith, she was a better boss that took a special interest in his growth
than her predecessor Mr. Nadia. This reinforced his thought of consciously
creating a bond with his line manager at his new position.
He also noted that he had not utilized emotional intelligence in his time at
the ofce. He did not have great personal relationships with his colleagues
and thus there was a strain in the work communication. He decided to read
a few books and learn how to have a decent relationship with his
colleagues and other managers in the new position.
It is not very effective to leave a company and join another immediately.

If it is possible, try to negotiate at least a week to rest and review your time in
the other company before joining the new coy.
This time will help you have a more holistic view of your career to date and
allows you to note or point out the errors and strengths that made you stand
out. You do not need to wait before you get the new job before you carry
out this exercise but the psychological way you will think when you have
tendered your resignation letter or left the company makes you have a
more realistic model of review.
The most important factor of the time you can negotiate is to have proper
rest. Get good sleep, exercise and prepare to resume the new job alert,
available and renewed.
90
WEEK 4
MENTALLY PREPARE TO BEGIN AT YOUR NEW JOB.
Mike knew that to be able to make the most in the new company he needs
to identify the important members of the team he has just joined. The
people in written and unwritten positions, people that will assist him in
getting ahead quickly and others that just go with the ow.
Nothing was more important than him showing that he was worthy to join
the team and also know how to relate properly with his teammates.
Fortunately, his new manager was just as pleasant as Tony “The Bull”. He had
taken Mike up and showed him how the business was planning to expand.
Although the hours were longer, they were more pleasurable.
It took him some time to get used to the friendliness and open
atmosphere that was the norm in his new ofce.
The journey of getting a job or switching jobs might have been tedious but
there is another battle ahead.
You will have to show that you are worth the position that you were offered.
Some companies have a probation period which will require the newly
employed individual tested to know if their competence was just on their
Resume, or they are capable of solving the problems they were hired for.
Know that you will be tested by your bosses and contemporaries to know if
you can assist in the progress of the organization. It is nothing personal, it
comes when a new person joins a community. You will have to learn the
organizational culture of your company quickly. If there is a change in
workplace culture from your previous coy, it will be best to unlearn the
negative points so you can have a smooth transition.
Strategize how you can position yourself for growth (or whatever you are in
pursuit of) ( Ask questions, be a nuisance, know the people, the history and
the duties of each person)
91
Note that there will be an unconscious clash of power if you get into an
organization. If the people in the organization are not open about how they
run their processes, you have to read between the lines or actions at times.
An individual might be in charge of a project but he has a superior that
micromanages all his activity. You might have to nd him to agree to certain
changes to your work. You will nd out if he is the kind of man that you can
go and meet and talk to direct him or been subtle is the game that he plays.
Know that you are joining a new community of people that have grown in
their professional relationships and worked together for a while. You need to
put your best foot forward and be yourself.
Once you know that you will take some time to adjust to the new
environment and people, you will take it one step at a time.
Learn the written and unwritten manner of rules of the new company and
nd the best way you can t into it.
If your new job requires you to move to a new city, ensure that you prepare
yourself for the differences your new location will have compared to where
you are coming from. Also, try to connect to a few people before moving.
You can ask friends and family that know people based in that city to give
you an intro. This will make it a little easier for you to settle down.
RECAP OF THE PRACTICAL TASKS FOR MONTH SIX

