Over 250 applications are screened for each US job opening, for a country whose unemployment rate is at a manageable 6.7%. If you are in Nigeria, however, you'll know the odds of getting a job are longer, with the unemployment rate currently at 27.1%. Therefore, one can easily assume that the Nigerian recruiter screens, at the least, 750 applications per job opening.
So, yes, the days of "I can work under pressure" are far behind us; and that also means the job applicant must do a little more than hope on a dazzling resume to do the trick. Some proactivity is now required, as Nigerian employers continue to invent new ways to shortlist applicants.
We, recently, assisted a client with a resume; but, the smart client went a little further to request our services in providing a business case to go with the application. So, what did we do? Assessed the employer's need or pain point, and developed a solution that fitted the applicant's role. It worked; and the client will resume the new job, shortly.
I also remember losing out 'bigly' on a job opportunity at an oil firm. Prior to the interview, I had focused on the salary scale instead of the industry challenges, while being too confident and familiar with the role. It was my undoing. I should have researched the company, their industry - it's challenges and discourse - and matched it with my experience and skillset, and then developed a business case. That way, I would have shown the interviewer that I was more concerned with the employer's need than I was with just getting employed, which is the attitude many Nigerian employees have to the job.
How could I have made such a silly mistake when, just eight years prior, I had been promoted and redeployed at my former employer by including a well-researched and articulated business case and work plan in the internal application?
In fact, the interviewer - who could have been my boss had I not flunked the opportunity - told me that he expected I talked a little about sustainability and other terms related to the oil industry in my article. That's what you should do as well: research the employer's industry challenges in line with global development or economic goals, that set the tone for a company's interaction with clients and the government. Presenting a business case around these will prove to the employer that you are proactive, engaged, and are ready to provide answers.
So, here's what you should do after drafting a wonderful CV/resume (by us, of course): research the prospective employer's industry, their needs and challenges, and then creatively identify a need, upon which you will build a business case for them. It's most likely the employer will be aware of that need or not; but, the fact that you went the extra mile to do your research and then came up with a business case to solve their problem with your job role, will get you ahead of the pack...and you should really do all you can legally and meritoriously do to stand out of the pack as a job applicant in Nigeria.
Writing a business case requires an analytical mind and a little, if not a lot of, research depending on the job position. It also requires a level of vastness and experience which may elude most job applicants for the obvious reason that many career paths are pigeon holes, and do not provide as much versatility in knowledge.
That's why you should talk to us, to develop a befitting business case that will put you ahead of the pack.
Don't write that CV/ resume, business plan, profile, proposal or case without us. Check out our business writing services HERE; and, if you need a solid strategy for engaging your digital audience, check HERE. Thank you!
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