JOB INTERVIEW SYNDROME

This article might be a little more disturbing to... I guess, half of the readers and raise plenty plenty eye brows...

Well, I've just being wondering and thinking about the way the unemployed youths handles job interview...
So many interview seminars we attend, where we are taught so many dos and don'ts of job interviews, we are caught up with books on how to look when attending a job interview. The things you say and the things you do... The truth of the matter is, job interviews has gone far beyond what it use to be, the conventional pattern it USE to take.

A group of individuals came together and created jobs for themselves on how you, yea i mean you, can get a job! Well during my service year, I had ample time to attend some job interview seminars and workshops where we were ENLIGHTENED on how we dress, what food we eat, how we look, what to say, how to sit, how to put your gadgets, your body posture and the likes. Ok, I happened to have a chit-chat with a friend of mine who works in a Human Resource firm, I told him, if you interview me, dress the way I actually want to please you, say the things that I'm sure you want to hear and you're impressed... You give me a manager-handshake with my appointment letter on the other hand, and after getting into the business of the day I was unable to deliver... Of what use is that?

I stumbled on a joke some time ago, it was a chat between a boss and his subordinate, the subordinate said, "Sir, pls I won't be able to come to office today", his boss responded, "why?". And he retorted, "it's because it rained heavily in my area and every where is flooded sir, so I can't have access to the road to cross the flood sir". The boss replied, "ok, you submitted your CV, and I could remember in your skills and hobbies you wrote swimming, my friend will you enter that water and swim your way down to the office"... Yes it's so funny, very funny, but 80% of us never saw the reality in that joke, we've been deluded by the story line to make us laugh. But the reality is that, that's exactly what is happening to many employees and employers of today. The employee must have seen that swimming skills is an added advantage for him to get the job, even without knowing a bit about it, at least first impression matters.

Now, in the job seminars, we are taught, don't put on a particular tie on a particular shirt... I'm not against that, but is it the tie that'll deliver the job or your intelligence? Of course as an individual, decent dressing is paramount, as a youth. In a seminar, the one baffled me most, that don't put on a purple suit, what if that's the only suit you have? Don't wear stripped socks, put on a black belt, put on waist coat... Blah blah blah!.... My dear put on what you have!

You enter the interviewing room, of course courtesy demands that you should ask for permission before you sit, "may I sit down? ",... Even if it's not a job interview, you should know as a responsible individual, you act responsibly... But what get me irritated, some of you might not believe this, if I haven't come across it, I wouldn't say... They'll tell you when your permission is granted to sit, there's a way your back must be, some will even say you put your back on 90° degree, Lolzzzz... there's a way you cross your legs, there's a way you place your hands on your knees, my brother, relax yourself and be comfortable! You loose your confidence when you're trying to role-play what you were taught during the seminar! You're busy answering the board's questions and at the same time your mind is on the position of your sitting, you're conscious of your appearance. One will lose to one, that's the truth... I was even amazed hearing during the seminar, someone saying, if you're holding your car keys, there's a particular hand the keys must be and there's a way you hold it... My brother will you stop that rubbish! What?! There's also a particular way you hold your handkerchief and if you want to clean your face, there's a direction which you must do it... Come on, am I acting an Hollywood or Nollywood movie? Naaah! Be yourself!... I say be yourself!!!

I know this will raise criticism, but the koko is to be comfortable with yourself.... What job interview needs is confidence, not Pretence... And you can only achieve confidence when you are comfortable, and comfortability comes only when you are being yourself. You can never be comfortable when you are acting out...

The truth of these job interviews is that, it's only here in the African setting we weigh up ourselves on how we look... Someone who is going for a job interview scheduled for 1pm is putting on a suit and a tie knotted and tightly fitted to the neck under one scorching sun where you'll have to enter commercial vehicles... My brother, let me remind you that you are human and not a goat!...

Dress with the weather condition, be comfortable in whatever you are putting on.
I was having a discussion with a good friend of mine some days back - Miss Oluranti, well she's also an upcoming blogger, so watch out for her blog. Whatever is meant for you will never pass you by. If a job is meant for you, trust me it will go nowhere. It might look so near, right at your fingertip, with the hopes you will surely get it... Trust me, you might end up losing it. One of brothers will say, if a job is not meant for you, you have other opportunities outside there.

Here's what you should consider, after using your last money to get a suit of 20k and a black shoe of 7k, and you later found out that the position has been given out?
After all the paparazzi of your position of sitting, the way you swung your way down in the boardroom and you still didn't get the job... Then afterwards, you won't allow us to hear word again, "with my expensive suit, my expensive tie, with my polished English, they still didn't give me this job" my dear if you had been yourself, trust me you have nothing to loose. You'll just tell yourself better luck next time... The major thing is be COMFORTABLE, if you are comfortable wearing a tie under an heavy sun, go on my brother, if you know you are only comfortable with wearing just a neat shirt and a pant trousers with a well polished shoe, trust me you're good to go.

This reminded me of one video that went viral, it was about a beauty pageant, this girl... Got it all... The shape? Great! The beauty? Astonishing! The height? Perfect!... She was asked, would she prefer an arranged marriage?.... Oh my word! She responded, yes, I want my marriage to be planned and arranged, so that all arrangements will be put in place?!! Gbagaun!... Can you imagine?!! With all her beauty, she was unable to defend her beauty with her brain (intelligence).

Intelligence not beauty 

And that is exactly what happens to many companies, firms, organisations of today... They allow the outward appearance to dissuade them from the inner beauty some of we youth posses. We act out, you like us, you employ us, now to deliver... Wahala!... Hear what they have to offer, and stop looking at what they look to offer!

So, if you're an employer out there, pls our unemployed youths facades now, they act out to please you, they tell you what you want to hear and not what they actually posses, they show you what they don't have, they look what they are not... And after you employ them? You'll have issues with them delivering...
I'm not saying you should dress irresponsibly or shabby outfit to a job interview, I'm not saying you should sit like a tout in the interview room, of course ladies I'm not saying you should sit and make in between your legs ventura or film house for the viewing pleasure of your interviewers, I'm not saying you should dress like a masquerade with colour riot outfit for that job interview. But the epistle I've been writing on, simply is comfortability and confidence. Feel free and express yourself, if you're challenged by the interviewers about your look, just let them know that is your own state of comfort for your confidence.

Be confident

The truth is that, you can only loose your confidence when you don't know your worth and value, when you have a price. But if you know what you are worth, when you know that you don't have a price (priceless), believe you me, even if you put on a sweatshirt and a pair of jeans, you'll still be chased after.

And who says you can't even be your own boss? Who says you need that white-collar job to be successful in life?

Be your true self... Don't settle for less... Let them hear what you have, show them what you can offer... Selling yourself is selling your intelligence and not your appearance.

And of course PRAYER works (that is the main thing whether you like it or not). If you like put on the most expensive suit and shoe to that interview, have a British accent, carry yourself perfectly, answer the questions correctly... Prayer is a slayer!

BE YOURSELF, BE COMFORTABLE AND BE CONFIDENT!