Ÿ Carefully Review The Offers That You Have.
Ÿ Prepare To Hand Over Properly
Ÿ Take A Few Days or Weeks of Rest and Review before Resuming.
Ÿ Mentally Prepare To Begin At Your New Job.
Success at the end of this project will make you smile and be so proud of
yourself to be able to make a decisive change in your career.
However, there are many little things you can do to prevent burning the
bridges where you are leaving and ensure you communicate properly with
your previous employers and your new employers.
You'll also need to prepare yourself for the adaptation process that will
allow you to blend properly with the new team you will be joining.
92
CONCLUSION
You might have followed the steps in this book as stated or you just picked
out what you could make use to t your unique circumstances.
Whatever your manner of application, what matters most is the result that
you will obtain by using some of the principles stated above.
Your story might not be as dramatic as Mike but you have a unique story that
can be used to build your path to success.
I wish you the very best in your unique journey of getting another job.
93
ABOUT THE BOOK
I can bet my last naira that you know someone looking for a job.
The 21st Century Job terrain is a lot more different than what we were
used to and if you do not adapt to these changes, it will take you a
pretty long time to get or change your job. This guide gives you the
birds eye view of how you can navigate the challenges that come
with the job search phase.
Every chapter has practical tips and tasks that anyone can easily do.
This book follows the real-life story of a young man, Micheal George,
who wants to change his job and build experience while escaping
the sexual harassment of his current boss.
Use the grounded principles and amazing tips to reduce the time and
effort spent on job hunting.
Get your dream job with ease.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mobolaji Atolagbe is a badass writer,

can tear any business model to its
bare bones and believes that every
human has huge potential in their
place of natural skill and talent.
His personal mantra is that people
will do better if they know better. This
inspired him to start Reality Check
World; a platform that allows
entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs to
learn skills to increase their capacity
in their businesses and jobs
respectively.

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THE ULTIMATE GUIDE

CHANGE Your JOB

SECRET TIPS & PRACTICAL STEPS

Cover and Page Layout Design © by 2020 Jide Durowoju

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced

Everybody has a reason to want a job or change to another job.

That is exactly the way this book is structured.

You decide the strategy that works best for you.

However, if you must use the software on a computer or phone, create a

We will be following the career story of Mike in this book.

Platforms that allow for remote work are:

Go Back to Your Drawing Board to Review.

Interviews, Following up and getting the Job,

Job Offers, Job Offers, Job Offers.

Even John, his colleague, had to speak with him at lunch.

"No, you are not" John replied.

Miss Rosemary Edith seems to have another tactic up her sleeve.

John placed a specially designed notebook on the table.

"You know I am an advocate of having a journal, so I bought one especially

"New thoughts can remake you"

He decided that he needed to get a new job, a better job. He needed to

PRACTICAL ACTIVITIES FOR WEEK 1

1. How do I see myself?

2. Am I condent about my skill level?

3. Am I capable of handling my tasks properly and efciently?

4. Do I just struggle to give my very best or do I do it effortlessly?

5. Do I need to focus on skill improvement or better positioning?

Everything begins in the mind.

IDENTIFY YOUR PURPOSE FOR GETTING A JOB

Mike presented his slides to his teammates in the conference room.

He nished the presentation. He stood by the screen and was expecting

"Michael please take your seat" was all she said.

"Good!" she exclaimed.

PRACTICAL ACTIVITIES FOR WEEK 2

Do not just be interested in remuneration, also nd out from research,

However, if you are looking to change jobs, whatever the reason(s), it is

Various reasons you might want to change your job.

● Bad Management? (Does your manager have your best interest at

● A Toxic Workplace or Culture?

● Does your company have a well-balanced culture that ensures

IDENTIFY 10 EMPLOYERS/ COMPANIES YOU ARE INTERESTED IN

He started researching companies that gave proper support to staff and

He had checked the websites "Glassdoor", and "Indeed" which provided

independent reviews from employees that have worked in the company

He then decided to spend the weekend speaking with friends and

He made a very comprehensive list of people he could reach out to.

"Hey, Mike my man!"

"How can I be of assistance, smart boy? I know you want something

"Exactly!" Mike responded. Big Chief had this communication technique

"I prefer to remain in a consulting agency but I am more interested in having

PRACTICAL ACTIVITIES FOR WEEK 3

If no names come to bear in your mind, ask,

"Who do I know that will know someone working in this company?"

Research conrms that you are at most 6 connections away from a

If you are looking to get an introduction from someone already in your

I trust this mail meets you well.

I need your assistance to kindly introduce me to your colleague, Kemi

There is a job opening I saw advertised in her department, although I

An email introducing me can be very helpful and will assist me in

If there is no job advertised

I trust this message meets you well.

Your company culture appeals to me and I am in search of an opening

My email address is MichealGeorge@gmail.com I will sincerely appreciate